TERR				RISM

2002	 2005 _
	 	 	 	 FOREWORD

	 Since	the	mid-1980s,	the	FBI	has	published	Terrorism in the United States,	an		

	 unclassified	annual	report	summarizing	terrorist	activities	in	this	country.		While		

	 this	publication	provided	an	overview	of	the	terrorist	threat	in	the	United	States		

and	its	territories,	its	limited	scope	proved	inadequate	

for	conveying	either	the	breadth	or	width	of	the	terrorist	threat	facing	U.S.	interests	or	the	scale	of	the	FBI’s	

response	to	terrorism	worldwide.		To	better	reflect	the	

nature	of	the	threat	and	the	international	scope	of	our	

response,	the	FBI	expanded	the	focus	of	its	annual	terrorism	report	in	the	2000/2001	edition	to	include	discussion	

of	FBI	investigations	overseas	and	renamed	the	series	

Terrorism.		

	 This	second	edition	of	Terrorism	provides	an	overview	of	the	terrorist	incidents		

	 and	preventions	designated	by	the	FBI	as	having	taken	place	in	the	United	States		

	 and	its	territories	during	the	years	2002	through	2005	and	that	are	matters		

	 of	public	record.		This	publication	does	not	include	those	incidents	which	the		

	 Bureau	classifies	under	criminal	rather	than	terrorism	investigations.		In	addition,		

	 the	report	discusses	major	FBI	investigations	overseas	and	identifies	significant		

	 events—including	legislative	actions,	prosecutorial	updates,	and	program	develop-	

	 ments—relevant	to	U.S.	counterterrorism	efforts.		The	report	concludes	with	an		

	 “In	Focus”	article	summarizing	the	history	of	the	FBI’s	counterterrorism	program.	

	 While	the	discussion	of	international	terrorism	provides	a	more	complete	over-	

	 view	of	FBI	terrorism	investigations	into	acts	involving	U.S.	interests	around	the		

	 world,	Terrorism is	not	intended	as	a	comprehensive	annual	review	of	worldwide		

	 terrorist	activity.		The	chronological	incidents,	charts,	and	figures	included	in		

Terrorism 2002-2005	reflect	only	those	incidents	identified	in	the	Terrorism/ 

 Terrorism in the United States	series.		For	more	complete	listings	of	worldwide		

	 terrorist	incidents,	see	the	Worldwide	Incidents	Tracking	System	maintained	by

	 the	National	Counterterrorism	Center	at	www.nctc.gov and the	Terrorism			

	 Knowledge	Base	compiled	by	the	Memorial	Institute	for	the	Prevention	of		

	 Terrorism	at	www.tkb.org.

	 The	FBI	hopes	you	will	find	Terrorism 2002-2005	to	be	a	helpful	resource	and		

	 thanks	you	for	your	interest	in	the	FBI’s	Counterterrorism	Program.		A	full-text		

	 and	graphics	version	of	this	issue,	as	well	as	recent	back	issues	of	Terrorism and 

 Terrorism in the United States,	are	available	for	on-line	reference	on	the	FBI	home		

	 page	at	www.fbi.gov. 

	 Federal	Bureau	of	Investigation

	 Counterterrorism	Division

TERRORISM	

2002-2005

TERRORISM 2002-2005

iii
	 	 	 	 	 	 	

● Domestic	terrorism	investigations	are	conducted	

in	accordance	with	The Attorney General’s Guidelines 

on General Crimes, Racketeering Enterprise, and Terrorism 

Enterprise Investigations.		These	guidelines	set	forth	the	

predication	threshold	and	limits	for	investigations	of	

U.S.	persons	who	reside	in	the	United	States,	who	are	

not	acting	on	behalf	of	a	foreign	power,	and	who	may	

be	conducting	criminal	activities	in	support	of	terrorist	

objectives.

● International	terrorism	investigations	are	conducted	

in	accordance	with The Attorney General Guidelines for FBI Foreign Intelligence Collection 

and Foreign Counterintelligence Investigations. 	These	guidelines	set	forth	the	predication	

level	and	limits	for	investigating	U.S.	persons	or	foreign	nationals	in	the	United	States	

who	are	targeting	national	security	interests	on	behalf	of	a	foreign	power.		

Although	various	Executive	Orders,	Presidential	Decision	Directives,	and	congressional	statutes	address	the	issue	of	terrorism,	there	is	no	single	federal	law	specifically	

making	terrorism	a	crime.		Terrorists	are	arrested	and	convicted	under	existing	criminal	statutes.		All	suspected	terrorists	placed	under	arrest	are	provided	access	to	legal	

counsel	and	normal	judicial	procedure,	including	Fifth	Amendment	guarantees.

TERRORISM 2002-2005

iv

n accordance with U.S. counterterrorism policy, the FBI considers terrorists to be criminals. FBI efforts in countering terrorist threats are multifaceted. Information obtained through FBI investigations is analyzed 

and used to prevent terrorist activity and, whenever possible, to effect 

the arrest and prosecution of potential perpetrators. FBI investigations 

are initiated in accordance with the following guidelines: 

I

There	is	no	single,	universally	accepted,	definition	of	terrorism.		Terrorism	is	defined	

in	the	Code of Federal Regulations	as	“the	unlawful	use	of	force	and	violence	against	

persons	or	property	to	intimidate	or	coerce	a	government,	the	civilian	population,	or	

any	segment	thereof,	in	furtherance	of	political	or	social	objectives”	(28	C.F.R.	Section	

0.85).

DEFINITIONS

FBI	POLICY

AND

GUIDELINES
v

		 ● Domestic	terrorism	is	the	unlawful	use,	or	threatened	use,	of	force	or	violence	

	 	 by	a	group	or	individual	based	and	operating	entirely	within	the	United	States	or			

	 	 Puerto	Rico	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.

 ● International	terrorism	involves	violent	acts	or	acts	dangerous	to	human	life	that			

	 	 are	a	violation	of	the	criminal	laws	of	the	United	States	or	any	state,	or	that	

	 	 would	be	a	criminal	violation	if	committed	within	the	jurisdiction	of	the	United			

	 	 States	or	any	state.		These	acts	appear	to	be	intended	to	intimidate	or	coerce	a	

	 	 civilian	population,	influence	the	policy	of	a	government	by	intimidation	or		 	

	 	 coercion,	or	affect	the	conduct	of	a	government	by	assassination	or	

	 	 kidnapping.		International	terrorist	acts	occur	outside	the	United	States	or		 	

	 	 transcend	national	boundaries	in	terms	of	the	means	by	which	they	are	

	 	 accomplished,	the	persons	they	appear	intended	to	coerce	or	intimidate,	or	the		 	

	 	 locale	in	which	their	perpetrators	operate	or	seek	asylum.

THE FBI DIVIDES TERRORIST-RELATED ACTIVITY INTO TWO CATEGORIES:

 ● A	terrorist incident	is	a	violent	act	or	an	act	dangerous	to	human	life,	in	violation			

	 	 of	the	criminal	laws	of	the	United	States,	or	of	any	state,	to	intimidate	or	coerce	

	 	 a	government,	the	civilian	population,	or	any	segment	thereof,	in	furtherance	of		 	

	 	 political	or	social	objectives.

 ● A	terrorism	prevention	is	a	documented	instance	in	which	a	violent	act	by	a		 	

	 	 known	or	suspected	terrorist	group	or	individual	with	the	means	and	a	proven	

	 	 propensity	for	violence	is	successfully	interdicted	through	investigative	activity.		

NOTE

The FBI investigates terrorism-related matters without 

regard to race, religion, national origin, or gender. Reference to individual members of any political, ethnic, or 

religious group in this report is not meant to imply that all 

members of that group are terrorists. Terrorists represent a 

small criminal minority in any larger social context.

The	FBI	further	describes	terrorism	as	either	domestic	or	international,	depending	on	the	

origin,	base,	and	objectives	of	the	terrorist	organization.		For	the	purpose	of	this	report,	the	

FBI	will	use	the	following	definitions:

TERRORISM 2002-2005
TABLE	of

CONTENTS

1			 TERRORISM	2002-2005

3		 2002	IN	REVIEW

					 	 3 2002 TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	

	 	 4			 2002	TERRORISM	PREVENTIONS

	 	 	

	 	 5		 2002	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

7		 2003	IN	REVIEW

					 	 7 2003	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	

	 	 10			 2003	TERRORISM	PREVENTIONS

	 	 	

	 	 11		 2003	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

14		 2004	IN	REVIEW

					 	 15		 2004	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS

	 	 16		 2004	TERRORISM	PREVENTIONS

	 	 	

	 	 19 2004	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

22 2005	IN	REVIEW

					 	 22		 2005	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS

	 	 25			 2005	TERRORISM	PREVENTIONS

	 	 	

	 	 26		 2005	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

32 IN	FOCUS	 	

	 	 32		 HISTORICAL	OVERVIEW	OF	THE	FBI’S	

	 	 	 COUNTERTERRORISM	PROGRAM

56 UPDATES

57 CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	

	 IN	THE	UNITED	STATES	1980-2005

	 	LIST	OF	CHARTS

	 	 11		 TERRORISM	BY	EVENT	1980-2005

	 	 15		 TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES	1980-2005

	 	 19		 TERRORIST	ACTIVITY	BY	REGION	1980-2005

	 	 31		 CASUALTIES	OF	TERRORISM	1980-2005

TERRORISM 2002-2005

vi
 INTRODUCTION

	 This	edition	of	Terrorism	highlights	significant	terrorism-related	events	in	the		 	

	 United	States	and	selected	FBI	investigative	efforts	overseas	that	occurred	dur-

	 ing	the	years	2002	through	2005.		Additionally,	this	report	provides	a	wide		 	

	 range	of	statistical	data	relating	to	terrorism	in	the	United	States	during	the

	 past	two	decades.		This	material	is	presented	to	provide	readers	with	an	historical	framework	for	the	examination	of	contemporary	terrorism	issues.

In	keeping	with	a	longstanding	trend,	domestic	extremists	

carried	out	the	majority	of	terrorist	incidents	during	this	

period.		Twenty	three	of	the	24	recorded	terrorist	incidents	were	perpetrated	by	domestic	terrorists.		With	the	

exception	of	a	white	supremacist’s	firebombing	of	a	synagogue	in	Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma,	all	of	the	domes-

	 tic	terrorist	incidents	were	committed	by	special	interest	extremists	active	in	the		

	 animal	rights	and	environmental	movements.		The	acts	committed	by	these	

	 extremists	typically	targeted	materials	and	facilities	rather	than	persons.		The

	 sole	international	terrorist	incident	in	the	United	States	recorded	for	this	

	 period	involved	an	attack	at	the	El	Al	ticket	counter	at	Los	Angeles		 	 	

	 International	Airport,	which	claimed	the	lives	of	two	victims.		

