LibGuides: Terrorism and Homeland Security: Domestic Terrorism

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Definitions of Terrorism in the US Code

18 U.S.C. § 2331 defines "international terrorism" and "domestic terrorism" for purposes of Chapter 113B of the Code, entitled "Terrorism”.

"Domestic terrorism" means activities with the following three characteristics:

Involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law
Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping
Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition

Database Searches

Click on the search terms below to view a list of search results from library databases:

Domestic Terrorism (search Military and Intelligence Database Collection)
Domestic Terrorism AND United States (search Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text)
Domestic Terrorism in the U.S. (search Military and Intelligence Database Collection)
Terrorist Organizations in the United States (search Gale OneFile: Criminal Justice)

Articles from Library Databases

"Confronting" Foreign Intelligence: Crawford Roadblocks to Domestic Terrorism Trials"
"The article examines domestic terrorism trials and how the evidentiary admissibility burden has been challenged since the 2004 decision in Crawford v. Washington. Information is provided on how the Crawford ruling affects the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment and how the ruling allows challenges to the reliability of evidence at trial in the form of confrontation."
Confronting Terrorism on the State and Local Level
"Focuses on the threat of domestic terrorism in the United States (US). Need for antiterrorism efforts by state and local law enforcement agencies; Resurgence of right-wing extremist activity within the US; Role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in counterterrorism efforts; Measures to address the threat of domestic terrorism."
Domestic Terrorism, Cyber-Radicalization, US College Students
"Radicalization is promoted on the Internet in ways that appeal to the young and impact those who are searching for their identities and places in life. Radicalization is complemented by the open environment of higher education, where college- and university-based organizations can become forums for the presentation of radical messages in a way that connects with the students. This article describes the four-stage radicalization process, explains why students are particularly vulnerable, and offers suggestions for implementing an effective response."
Homeland Security Fights Domestic Terrorism: The Trillion Dollar Hustle
"After 20 years of decreasing crime rates, there has recently been a dramatic spike in shootings in major cities. Each year guns kill 10,000 Americans -- more than 30 a day. It is imperative that we alter the way we discuss, characterize and count violent acts in this country. In order to open this badly needed discussion, the Arab American Institute held a standing-room only congressional briefing on July 21 at the Cannon House Office Building titled Hate Crimes:? The Original Domestic Terrorism."
"State Sponsors of Terrorism" is a Question, Not an Answer: The Terrorism Amendment to the FSIA Makes Less Sense Now Than It Did Before 9/11
"Focuses on the flaws inherent in the state sponsors of terrorism in the U.S. Right of state sponsors to terrorism to constitutional protection; Jurisdiction of courts over a state sponsor of terrorism; Diversion of foreign domestic courts."
Terror in the Courts: Beginning to Assess the Impact of Terrorism-Related Prosecutions on Domestic Criminal Law and Procedure in the USA
"This article explores some of the possible influences of the "war on terror." It asks whether civilian criminal prosecutions of terrorism-related offenses or suspects may shape or distort domestic criminal law and procedure in the USA. The article identifies issues that may tend to arise in terrorism-related cases and suggests categories of prosecutions that may be more or less likely to influence the development of domestic law. It ends with several specific suggestions for further research."
The Challenge of Domestic Terrorism to American Criminal Justice
"Focuses on the challenge posed by domestic terrorism to the administration of criminal justice in the U.S. Impact of terrorism on the criminal justice system in the country; Need for criminal justice practitioners to be aware of the link between terrorism and crimes such as drug trafficking; Citizen Corps components administered by the Justice Department to provide ways for public-spirited citizens to assist their communities."
There Can Be No Compromise: Institutional Inclusiveness, Fractionalization, and Domestic Terrorism
"Research on terrorism in democracies borrows from the literature on civil war and rebellion to argue that more proportional representation decreases the likelihood of terrorist violence. However, theories of broader social mobilization may be ill-suited to predicting the occurrence of terrorism. This article proposes that proportionalism's institutionalization of small minority groups as legitimate but relatively insignificant political actors leads to militancy."
Trajectories of Terrorism
"Although researchers began to assemble open-source terrorism event databases in the late 1960s, until recently most of these databases excluded domestic attacks. This exclusion is particularly misleading for the United States because, although the United States is often perceived to be the central target of transnational terrorism, the domestic attacks of foreign groups targeting the United States are often ignored."

Domestic Terror Incidents

September 11 Attacks (2001)

The 9/11 Commission Report
(Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States)
9/11 Interactive Timelines
(9/11 Memorial Site)
Ten Years After: The FBI Since 9/11
(FBI)

Boston Marathon Bombings (2013)

The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings
(House Homeland Security Committee Report)
After Action Report for the Response to the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings
(Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency et al.)