Lecture 5: Terrorism in America

The US has experienced different

types of homegrown terrorism, most

of it either the right or left wing

variety, though Americans became

more aware of transnational

terrorism in the 1990s after the

WTC was hit in 1993…

In this brief overview, YOU will be

examining each of these types of

terrorist activities taking place

specifically inside the US

Cindy Combs defines the various

types of terrorism found IN America

using a blend of typologies found in

the works of political scientists Ted

Robert Gurr and Brent Smith

Combs’ 3 Types of Domestic Terrorism

1) Right-Wing Extremism

2) Left-Wing Extremism

3) Transnational Terrorism

Combs’ 3 Types of Domestic Terrorism

1) Right-Wing Extremism

“Groups that seek to retain or reestablish an

earlier status quo by the use of terrorist

acts…includes [extreme] religious groups

seeking…fundamental faith structures…[and

groups] who violently oppose current laws

permitting abortion”

-Cindy Combs

Combs’ 3 Types of Domestic Terrorism

2) Left-Wing Extremism

“Groups motivated by a desire…to radically

change the political system through the use of

terrorist tactics…[includes] left-wing [Weather

Underground], nationalists [FALN], and some

single-issue extremists [Earth Liberation Front]”

-Cindy Combs

Combs’ 3 Types of Domestic Terrorism

3) Transnational Terrorism (TT)

“Is the same as international terrorism” just that it

is occurring IN the United States.

Some of the groups involved in TT justify such

tactics with left or right wing arguments though

the bulk of the TT attacks have been

perpetrated by folks offering up different

arguments…

Rather than lecture about all these

groups, we’ll have a discussion about

them….

I’ve handed you some case studies. Read

through them and break down into groups

to answer the questions I’ve included at

the end of the packet…