	 The	terrorism	preventions	for	2002	through	2005	present	a	more	diverse	threat	

	 picture.		Eight	of	the	14	recorded	terrorism	preventions	stemmed	from	right-	 	

	 wing	extremism,	and	included	disruptions	to	plotting	by	individuals	involved		

	 with	the	militia,	white	supremacist,	constitutionalist	and	tax	protestor,	and	anti-	

	 abortion	movements.		The	remaining	preventions	included	disruptions	to	plot-

	 ting	by	an	anarchist	in	Bellingham,	Washington,	who	sought	to	bomb	a	U.S.		

	 Coast	Guard	station;	a	plot	to	attack	an	Islamic	center	in	Pinellis	Park,	Florida;		

	 and	a	plot	by	prison-originated,	Muslim	convert	group	to	attack	U.S.	military,		 	

	 Jewish,	and	Israeli	targets	in	the	greater	Los	Angeles	area.		In	addition,	three	

	 preventions	involved	individuals	who	sought	to	provide	material	support	to	for-	

	 eign	terrorist	organizations,	including	al-Qa’ida,	for	attacks	within	the	United		 	

	 States.		

	 Whereas	the	violent	global	jihadist	movement	manifested	itself	primarily	in		

	 terrorism	preventions	in	the	United	States	from	2002	through	2005,	interna-	 	

	 tionally	the	movement	claimed	major	attacks	against	U.S.	and	Western	targets

		 that	resulted	in	American	casualties.		Most	of	these	incidents	were	perpetrated

	 by	regional	jihadist	groups	operating	in	primarily	Muslim	countries,	and	includ-	

	 ed	attacks	committed	by	Indonesia-based	Jemaah	Islamiya	and	al-Qa’ida	in	the		

	 Arabian	Peninsula.		The	coordinated	suicide	bombing	of	London’s	mass	transit		

	 system	by	homegrown	jihadists,	however,	brought	the	violent	jihadist	movement		

	 and	the	tactic	of	suicide	bombing	to	a	major	European	capital.				

	 In	addition	to	these	incidents	and	preventions,	the	years	2002	through	2005

		 saw	the	resolutions	to	high-profile	prosecutions	in	the	fight	against	terrorism.

			 These	included	the	October	4,	2002,	sentencing	of	John	Walker	Lindh	to	20

TERRORISM 2002-2005

1

TERRORISM	

2002-2005
	 years	in	prison	for	conspiring	with	the	Taliban	to	kill	U.S.	citizens;	the	

	 January	30,	2003,	sentencing	of	Richard	Colvin	Reid	to	life	in	prison	for

	 attempting	to	bomb	a	transcontinental	flight	using	a	shoe	bomb;	the	

	 December	2003	sentencings	of	the	Lackawanna	Six	terror	cell	members,	who	

	 received	prison	terms	ranging	from	seven	to	10	years	for	providing	material	sup-		

	 port	or	resources	to	al-Qa’ida;	the	sentencings	in	2003	and	2004	of	members		 	

	 of	a	Portland	terrorist	cell,	who	received	prison	terms	ranging	from	three	to	18			

	 years	for	plotting	to	provide	assistance	to	the	Taliban	and	al-Qa’ida	in	fighting

		 against	U.S.	troops	in	Afghanistan;	the	September	29,	2004,	sentencing	in

		 Yemeni	court	of	six	individuals	for	their	roles	in	the USS Cole bombing,	two	of			

	 whom	received	the	death	penalty;	the	April	6,	2005,	sentencing	of	Matthew

		 Hale,	leader	of	the	white	supremacist	Creativity	Movement,	to	40	years	in	

	 prison	for	solicitation	of	violence	and	obstruction	of	justice;	the	July	18,	2005,	

	 sentencing	of	Eric	Robert	Rudolph	to	life	in	prison	for	perpetrating	sev	eral

		 bombings,	including	the	Centennial	Olympic	Park	bombing	in	Atlanta,	

	 Georgia;	the	April	26,	2005,	sentencing	of	Ali	Al-Timimi	to	life	in	prison	for

		 encouraging	others	to	receive	military	training	from	the	designated	foreign	ter-

	 rorist	organization	Lashkar-e-Tayyiba	to	fight	U.S.	troops	in	Afghanistan;	and	

	 the	August	30,	2005,	sentencing	of	white	supremacist	Sean	Michael	Gillespie	to

		 39	years	for	the	synagogue	firebombing	in	Oklahoma	City.

	 FBI	counterterrorism	initiatives	since	the	9/11	terrorist	attack	have	focused	on

		 preventing	future	attacks	through	the	timely	gathering,	analysis,	and	dissemina-

	 tion	of	information;	the	facilitation	of	appropriate	sharing	of	terrorism-related

		 information	between	federal,	state,	and	local	partners;	and	the	advancement	of	

	 intelligence	and	law	enforcement	partnerships	worldwide.		FBI	and	U.S.	coun-

	 terterrorism	organizational	changes	from	2002	through	2005	include	the	

	 creation	of	the	National	Joint	Terrorism	Task	Force;	the	establishment	of	the

		 Foreign	Terrorist	Tracking	Task	Force;	the	consolidation	of	government	terror-

	 ist	watch	lists	into	the	Terrorist	Screening	Center;	the	creation	of	the	

	 U.S.	Department	of	Homeland	Security;	and	the	restructuring	of	the	

	 U.S.	Intelligence	Community	under	the	newly	created	Office	of	the	Director

		 of	National	Intelligence.		These	and	other	federal	initiatives	are	discussed	in

		 greater	detail	in	the	concluding	In	Focus	retrospective	of	the	FBI’s	counterterror-

	 ism	program.

TERRORISM 2002-2005

2
T

2002	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS

March 2002 – NOVEMBEr 2002

Vandalism and Arson

Erie,	Harborcreek,	and	Warren,	Pennsylvania

(Six acts of Domestic Terrorism)

Between	March	2002	and	November	2002,	a	series	of	animal	rights	and	ecoterrorism	

incidents	occurred	in	Erie,	Harborcreek,	and	Warren,	Pennsylvania.		On	March	18,	2002,	

Pennsylvania	State	Police	discovered	heavy	equipment	used	to	clear	trees	at	a	construction	

site	in	Erie,	Pennsylvania,	spray	painted	with	the	statements	“ELF,	in	the	protection	of	

mother	earth,”	and	“Stop	Deforestation.”		On	March	24,	2002,	police	responded	to	the	

same	construction	site,	where	a	large	hydraulic	crane	had	been	set	on	fire,	causing	approximately	$500,000	in	damage.		A	facsimile,	purportedly	from	ELF,	claimed	responsibility	for	

the	arson	and	vandalism.		ELF	also	claimed	responsibility	for	an	August	11,	2002,	arson	

on	the	U.S.	Forestry	Scientific	Laboratory	in	Warren,	Pennsylvania.

In	separate	incidents	in	May	and	September	2002,	unknown	subjects	released	approximately	250	mink	from	a	fur	farm	in	Harborcreek,	Pennsylvania.		On	November	26,	2002,	

the	barn	on	the	same	Harborcreek	fur	farm	was	destroyed	by	arson.		On	the	ELF	Web	site,	

ELF	and	ALF	jointly	claimed	responsibility	for	these	mink	releases	and	the	arson.		On	

August	11,	2002,	unknown	individuals	committed	arson	on	the	U.S.	Forestry	Scientific	

Laboratory	in	Warren,	Pennsylvania.		

TERRORISM 2002-2005

3

IN

2002

REVIEW

he	FBI	recorded	seven	domestic	terrorist	incidents,	one	international	terrorist	incident,	

and	one	terrorism	prevention	in	2002.			The	seven	domestic	terrorism	incidents	included	

a	string	of	attacks	over	a	period	of	several	months	claimed	by	special	interest	movements.		These	attacks	are	attributed	either	solely	to	the	Earth	Liberation	

Front	(ELF),	an	extremist	environmental	movement	active	in	the	United	

States	during	the	past	20	years,	or	jointly	to	the	ELF	and	the	Animal	

Liberation	Front,	an	extremist	animal	rights	movement	that	has	carried	

out	numerous	terrorist	attacks	since	1987.		The	international	terrorist	

incident	involved	fatal	shootings	at	the	El	Al	ticket	counter	at	Los	Angeles	

International	Airport.

In	the	one	terrorism	prevention,	law	enforcement	in	Florida	exposed	a	

plot	to	attack	Islamic	facilities	in	the	United	States	in	response	to	international	events,	including	the	September	11	attacks.

Two	deaths	resulted	from	terrorist	activity	carried	out	in	the	United	States	in	2002.

A	major	international	terrorist	incident	during	2002	involved	the	October	12	bombing	of	

the	Kuta	Beach	nightclub	area	on	Bali,	Indonesia.		The	attack,	carried	out	by	the	Jemaah	

Islamiya,	a	terrorist	organization	active	in	Southeast	Asia,	resulted	in	202	deaths,	including	those	of	seven	Americans.
July 4, 2002

Attack on El Al Ticket Counter in 

Los Angeles International Airport

Los	Angeles,	California

(One act of International Terrorism)

	 On	July	4,	2002,	Hesham	Mohamed	Ali	Hedayat	

began	shooting	randomly	while	standing	in	line	at	the	

ticket	counter	of	El	Al	Israeli	National	Airlines	at	the	

Los	Angeles	International	Airport.		During	the	attack,	

an	El	Al	ticketing	agent	and	a	bystander	were	killed.		

Hedayat	was	subsequently	killed	by	an	El	Al	security	

officer.		A	worldwide	investigation	determined	that	

Hadayat’s	religious	and	political	beliefs	were	the	primary	

motivation	for	the	attack,	and	not	personal	revenge.		

Following	these	investigative	findings,	this	case	was	officially	designated	as	an	act	of	international	terrorism.

auGuST – OcTOBEr 2002

Vandalism and Destruction of Property

Henrico	County,	Virginia

Goochland	County,	Virginia

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

During	the	period	of	August–November	2002,	

Aaron	L.	Linas,	John	B.	Wade,	and	Adam	V.	Blackwell	

carried	out	several	acts	of	vandalism	and	destruction	of	

private	property,	in	apparent	acts	of	environmental	terrorism.		Many	of	these	acts	were	attributed	to	the	Earth	

Liberation	Front	(ELF).

	 On	several	days	in	August	2002,	the	individuals	

damaged	12	construction	vehicles	at	a	construction	

site	in	Goochland,	Virginia,	by	pouring	sugar	into	

the	gas	tanks.		The	individuals	also	vandalized	two	

homes	under	construction	in	the	area,	writing	the	word	

“sprawl”	on	one	of	the	homes.

