Sophia,+Eric,+and+Alex


 * DOMESTIC TERRORISM **

Army of God The Army of God was first publicly mentioned in 1982 when two members kidnapped a Illinois abortion provider and his wife. It is a domestic christian terrorist group who's primary goal is to end abortion in the United States by any means necessary. They encourage acts of violence to end abortion and are more than willing to commit acts of violence toward the homosexual community. The Army of God has murdered several abortion doctors since 1982. They have also planted bombs in several abortion clinics throughout the eastern sea board. In 2011, the Army of God has sent envelops to doctors who work in abortion clinics. Although the envelops were later found to not contain anthrax, it created a lot of fear within the pro choice community and considered an act of terror. The Army of God has very strong religious ties they believe that the violence they commit is in the name of God and therefore justified.

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan or KKK for short is a domestic terrorist group who targets religious and racial minorities. It was founded in 1866 by several Confederate Civil War veterans. They are openly racist and support acts of violence against minorities. They are known as America's first terrorist group. They have strong religious ties to Christianity and are openly against those who don't support Christianity. In the past the KKK would public hang or murder minorities. Recently the minority citizens of a neighborhood in Chicago have been subjected to vandalism by the KKK or a group with strong KKK ties. The letters KKK have been tagged all over their fences, property such as grills, doors, windows, hoses and other things have been destroyed by the vandals.



Fort Hood Shooting (Nidal Malik Hasan) On November 5, 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan took several people's lives while wounding others during a mass shooting. He was a psychiatrist serving in the U.S. Army. Although he was never in physical combat, Hasan listened to many returning soldiers' stories during therapy sessions. The psychiatrist was often criticized due to his Middle Eastern heritage. A Muslim himself, Hasan was upset at the killing of Muslims in Iran and Afghanistan. He was unhappy with U.S. foreign policy and made several comments that the U.S. shouldn't be in Iraq and Afghanistan. Before the shooting occurred, a supposed internet post written by Hasan discussed suicide bombings and other threats. It was known that Hasan was upset over his deployment to Iraq and he strongly opposed it, even trying to be honorably discharged from the Army. Although there is no clear reason as to why Hasan decided to kill the people, it is suspected that it was in relation to his strong opposition to U.S. occupation in the Middle East. Earth Liberation Front

The Earth Liberation Front is a loose network of autonomous individuals and cells which seek to preserve the environment at any cost. The ELF Press Office claims that the organization is made up of those who “use economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment.” It was founded in the UK but spread to 17 other countries and was classified as a domestic terror threat in the US in 2001. Most ELF attacks are simply destruction of property. They target facilities involved in logging, genetic engineering, deforestation, SUV sales, and urban development, as well as anything else they deem harmful to the environment. In 2008 the ELF claimed the burning of four multi-million dollar homes in Echo Lake, Washington. The ELF is not religiously based in any way. It is still active and distributes communiqués discussing its ideals.



Aryan Nations

Aryan Nations is a white supremacist group based in Idaho who claims to have religious purpose based on Christianity. The group came out of the Church of Jesus Christ-Christian, which was founded by Wesley A. Swift, a KKK organizer. The Aryan Nations believe in segregation to preserve the white race and retain its “superiority.” The Aryan Nations committed numerous small acts of violence throughout its existence. In 2000, a $6.3 million lawsuit was won against them when two guard at the Aryan Nations compound shot a car and caused it to crash. The organization has since declined and moved to Sebring, Florida. Although they are no longer as prevalent, the Aryan nations still exist and influence many with their radical ideology. They have a website and a radio broadcast reaching 1,000,000 listeners that aired from 1979 to 2009.




 * INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM **

Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda is an Islamic terrorist group that was founded by Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s. Al-Qaeda possesses a "stateless army" that is present through out the middle east. It is responsible for the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. 9/11 was the most devastating attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor. The terrorist group also encourages suicidal bombings to commit acts of terror. The bombers are viewed as martyrs and will automatically get into heaven if they kill in the name of Allah. The most recent attack by Al-Qaeda was in January 2011 when suicide bombers attacked three different buildings in Iraq killing 133 people.

