Oklahoma City and Low-Tech Terrorism :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Oklahoma City and Low-Tech Terrorism    Abstract: Ammonium nitrate can be a very beneficial compound when used correctly. It has allowed American farmers to produce more and better agricultural products for decades. The Oklahoma City bombing revealed ammonium nitrate's dark side, however. That bomb, constructed from basic fertilizer, awakened America to the dangers of the common compound. It also caused America to loose its innocence of domestic terrorism.    On April 21, 1995, America was forced to come to grips with terrorism on a scale never before witnessed on American soil. The bombing of the Murrah Federal Office building in Oklahoma City was the most deadly single act of terrorism ever perpetrated within the United States. Two factors combined to make the Oklahoma City bombing even more sinister and frightening than previous terrorist attacks against Americans: the identity of the alleged terrorists and the relative ease with which the attack was carried out.    In the immediate aftermath of the attack, media speculation focused on the possibility of religious extremists, possibly with the support of rogue Middle Eastern states such as Iran or Libya, having carried out the attack to make a political statement against their avowed enemies the United States. The World Trade Center bombing, the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and the bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut had all been tied into Middle Eastern politics. When the FBI announced its intentions to prosecute Timothy McVeigh, a former US serviceman, and a couple of American accomplices, America was forced to come to grips with the idea of Americans committing mass terrorist acts against their own government and compatriots.    The initial speculation that focused on the Middle East was based on two principles: motive, an avowed hatred for America, and capability, a proven ability to make bombs and use them. The Oklahoma City bombing, if McVeigh is indeed found guilty, demonstrates that both motive and capability are present right there in America's heartland. As the FBI outlined how it believes the plot transpired, Americans learned just how vulnerable we are to terrorists.    The details of the bombing unfolded quickly. The FBI tracked McVeigh through his rental of a Ryder rental van that was located at the bomb's epicenter. Despite the tremendous force of the explosion, remnants of the van survived. The FBI was able to lift a Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, from some piece of the 1993 Ford van.