In	September	2002,	the	individuals	vandalized	

construction	vehicles	in	Henrico	County,	Virginia,	

and	attempted	to	burn	a	backhoe	and	construction	

crane.		On	September	28,	2002,	25	sport	utility	vehicles	

(SUVs)	were	damaged	at	an	Henrico	County	Ford	Dealership,	including	the	etching	of	the	letters	“ELF”	and	

“SUV”	into	some	of	the	vehicles.		Also	in	September,	

vandalism	occurred	at	two	fast	food	restaurants.		A	Jeep	

Liberty	was	also	damaged,	and	the	vandals	left	a	note	

on	the	vehicle	stating	“SUVs	are	killing	the	world”	and	

“Earth	Liberation	Front.”

TERRORISM 2002-2005

4

In	October	of	2002,	vandals	claiming	to	be	part	

of	ELF	apparently	used	an	axe	to	damage	three	SUVs	

parked	in	the	River	Lake	Colony	subdivision	of	Henrico	

County,	Virginia.		Notes	were	left	on	all	of	the	vehicles	

claiming	the	attack	was	an	effort	to	raise	environmental	

and	political	awareness.

Linas,	Wade,	and	Blackwell	pled	guilty	to	conspiracy	

to	commit	these	acts	and	were	subsequently	convicted	

and	sentenced	to	three	years	and	six	months,	three	

years	and	one	month,	and	10	months	in	federal	prison,	

respectively,	and	ordered	to	divide	the	total	restitution	

payment	of	$204,021.86	between	them.

2002	TERRORISM	

PREVENTIONS

auGuST 22, 2002

Planned Attack against Islamic Center of 

Pinellas County

Pinellas	Park,	Florida

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

	 On	August	22,	2002,	police	in	Pinellas	County,	

Florida,	responding	to	a	domestic	dispute	detained	

Robert	J.	Goldstein	after	finding	numerous	weapons	

and	explosives	and	a	“mission	statement”	threatening	to	

attack	Islamic	facilities	in	the	United	States.		Goldstein	

was	later	arrested	and	charged	with	weapons	violations	

and	an	attempt	to	destroy	property.		Michael	Wallace	

Hardee,	Samuel	V.	Shannahan	III,	and	Goldstein’s	

wife,	Kristi	Goldstein,	were	also	arrested	and	charged	in	

connection	with	the	plot.		An	investigation	revealed	that	

the	intended	target	of	Goldstein’s	planned	attack	was	

the	Islamic	Center	of	Pinellas	County,	in	Pinellas	Park,	

Florida,	and	that	the	attack	had	been	planned	to	

coincide	with	the	first	anniversary	of	the	September	11,	

2001,	terrorist	attack.		Investigators	also	determined	that	

Goldstein	intended	to	target	the	Islamic	Center	in	

perceived	retaliation	for	Palestinian	suicide	bombings	

in	Israel.		The	four	pled	guilty	in	the	Middle	District	

of	Florida	to	their	roles	in	the	plotting,	and	in	2003	received	federal	prison	sentences	ranging	from	three	years	

to	Robert	Goldstein’s	12	years	and	seven	months.
OcTOBEr 12, 2002

Nightclub Bombing

Bali,	Indonesia

On	October	12,	2002,	three	bombs,	including	a	

large	vehicle	bomb	and	a	possible	suicide	bomber,	

devastated	a	nightclub	area	at	Kuta	Beach	on	the	

Indonesian	island	of	Bali.		The	blasts	killed	202	

people,	including	seven	Americans,	and	injured	as	

many	as	350.		Most	of	those	killed	and	injured	were	

foreign	tourists.		This	bombing	has	been	attributed	

to	members	of	the	Jemaah	Islamiya	(JI)	terrorist	

organization,	a	Southeast	Asian-based	terrorist	network	with	links	to	al-Qa’ida,	which	allegedly	helped	

finance	the	attack.		The	Bali	bombing	may	have	been	

carried	out	in	response	to	audiotaped	appeals	from	

al-Qa’ida	leader	Usama	Bin	Ladin	and	his	senior	

deputy	Ayman	al-Zawahiri	broadcast	on	the	al-Jazeera	

network	beginning	on	October	6,	2002,	that	urged	

renewed	attacks	on	U.S.	and	Western	interests.	

The	FBI	joined	several	other	international	antiterror	agencies	to	assist	Indonesia	in	the	investigation	

of	the	attack.	The	investigation	has	yielded	approximately	30	convictions	overseas;	including	three	

suspects	sentenced	to	death	after	being	convicted	of	

planning	and	carrying	out	the	bombing.		Notable	

among	the	convictions	is	Muslim	cleric	Abu	Bakar	

Bashir,	who	is	suspected	of	being	the	spiritual	leader	

of	JI.		Bashir	was	sentenced	in	March	2003	to	30	

months	in	prison	for	his	part	in	the	criminal	conspiracy	leading	to	the	attack,	although	he	was	cleared	

of	charges	of	planning	a	terrorist	attack.		

Investigators	believe	JI	militants	Noordin	

Mohammad	Top	and	bomb-maker	Azahari	Husin	

were	the	masterminds	behind	the	Bali	nightclub	

attacks	and	several	other	Southeast	Asian	terrorist	

attacks.		Husin	was	killed	by	Indonesian	police	during	a	shootout	on	

November	9,	2005,	in	East	Java,	Indonesia.		Top	

remained	a	fugitive	at	the	end	of	2005.

On	October	23,	2002,	President	George	W.	Bush	

designated	JI	as	a	Specially	Designated	Global	

Terrorist	(SDGT)	under	Executive	Order	13224.		

Investigation	into	the	Bali	bombing	is	ongoing.

TERRORISM 2002-2005

5

2002	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

JaNuary 19, 2002

Kathleen Ann Soliah Sentenced

	 On	January	19,	2002,	Kathleen	Ann	Soliah	was	

sentenced	to	two	consecutive	10	years	to	life	terms	for	

her	role	in	a	1975	car	bombing	plot	associated	with	the	

Symbionese	Liberation	Army.		On	October	31,	2001,	

Soliah	pled	guilty	to	two	counts	related	to	the	car	bombing	plot.		Soliah	remained	a	fugitive	for	23	years	until	

her	arrest	on	June	16,	1999,	when	she	was	living	under	

the	alias	Sara	Jane	Olsen.

March 14, 2002

Appeal Denied in the Pan Am 103 

Bombing Case

	 On	March	14,	2002,	an	appeal	filed	by	Abdel	Basset	

Ali	Al-Megrahi,	seeking	to	overturn	his	conviction	of	

bombing	Pan	Am	flight	103	over	Lockerbie,	Scotland,	

was	denied.		Al-Megrahi	had	filed	the	appeal	at	the	Scottish	Court	of	Appeal	in	Camp	Zeist,	The	Netherlands.

Al-Megrahi	was	convicted	on	January	31,	2001,	for	the	

1988	bombing,	which	killed	the	259	passengers	of	the	

flight	and	11	individuals	on	the	ground.		Al-Megrahi	was	

sentenced	to	life	in	prison.

JuNE 15, 2002

Donald Rudolph Sentenced for 1999 

Propane Plot

	 On	June	15,	2002,	Donald	Rudolph	was	sentenced	

to	five	years	in	prison	for	his	role	in	a	plot	to	destroy	a	

propane	storage	facility	near	Elk	Grove,	California.		

Rudolph	had	pled	guilty	on	January	19,	2001,	to	withholding	knowledge	of	a	conspiracy	to	use	a	weapon	of	

mass	destruction	in	connection	with	the	propane	plot.

The	plot	to	attack	the	propane	storage	facility	was	

disrupted	on	December	3,	1999,	when	members	of	the	

Sacramento	Joint	Terrorism	Task	Force	arrested	Kevin	

Ray	Patterson	and	Charles	Dennis	Kiles.		Patterson,	

Kiles,	and	Rudolph	were	associated	with	an	antigovernment	group	active	in	the	central	region	of	the	state.		

When	arrested,	Patterson	and	Kiles	were	in	possession	

of	a	detonation	cord,	blasting	caps,	grenade	hulls,	and	

various	chemicals—including	ammonium	nitrate—and	
numerous	weapons.		Patterson	and	Kiles	were	convicted	

in	May	2002	for	conspiracy	to	use	a	weapon	of	mass	

destruction	and	conspiracy	to	use	a	destructive	device.

JuNE 21, 2002

Two Smugglers Convicted in Terror 

Financing Case

	 On	June	21,	2002,	Mohamad	Hammoud	and	

Chawki	Hammoud	were	convicted	for	their	roles	in	a	

Charlotte,	North	Carolina-based,	cigarette	smuggling	

ring	with	ties	to	terrorism	financing.		Both	men	were	

convicted	of	cigarette	smuggling,	money	laundering,	

racketeering,	and	credit	card	fraud.		Mohamad	

Hammoud	was	also	convicted	of	providing	financial	

support	to	Hizballah,	a	designated	foreign	terrorist	

organization	believed	to	have	received	financing	through	

Hammoud’s	smuggling	enterprise.		Chawki	Hammoud	

was	not	found	guilty	of	Hizballah	ties.

JuNE 21, 2002

FBI Fly Team Established

	 On	June	21,	2002,	FBI	Director	Mueller	announced	

the	creation	of	the	Fly	Team	in	the	Counterterrorism	

Division	to	enhance	the	Bureau’s	capabilities	in	the	

areas	of	counterterrorism	and	intelligence	collection.		

The	Fly	Team	deploys	rapidly	and	proactively	worldwide	

on	missions	to	identify	and	prevent	acts	of	terrorism,	

respond	to	crisis	incidents,	and	pursue	the	arrests	and	

prosecutions	of	terrorists	who	have	engaged	in	or	aided	

and	abetted	those	who	engaged	in	acts	of	terrorism.

July 2002

Creation of National Joint Terrorism Task Force

	 In	July	of	2002,	the	National	Joint	Terrorism	Task	

Force	(NJTTF)	was	created	by	order	of	the	Director	of	

the	FBI.		The	NJTTF,	staffed	by	representatives	from	40	

federal,	state,	and	local	agencies,	is	tasked	with	coordinating	the	flow	of	information	between	its	participating	

entities	and	the	Joint	Terrorism	Task	Forces	(JTTFs)	

located	in	FBI	field	offices	and	resident	agencies	across	

the	country.

