Terrorism Exam 2

Domestic terrorism: federal definition (18 U.S.C. § 2331)

Acts dangerous to human life that violate U.S. or state criminal law; appear intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence government policy by intimidation or coercion, or affect government conduct by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; occur primarily within U.S. territorial jurisdiction

International terrorism: federal definition (18 U.S.C. § 2331)

Violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that violate (or would violate) U.S. or state criminal law; appear intended to intimidate or coerce civilians, influence policy, or affect government conduct by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; occur primarily OUTSIDE U.S. jurisdiction or transcend national boundaries

Which federal law defines domestic and international terrorism?

Title 18 U.S.C. § 2331 (2006)

Key difference between domestic and international terrorism

Location. Domestic = primarily within U.S. territorial jurisdiction. International = primarily outside U.S. jurisdiction or transcends national boundaries.

How can international terrorism 'transcend national boundaries'?

Through the means used, the persons it appears intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale where perpetrators operate or seek asylum

Three ways terrorism tries to affect government (from the federal definition)

Intimidate or coerce a civilian population; influence government policy by intimidation or coercion; affect government conduct by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping

Terrorism is a ___ of committing an act (Lewis, 2026)

Means. The outcome of that act is often a crime.

Five most common themes in definitions of terrorism

Violence, Fear, Coercion, Political goals, High-profile attacks

Terrorism theme: Violence

Use or threat of violence to create fear and achieve political or ideological goals

Terrorism theme: Fear

Create fear among a wide audience, not just the victims

Terrorism theme: Coercion

Intimidation or coercion of populations or governments

Terrorism theme: Political goals

Achieve political goals when direct military victory is not possible

Terrorism theme: High-profile attacks

Dramatic and violent attacks to attract and maintain publicity

Two primary types of terrorism

Dissident (terrorism from below) and State-sponsored (terrorism from above)

Four primary causes of terrorism

Right-wing, Left-wing, Religious, and Narco/Criminal terrorism

Dissident terrorism

Terrorism from BELOW. Examples: establishing Marxism or Socialism in a capitalist society, or toppling an oppressive regime currently in power

State-sponsored terrorism

Terrorism from ABOVE. Governments use their military to suppress their own people, or use outside sources to impact policy

Example of state-sponsored terrorism from the deck

Iran using Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel

Terrorism from below

Dissident terrorism

Terrorism from above

State-sponsored terrorism

Why does state-sponsored terrorism against the U.S. often occur?

Other countries often lack the military technology to compete with the U.S. on the battlefield

Secular terrorists

Groups with irreligious ideologies and goals who use terrorism to achieve political aims

Right-wing terrorism

Reactionary (avoids change). Lacks a national/international agenda, often involves a single issue, and aims to preserve the status quo

Left-wing terrorism

Radical and progress-oriented. Has a national/international agenda (Marxism, Socialism, environment, etc.). Idealistic, future oriented, sees current government as corrupt

Which type of terrorism is reactionary and tries to avoid change?

Right-wing terrorism

Which type of terrorism is often associated with Marxist ideology?

Left-wing terrorism

Which type of terrorism is often single-issue with no national/international agenda?

Right-wing terrorism

Which type of terrorism sees the current government as corrupt and is future oriented?

Left-wing terrorism

Narco-terrorism / criminal terrorism

Gangs using drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other illegal means to fund the group or generate wealth

Golden Triangle

Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand

Golden Crescent

Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan

Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand make up which narco-terrorism region?

The Golden Triangle

Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan make up which narco-terrorism region?

The Golden Crescent

U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism (the four countries)

Cuba, North Korea (DPRK), Iran, Syria

Who designates State Sponsors of Terrorism?

The U.S. Department of State

Cuba: State Sponsor of Terrorism designation date

January 12, 2021

North Korea (DPRK): State Sponsor of Terrorism designation date

November 20, 2017

Iran: State Sponsor of Terrorism designation date

January 19, 1984

Syria: State Sponsor of Terrorism designation date

December 29, 1979

Which country has been a State Sponsor of Terrorism the longest?

Syria (December 29, 1979)

Which country was most recently designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism?

Cuba (January 12, 2021)

Order of State Sponsor designations, oldest to newest

Syria (1979), Iran (1984), North Korea (2017), Cuba (2021)

Foreign Terrorist list (State Dept.): before 2025

The vast majority of identified organizations were associated with religious terrorism

Foreign Terrorist list (State Dept.): 2025 to today

The vast majority are associated with gangs from Mexico and Central/South America

Key agencies in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Management Directorate (Federal Protective Services), TSA, FLETC, FEMA, Science and Technology Directorate, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Secret Service

How many key DHS agencies are listed in the deck?

11

CBP

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (a DHS agency)

ICE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (a DHS agency)

USCIS

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (a DHS agency)

TSA

Transportation Security Administration (a DHS agency)

FLETC

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (a DHS agency)

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency (a DHS agency)

Which DHS directorate includes Federal Protective Services?

