HISTORICAL DOMESTIC TERRORIST EVENTS

Brittany ToddECPI University

1978 – 1998 UNABOMBER

THEODORE “TED” KACZYNSKI Made home-made bombs, and sent them in unmarked boxes to random universities and airline facilities within the U.S., over a span of 17 years. Gained a degree in mathematics from Berkley Wrote a manifesto about his hatred toward industrialization and technology, then claimed that if the newspapers did not publish his writing, he would set off another bomb.

New York Times and The Washington Post publish the manifesto by order of the FBI. Ted’s sister-in-law and brother, David notice Unabomber’s writing is similar to Ted’s. David notifies the authorities with the information. (FBI 100: The Unabomber, 2008) 1995 FBI arrests Kaczynski in Lincoln, Montana where he had isolated himself. FBI finds original copies of manifesto, materials used in bomb-making, and an active bomb under his bed.

Kaczynski was indicted in 1996, then pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison on January 22, 1998.

Killed three people and injured over 20 more

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:This incident was a prime example of Lone Wolf terrorism. It is now being used as a case study to document behavioral/ psychological aspects of criminals. It also lead to heightened security measures at airports and postal services. His printed manifesto has also encouraged debate among scholars and scientists on the consequences of the industrial revolution in America (Theodore John Kaczynski v The United States of America, 2004).

Ted Kaczynski © pixgood.com

JANUARY 25, 1993C.I.A. ATTACK

MIR AIMAL KANSI/ KASI A four year manhunt ensued after Kansi used his AK-47 rifle and fired on cars

turning into the C.I.A. front gate at Langley, in Washington, D.C. at 7:50 a.m. Was found by the FBI after their investigation into AK-47 purchases.

An informant stepped up in May of 1997, alerting authorirites that he had information on Kansi’s whereabouts

June 15, 1997 Kasi’s apartment is raided and he is detained During a flight back to America, Kansi confessed to the shooting and documented his

statement to the FBI (Hasan, K., 2004) After trial by jury, Kansi received the death penalty and was executed in 2002 (A

Look Back … Murder at CIA’s Front Gate, 2009). The reason he gave for the attack was that the idea came to him during a purchase

of a Chinese-made firearm. Killed two CIA employees, three were wounded

Mir Aimal Kansi © NBCnews.com

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:During the investigation, Pakistani officials refused to help the United States in search for Kansi. This gave officials a heads up that the Pakistani government was becoming a real threat to the United States. (Risen, J., 1997)

FEBRUARY 26, 1993WORLD TRADE CENTER

BOMBING At 12:17 p.m. in the parking lot underneath the World Trade

Center, a bomb exploded; leaving a 100-foot crater in it’s wake. Suspects include seven al-Qaeda members:

Ramzi Yousef, Mohammad Salameh, Abdul Yasin, Mahmoud Abouhalima, Ahmed Ajaj, Nidal Ayyad, and Eyad Ismoil

New York Joint Terrorism Task Force investigates immediately 700 FBI agents join in (FBI 100 First Strike: Global Terror in America, 2008)

Two officers discover a VIN number on a piece of metal in the wreckage They defy procedures and take evidence from the scene to be investigated.

Suspects were indicted excluding Abdul Yasin who still remains at large.

Six people died and thousands were injured 1993 WTC Bombing © Time.com

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:This incident had financial impact of an estimated $650 million. It also brought to light that, “Al Qaeda’s efforts to attack [the United States] were increasing” (McCaul, M., 2013).

MARCH 1994ROME LAB CYBER ATTACK

Griffiss Air Force Base, New York Air Force's main command and control research facility. Research projects include:

Artificial intelligence systems Radar guidance systems Target detection and tracking systems

March - April 150 Internet intrusions were made by 2 hackers. Trojan horses were used to access and control the base’s operational network. Rome's support systems were seized for several days Critical information was copied and downloaded

Attacked other government facilities, such as: Goddard Space Center Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Defense contractors Private sector organizations

The Air Force Information Warfare Center (AFIWC) estimated that the attacks cost $500,000 at the Rome Laboratory alone.

New York State senators attend a cyber security hearing at Griffiss AFB © RomeObserver.com

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:The Rome Laboratory stores important and confidential information regarding military operations, radar, tracking, and other important data. Because the terrorists were successful and the information contained sensitive data, it can be used as intel to attack the United States.