OcTOBEr 4, 2002

John Walker Lindh Sentenced

	 On	October	4,	2002,	U.S.	citizen	John	Walker	

Lindh	was	sentenced	to	20	years	in	prison	after	pleading	

guilty	in	July	to	terrorism	charges	related	to	his	association	with	the	Taliban	in	Afghanistan.		In	February,	a	

grand	jury	in	the	Eastern	District	of	Virginia	indicted	

Lindh	on	10	counts,	charging	him	as	an	al-Qa’idatrained	terrorist	who	conspired	with	the	Taliban	to	kill	

U.S.	citizens.		In	addition	to	criminal	charges	that	had	

previously	been	levied	against	Lindh,	the	indictment	

added	charges	of	conspiracy	to	contribute	services	to	alQa’ida,	contributing	services	to	al-Qa’ida,	conspiracy	to	

supply	services	to	the	Taliban,	and	weapons	charges.

NOVEMBEr 25, 2002

Signing of the Homeland Security Act 

of 2002

On	November	25,	2002,	President	Bush	signed	

House	Resolution	5005,	the	Homeland	Security	Act	

of	2002,	officially	establishing	the	U.S.	Department	of	

Homeland	Security.		The	act	combined	various	government	agencies	dealing	with	transportation,	border,	and	

other	security	issues	from	the	U.S.	Departments	of	

Justice,	Defense,	Treasury,	and	Commerce	into	a	single	

cabinet	department,	consolidating	the	U.S.	government’s	homeland	security	efforts.

TERRORISM 2002-2005

6
TERRORISM 2002-2005

7

I

n	2003,	the	FBI	recorded	six	terrorist	incidents	and	five	terrorism	preventions.		Domestic	

terrorists,	specifically	animal	rights	and	environmental	extremists,	were	responsible	for	

each	of	the	six	incidents.	Three	of	the	incidents	were	perpetrated	by	followers	of	the	Earth	

Liberation	Front	extremist	movement	and	involved	acts	of	arson	or	vandalism	and	destruction	of	property.		The	other	three	incidents	were	perpetrated	by	extremists	within	the	animal	rights	movement,	and	included	

and	act	of		vandalism	claimed	by	the	Animal	Liberation	Front,	and	two	

bombings	at	businesses	affiliated	with	Huntingdon	Life	Sciences,	a	frequent	target	of	the	extreme	animal	rights	movement.

Each	of	the	five	preventions	involved	domestic	terrorist	organizations	or	

extremists.		These	included	a	white	supremacist	in	Pennsylvania,	who	

planned	attacks	against	abortion	clinics	and	minority	targets;	a	constitutionalist	and	tax	protestor	in	Idaho,	who	attempted	to	arrange	for	the	

murders	of	federal	persons	involved	in	a	tax	evasion	case	against	him;	

an	individual	in	Texas	associated	with	antigovernment	militia	members,	who	was	found	in	

possession	of	heavy	weaponry,	sodium	cyanide,	and	plans	to	weaponize	sodium	cyanide;	

an	anarchist,	who	planned	to	bomb	a	U.S.	Coast	Guard;	and	an	anti-abortion	extremist	in	

Florida,	who	planned	to	bomb	abortion	clinics.

No	deaths	or	serious	injuries	resulted	from	terrorist	activity	carried	out	in	the	United	

States	in	2003.

Major	international	terrorist	incidents	involving	U.S.	casualties	included	two	attacks	stemming	from	the	violent	global	jihadist	movement.		In	Riyadh,	Saudi	Arabia,	al-Qa’ida	operatives	conducted	coordinated	assaults	on	three	residential	compounds	housing	Western	

workers.		Nine	of	the	35	people	killed	in	the	attack	were	Americans.		In	addition,	Jemaah	

Islamiya	bombed	the	JW	Marriott	Hotel	in	Jakarta,	Indonesia.		The	attack	resulted	in	11	

fatalities	and	144	injuries,	including	injuries	to	two	U.S.	citizens.

2003	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS

JaNuary 1, 2003

Arson

Girard,	Pennsylvania

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	January	1,	2003,	an	unknown	individual(s)	set	two	pickup	trucks	and	one	sport	

utility	vehicle	on	fire	at	a	car	dealership	in	Girard,	Pennsylvania,	causing	$96,000	in	

damages.		This	arson	followed	the	series	of	environmental	and	animal	rights	extremist	

incidents	in	northwest	Pennsylvania	discussed	in	the	preceding	2002	terrorist	incidents	

section.		ELF	claimed	responsibility	for	the	arson.

2003

IN

REVIEW
March 3, 2003

Vandalism

Chico,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	March	3,	2003,	an	unknown	number	of	individuals	placed	two	one-gallon	jugs	filled	with	kerosene	near	

a	McDonald’s	restaurant	in	Chico,	California,	and	vandalized	the	restaurant	with	graffiti.		The	graffiti	included	

statements	such	as	“Animal	Liberation	Front,”	“Meat	is	

Murder,”	and	“Species	Equality.”		Two	communiques	

were	discovered	claiming	responsibility	for	the	attack.				

Robert	Brooks	and	Harjit	Singh	Gill	were	convicted	in	

the	Eastern	District	of	California	for	making	false	statements	to	a	grand	jury	in	connection	with	the	attack,	

and,	in	June	2005,	received	sentences	of	a	$500	fine	and	

36	months	probation,	respectively.

TERRORISM 2002-2005

8

May 12, 2003

Bombings of Residential Compounds

Riyadh,	Saudi	Arabia

On the evening of May 12, 2003, al-Qa’ida 

operatives assaulted three residential compounds 

in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that house Western guest 

workers. At least fifteen assailants in six vehiclestwo vehicles at each location-participated in 

the attacks against the Al-Hamra Oasis Village, 

Jedawal compound, and Vinnell Company 

compound located in suburban Riyadh. After 

breaching manned security barriers at two of 

the three sites, the attackers detonated vehicleborne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) in 

the compounds, killing 35 people, including nine 

Americans, and injuring nearly 200 others. This 

assault followed a string of al-Qa’ida operations, 

including the August 7, 1998, East African embassy 

bombings; the October 12, 2000, bombing of 

the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen; the September 11, 

2001, attack in the United States; and attacks on 

November 28, 2002, carried out against primarily 

Israeli targets in Mombasa, Kenya, involving simultaneous attacks against multiple targets. 

The May 12 attack reflected a high degree 

of planning, pre-operational surveillance, and 

coordination among teams—traditional hallmarks 

of al-Qa’ida operations. It also reflected a highly 

refined approach to suicide bombings that may 

have incorporated lessons learned from the 

1998 U.S. embassy bombings and other attacks. 

Preliminary investigation indicates that operatives traveling in lead vehicles attacked guards 

at each of the sites with small arms fire and hand 

grenades to quickly breach gates and other security measures to gain access to the compounds. 

Once inside the compounds, assailants may also 

have fired weapons to draw the attention of residents to window areas to maximize

casualties. 

The FBI and foreign partners have identified approximately 30 individuals thought to be 

involved in the planning and execution of the 

attack. Nearly all of these individuals have been 

killed or arrested by Saudi security forces.

auGuST 1, 2003

SEpTEMBEr 19, 2003

Arson

San	Diego,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	August	1,	2003,	the	San	Diego	Fire	Department	and	San	Diego	Police	Department	responded	to	

an	arson	fire	at	the	Garden	Condominium,	a	five-story,	

206-unit	condominium	complex	under	construction	

in	the	University	Town	Center	area	of	San	Diego.		The	

fire	caused	an	estimated	$20	million	in	damages	to	the	

building	and	surrounding	construction	equipment.		

Investigators	found	graffiti	at	the	site	implicating	Earth	

Liberation	Front	(ELF)	extremists	with	the	incident,	

including	the	message	“IF	YOU	BUILD	IT	–	WE	WILL	

BURN	IT.		THE	ELF’S	ARE	MAD.

On	September	19,	2003,	two	other	new	home	sites	

were	also	set	on	fire,	with	similar	messages	left	at	the	

scene.		The	fires	destroyed	four	homes	and	damaged	two	

others,	causing	an	estimated	loss	of	$3	million.		The	August	1	and	September	19	arson	incidents	remain	under	

investigation.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

9

auGuST 5, 2003

Bombing of JW Marriott Hotel 

Jakarta,	Indonesia

On the afternoon of August 5, 2003, a vehicleborne improvised explosive device (VBIED) 

exploded in front of the JW Marriott Hotel located 

in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The 

blast killed 11 people, not including the suicide 

bomber, and injured 144 others, including two U.S. 

citizens. The blast caused extensive damage to 

the hotel and an adjacent office building. 

Investigation by the Indonesian National Police, 

the Australian Federal Police, and the FBI 

traced responsibility for the bombing to Jemaah 

Islamiyah (JI), a transnational Southeast Asian terrorist organization based in Indonesia with close 

links to al-Qa’ida, which helped to finance the 

bombing. 

The international investigation has identified over 

30 individuals involved in the conspiracy to bomb 

the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta. Witness testimony has identified Noordin Mohammed Top as 

the leader of the operation and Dr. Azahari Husin 

as the bombmaker. Approximately 30 of the conspirators have been arrested, tried, and convicted in Indonesian courts and have received prison 

sentences ranging from three to 14 years. Husin 

was killed by Indonesian police during a shootout 

on November 9, 2005, in East Java, Indonesia. 

Top remained a fugitive at the end of 2005.

The investigation into the bombing of the JW 

Marriott Hotel in Jakarta is ongoing.

auGuST 22, 2003

Vandalism and 

Destruction of Property

West	Covina,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	August	22,	2003,	individuals	associated	with	

the	Earth	Liberation	Front	(ELF)	carried	out	acts	of	

vandalism	in	the	Los	Angeles,	California,	area,	damaging	roughly	125	vehicles	and	one	commercial	building.		

Much	of	the	damage	was	caused	by	spray-painted	graffiti,	although	in	two	cases,	individuals	set	fire	to	sport	

utility	vehicles	(SUVs).		Some	of	the	graffiti	associated	

SUVs	with	“terrorism.”		On	April	18,	2005,	William	

Jensen	Cottrell	was	sentenced	to	eight	years	and	four	

months	in	federal	prison	and	fined	$3.5	million	for	

the	incident.		Two	other	suspects	in	the	attack—Tyler	

Johnson	and	Michie	Oe—remained	at	large	at	the	end	

of	2005.

auGuST 28, 2003

Bombing

Emeryville,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

	 On	August	28,	2003,	an	improvised	explosive	device	

(IED)	was	detonated	near	the	front	door	of	Chiron	

Life	Science	Center	in	Emeryville,	California,	causing	

damage	to	the	building.		A	second	device	detonated	in	

another	Chiron	building	shortly	after	first	responders	

arrived	at	the	scene,	also	damaging	the	building	and	

the	surrounding	area.	Chiron	had	previously	received	

harassing	e-mails,	telephone	calls,	and	faxes,	and	some	

Chiron	employees	had	been	harassed	at	their	residences.	

