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ABSTRACT

The research described in this project was to analyze law enforcement preparedness for domestic terrorism and provide information about the recognition and prevention of terrorist activities in the United States. The document will cover the history of bombings in the United Stated, discuss the perceptions of domestic terrorism, identify the recognized methods currently employed by terrorists world wide as means creating panic and disrupting society, as well as what law enforcement is currently doing to mitigate such issues.



History clearly reveals that victory in an ideological war is nearly impossible to achieve. This has been demonstrated for centuries, a prime example of which is clearly seen when Adolf Hitler asked Heinrich Himmler in 1929 to take over the Schutzstaffel, otherwise known as the SS. Himmler commanded 280 soldiers, which by the time the Nazi Party came to power four years later had grown to 52,000 (Borchgrave, 2006). Similarly, al Qaeda today is an ideological movement waging a global war against Western democracies, particularly the United States. The notable difference being that the Nazi Party was easily identified and centrally located until the outbreak of World War II, whereas al Qaeda Jihadists are spread around the globe and waging individual attacks on civilized societies in an effort to disrupt societal norms.
The United States is not unfamiliar to terrorist incidents or bombings within its borders. Some previously reported incidents within the United States date back to May 4, 1886, when an unknown person threw a pipe bomb at police as they were dispersing a public meeting. The explosion is believed to have only killed one officer and wounded several others, however the panic and chaos that ensued resulted in the deaths of at least fourteen more officers and civilians, leaving about sixty officers wounded and an unknown number civilian casualties (Bonfield,...