-Caveat Lector- The American Terrorist: A PINCH OF POLITICS, A POUND OF HATE by Rodger Doyle Scientific American Say "terrorism," and most people think Osama bin Laden and Timothy McVeigh, but they are just a small, if scary, part of a much larger American problem. The accumulation of solid data on U.S. terrorism is only now beginning, most notably with the FBI's tabulation of hate crimes starting in the early 1990s. These and other reports suggest that the number of terrorist acts against Americans worldwide over the past 20 years is 250,000 to 300,000. During this time, at least 1,500 Americans have died in terrorist incidents that, in their timing, were utterly unpredictable. Most died as a result of bombings. Fewer than 3,000 of the terrorist acts were committed abroad, most prominently by Muslim groups, who have killed about 600 Americans since 1982 (the majority of them in the bombings of the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983 and Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988). The biggest domestic terrorist act in recent years was, of course, the 1995 bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Political beliefs have little to do with domestic terrorism. The McVeigh group and other organized, overtly ideological extremists, whether right-wing, left-wing, anti-Muslim, pro-Muslim, anti-Castro, Puerto Rican nationalist, eco-terrorist, animal liberationist or cyber-terrorist, probably accounted for a small number of incidents since 1982, when the FBI began keeping systematic records. Rather the largest categories of terrorist offenses are racial/ethnic crimes (mostly against blacks), followed by religious (mostly anti-Semitic) and anti-gay crimes. The occurrence of racial/ethnic offenses declined during the 1990s, while religious and anti-gay offenses held steady. Many, perhaps most, of these incidents were spur-of-the-moment acts by individuals or ad hoc groups. Another important category, one that is not adequately covered by official statistics, is attacks against and harassment of abortion-services providers. The National Abortion Federation, in its incomplete tabulation of violence and threats, estimates such incidents at 12,000 from 1984 to 2000, with a substantial decline since 198889, the peak years of clinic protests. Unfortunately, there are no reliable statistics on other kinds of terrorism, such as student attacks on other students, exemplified by the infamous Columbine shootings in 1999, and police violence against civilians, as in the notorious Rodney King episode of 1992. It would be useful to include such acts, as well as anti-abortion terrorism, in the national reporting system. That way, Americans will have a comprehensive and reliable picture of all types of terrorist acts. DEFINING TERRORISM There is no agreement on what constitutes terrorism. The U.S. State Department says it is "premeditated, politically motivated violence by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." The FBI says it is "the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence against persons or property in furtherance of political or social objectives." In this article "terrorism" is defined as the use or threat. of violence to make a statement about ideological or cultural beliefs. The conscious aim may or may not be to coerce a government or a group of people into granting the terrorists' demands. ------------ Rodger Doyle's e-mail is [EMAIL PROTECTED] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