Chiron,	an	animal	testing	laboratory,	is	associated	with	

Huntingdon	Life	Sciences	(HLS).		HLS,	and	individuals	

and	companies	associated	with	it,	have	regularly	been	

targeted	by	animal	rights	extremists.		Daniel	Andreas	

San	Diego	is	suspected	of	having	carried	out	the	bombing	and	remained	a	fugitive	at	the	end	of	2005.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

10

SEpTEMBEr 26, 2003

Bombing

Pleasanton,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	September	26,	2003,	an	improvised	explosive	device	was	detonated	at	Shaklee	Corporation	in	

Pleasanton,	California.		Shaklee	Corporation	is	a	subsidiary	of	Yamanouchi	Pharmaceutical	Co.	Ltd.,	which	

has	been	targeted	by	animal	rights	extremists	in	the	

past.		Daniel	Andreas	San	Diego	is	suspected	of	having	carried	out	this	bombing	and	the	August	28,	2003,	

bombing	at	Chiron	Life	Science	Center.	San	Diego	

remained	a	fugitive	at	the	end	of	2005.

2003	TERRORISM	

PREVENTIONS

FEBruary 13, 2003

Planned Attacks on Abortion Clinics and 

Minority Targets

Amwell	Township,	Pennsylvania

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	February	13,	2003,	law	enforcement	officials	

arrested	David	Wayne	Hull,	a	long-time	member	and	

self-professed	leader	of	the	White	Knights	of	the	Ku	

Klux	Klan	(KKK).		Hull	had	been	exploding	pipe	bombs	

on	his	property	in	Amwell	Township,	Pennsylvania,	

had	built	and	detonated	improvised	explosive	devices	

(IEDs)	during	KKK	events,	and	was	recorded	instructing	

individuals	on	how	to	place	IEDs	to	cause	maximum	

damage.		Hull	had	also	made	threats	against	minorities	

and	abortion	clinics.		Hull	was	indicted	in	March	2003	

for	firearms	charges,	witness	tampering,	and	instructing	

persons	on	procedures	for	creating	destructive	devices.		

A	jury	in	the	Western	District	of	Pennsylvania	convicted	

Hull	on	seven	counts	of	the	ten-count	indictment.		On	

February	25,	2005,	Hull	was	sentenced	to	12	years	in	

prison,	followed	by	three	years	of	probation.

april 4, 2003

Planned Murder Plots against Federal Judge, 

AUSA, and IRS Agent

Grangeville,	Idaho

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	April	4,	2003,	the	FBI	arrested	David	Roland	

Hinkson,	a	constitutionalist	and	tax	protestor,	for	

attempting	to	arrange	the	murders	of	a	federal	judge,	

an	Assistant	U.S.	Attorney,	and	an	IRS	Agent	whom	he	

blamed	for	his	legal	problems	regarding	a	tax	evasion	

case	against	him.		Between	December	2002	and	March	

2003,	Hinkson	offered	two	individuals	$10,000	for	

committing	all	three	murders.		On	January	27,	2005,	

Hinkson	was	found	guilty	on	three	counts	of	solicitation	to	commit	murder	after	a	three	week	jury	trial	in	

Boise,	Idaho.		On	June	3,	2005,	Hinkson	was	sentenced	

to	43	years	in	federal	prison.

april 10, 2003

Planned Cyanide Attack

Tyler,	Texas

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	April	10,	2003,	the	FBI	arrested	William	

Joseph	Krar	for	fraud-related	charges	stemming	from	his	

attempt	to	deliver	numerous	false	identification	badges—

including	a	United	Nations	Observer	Badges,	Defense	

Intelligence	Agency	identification,	and	a	Federal	

Concealed	Weapons	Permit—to	Edward	Feltus,	

a	member	of	the	New	Jersey	Militia.		Krar	had	also	

been	identified	as	a	potential	weapons	supplier	associated	with	extremist	militia	activities.		In	a	search	of	Krar’s	

Texas	residence	at	the	time	of	his	arrest,	FBI	investigators	found	firearms,	explosives,	blasting	caps,	machine	

guns,	over	100,000	rounds	of	ammunition,	approximately	800	grams	of	sodium	cyanide,	and	

plans	to	weaponize	the	sodium	cyanide.		Krar	and	a	

co-conspirator,	Judith	Bruey,	pled	guilty	to	federal	weapons	charges,	and	in	May	2004	were	sentenced	to	135	

months	and	57	months	in	federal	custody,	respectively.		

Feltus	pled	guilty	to	aiding	and	abetting	the	transportation	of	false	IDs,	and	was	sentenced	in	May	2004	to	18	

months	probation	and	fined	$1,500.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

11

NOVEMBEr 11, 2003

Planned Bombings of Abortion Clinics

Miami,	Florida

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	November	11,	2003,	Stephen	John	Jordi	was	

arrested	in	Miami,	Florida,	for	plotting	to	attack	several	abortion	clinics.		Jordi	had	openly	discussed	his	

intentions	to	attack	abortion	clinics,	had	expressed	

solidarity	with	anti-abortion	extremists,	and	had	associated	with	individuals	from	the	anti-abortion	extremist	

group	Army	of	God.		Jordi	set	out	potential	targets	and	

a	specific	time	frame	for	the	attacks,	and	had	cased	

and	videotaped	numerous	Miami-area	abortion	clinics.		

He	had	also	purchased	several	items	to	carry	out	the	

attack,	including	containers	of	gasoline	and	propane,	

flares,	starting	fluid,	and	a	silencer	purchased	from	an	

FBI	source.		Jordi	was	indicted	on	November	15,	2003,	

for	attempting	to	damage	and	destroy	property	used	in	

interstate	commerce,	distribution	of	information	relating	to	the	manufacture	or	use	of	explosive	or	destructive	

devices,	and	possession	of	a	firearm	that	was	not	registered	to	him.		On	July	8,	2004,	a	federal	judge	in	Miami	

sentenced	Jordi	to	five	years	in	prison.

JuNE 9, 2003

Planned Bombing of a U.S. Coast Guard Facility

Bellingham,	Washington

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	June	9,	2003,	the	FBI	arrested	Paul	Douglas	

Revak	for	plotting	to	bomb	a	U.S.	Coast	Guard	facility	

in	Bellingham,	Washington.		Revak,	who	had	previously	

declared	himself	to	be	an	anarchist,	was	reportedly	attempting	to	precipitate	a	revolution	in	the	United	States	

and	had	discussed	the	targeting	of	several	nearby	military	installations.		Revak	was	arrested	when	he	negotiated	with	an	undercover	FBI	employee	for	the	purchase	of	

explosive	device	components.		Under	a	plea	agreement,	

Revak	was	charged	with	threatening	to	use	a	weapon	of	

mass	destruction	and	sentenced	to	five	years’	probation.

2003	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

JaNuary 30, 2003

Richard C. Reid Sentenced

	 On	January	30,	2003,	Richard	Colvin	Reid	was	sentenced	to	life	in	prison	for	his	December	2001	attempt	

to	bomb	American	Airlines	flight	63	with	an	explosive	

device	concealed	in	his	shoe.		Reid	had	been	indicted	

on	January	16,	2002,	on	nine	terrorism-related	counts,	

and	pled	guilty	on	October	4,	2002.

FEBruary 14, 2003

Kathleen Ann Soliah Sentenced

On	February	14,	2003,	Kathleen	Ann	Soliah,	a	former	member	of	the	Symbionese	Liberation	Army	(SLA)	

serving	time	for	her	role	in	a	1975	car	bombing	plot,	was	

sentenced	for	the	1975	murder	of	Myrna	Opsahl.		Soliah	

received	six	years	added	to	the	sentence	she	was	already	

serving,	after	pleading	guilty	on	November	7,	2002,	

for	her	role	in	the	1975	SLA	bank	robbery	that	killed	

Opsahl.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

12

FEBruary 19, 2003

Arrests and Indictments of Palestinian Islamic 

Jihad Members

On	February	19,	2003,	four	members	of	the	Palestinian	Islamic	Jihad	(PIJ)	terrorist	organization—Sami	

Amin	al-Arian,	Sameeh	Hammoudeh,	Hatim	Naji	Fariz,	

and	Ghassan	Zayed	Ballut	—	were	arrested	and	charged	

with	operating	a	racketeering	enterprise	from	1984	to	

2003	in	support	of	violence.		The	indictment,	which	

was	unsealed	on	February	20,	2003,	also	charged	the	

individuals	with	“conspiracy	within	the	United	States	

to	kill	and	maim	persons	abroad,	conspiracy	to	provide	material	support	and	resources	to	PIJ,	conspiracy	

to	violate	emergency	economic	sanctions,”	extortion,	

perjury,	obstruction	of	justice,	and	immigration	fraud.		

Four	other	individuals	were	also	charged	under	the	same	

indictment	—	Ramadan	Abduallah	Shallah,	Bashir	Musa	

Mohammed	Nafi,	Mohammed	Tasir	Hassan	Al-Khatib,	

and	Abd	Al	Aziz	Awda	—	but	were	overseas	and	remained	fugitives	at	the	end	of	2005.

FEBruary 28, 2003

Cigarette Smugglers Sentenced in 

Terror Financing Case

On	February	28,	2003,	Mohamad	and	Chawki	

Hammoud	were	sentenced	to	prison	terms	for	their	

roles	in	a	Charlotte,	North	Carolina-based,	cigarette	

smuggling	ring	with	ties	to	terrorist	financing.		Both	

men	were	convicted	of	cigarette	smuggling,	money	laundering,	racketeering,	and	credit	card	fraud.		Mohamad	

Hammoud,	who	was	found	guilty	of	providing	support	

to	Hizballah	in	addition	to	smuggling	charges,	was	

given	a	maximum	155-year	prison	sentence.		Chawki	

Hammoud,	who	was	convicted	in	the	smuggling	case	

but	was	not	found	to	have	ties	to	Hizballah,	was	sentenced	to	51	months	in	prison.	

March 1, 2003

Capture of Khalid Shaykh Mohammed

On	March	1,	2003,	counterterrorism	forces	in	Pakistan	captured	Khalid	Shaykh	Mohammed,	an	al-Qa’ida	

operational	commander	and	the	man	believed	to	have	

been	the	mastermind	of	the	September	11,	2001,	attack.		

