NCJ Number
100259
Date Published
Unknown
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The United States is vulnerable to attacks by transnational terrorist groups, although terrorism in this country is not as spectacular as in foreign countries.
Abstract
Terrorism is defined as ''the systematic use or threat of violence to achieve political (or social) goals.' This excludes guerilla movements. The public does not perceive that terrorism is thriving in the United States because few incidents have been spectacular, a high violence rate makes terrorist actions routine, and terrorist actions are typically against property (bombings) rather than people. U.S. terrorist incidents have included the joint effort of the Black Liberation Army and the Weather Underground to rob an armored car in Nyack, N.Y., on October 20, 1981; the 1983 bombing in the Capitol building; and bombings of abortion centers. A likely target category of future terrorist attacks is the nuclear power plant, given the number of demonstrations against them. Transnational terrorists funded by foreign governments could easily enter the United States and mount attacks. There are 6,000 miles of border that can be easily crossed and many ethnic populations which enable foreign terrorists to move about without suspicion. Suggestions are offered for future research on domestic terrorism. 21 notes.