Management Directorate

Weapons of Mass Destruction: federal definition source

Title 18 U.S.C. § 2332a, 'Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction' (2006)

WMD category 1: destructive device (section 921)

Any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket with a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile with an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, or mine or similar device

WMD category 2: chemical

Any weapon designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors

WMD category 3: biological

Any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector

WMD category 4: radiological

Any weapon designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life

Four categories of WMD under 18 U.S.C. § 2332a

Destructive devices, toxic/poisonous chemicals, biological agents/toxins/vectors, and radiation/radioactivity weapons

Rocket propellant charge threshold in the WMD 'destructive device' definition

More than four ounces

Missile charge threshold in the WMD 'destructive device' definition

Explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce

Author observation: U.S. smart weapons

Linked to information technology systems that make them very accurate, difficult to detect, and extremely efficient even when launched great distances from the target

Weldon's observation about D.C. decision-making

D.C. makes many decisions based on budget, lobbyists, and political ideology, but seldom based on logic

Our 'worst fear'

An Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP)

Why is little done about EMP hardening in the private sector?

Standards exist for military use but are often too case-specific, expensive, and impractical for private sector implementation

Three primary areas of EMP impact

Computers that run major networks (electric grids, water supplies, etc.), communications centers, and power (electrical) transformers

Our 'real fear'

Small arms attacks by left-wing, right-wing, and radical religious groups (most likely future threat)

Besides EMP, what other feared attack types does the deck mention?

A dirty bomb and attacks involving NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) components

Three U.S. approaches toward terrorism

Just War, Limited Involvement, and Isolationism

Which approach does the U.S. currently practice?

Limited Involvement

DOJ jurisdiction over terrorism

Domestic terrorism is a criminal law issue regardless of the offender's nationality. It falls under DOJ.

DOD jurisdiction over terrorism

People committing terrorist acts and identified as terrorists outside U.S. borders, regardless of nationality (includes U.S. citizens)

A U.S. citizen identified as a terrorist acting outside U.S. borders falls under which department?

DOD

A terrorist act inside the U.S. falls under which department, regardless of the offender's nationality?

DOJ

Hindsight argument about U.S. reaction to ISIS and the World Trade Center attack

Many argue the U.S. under-reacted to ISIS/ISIL and over-reacted to the World Trade Center attack

True or False: Domestic terrorism occurs primarily outside U.S. territorial jurisdiction.

False. Domestic terrorism occurs primarily WITHIN U.S. territorial jurisdiction.

True or False: International terrorism can transcend national boundaries through its means, targets, or where perpetrators operate or seek asylum.

True

True or False: Both federal definitions of terrorism come from Title 18 U.S.C. § 2331.

True

True or False: Dissident terrorism is terrorism from above.

False. Dissident terrorism is terrorism from BELOW. State-sponsored terrorism is from above.

True or False: State-sponsored terrorism can involve governments using outside groups to impact policy.

True. Example: Iran using Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel.

True or False: Terrorism is a means of committing an act, and the outcome of that act is often a crime.

True (Lewis, 2026)

True or False: The 'fear' theme means terrorism aims to frighten only the direct victims.

False. It aims to create fear among a wide audience, not just the victims.

True or False: One common theme is that terrorism is used to achieve political goals when direct military victory is not possible.

True

True or False: Right-wing terrorism is idealistic and future oriented.

False. That describes left-wing terrorism. Right-wing is reactionary and aims to avoid change.

True or False: Left-wing terrorism is often associated with Marxist ideology.

True

True or False: Right-wing terrorism often involves a single issue and aims to preserve the status quo.

True

True or False: Secular terrorists use terrorism for religious goals.

False. Secular terrorists have irreligious ideologies and use terrorism to achieve political aims.

True or False: The Golden Triangle includes Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

False. That is the Golden Crescent. The Golden Triangle is Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand.

True or False: Narco-terrorist groups use drug trafficking and human trafficking to fund the group or generate wealth.

True

True or False: Syria is the most recently designated State Sponsor of Terrorism.

False. Syria has been on the list the longest (December 29, 1979). Cuba is the most recent (January 12, 2021).

True or False: Cuba was designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 2021.

True (January 12, 2021)

True or False: Iran was designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism before Syria.

False. Syria (1979) came before Iran (1984).

True or False: North Korea was designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 2017.

True (November 20, 2017)

True or False: Before 2025, most organizations on the State Department's foreign terrorist list were associated with religious terrorism.

True

True or False: Starting in 2025, most organizations on the State Department's list are religious groups.

False. Starting in 2025, most are gangs from Mexico and Central/South America.

True or False: The TSA is a key agency within the Department of Homeland Security.

True

True or False: The FBI is one of the key DHS agencies listed in the deck.

False. The FBI is not on the DHS list in the deck. DHS agencies include CBP, ICE, USCIS, TSA, FLETC, FEMA, Coast Guard, and Secret Service.

True or False: Federal Protective Services falls under DHS's Management Directorate.

True

True or False: The federal definition of WMD (18 U.S.C. § 2332a) only covers nuclear weapons.

False. It covers destructive devices, toxic/poisonous chemicals, biological agents/toxins/vectors, and radiation-releasing weapons.

True or False: A weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector counts as a WMD.

True