Shaykh	Mohammed	is	also	believed	to	have	played	a	role	

in	a	number	of	other	attacks	and	planned	attacks,	including	the	2002	bombings	in	Bali,	Indonesia,	the	2000	

bombing	of	the	USS Cole	in	Yemen,	and	a	1995	plot	to	

blow	up	multiple	U.S.	commercial	airliners.

april 14, 2003

Plea Agreement for 

Earnest James Ujaama

On	April	14,	2003,	Earnest	James	Ujaama	pled	

guilty	in	Seattle	federal	court	to	conspiring	to	provide	

goods	and	services	to	the	Taliban	in	Afghanistan.		As	

part	of	the	plea	agreement,	federal	prosecutors	dropped	

charges	alleging	that	Ujaama	had	plotted	to	establish	

a	terrorist	training	camp	in	Bly,	Oregon.		In	return,	

Ujaama	was	sentenced	to	24	months	in	prison.	

auGuST 18, 2003

Sentencing of Enaam Arnaout

On	August	18,	2003,	Enaam	Arnaout,	the	director	

of	Benevolence	International	Foundation,	was	sentenced	to	11	years	in	federal	prison	after	pleading	guilty	

on	February	10,	2003,	to	terrorism-related	racketeering	

conspiracy	charges.		Arnaout	had	been	indicted	on	

October	9,	2002,	for	conspiracy	to	fraudulently	obtain	

charitable	donations	in	order	to	provide	financial	assistance	to	al-Qa’ida	and	other	organizations	engaged	

in	violence	and	terrorism.		The	indictment	charged	

Arnaout	with	conspiracy	to	engage	in	racketeering,	conspiracy	to	provide	material	support	to	terrorists,	money	

laundering,	mail	fraud,	and	wire	fraud	in	his	attempt	to	

fraudulently	use	the	charitable	contributions	of	Muslim	

Americans,	U.S.	corporations,	and	other	donors	to	

support	terrorism	overseas.		Benevolence	International	

Foundation	was	registered	as	a	tax-exempt	charitable	

organization;	Arnaout	allegedly	used	it	as	a	racketeering	

enterprise.

auGuST–DEcEMBEr 2003

Plea Agreements and Sentencing for Portland 

Terror Cell Suspects

Between	August	and	December	2003,	six	of	seven	

members	of	a	Portland,	Oregon-based	terrorist	cell	pled	

guilty	to	terrorism-related	charges.		The	six	were	indicted	in	October	2002	for	conspiracy	to	provide	assistance	

to	Taliban	and	al-Qa’ida	forces	by	planning	to	travel	to	

fight	U.S.	troops	stationed	in	Afghanistan.		Charges	

against	the	seventh	defendant,	Habis	Al	Saoub,	were	

dismissed	after	he	was	killed	in	Pakistan	by	Pakistani	

troops	on	October	3,	2003.		
TERRORISM 2002-2005

13

On	August	6,	2003,	Maher	Hawash	pled	guilty	

to	conspiracy	to	supply	services	to	the	Taliban.		On	

September	18,	2003,	brothers	Ahmed	and	Muhammad	

Bilal	pled	guilty	to	federal	weapons	charges	and	conspiracy	to	contribute	services	to	the	Taliban.		On	September	

26,	2003,	October	Martinique	Lewis,	the	ex-wife	of	

Jeffrey	Leon	Battle,	pled	guilty	to	money	laundering	

for	the	purpose	of	assisting	Battle	in	willfully	supplying	

services	to	the	Taliban.		On	October	16,	2003,	Battle	

and	Patrice	Lumumba	Ford	pled	guilty	to	seditious	conspiracy.		Prison	sentences	for	cell	members	taken	into	

custody	ranged	from	three	to	18	years.

OcTOBEr 7, 2003

Sentencing of Raymond Anthony Sandoval

On	October	7,	2003,	a	U.S.	District	judge	in	New	

Mexico	sentenced	Raymond	Anthony	Sandoval	to	84	

months	incarceration	and	to	make	restitution	payment	

of	$3	million	for	having	initiated	the	June	1998	Oso	

Complex	wildfire	near	Espanola,	New	Mexico,	and	attempting	to	bomb	the	Santa	Fe,	New	Mexico,	offices	of	

the	Forest	Guardians	environmentalist	group	on	

March	19,	1999.		On	June	25,	2003,	Sandoval	pled	

guilty	to	charges	of	manufacturing	a	destructive	device,	

possession	of	an	unregistered	firearm,	arson	on	federal	

land,	and	willfully	injuring	property	of	the	United	

States.			Law	enforcement	officers	with	the	FBI,	U.S.	Forest	Service,	and	Espanola,	New	Mexico	Police	arrested	

Sandoval	on	February	14,	2003.		

OcTOBEr 28, 2003

Iyman Faris Sentenced for Material Support 

to al-Qa’ida

On	October	28,	2003,	a	federal	court	in	the	Eastern	

District	of	Virginia	sentenced	U.S.	citizen	Iyman	Faris	

(aka	Mohammed	Rauf)	to	20	years	in	prison.		Faris	had	

been	charged	with	conspiracy	and	providing	material	

support	to	al-Qa’ida	and	pled	guilty	on	May	1,	2003.		

According	to	the	indictment	and	plea,	Faris	conducted	

casing	of	a	New	York	City	bridge	and	researched	and	

provided	information	on	U.S.	targets	to	al-Qa’ida.

DEcEMBEr 2003

Sentencing of Lackawanna Six Terror Cell 

Members

In	December	2003,	Faysal	Galab,	Shafal	Mosed,	

Yahya	Goba,	Sahim	Alwan,	Yasein	Taher,	and	Mukhtar	

Albakri	received	federal	prison	sentences	ranging	from	

seven	to	10	years	after	pleading	guilty	to	providing	material	support	or	resources	to	al-Qa’ida.		The	six	individuals,	who	resided	in	Lackawanna,	New	York,	traveled	to	

Afghanistan	in	the	summer	of	2001	to	attend	the	

al-Farooq	terrorist	training	camp	near	Kandahar.		

Attendees	were	present	at	this	camp	for	a	period	of	up	

to	two	months	and	received	terrorism	training;	several	

of	the	men	were	also	present	for	a	speech	by	Usama	Bin	

Ladin.		They	were	arrested	in	September	of	2002	for	

providing	material	support	or	resources	to	a	designated	

foreign	terrorist	organization.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

14

T

2004

IN

REVIEW

he	FBI	recorded	five	terrorist	incidents	and	five	terrorism	preventions	in	2004.		Domestic	

extremists	were	responsible	for	each	incident.		Three	of	the	incidents	involved	possible	

associates	of	the	Earth	Liberation	Front	environmental	extremist	movement,	who	used	

incendiary	devices	against	car	dealerships,	construction	sites	and	housing	developments.		

In	a	fourth	incident,	associates	of	the	Animal	Liberation	Front	conducted	two	attacks	

against	an	animal	science	facility	on	the	campus	of	Brigham	Young	

University,	which	resulted	in	more	than	$75,000	in	damages.		Another	

incident	involved	a	white	supremacist	affiliated	with	Aryan	Nations	who	

firebombed	a	synagogue	in	Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma.

In	the	first	terrorism	prevention,	law	enforcement	officers	in	

Birmingham,	Alabama,	arrested	two	men	in	possession	of	multiple	firearms,	bomb-making	literature,	components	of	an	improvised	explosive	

device,	and	literature	related	to	the	Waco	and	Ruby	Ridge	incidents,	as	

well	as	photographs	of	serial	bomber	Eric	Rudolph.		The	second	terrorism	prevention	

involved	the	same	white	supremacist	arrested	in	2004	for	firebombing	an	Oklahoma	

City	synagogue,	and	for	whom	further	investigation	uncovered	his	intention	to	commit	

additional	attacks	against	minorities.		The	third	prevention	involved	a	plot	by	extremist	

members	of	the	Montana-based	Project	7	Militia	to	kidnap	and	assassinate	local	judges,	

law	enforcement	officers,	and	their	family	members.		The	fourth	prevention	involved	

a	Chicago-area	man	attempting	to	sell	ammonium	nitrate	to	an	individual	purportedly	

associated	with	a	foreign	terrorist	organization.		The	fifth	prevention	involved	the	arrest	

of	a	man	in	Tennessee	who	wanted	to	obtain	nuclear	or	chemical	materials	to	blow	up	a	

courthouse.

No	deaths	or	serious	injuries	resulted	from	terrorist	activity	carried	out	in	the	United	

States	in	2004.

Among	the	major	international	terrorist	incidents	during	2004,	al-Qa’ida	conducted	a	

series	of	terrorist	attacks	in	Saudi	Arabia	against	economic	and	diplomatic	targets	through	

kidnapings,	murders,	and	suicide	attacks	using	small	groups	of	operatives.		The	attacks	

resulted	in	36	deaths,	including	the	deaths	of	six	Americans,	and	over	two	dozen	injuries,	

including	those	to	four	Americans.		Another	major	incident	involved	the	coordinated	

bombing	of	the	train	system	in	Madrid,	Spain,	by	terrorists	affiliated	with	the	violent	

global	jihadist	movement.		A	total	of	10	bombs	detonated	during	the	March	11	morning	

rush	hour	in	Madrid,	killing	191	persons	and	injuring	more	the	1,400.		Although	this	

incident	did	not	result	in	any	American	casualties	and	is	not	elsewhere	summarized	in	

this	report,	the	Madrid	bombing	is	significant	in	showing	the	extension	of	global	jihadist	

violence	outside	of	predominantly	Muslim	nations.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

15

april 1, 2004

Arson

Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	April	1,	2004,	Sean	Michael	Gillespie	used	a	

Molotov	cocktail	to	firebomb	the	Temple	B’nai	Israel	in	

Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma.		The	attack	caused	mostly	

smoke	damage	to	the	synagogue.		Gillespie	committed	

the	arson	as	a	target	of	opportunity	when	he	could	not	

locate	for	a	similar	attack	the	address	of	a	person	he	

presumed	to	be	Jewish,	whose	name	he	had	randomly	

discovered	in	a	phone	book.		On	April	16,	2004,	the	

FBI	arrested	Gillespie	for	the	firebombing.		A	search	of	

Gillespie’s	residence	and	truck	revealed	two	videotapes,	

a	baseball	bat,	brass	knuckles,	and	a	stun	gun.		One	

of	the	videotapes	clearly	implicates	Gillespie	in	the	

firebombing	of	the	synagogue.		Gillespie	had	claimed	

association	with	the	Aryan	Nations	and	stated	that	he	

was	proud	of	his	actions.		On	April	26,	2005,	Gillespie	

was	convicted	on	charges	related	to	the	possession	and	

use	of	an	explosive	device	and	on	August	30,	2005,	was	

sentenced	to	39	years	in	prison.		