APRIL 19, 1995OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING

Timothy McVeigh 27 year old Army soldier and American citizen Targeted the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma Filled a Ryder rental truck with 7,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, and parked it

outside the building’s daycare center (Vleet, J.V., 2001) 1991

Was discharged from the Army after the federal government decided to cut down on soldiers and developed a hatred toward the nation (McVeigh convicted for Oklahoma City bombing, 2010).

Became obsessed with a book called, “The Turner Diaries,” which described crimes committed by white radicals.

Other suspects and co-conspirators: Terry Nichols Adreas Strossmeier Robert Millard Richard Snell Dennis Mahon

McVeigh was executed on June 11, 2001 after being charged for murder and conspiracy. Killed 168 people (mostly children) and injured hundreds more.

Timothy McVeigh © DailyMail.co.uk

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:Federal response to terrorist attacks has increased, as well as their “statutory responsibilities related to victims' rights and services” (Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond, 2000). Updated training on both federal and local levels has been developed to incorporate more effective procedures regarding counterterrorism.

JULY 27 1996OLYMPIC PARK BOMBING

ERIC RUDOLPH Makes anonymous 911 call at 1:03 a.m.

States that a bomb will explode within 30 minutes at Centennial Olympic Park during Olympic games, in Atlanta, GA.

A 40 lb. pipe bomb containing nails and screws explodes 22 minutes later (Olympic Park Bombing Fast Facts, 2014)

January 29, 1998, Birmingham, AL An abortion clinic is bombed killing two. Investigators traced an abandoned vehicle seen at the crime

scene to Rudolph Bomb at the abortion clinic is similar to that used in the

Centennial Olympic Park Bombing, dubbing Rudolph as the main suspect. (Bombing at Centennial Olympic Park, 2010)

Rudolph is serving four-consecutive life sentences plus another 120 years in prison.

Two people were killed and over 100 more were injured

Eric Rudolph © wsbtv.com

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:According to the National Economic Impact Analysis of Terrorist Attacks and Natural Disasters (2014), because the bombing was during a major tourist event, this attack impacted gross revenue in the area. In the analysis, the authors state that tourists are more likely to avoid areas related to terrorism and choose safer, alternative routes.

FEBRUARY 24, 1997EMPIRE STATE SHOOTING

Ali Hassan Abu Kamal 69 year old Palestinian and English teacher

5 p.m. Kamal opens fire while atop the observation deck of the Empire State

Building Using a .380-caliber Beretta handgun he bought in Florida

Following the attack, Kamal shoot himself in the head and died five hours later

Motives were against the “United States, France and England for their mistreatment of Palestinians, as well as against Zionism, which he said oppressed Palestinians” (1997 Empire State Building shooting, n.d.).

His family states that another motive was that he became suicidal after a financial loss in a business agreement

One person was killed, six were injured

Ali Abu Kamal © nydailynews.com

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:Florida’s gun laws were under scrutiny after Rudy Giuliani questioned the state’s policies. Senators of Illinois and Massachusetts passed a legislation to “ban foreign visitors from purchasing and carrying guns” (Martin, G., 2011, p. 186). Soon after, on March 5, 1997, President Bill Clinton restricted gun access by foreign visitors.

OCTOBER 12, 2000USS COLE BOMBING

Al-Qaeda suicide bombers drove a small boat, filled with explosives, alongside the U.S. Navy Destroyer while it was refueling at a port in Yemen

The bomb made a 40-foot hole near the hull of the ship

Suspects: Fahd al-Quso Jamal al-Badawi Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri

(USS Cole Bombing Fast Facts, 2014) Killed 17 U.S. sailors and injured 39. A wreath laid by the crew of

USS Cole at the Norfolk Naval Station memorial © U.S. Navy

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:U.S. State Department and the Yemeni government signed a document which set protocols in questioning witnesses and suspects (The USS Cole Bombing, n.d.).

DECEMBER 7, 1993 LONG ISLAND RAILROAD MASSACRE

Colin Ferguson At 5:33 p.m., a mentally unstable Ferguson shot 25 people on

the Long Island Rail Passengers tackled him down to prevent future deaths Trial January - February 1996

Ferguson represented himself Claimed he wasn’t the shooter and that a white man stole his

gun Ferguson asked the surviving victims to identify the killer and

they all pointed to him. On February 17, 1996

Jury convicts Ferguson of 6 counts of murder and 22 counts of attempted murder.

