Terrorists stand up to be counted - 2

What is domestic terrorism?

Just as differing definitions of terrorism are offered by government agencies and other experts, so the meaning of domestic terrorism is also hard to pin down. The FBI, the lead federal agency dealing with domestic terrorism, has defined it as "the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or its territories without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." The U.S.A. Patriot Act, passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks, defines domestic terrorism as criminal acts that are "dangerous to human life" and seem to be meant to scare civilians or affect policy. Civil rights groups have expressed concern that this definition is overly broad.

Not all politically motivated violence qualifies as terrorism (for instance, the FBI and some terrorism experts did not regard the Unabomber, who says his antimodern beliefs were behind a 17-year mail-bombing campaign, as a terrorist), nor do all groups that espouse extremist ideas turn to terrorist acts. Experts do not consider all political assassinations or hate crimes to be terrorist attacks, and some critics note that politics often helps determine what gets labeled domestic terrorism as opposed to criminal activity.

Apart from the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, all terrorist activity in the United States over the past 40 years was conducted by domestic terrorists, said Mark Pitcavage, national director of fact finding for the Anti-Defamation League.

Right-wing extremists "pose the majority of terrorist threats we face today," Pitcavage told about 300 officers from eight Southern states attending a domestic terrorism conference keying on detection and response measures.

Domestic terrorists range from white supremacists to antiabortion extremists to ecoterrorists. Pitcavage cited the sentencing Tuesday in Texas of William Krar, who was charged with stockpiling 800 grams of cyanide, machine guns and bombs.

"In every part of the country, this stuff is going on," Pitcavage said.

Unlike international terrorists, who opt for suicide bombings or attacks on symbolic targets, domestic terrorists typically go on shooting sprees or use pipe bombs. They also tend to use scams or armed robberies to fund their cause.

"It shows that you have to be on your toes all the time," said Capt. Louis Sassa of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, a conference attendee. "You don't discount any information."

its funny how the home grow idiots are always kept real quiet by the government, isnt it.....