2004	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS

JaNuary 19, 2004

Arson

Henrico	County,	Virginia

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	January	19,	2004,	Henrico	County	Fire	Department	officials	discovered	four	Molotov	cocktails	that	

had	been	used	to	commit	arson	on	a	Ford	car	dealership.		One	Molotov	cocktail	scorched	a	vehicle	in	the	

dealership.		Investigators	on	the	scene	also	discovered	a	

BMW	on	which	the	letters	“XXX”	were	spray-painted.		

A	business	neighboring	the	dealership	had	the	letters	

“XELFX”	spray-painted	on	it.		Christopher	Kyle	Salmon	

and	Timothy	Ryan	Kennedy	were	convicted	of	attempted	

arson.		Salmon	was	sentenced	to	24	months	in	prison,	

two	years	of	probation,	and	$500	restitution.		Kennedy	

was	sentenced	to	25	months	in	prison,	two	years	of	probation,	and	$500	restitution.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

16

april 20, 2004

Vandalism and Arson

Snohomish,	Washington

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

	In	the	early	morning	of	April	20,	2004,	two	new	

homes	were	destroyed	and	another	was	damaged	by	

arson,	and	an	improvised	incendiary	device	(IID)	was	

found	inside	a	fourth	home	at	a	new	housing	development	in	the	Lobo	Ridge	area	of	Snohomish,	Washington.		The	causes	of	the	arson	incidents	are	believed	to	

be	IIDs	of	the	type	recovered,	consisting	of	jugs	with	

duct-taped	fuses	and	filled	with	flammable	liquid.		Approximately	20	miles	away	from	the	arson	location,	six	

containers	of	flammable	liquid,	duct	tape,	matches,	

and	fuselike	material	were	found	by	a	contractor.		The	

containers	were	found	at	the	end	of	an	uninhabited	culde-sac	of	another	new	housing	development	along	with	

graffiti	that	read	“Consider	these	13	as	a	warning.		Walk	

on	the	edge.		Green	equals	no	burn	all	others	are	fair	

game.		Bush	is	a	rapist.		ELF.”			

On	April	21,	2004,	three	additional	IIDs	were	

found	in	a	new	construction	subdivision	several	miles	

from	where	the	previous	day’s	incidents	had	occurred.		

The	devices,	which	were	ignited	but	failed	to	completely	

burn,	resulted	in	no	damage	to	the	homes.		The	devices	

were	similar	to	those	found	earlier.		No	note	or	claim	

of	responsibility	was	found	at	this	scene.		The	discovery	

of	these	three	devices	brought	the	total	number	of	IIDs	

to	13,	corresponding	to	the	number	warned	of	in	the	

original	ELF	graffiti.

May - July, 2004

Vandalism and Arson

Provo,	Utah

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	July	8,	2004,	an	arson	occurred	at	the	Ellsworth	

Farm	animal	science	facility	on	the	campus	of	Brigham	

Young	University.		The	building	was	also	vandalized	and	

the	walls	spray	painted	with	the	phrases	“ALF,”	“war	is	

on,”	“you	are	the	terrorists,”	and	“this	will	never	end.”		

Damages	from	the	fire	and	vandalism	were	estimated	at	

over	$75,000.		Two	related	vandalism	incidents	attributed	to	the	Animal	Liberation	Front	(ALF)	occurred	at	

the	same	facility	in	May	2004.		Harrison	Burrows	and	

Joshua	Demmitt	confessed	to	the	July	arson	and	May	

incidents.		In	January	2005	Burrows	and	Demmitt	were	

each	sentenced	to	30	months	in	federal	prison.

DEcEMBEr 27, 2004

Attempted Arson

Lincoln,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	December	27,	2004,	four	incendiary	devices	

were	placed	in	two	homes	under	construction	in	

Lincoln,	California.		However,	the	devices	failed	to	

function	as	intended.		The	site	contained	Earth	Liberation	Front	(ELF)-related	graffiti	on	one	of	the	homes	

as	well	as	the	letters	“ELF”	on	the	cul-de-sac	where	the	

homes	were	located.		Members	of	the	Sacramento	Joint	

Terrorism	Task	Force	arrested	Ryan	Lewis,	Eva	Holland,	

Lili	Holland,	and	Jeremiah	Colcleasure	in	connection	

with	the	incident.		The	four	were	convicted	of	arson	and	

Colcleasure,	Holland,	and	Holland	were	each	sentenced	

to	two	years	in	federal	prison;	Lewis	received	a	six	year	

prison	sentence	for	his	role	in	this	incident	and	for	

arsons	that	took	place	in	early	2005.

JaNuary 20, 2004

Planned Attacks Using Explosives

Birmingham,	Alabama

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	January	20,	2004,	the	Birmingham	Joint	Terrorism	Task	Force	arrested	David	Nelson	Hemphill	for	

possession	of	pipe	bombs	and	a	homemade	silencer.		

Subsequent	searches	of	Hemphill’s	person	and	property	

revealed	a	.45-caliber	handgun,	bomb-making	materials,	antigovernment	and	bomb-making	literature,	and	

components	of	an	ammonium	nitrate	fuel	oil	(ANFO)	

improvised	explosive	device.		Hemphill	admitted	that	

prior	to	his	arrest	he	had	been	trying	to	construct	ANFO	

bombs.		Hemphill’s	associate,	Bruce	Stephen	Metzler,	

was	also	arrested.		A	search	of	Metzler’s	person	and	

property	revealed	two	.22-caliber	handguns,	a	.233-

caliber	rifle,	a	.308-caliber	assault	rifle,	a	single-	barrel	

shotgun,	a	.38-caliber	revolver,	literature	related	to	the	

Waco	and	Ruby	Ridge	incidents,	and	photographs	of	an	

2004	TERRORISM	

PREVENTIONS
TERRORISM 2002-2005

17

May - DEcEMBEr 2004

Attacks by Al-Qa’ida in the Arabian 

Peninsula

Yanbu,	 Al	 Khobar,	 Riyadh,	 and	 Jeddah,	

Saudi	Arabia

Early attacks by al-Qa’ida regional affiliate al-Qa’ida in the Arabian 

Peninsula (AQAP)—such as the May 12, 2003, coordinated bombings 

of three residential compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—focused on 

large mass-casualty events using vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. After April 2004, AQAP changed tactics to include 

individual kidnapings, murders, and attacks against economic and 

diplomatic facilities using small teams of suicide operatives. Attacks 

by AQAP operatives that used these tactics and involved U.S. citizens 

or interests during 2004 include: 

 • On May 1, 2004, four gunmen drove into the ABB Lummus

 Global Compound at the Yanbu Petrochemical plant in 

 Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. In the attack that followed, the assail-

 ants killed six ABB Lummus employees, including two 

 Americans. 

 • On May 29, 2004, gunmen made a coordinated attack 

 against Western and oil-infrastructure targets in Al Khobar, 

 Saudi Arabia, including the Arab Petroleum Investments 

 Corporation/Royal Dutch Shell compound, the Al Rushaid 

 Petroleum Center, and the Oasis housing compound. The

 assailants killed 22 people in the attack, including one

 American, and wounded more than two dozen others, 

 including four Americans. 

 • On June 8, 2004, gunmen fatally shot U.S. citizen Robert 

 Corgan Jacobs, an employee of military training contractor 

 Vinnell Arabia, as he walked from his car to his private resi-

 dence in the al-Khalij section of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

 • On June 12, 2004, three assailants fatally shot U.S. citizen 

 Kenneth Raymond Scroggs as he returned from work to his res-

 idence in the Malaz District of Riyadh. Scroggs worked for

 Advanced Electronics, a Saudi business involved in the devel-

 opment of Apache Attack Helicopter systems. 

 • On June 12, 2004, U.S. citizen Paul Marshal Johnson, Jr., 

 an employee of Advanced Electronics, was kidnaped in 

 Riyadh. Johnson was killed by his captors six days later. 

 • On December 6, 2004, five armed assailants breached the 

 U.S. consulate compound in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The ter-

 rorists were killed before gaining entrance to the consulate 

 building. Five U.S. consulate Foreign Service Nationals died in 

 the attack.

In response to these incidents, the FBI deployed investigative teams 

to assist Saudi authorities. Law enforcement actions have resulted in 

the deaths or capture of many of the perpetrators, including AQAP 

leader Abd al-Aziz al-Muqrin, who was killed in a shoot-out with Saudi 

authorities in June 2004.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

18

abortion	clinic	bombed	by	serial	bomber	Eric	Rudolph.		

Also	located	were	two	empty	20	mm	military	ammunition	containers,	wire	end	caps,	fuses,	gunpowder,	and	

a	partially	constructed	silencer.		Hemphill	and	Metzler	

pled	guilty	to	weapons	charges.		On	January	25,	2005,	

Hemphill	was	sentenced	in	the	Southern	District	of	

Alabama	to	23	months	in	prison	followed	by	24	months	

supervised	release.		On	September	22,	2004,	Metzler	was	

sentenced	to	probation.

april 16, 2004

Planned Attacks against Minorities

Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

 

As	noted	in	2004	Terrorist	Incidents,	the	FBI	arrested	Sean	Michael	Gillespie	on	April	16,	2004,	for	

having	firebombed	the	Temple	B’nai	Israel	in	Oklahoma	

City,	Oklahoma.		The	attack	against	the	synagogue	in	

Oklahoma	City	was	likely	the	first	of	a	series	of	unspecified	attacks	Gillespie	intended	to	commit.		Following	

Gillespie’s	arrest,	a	search	of	his	residence	revealed	a	videotape	containing	surveillance	of	a	Las	Vegas	synagogue	

and	a	statement	by	Gillespie	that	he	was	on	a	“mission	

for	the	white	race,”	which	was	to	involve	a	cross-country	

spree	of	unspecified	terrorist	acts.		Concern	for	future	

attacks	was	also	supported	by	Gillespie’s	admission	following	his	arrest	to	having	previously	committed	random	acts	of	vandalism	and	violence	against	minorities.

May 6, 2004

Convictions of Project 7 Militia Extremists

Flathead	County,	Montana

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	May	6,	2004,	several	extremist	members	of	the	

Project	7	Militia	were	arrested	following	an	extensive	

investigation	into	the	group	by	FBI,	Bureau	of	Alcohol,	

Tobacco,	and	Firearms,	and	local	police.		Investigation	had	identified	leader	David	Burgert	and	five	other	

members	of	the	Project	7	Militia	as	having	committed	

various	violations	of	federal	law	in	furtherance	of	violent	

plans	targeting	law	enforcement	officers	and	other	government	officials.		Burgert,	along	with	Tracy	Brockway,	

James	Day,	John	Slater,	and	Steven	Morey,	pled	guilty	to	

various	federal	weapons	charges,	including	possession	

of	machine	guns	and	other	illegal	weapons	as	well	as	

conspiracy	to	possess	illegal	weapons.		On	November	12,	

2004,	Burgert	received	an	87	month	prison	sentence	for	

his	role	in	the	plotting.		In	early	2005,	the	four	other	

members	who	entered	guilty	pleas	received	sentences	

ranging	from	18	to	37	months	in	federal	prison.		A	sixth	

subject,	Larry	Chezem,	was	convicted	in	a	federal	trial	of	

conspiracy	and	was	sentenced	on	September	30,	2005,	

to	15	months	in	prison.		

auGuST 5, 2004

Planned Attacks against Federal Buildings

Chicago,	Illinois

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	August	5,	2004,	the	FBI	arrested	Gale	William	

Nettles	in	connection	with	his	attempted	sale	of	a	half	

ton	of	ammonium	nitrate	to	an	undercover	agent	purportedly	associated	with	a	foreign	terrorist	organization.		