Charged for six-life terms with no parole (Commute of Terror, 2009)

Killed six people, injured 19.Colin Ferguson © nypost.com

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:US Representative Carolyn McCarthy lost her husband in the attack. She introduced the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, which improved background checks to prevent those with mental illnesses from purchasing weapons (Farewell to Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, 2015).

SEPTEMBER 11, 20019/11 ATTACK

Considered the “Deadliest terrorist attack…in U.S. history” (Bergin, P.L., 2015) and is the second attack on the towers.

19 members of al-Qaeda hijacked two airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York

Osama bin Laden, a previous leader of al-Qaeda, plotted the attack to show how weak he believed America to be.

9:57 a.m – The South tower collapses 10:28 a.m. – The North tower collapses 5 of the terrorists hijacked a Boeing-757 and crashed it into the

pentagon on the same day Another plane was hijacked, but the hijacking was unsuccessful due to

the passengers who fought the terrorists. It crashed in Pennsylvania. Death Toll:

2,996 were killed (Bergin, P.L., 2015) 2,750 in NY

400 were Police 184 died at the Pentagon 40 in Pennsylvania All 19 terrorists died

9/11 terrorist attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre

in New York © www.telegraph.co.uk

IMPACT ON THE UNITED STATES:Had a major financial impact of $26-29 billion, plus the cost of $1.7 billion to rebuild the subway. The attack sparked the eight year war against Iraq in 2003, causing the fatalities of roughly 350,000 soldiers and military affiliates. “The U.S. war in Iraq has cost $1.7 trillion with an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans” (Trotta, D., 2013)

CITATIONS 1997 Empire State Building shooting. (n.d.) The Murderpedia.org website. Retrieved from

http://murderpedia.org/male.A/a/abu-kamal-ali-hassan.htm. A Look Back … Murder at CIA’s Front Gate. (2009). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved

from https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/murder-at-cia.html. Bergin, P.L. (2015). September 11 attacks. Britannica Encyclopædia. Retrieved from http://

www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/762320/September-11-attacks. Bombing at Centennial Olympic Park. (2010). The History.com website. Retrieved from

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bombing-at-centennial-olympic-park. Brock, J. (1996). Information Security – Computer Attacks at Department of Defense Pose

Increasing Risks. Electronic Privacy Information Center. Retrieved from https://epic.org/security/GAO_DOD_security.html.

Commute of Terror. (2009). The History.com website. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/commute-of-terror.

Derbyshire, S. (2001). The execution of Timothy McVeigh: must see TV?. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1120354/.

Farewell to Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy. (2015). Law Center to Prevent Gun violence. Retrieved from http://smartgunlaws.org/farewell-congresswoman-carolyn-mccarthy/.

FBI 100 First Strike: Global Terror in America. (2008). The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/february/tradebom_022608.

FBI 100: The Unabomber. (2008). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/april/unabomber_042408.

Hasan, K. (2004). How Aimal Kasi was betrayed. Daily Times. Retrieved from http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/23-Jun-2004/how-aimal-kasi-was-betrayed.

Martin, G. (2011). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism. (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (186).

McCaul, M. (2013). The lessons of the World Trade Center bombing. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/lessons-world-trade-center-bombing-article-1.1272998.

McVeigh convicted for Oklahoma City bombing. (2010). The History.com website. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mcveigh-convicted-for-oklahoma-city-bombing.

Olympic Park Bombing Fast Facts. (2014). The CNN.com website. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/olympic-park-bombing-fast-facts/.

Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond. (2000). U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://ojp.gov/ovc/publications/infores/respterrorism/executive.html.

Richardson, H.W. (2014). National Economic Impact Analysis of Terrorist Attacks and Natural Disasters. J. Park, J.E. Moore II, O. Pan. (Ed.). NorthHampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

The USS Cole Bombing. (n.d.). The Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/uss-cole.

Theodore John Kaczynski v The United States of America. (2004). United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Retrieved from http://www.archivists.org/news/kaczynski.pdf.

Trotta, D. (2013). Iraq war costs U.S. more than $2 trillion: study. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/14/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSBRE92D0PG20130314.

USS Cole Bombing Fast Facts. (2014). The CNN.com website. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/world/meast/uss-cole-bombing-fast-facts/.

Vleet, J.V. (Producer), & Vleet, J.V. (Director). (2002). Terror from Within [Motion Picture]. United States: MGA Entertainment.