Homeland Security and Terrorism

The Nature of Terrorism Terrorists attempt to disrupt a community and create fear in order to advance a religious, social, or political agenda. Terrorism is generally defined as “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives ( U.S. Department of Justice, 1993 ). While the term terrorism is relatively new, acts of terrorism date back as far as the human race first began to form communities. And, as the term is defined today, many historical events that we may consider to be patriotic would be defined as terrorism, an example of which is the American Revolution. Terrorism generally falls into two categories: domestic and foreign. Domestic terrorism is carried out by persons who are citizens of the country against whom their attacks are targeted. Foreign terrorism is carried out by citizens of another country who target other countries.