Case Study 2: Domestic Terrorist Attacks CRJ 440

1993 World Trade Center Bombing

 

The World Trade Centre Bombing occurred on February 23, 1993.  The terrorist group responsible for the bombing were members of the radical Islamic fundamentalists (Caram, 2001). They targeted the B-2 level, which was reserved for public parking. Their motive was to destroy both the North Tower and South Tower, and kill 250, 000 people. However, they did not achieve their intended goals since one tower did not fall; instead, only six people died, $300 property damage, and 1,000 injuries (Caram, 2001). The terrorists used urea nitrate bomb which exploded in the parking garage and caused 200-foot by 100-foot crater. The Diplomatic Security Force (DSS) worked with the FBI, the New York City police, among other agencies in conducting the investigation. They identified the Middle Eastern radicals and arrested them (Caram, 2001). Note that the terrorists had a destructive ambition and the FBI reported that the fundamentalists had terrorist links.  For example, in the 1980s, the fundamentalists in Afghanistan received support from the United States (Caram, 2001). The Soviet combatant forces left Afghanistan in 1989, and Afghan mujahideen who fought together with Islamic fundamentalist formed one group.

 

  The operators of the Worth Trade Centre reported that the country was unprepared.  Before the attack, the Joint Terror Task Force gave a warning that there would be potential bombing in New York (Caram, 2001). However, there were management reluctances, and the emergency agencies did not initiate plans to prevent the attack. Following the attack, there were security changes in that the Office of Special Planning (OSP) was established. Prior to the establishment, the police commanders developed an emergency response plans, but they lacked the manpower to identify the threats. The police commanders also lacked the vulnerability study program and training and equipment (Caram, 2001).Thus, the OSP was a regional office that was responsible for regional issues, including developing strategy and police and advising the Secretary of defense. The CCTV systems were installed, and the cameras could detect close-up images. Since the attack, the United State has employed traditional offensive methods to fight terrorism. They include law enforcement action, diplomacy, and military option, among others (Caram, 2001). Today, the U.S is better prepared since the FBI has employed effective measures. The Congress as well the Executive Branch work together with the intelligence and law enforcement to protect the U.S terrorist threats.

 

 There are various lessons learned from the World Trade Centre bombing. First, the loosely affiliated group pose a significant threat to national security. The groups do not depend on state sponsors such as Iran or Sudan, but they have freedom of operation (Ciment, 2015).   The second lesson is that terrorist group use the advanced technology for operational planning and to fulfill their destructive ambition. Third, the emergency responders and service agencies must come up with appropriate strategies to respond to terrorist threats (Ciment, 2015). They should also offer training to the staffs before the occurrence of the disaster. Another important lesson is that the prevention of terrorist attack requires the federal, state, and local agencies to work together to improve the response capabilities (Ciment, 2015). The FBI should extend its investigative efforts to detect the chemical, biological, and nuclear weapon in the terrorist communities.

 

 

References

 

 

 Ciment James. (2015). World Terrorism: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient

Times to the Post-9/11 Era: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient Times to

the Post-9/11 Era. Routledge

 

 

Caram, P. (2001). The 1993 World Trade Center bombing: Foresight and warning. London:

Janus.