Domestic Terrorism - Responding To Domestic Terrorism

With increased attention being given to international terrorism groups such as al Qaeda, issues of domestic terrorism may seem to be on the back burner. On the contrary, many U.S. legislators recognize the problem of homegrown terror groups. On November 2, 2001, several members of Congress wrote to various environmental groups, urging them to abandon tactics of ecoterrorism. The Agroterrorism Act of 2001 fights domestic terrorism by increasing penalties against perpetrators, and the Hands Off Our Kids Act of 2001 calls for measures to stop groups like the ALF and ELF from recruiting young people for illegal activities.

Through interagency efforts, the U.S. government also developed the Concept of Operations Plan (CON-PLAN) which, according to United States Government Interagency Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan (http://www.fema.gov/) is "designed to provide overall guidance to Federal, State, and local agencies concerning how the Federal government would respond to a potential or actual terrorist threat or incident in the United States, particularly one involving Weapons of Mass Destruction." Primary agencies involved in this plan are the Department of Justice (led by the FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Health and Human Services. These six agencies are responsible for developing coordinated tactical and strategic options to deal effectively with terrorist attacks.