Terrorism does not have a clear definition. It is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as “the unlawful use of force against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objectives.” This would encompass the average opinion of today’s terrorists. Terrorism in America, in particular, fits this definition. Terrorism has been in America since its formation in 1776. Recently, the chance of a terrorist attack has reached an all time high. The United States has had many terrorist attacks with many terrorists responsible for them. They have many reasons for committing these atrocities and the United States has created many counter measures against terrorism in recent years.

            The complete list of terrorist attacks in America would be extremely long, but there some more important episodes of terrorism that had a major impact on America. A not so commonly considered terrorist attack was the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, 60 Bostonians dressed up as Native Americans raided three ships and threw the tea onboard the ship into the bay. The British regarded this as an act of home grown terrorism and an unlawful use of force against British property to intimidate their government. Another terrorist attack was the Oklahoma City bombing. On April 19, 1995 a bomb exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Building causing major damage to the building and killing 168 people including 17 children. Over 800 people were injured. One third of the building had been destroyed by a massively powerful car bomb in truck out in the front parking lot. A third Terrorist attack was the first World Trade Center bombing. On February 26, 1993 a truck bomb exploded in the basement of the World Trade Center killing 6 people and injuring over 1,000 people. This would become only the first attempt to destroy the World Trade Center buildings by getting one to collapse and fall onto the other. The terrorist attack failed. In 1998 on August 7 two simultaneous explosions occurred in two different U.S. embassies. One bombing was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and the other in Nairobi, Kenya.  In Tanzania, the bomb killed 10 people and injured 77. 291 people died and approximately 5,000 people were injured in the bombing in Kenya. Another terrorist attack, which became the most devastating terrorist attack America ever had, happened on September 11, 2001. The second and the last attack on the World Trade Center hit. Two planes were sent directly into World Trade Center buildings. One plane hit the North Tower and one went into the South Tower. Both towers collapsed and 2,749 people were killed and approximately 8,500 people were injured. On that same day and around the same time another plane went into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. killing over 100 people. The attack caught America off guard and left the biggest impression a terrorist attack ever made on America’s people.

            These terrorist attacks were committed by radicals who employ terror as a political weapon and usually organize with other terrorists. This is another loose definition. The single most wanted man in the world is the terrorist Osama bin Laden. He is the leader of al Qaeda, a fundamentalist terrorist organization with estimated 16,000 members in over 60 countries, most of which are in the Middle East. Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia in 1957. He got a degree in civil engineering in 1979. On December 26, 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Bin Laden joined the Afghan resistance, the mujahedeen. He provided humanitarian aid for the mujahedeen from the Pakistan border from 1980 to 1986. The Cold War was heating up and America did not want communism to spread in the Middle East so they helped finance and arm the mujahedeen. Osama bin Laden participated in numerous battles including the fierce battle of Jalalabad, which led to the Soviet withdraw from Afghanistan. In 1988 he established an organization of ex-mujahedeen and other supports now called al Qaeda. Its mission was to channel fighters and funds to the Afghan resistance. In 1998 Osama bin Laden order the killing of all Americans and their allies. This is how the terrorist organization that committed the September the 11^th attacks and the U.S. embassy bombings started. They hijacked the planes used on 9/11 and crashed them into their designated targets. Except for one which crashed in a field due to the efforts of the passengers before they completed their mission. Terrorists Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah are both wanted for the Kenya and Tanzania U.S. embassy bombings and are also al Qaeda members. A home grown terrorist in America is Timothy McVeigh. He plotted and carried out the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. A decorated U.S. soldier in the first Gulf war who had already began to have anti-government sentiments. He believed that the government was the enemy of freedom. These terrorists played a role in some major terrorist attacks.

            Terrorism does not go without its reasons. Many people try to pass off terrorists as jealous people who want to be like America. This is not really a plausible reason for committing atrocities against America. Most terrorists have a more in depth reason for their terrorist activities. A common reason for terrorism is religion. When a terrorist wants something done that involves a lot of terrorist actions they often use religion as a cover or reason. Osama bin Laden ordered all Muslims to “kill the Americans and its allies” in the form of a fatwa. A fatwa is an order by an Islamic religious leader made to all Muslims. Al Qaeda also didn’t like any nation that didn’t have Islam as their major religion and attacking America was good way put the entire world in terror and fear al Qaeda as America is the most powerful country in the world. Another reason for terrorism is reform. Al Qaeda sees itself as reforming the world to their religious beliefs and getting back at America for only giving them weapons during the Afghan war instead of food. George Washington, to the British, was a terrorist. His purpose was reform. He wanted England to expand America’s rights and eventually wanted complete independence from them. He committed acts of terrorism against the British when he helped kill and destroy the British troops and weapons while still, from the point of view of the British, still controlled by England and being unlawful to them. This is an example of how “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”

            There are many efforts to stop terrorism in America. The Homeland Security Act of 2002, made in response to the events of September the 11^th, created the Department of Homeland Security. An organization meant to “serve to mobilize and organize our nation to secure the homeland from terrorist attacks.” Its efforts attempt to prevent, reduce vulnerability to, and recover from a terrorist attack. The Department of Homeland Security coordinates other originations that help in any way to accomplish these goals. The Patriot Act was made 45 days after September 11, 2001. It was also made to help fight against terrorism. It gave law enforcement the power to conduct secret searches of your home, conduct phone and internet surveillance, and access to highly personal medical, financial, mental health, and student records all with minimal judicial oversight. It also allows for them to investigate your home without probable cause or a warrant if they say it is for “security reasons.” It threatens the 1^st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14^th amendments. Benjamin Franklin once said, "A people who chose security over liberty will receive neither nor deserve either.” In the case of the Patriot Act, it seems highly evident that this applies. Another extreme measure against terrorism was the war in Iraq. According to the Bush Administration, they were a threat, harbored terrorists, and had weapons of mass destruction. Few terrorists were found and no weapons of mass destruction were found. Recent evidence shows that little evidence ever pointed the existence of a threat and some political officials, such as Colin Powell, now say they would not have supported a war with Iraq if they had know about this lack of information. In spite of everything, current President George W. Bush swears to continue his fight against terror.

            This shows many important terrorist attacks and the terrorists who committed them. This explains the reasoning behind the terrorists’ actions also. It shows some of the actions by President Bush and his administration to try to help stop terrorism in America and around the world. The United States will continue to deal with terrorism for as long as it is still America as we know it.