Armed Islamic Group The Armed Islamic Group is an international terrorist group whose goal is to overthrow the Algerian government and instill an Islamic state. Since the Algiers voided the victory of the Islamic Salvation Front during legislative elections in December of 1991, the GIA began its violent activities of frequent attacks against civilians, journalists, and foreign residents. Over the years, the GIA has participated in several assassinations and bombings in the name of their cause. They frequently embark on terrorist campaigns of civilian massacres, sometimes wiping out entire villages in its areas of operations. Hezbollah Also known as "the Party of God," Hezbollah is a Lebanese-based terrorist organization that seeks to establish an Islamic state that encompasses both Lebanon and Israel. It emerged in 1982 during Israel's first war against Lebanon with the help of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The groups wages anti-Israel campaigns and guerilla wars against Israeli forces. Hezbollah has also been accused of terrorists attacks against Western targets, such as bombings at the U.S. Embassy and the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. The most recent attack was in July 2006 when Hezbollah operatives killed eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two others. In response, Israeli forces launched a series of strikes to remove the threat. The terrorist group tends to use suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and kidnappings. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Jundallah <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Jundallah, a terrorist group emerging in 2003,advocates for the Baluchis that live under political and cultural oppression as a Sunni Muslim minority in a predominantly Shi'ite country. On October18, 2009 a suicide attack killed many people including elite military commanders and tribal leaders. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander accused the United States, Britain, and Pakistani intelligence services of backing the terrorist and the leader. Jundallah is a religious group that fights for the Sunni Muslims since they are the minority in the area. The group has taken claim to many high profile attacks in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan Province in recent years. Also, they have taken credit for some 10 attacks of suicide bombings and mass kidnappings of Iranian soldiers and civilians. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Hamas <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Hamas is the Islamic political party that governs the Gaza Strip and includes its own military force. Hamas has been in control of the Gaza Strip since 2007, after they gained a majority in the Palestinian parliament and silenced the opposition through violence a year earlier. Hamas was founded in 1987 out of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and stated their goals in the Hamas Charter released in 1987. The Hamas Charter states that the group’s main purpose is to liberate Palestine from Israel and to establish an Islamic state in place of what is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The Hamas Charter is very anti-Semitic and is based on radical Islam. Attacks by Hamas’ military wing have been against military and civilian targets. The attacks have been mainly rocket strikes and suicide bombings from 1993 to 2008. Hamas targets Israeli and Egyptian outposts for its attacks, as well as fending off other militias with conflicting goals. In 2011 Hamas and Fatah announced an agreement to stop the violence through a joint Palestine government, but if the agreement should fall through, violence is almost guaranteed.




 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">CONCLUSION **
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Although there are many domestic terrorist threats in the United States, the biggest threats are foreign. Most domestic terrorism is small acts of violence or lone wolf attacks that only occur once. Foreign groups that have wide support bases and religious motivation serve a much bigger threat to the US simply because of their size, resources, and capabilities. 9/11 is the perfect example of what a foreign terrorist threat is capable of on US soil.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">There is no legitimate argument for terrorism. Whatever one’s beliefs, they simply cannot justify the killing of innocent people. Most terrorists see religion as the reason for their actions, which is why terrorism is so hard to stop. Terrorists are not simply attacking people for no reason; they are acting on their most deeply held beliefs. I do not believe in the same things they do, so I can never understand the need to kill for their religion.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I believe that being a US citizen shades my perception of terrorists to a large degree. 9/11 occurred when I was in elementary school, so from a young age I have been in an environment where terrorism is seen as evil and terrible. I agree completely with these views, but I acknowledge that they came about primarily because of the fact that I grew up here.