Introduction
There is international terrorism and domestic terrorism, and all stakeholders in society must participate in devising ways to ensure terrorism is done away from society. Most of the terrorist threats to the US are usually from fundamentalist Islamic extremists.
However, discrimination against Muslims is promoting rage and is not acceptable. Former President Donald Trump showed discrimination when he openly declared people from that religion are terrorists and should not enter the USA.
Terrorism has been known for a long time, but one of the first Islamist attacks that are most feared in the modern world was the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings on the US and French militaries.
However, on September 11, 2001, the terror attack had much more casualties than on October 23, 1983. It served as an eye-opener for the US government to be vigilant and be more prepared for such incidences. The 9/11 attack also shed light on suicide attacks which are now one of the most commonly used methods by terrorist groups to carry out the attacks.
Impact of Terrorism on The Economy
The terrorists directly destruct property and lives. Terrorism has both long-term and short-term impacts on people. After a terror attack, many people will feel unsafe going to the mall or doing any activities; this impacts the economy negatively (Orhun, 2020). Investors avoid a terror-hit nation as they fear the terrorist will destroy their business. The nation is forced to invest more money in security than other related economic investments.
Impact of Terrorism on Social Life
Terrorism claims lives that leave a section of the population bitter and unhappy. Moreover, the whole population lives in fear as they fear for the lives of their loved ones. This uncertainty unsettles people who would normally live a life without fear of being attacked. There is a stereotype that most terrorist groups are Islam extremists. Terrorism is causing division among the people who might think their Muslim counterparts are killing them. These events make the Muslim people be targeted and discriminated against by the authorities and other people.
Impact of Terrorism on Political life
Terrorism affects the type of leaders the people will choose, and they will go for leaders who will protect them. Terror activities have seen many leaders get removed from leadership or get impeached by the senate. Terrorism creates tensions and conflicts in the international arena. The nation might get into a crisis due to the uproar by the population who feel the country is not doing enough to protect them.
Response to Terrorism
It is the responsibility of both the federal, state and the public to come up with ways and be prepared to deal with potential terrorist attacks. The government should also involve various religious groups and communities, including Muslims, to help curb terrorism(Geller & Shadach, 2019). The best way of preparing for these terrorist attacks is by outlining and defining the roles of the mentioned stakeholders in their fight against terrorism. At the same time, many federal entities should prevent terrorism, which has led to confusion, and therefore, there has been a lack of preparedness to deal with it.
FBI Activities
The FBI has set up 63 legal attaché offices (known as legs) worldwide to ensure that investigative resources are in place to help the US prepare to increase terrorist threats (“Overseas Offices,” n.d.). With the help of these offices, agents cooperate with local security services, and law enforcement agencies to monitor suspicious activity and exchange information. They provide cooperation with 180 countries, islands, and territories.
Current Achievements in Fight against Terrorism
According to this chart, the cases of terrorism have significantly decreased since 2015. The government has put up the right measure to curb this menace that directly affects all parts of the economy.
The reduction of terrorism cases has resulted from the United States’ investment in strengthening its defense against catastrophic terrorist attacks. It is assessed that the United States spent an estimated 2.8 trillion dollars to fight terrorism between the year 2002-2007 (Bergen et al., 2019). In 2019, there were 19 cases, and all but seven were being closely watched by an informant or an undercover policeman.
Military Response to Terrorism
The US military plays a crucial role in preventing terrorism. They put pressure on terrorist organizations, reducing their sphere of influence and forces. The military also collects intelligence and takes action against individuals or groups planning, organizing, or calling for attacks (Tankel, 2020).
Recommendation for Ending Terrorism
The continued efforts of the government to protect the national security of the US whilst protecting the civil liberties of its citizens is an ongoing struggle with no clear solution. It is crucial for organizations engaged in the fight against terrorism to coordinate their actions to work together and prevent confusion. Monitoring and response to terrorism, both among the police and among citizens, must be improved. For the latter, effective training must be provided.
Recommendation of Ending Terrorism for Representatives of the Government and Law Enforcement Agencies
Treating All Communities Fairly
For a long time, it has been easy to recruit Muslims into terrorism this is after the authorities show hostility toward them. Treating people fairly will make them feel at home and give the government the needed support to fight this menace.
Suppressing the terror funding
Terrorism cannot take place without adequate funds from its sponsors. Security should crack down on those financing terror activities and sentence them. This measure will be a big blow to the terror group which will struggle to meet their needs (Smith, 2016).
Avoid Bailing Terror Suspects
According to various statistics, many terror suspects who were granted bail will run away from the hostile nation. They will come back and revenge or hit elsewhere. It is discouraged to give these people bail until they have been fully cleared by the intelligence (Smith, 2016).
Recommendation of Ending Terrorism: Technologies
Recently, the main battlefield against terrorism is cyberspace. Cyberspace is the set of all networks, and services available together. The Internet is the most significant single component of cyberspace, with more than 200 countries and approximately 1 billion users.
Conclusion
Terrorism, domestic and international, is a severe threat to US security. Terrorists gain an advantage in using fear without following generally accepted laws. There are many attacks in the country and the world, claiming people’s lives. The September 11, 2001 attack is the most famous and with the most significant number of victims in America. The events of that day forced politicians to reconsider the foreign policy and security views seriously. Terrorism negatively affects the country’s development, particularly the economy, social life, and politics. In the United States, the most significant counter-terrorism actions come from the FBI and the military. The decrease in the attacks’ number in recent years indicates that the measures taken have had an effect. However, the fight against terrorism continues and is transforming, for example, going into cyberspace.
References
Bergen, P., Sterman, D., & Salyk-Virk, M. (2019). Terrorism in America 18 years after 9/11. New America. Web.
Geller, S., & Shadach, E. (2019). Terrorist organizations: Group-analytic and psychoanalytic perspectives. Group Analysis, 53(1), 75-91. Web.
Orhun, E. (2020). The impact of terrorism on turkish banks’ stocks and cross-bank variation of abnormal returns. Global Economy Journal, 20(02), 2050011. Web.
Overseas Offices. (n.d.). FBI. Web.