Lone-Bush, Eric Rudolph Is A Lone Wolf Terrorist?

When it comes to Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski, and Eric Rudolph they have many similarities. First, they were all survivalist in some way. McVeigh was looking for a lifestyle that was a survivalist type. Kaczynski lived in a small cabin that had no electricity or running water. His yearly cost of survival was around $400. Rudolph using his survivalist skills stayed on the run for five years before he was caught. These three bombers also shared anti-governmental views. These three terrorists also messed up in some way that got them eventually caught. After the explosion, the rear axle was found in the rumble and on it was an identification number. This identification number lead them to McVeigh who was already in jail for being pulled over

Q1. Terrorism is an act done by an individual or a group, using violence or the threat of violence to frighten people, in order to achieve a political, social or religious goal. The word “terrorism” comes from the French word terrorisme, meaning “to frighten.” Terrorism was originally referred specifically to state terrorism, which the French Government practised during the years 1793 – 1794 in the “reign of terror.” The roots and practices of terrorism can be traced back to 1st century AD in Judea where there was an assassination of Roman rulers. Terrorist ideology and aims vary from each individual and/or group. There has been over 2000 cases of terrorism driven by religious purposes. Religious terrorism is carried out due to motivations and goals in relations to religions or religious figures. An example of this are extremist groups such as Al Qaeda who justify their attacks by believing that these are commands given to them by the Koran. Political terrorists carry out violent acts to make a point with government leaders. An example of this is the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865. Moral beliefs is another aim of terrorism. Moral issues such as anti-abortions have led to attacks, including abortion clinics and their staff in the late 1980’s.

“Terrorist”, is defined as “a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” Terrorists who conduct these heinous crimes usually justify their actions due to morals, religious convictions, or political views. John brown was an American abolitionist who believed and advocated that armed insurrection was the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States, which was a political aim. He considered the United States incapable of reform and he believed violence was the only solution to end slavery. Therefore John Brown was an Irrational Terrorist.

According to most analysis of the lone-wolf terrorist, the lone-wolf terrorist is identifiable by a few characteristics. However, Bartol and Bartol list seven main characteristics in textbook. The lone-wolf terrorist may identify or sympathize with extremist movements, but they operate individually. Since they operate alone, they act with the influence of a leader or hierarchy. They may often strive for notoriety on the behalf of an interest group. Because their plans are well throughout in advance, it is consider to be premeditated. Unlike other terrorist, the lone-wolf appears to have suffered from some form of mental illness. Lastly they may prefer solitude instead of the companionship of friends because they lack interpersonal and social skills (Bartol & Bartol, 2014, p337).

The terrorist responsible for this attack is Timothy McVeigh. Months before the bombing, McVeigh, along with his accomplice Terry Nichols, was believed to be involved in an “anti-government militia group” (Casey 3). McVeigh believed the government was devising a plan to deprive him and as well as the rest of his country of their rights as Americans to bear arms (Casey).

Dylan Roof's actions in South Carolina should be regarded as an act of terrorism. The acts themselves were not only planned to install fear into the public but, to create a greater divide between races. In the months leading up to the attacks Dylan increasingly withdrew from society and started to adopt more and more radical behavior. A blog he ran stated that one of the purposes of the attack was to start a race war. In addition, Charleston was picked for the target city because it had one of the highest ratios of African Americans to Whites. The attack alone may not be a form of domestic terrorism however, the motives behind the attack certainly push it into that category.

According to national security specialists, lone wolf terrorists are the hardest to track down (Hilleary 2013). They are very unpredictable and their plans are typically not very difficult to conduct, with everything they need on the internet (Hilleary 2013). However, they do have many common traits. They typically have a political and/or personal grievance, feeling that they or their society have been harmed in some way (Hilleary 2013). They often will have disconnected from work, daily routines, and even loved ones (Hilleary 2013). Like other types of terrorists, they do sometimes suffer from mental disorders such as depression (Hilleary 2013). Sometimes they view violence as the way of gaining respect or love, or to prove themselves (Hilleary 2013). Looking at profiles alone, it is very difficult to notice a clear difference between someone who preaches hate and someone who wants to carry out a terrorist attack (Stewart

An example of domestic homegrown terrorism is the June 17, 2015 Charleston church shooting. The gunman was Dylann Storm Roof an American who killed nine African Americans during a prayer service in hopes of igniting a race war. This occurred at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Shelby, North Carolina. Now an example of an international one is the 2014 Jerusalem tractor attack. This terrorist ramming attack occurred on August 4, 2014 in Jerusalem, Israel, the perpetrator was an Arab man named Muhammad Naïf El-Ja’abis. He drove an excavator type of tractor, injured eight pedestrians, and killed one, which was before ramming into a public bus. Not only did the bus flip, but he also kept hitting it repeatedly. Now a lone

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism on the basis of three characteristics. In order for an act to be considered terrorism, it needs to be (1) a violent act, or acts dangerous to human life that violates laws; (2) appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or

Terrorism, a word most people fear, but so often misinterpret. The textbook definition of terrorism is “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims”. But how does that compare to domestic terrorism? Domestic terrorism or “homegrown terrorism” can be defined as “the committing of terrorist acts in the perpetrator’s own country against their fellow citizens”. Throughout the years, America as a nation has experienced quite a few occurrences of both types. An early example of homegrown terrorism would be the Haymarket Affair which occurred May 4, 1886 where in Chicago’s Haymarket Square, labor protesters detonated a bomb during a rally. Chicago police then responded by firing

There have been several terrorist acts committed in the United States of America, not by terrorists that live in other countries and despise the American ways and ideas, but by our own citizens who live and work in the United States of America. Domestic terrorism is done by a person or group of persons who reside here, who are not acting on behalf of a

National terrorism has been the focus of attention since September 11. But now domestic terrorism is becoming increasingly common among hate groups across the nation. Domestic terrorism can be defined as visible crime, or “street crime.” These acts would consist of violent crimes, (acts against people in which injury or death results) property crimes (acts that threaten property held by individuals or the state) and public order crimes. (acts that threaten the general well-being of society and challenger accepted moral principles) It can also however be described as political crime, (criminal acts by or against the government for ideological purposes) which would include the 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing.

“Stairs narrow toward the top. It becomes harder to turn back with each step” (Kershaw, 2010). As said before, there is not a “cookie cutter” definition of what creates a terrorist. One thing is very evident, the radicalization process of an individual is complex, diverse, and is often comprised of idiosyncratic characteristics.

When the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred the United States responded in a manner which was seen as a traditional reaction to such an attack; it used its overwhelming superior military to invade the nation of Afghanistan. As Afghanistan was the operating base of the terrorist group responsible for the attacks, Al Qaeda, the invasion all but destroyed the group's operating capacity. But in response to the United States' apparent victory the terrorists have re-organized themselves into a looser confederation and turned to alternative methods of finance and operation. One could say that the success of the American military's answer to the September 11th attacks have created a new environment in which terrorists currently operate. This includes the use of the internet, unconventional alliances with international criminal organizations, as well the inception of the "lone wolf" terrorist. Faced with these new type of threats, the United States and its allies must find a way to identify and deal with them.

Political terrorism, or right-wing militants, tend to follow an extreme authoritarian ideology and conduct anti-government activities. "Political terrorists in the United States tend to be heavily armed groups organized around such themes as white supremacy, Nazism, militant tax resistance, and religious revisionism."(5) Two of the more famous incidents in the United States are the Oklahoma City Bombing and the Branch Davidian cult standoff in Waco, Texas.