8/12/2019 Why The Oklahoma City Bombing Was An Act Of Terrorism

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I was quite young on April 19, 1995 when Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols bombedtheAlfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, killing 168 peopleand injuring more than 680. But I remember theuncertaintyand sadness in my parents'conversations immediately after the tragedy, and the weeks that followed.

McVeigh is known as a domestic terrorist (1), and his actions were widely regarded asthe most deadly terrorist attack on United States soil until the September 11, 2001terrorist attacks.Because he was tried in the United States, McVeigh was judged by afederal jury. The jury of seven men and five women convicted him of murder andconspiracy and sentenced him to death by lethal injection, but did not refer to him intheir decision as a terrorist.

Although he killed and injured a significant number of American citizens, the murdercharges brought against McVeigh were only those of the eight federal agents on dutywhen the explosive detonated, but he was also indicted and found guilty of 10 otherfederal counts including use of a weapon of mass destruction and destruction byexplosives(2). He was found guilty sentenced to death on June 2, 1997.

I believe McVeigh was rightfully labelled as a terrorist, as his acts fall in line with criteriaestablished by Alex Schmid.He and his accomplice'sactions outwardly fit almost allofthe terrorismqualifications we discussed in the course.

For instance, McVeigh was known to be angry at the government and believed that thegovernment held too much power. He was, in part, provoked to large-scale violence asa result of his contempt for the Federal Bureau of Investigations handling of the WacoSeige, a raid on a Christian a religious group called the Branch Davidians(3).McVeighbelieved the government violated the groups right to bear arms, and that the highnumber of deaths as a result of the siegewere unwarranted. But while McVeighs target

was the government, the direct victims that were killed or injured were not the truetarget of his attack, one of the criteria established by Schmid.

Additionally, his actions were predominately political. McVeigh was a veteran of theGulf War, and his time enlisted in the military spurned his hatred of the government andhis belief Americans rights were slowly being taken away.

In an letter he wrote to FOX News in 2001, McVeigh stated:

Bombing the Murrah Federal Building was morally and strategically equivalent to theU.S. hitting a government building in Serbia, Iraq, or other nations. Based onobservations of the policies of my own government, I viewed this action as an

acceptable option.(4)

His belief that the government was becoming too powerful and continued toviolate therights of citizens provoked him to massive violence.

Perhaps the most obvious adherent to Schmids criteria, is that the Oklahoma CityBombing contained the concept of a physical threat of violence.

8/12/2019 Why The Oklahoma City Bombing Was An Act Of Terrorism

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McVeigh took considerable research and planning to execute his attack on the federalbuilding. Working with an accomplice Terry Nichols, the duo began experimenting witha variety of di"erent explosives including pipe and fertilizer bombs during the mediafrenzy surrounding the Waco Siege two years before the Oklahoma City Bombing. Thepair took time and e"ort to create as much su"ering as a result of violence as possible.

Finally, the event fits two other criteria of Schmids definition of terrorism, includinginstilling fear and anxiety, and containing motives.

Before the Oklahoma City Bombing, many Americans were unaware such acts couldbe committed on their own soil. McVeighs and Nichols terrorist attack spawnedpolitical and psychological debate across the country. People all over the countryasked themselves, Why? and Could this happen again?

The incident a"ected millions of Americans, not just those who lost loved ones in theattack, but also those that questioned, and sometimes feared for, the safety of theirown towns and communities.

(1) Source: Kahn, Joseph (September 12, 2001). "A Trend Toward Attacks ThatEmphasize Deaths".The NewYork Times. (http://www.webcitation.org/mainframe.php)

(2)Source: Eddy, Mark (June 3, 1997). Guilty On Every Count.The Denver Post.(http://extras.denverpost.com/bomb/bombv1.htm)(3)Source: Ted Ottley (Retrieved January 18, 2014). Timothy McVeigh & Terry Nichols:Oklahoma Bombing.Tru TV. (http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/mcveigh/dawning_1.html)

(4)Source: McVeigh, Timothy (April 26, 2001). Mcveighs April 26 Letter To FOXNews.Fox News. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/04/26/mcveigh-apr-26-letter-to-fox-news/)

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