An Act of Domestic Terrorism: The Oklahoma City Bombing

On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols carried out what was, at the time, the deadliest domestic terrorist attack ever seen on United States soil. Placing a bomb in a rental truck, the two decimated the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, subsequently killing and injuring hundreds of innocent victims. The Oklahoma City bombing was undoubtedly a domestic terrorist attack, as the culprits’ motives were directed at the United States government, and the attack exhibited the six characteristics of terrorism. 

McVeigh and Nichols showed no morals when they chose to blow up the Murrah Federal Building, which is the first characteristic of all terrorism. Had the two terrorists hoped to send a message by blowing up the building with some sense of morality, they would have chosen to blow it up when they were sure no one would be inside. Instead, they chose to detonate the bomb early in the morning, killing 168 people in the process (Steiker, 2001). The fact that they showed blatant disregard for innocent lives clearly displays no sense of decency. 

Their lack of morality also ties in with the second characteristic of terrorism, which is no innocents. Not only did they target government employees, but there were also children killed during the attack, showing that everyone, regardless of age, was a potential target. Following the passage of a 1996 anti-terrorism bill, then-Attorney General Janet Reno reminded the public that everyone was at risk during terrorist attacks, even the very young (Lewis, 2000). The fact that innocent children were killed during the attacks proves there was a philosophy in place of no innocents. 

The economy is the third aspect featured in all types of terrorism. The basic definition is killing one, frighten 10,000, with the attack having marked success in doing so. Prior to the attack in 1995, only 63% said combating terrorism was very important or serious. However, 89% believed it was very serious or important following the attack in 1995 (Lewis, 2000). The attack terrified citizens of the United States, as they realized for perhaps the first time in the country’s history that an attack could occur anywhere, anytime. 

McVeigh was unhappy with the government’s handling of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. Therefore, he plotted to blow up the building as a sort of revenge for what he perceived to be the government’s mishandling of the situation (Steiker, 2001). He did so in a way that would generate great publicity and inform of the public of the fact that he was upset with the situation, with publicity being the fourth characteristic of terrorism. 

Publicity in away ties in with the fifth characteristic of terrorism: meaning. Terrorists attempt to provide a reason for their actions and the destruction they have caused. In claiming he was seeking revenge for the Branch Davidian incident, McVeigh attempted to prove his actions were just, as opposed to meaningless and malicious. 

Lastly, all terrorism features an aspect of no clarity. Despite the fact that all terrorists have some sort of justification for their actions, their long-term goals are always poorly conceived and impossible to carry out. This is, of course, the case with the Oklahoma City bombing, as the incident McVeigh was seeking revenge for happened two years prior to the bombing (Steiker, 2001). At this point, it was impossible to make up for the handling of the incident, and McVeigh never offered any constructive plans to prevent future instances similar to the one he sought to rectify. 

In short, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building is a classic example of domestic terrorism. The attack not only occurred in the United States land with the intention of sending a message to the government, but it also featured all six characteristics of terrorism. In the wake of the attack, public fear increased due to the threat of domestic terrorism, prompting Congress to seek effective justice and enact a number of laws to deal with the problem. 

References

Lewis, Carol W. (2000). The terror that failed: Public opinion in the aftermath of the bombing in Oklahoma City. Public Administration Review, 60, 201-210.

Steiker, Jordan (2001). Did the Oklahoma City bombers succeed?. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 574, 185-194.