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T errorism has been defined by several departments and agencies within the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice. While the definition used by the Department of Justice is most familiar to first responders, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 provides the first codified definition. This definition states that terrorism “is any activity that (A) involves an act that (i) is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; and (ii) is a violation of the criminal laws of the United StatesorofanyStateorothersubdivisionoftheUnitedStates;and(B)appears to be 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.”1 Often the decision to wage war is made as a means to change the political or social policies of a specific population. But waging a conventional war is costly, in both money and personnel. Imagine the cost of engaging in a war with the United States Armed Forces. This is a possibility for only a handful of countries. Terrorism, however, exploits the greatest vulnerabilities of those being attacked. Terrorism is an effective strategy because of what it creates—fear. Terrorism creates fear by presenting the appearance that the protector of a group, in many cases a government, cannot adequately protect its constituents . Thus terrorism is a form of warfare—psychological warfare. The value of psychological warfare has been well known for thousands of years. Around 500 B.c. the ancient Chinese general and strategist Sun Tzu wrote in his classic work The Art of War: “Achieving victory in every battle is not absolute perfection; neutralizing an adversary’s force without battle is absolute perfection.”2 In other words, if a force generates enough fear in an adversary to make the adversary unwilling to come to the battle field, the force can win without experiencing any expenditure of resources or loss of personnel. This strategy is likely the only hope for a much smaller force to defeat a power such as the United States. 3 wmd and the farm Certainly, the policies of a government can change with a change in leadership, and in some cases this can lead to serious weaknesses in policy . These loopholes may permit a terrorist organization to exist or function freely, allowing its operatives to devise and execute a plan of terror. For example, the funding for the enforcement of immigration regulations in the United States decreased throughout the 1980s and 1990s. As a result of these changes, thousands of foreign nationals and illegal aliens entered and resided in the United States. Unfortunately, nineteen of these individuals planned and carried out one of the most horrendous events against humankind in recorded history. Imagine what would happen in a government that was radically changed, perhaps literally overnight. terrorist ideologies, motives, and tactics Understandingtheideologiesandmotivationsthatwoulddirectsomeone to resort to violence is important in understanding how to protect your community better. An ideology is simply a belief or philosophy. While there are many beliefs that can serve as a basis for terrorism, it is important to differentiate between a terrorist and an extremist. Both share fervent beliefs and are willing to go to great lengths to profess and demonstrate those beliefs. However, terrorists are willing to use force or violence to demonstrate their beliefs. People whose ideologies could make them choose agriculture as a viable target may include pro-environmental groups concerned about the alleged damage farms are causing to the environment or political groups hoping to bring down the U.S. government by undermining public confidence in the economy and/or the government’s ability to protect its citizenry .3 They may also include groups whose basic tenets prohibit the killing of people but not other forms of violence.4 Groups opposing genetically modified organisms are potential candidates as well.5 Terrorists are motivated by a variety of goals and objectives. For example , a terrorist group may desire to gain recognition for its cause by targeting a large event, such as a state fair or rodeo championship that wouldpotentiallyreceiveinternationalmediaattention.Othergroupsmay want to coerce or intimidate a government or section of the government to take a specific action or actions; or the group may want to provoke a response or support insurgent forces. Goals and objectives vary depending on group ideology but...

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