The	FBI	also	had	information	that	Nettles	intended	

to	use	ammonium	nitrate	to	bomb	Chicago’s	Dirksen	

Federal	Office	Building.		Nettles	planned	to	counterfeit	

U.S.	currency	in	order	to	earn	money	to	purchase	bomb	

components	for	his	attack.		On	September	15,	2005,	

Nettles	was	found	guilty	of	attempting	to	bomb	the	

Dirksen	Building	and	awaited	sentencing	at	the	end	of	

2005.	

OcTOBEr 25, 2004

Planned Attacks against Federal or 

State Courthouse

Memphis,	Tennessee

(Prevention of one act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	October	25,	2004,	Demetrius	Van	Crocker	was	

arrested	in	Jackson,	Tennessee,	for	attempting	to	obtain	

C-4	explosives	and	Sarin	nerve	gas	from	an	undercover	

FBI	agent.		Van	Crocker	was	planning	to	use	these	

materials	to	blow	up	a	federal	or	state	courthouse	in	

furtherance	of	his	hatred	toward	the	U.S.	and	State	of	

Tennessee	governments.		Van	Crocker’s	federal	trial	on	

chemical	weapons	and	explosives	violations	was	pending	

at	the	end	of	2005.		
TERRORISM 2002-2005

19

2004	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

FEBruary 9, 2004

Final Sentencings in Portland 

Terror Cell Case

On	February	9,	2004,	three	men	affiliated	with	a	

terrorist	cell	in	Portland,	Oregon,	were	given	prison	

sentences.		Maher	Hawash	received	a	seven-year	prison	

sentence,	while	two	of	his	co-conspirators,	Ahmed	and	

Mohammed	Bilal,	were	sentenced	to	ten	and	eight	years	

in	prison,	respectively.		The	three	men,	along	with	three	

other	suspects,	pled	guilty	in	2003	to	conspiracy	to	provide	services	to	the	Taliban	and	conspiracy	to	use	firearms	in	a	crime	of	violence.		Several	of	these	individuals	

had	planned	to	travel	to	Afghanistan	to	fight	alongside	

the	Taliban	against	U.S.	and	Coalition	forces.		Three	

other	Portland	cell	members	were	sentenced	in	2003.	

March ThrOuGh april 2004

“Virginia Jihad” Members Convicted 

and Sentenced

On	April	9,	2004,	Randall	T.	Royer	and	Ibrahim	

Ahmed	al-Hamdi	were	sentenced	to	20	years	and	15	

years	in	prison,	respectively,	for	their	roles	in	an	alleged	

“Virginia	Jihad”	terrorist	cell,	which	conducted	weapons	

training	in	Virginia.		On	March	4,	2004,	Masoud	Khan,	

Seifullah	Chapman,	and	Hammad	Abdur-Raheem,	three	

other	cell	members	arrested	in	the	case,	were	convicted	

on	conspiracy	and	weapons	charges.		Two	other	men,	

Yong	Ki	Kwon	and	Khwarja	Mahmood	Hasan,	pled	

guilty	in	the	case,	and	testified	that	they	had	attended	a	

training	camp	associated	with	the	terrorist	group	

Lashkar-e-Tayyiba	with	the	intention	of	fighting	on	the	

side	of	the	Taliban	against	U.S.	forces	in	Afghanistan.		

The	remaining	two	members	of	the	group	were	not	

convicted.		A	federal	judge	acquitted	Sabri	Benkhala	on	

March	9,	2004,	and	the	case	against	Caliph	Basha	Ibn	

Abdur-Raheem	was	dismissed.
20

TERRORISM 2002-2005

april 26, 2004

Sentencing of Symbionese Liberation Army 

Member

On	April	26,	2004,	Symbionese	Liberation	Army	

(SLA)	member	James	William	Kilgore	was	sentenced	to	

48	months	in	prison	for	several	bombings	in	California	

in	1975.		Kilgore	was	also	sentenced	to	six	months	in	

prison	for	passport	fraud	charges.		Kilgore	was	arrested	

in	Cape	Town,	South	Africa,	in	2002	and	was	indicted	

for	multiple	murders,	possession	of	an	explosives	device,	

and	other	charges	in	conjunction	with	his	membership	

in	the	SLA,	an	organization	that	sought	to	overthrow	

the	U.S.	government	in	the	1970s.

JuNE 2, 2004

Mohammed Junaid Babar Guilty Plea

On	April	10,	2004,	the	FBI	arrested	naturalized	

U.S.	citizen	Mohammed	Junaid	Babar	in	New	York	

City	for	his	suspected	role	in	providing	material	support	to	al-Qa’ida	that	included	support	for	a	terrorist	

plot	to	blow	up	pubs,	train	stations,	and	restaurants	

in	the	United	Kingdom.		This	arrest	followed	police	

actions	by	British	authorities,	who,	in	late	March	2004,	

arrested	eight	British	citizens	and	seized	approximately	

1,320	pounds	of	ammonium	nitrate	from	a	self-storage	

warehouse	in	west	London	in	connection	with	the	same	

plot.		On	June	2,	2004,	Junaid	Babar	pled	guilty	in	the	

Southern	District	of	New	York	to	five	counts	of	conspiring	to	provide	material	support	to	al-Qa’ida.		Sentencing	

for	Junaid	Babar	was	pending	at	the	end	of	2005.

JuNE 10, 2004

Nuradin M. Abdi Indicted

On	June	10,	2004,	a	federal	grand	jury	indicted	

Nuradin	M.	Abdi	on	terrorism	charges.		The	four-count	

indictment	included	charges	of	conspiracy	to	provide	

material	support	to	terrorists;	conspiracy	to	provide	

material	support	to	al	Qa’ida,	a	designated	foreign	

terrorist	organization;	fraud	and	misuse	of	documents;	

and	fraudulent	use	of	travel	documents.		Abdi,	a	Somali	

national	living	in	the	United	States,	is	believed	to	have	

misrepresented	his	reasons	for	travel	on	a	federal	government	form,	claiming	he	intended	to	travel	to	Germany	

and	Saudi	Arabia	for	religious	and	family	reasons	when	

he	actually	planned	to	travel	to	Ethiopia	for	terrorism	

training.		Abdi	allegedly	conspired	to	blow	up	a	shopping	mall	in	the	Columbus,	Ohio,	area	and	engaged	

in	explosives	instruction	in	preparation	for	this	plot.		

Abdi	is	also	accused	of	obtaining	refugee	asylum	status	

through	false	means.		The	indictment	was	originally	

filed	under	seal	and	was	unsealed	on	June	14,	2005.

July 26, 2004

The 9/11 Commission Report Published

On	July	26,	2004,	the	National	Commission	on	

Terrorist	Attacks	Upon	the	United	States	issued	its	final	

report	on	the	September	11,	2001,	attack.		The	report	

accounted	for	the	circumstances	surrounding	the	attack	

and	provided	recommendations	for	change.		The	FBI	

had	submitted	to	the	commission	the	“Report	to	the	

National	Commission	on	Terrorist	Attacks	Upon	the	

United	States:	The	FBI’s	Counterterrorism	Program	

Since	September	2001”	on	April	14,	2004.		This	report	

covers	the	FBI’s	efforts	to	improve	its	counterterrorism	

capabilities	since	the	attacks	of	September	11	and	supplemented	the	testimony	of	several	senior	FBI	officials.		

auGuST 19, 2004

Indictment of HAMAS Associates for Criminal 

Enterprise 

On	August	19,	2004,	the	FBI	arrested	Muhammad	

Salah,	of	Chicago,	and	Abdelhaleem	Ashqar,	of	

Washington,	D.C.,	and	issued	an	arrest	warrant	for	

Mousa	Abu	Marzook,	a	former	U.S.	resident	who	currently	resides	in	Damascus,	Syria,	and	is	considered	to	

be	a	fugitive	from	justice.		These	arrest	actions	followed	

an	indictment	by	a	federal	grand	jury	in	Chicago	that	

alleged	the	three	participated	in	a	15-year	racketeering	

conspiracy	in	the	United	States	and	abroad	by	joining	

with	20	identified	co-conspirators	and	others	in	illegally	

conducting	the	affairs	of	the	foreign	terrorist	organization	HAMAS.		The	indictment,	which	for	the	first	time	

identifies	HAMAS	as	a	criminal	enterprise,	alleges	that	

Salah,	Ashqar,	and	Marzook	provided	money	and	personnel	to	HAMAS	at	a	time	when	HAMAS	was	engaging	in	terrorist	attacks.		Although	the	defendants	were	
TERRORISM 2002-2005

21

not	charged	with	direct	participation	in	violence,	these	

attacks	resulted	in	the	deaths	of	Israeli	military	personnel	and	civilians,	as	well	as	American	and	other	foreign	

nationals	in	Israel	and	the	West	Bank.		Trial	for	the	

defendants	was	pending	at	the	end	of	2005.

SEpTEMBEr 22, 2004

Nevada Chapter Leader of Aryan Nations Arrested 

for Sending Threatening Letters

In	December	2003,	Steven	Joseph	Holten,	the	

Nevada	Chapter	leader	for	Aryan	Nations	(AN),	began	a	

letter-writing	campaign	announcing	the	existence	of	AN	

in	Nevada	and	condemning	the	actions	of	certain	federal,	media,	and	Jewish	institutions.		Many	of	the	letters	

contained	specific	threats	to	the	recipients.		On	September	22,	2004,	FBI	agents	in	Reno	arrested	Holten.		

On	November	29,	2004,	Holten	pled	guilty	to	mailing	

threatening	communications	through	interstate	commerce.		On	March	28,	2005,	Holten	was	sentenced	to	

ten	months	in	prison,	three	years	of	supervised	release,	

and	a	mandatory	$100	fine.

SEpTEMBEr 29, 2004

Sentencings in USS Cole Bombing

On	September	29,	2004,	a	Yemeni	court	sentenced	

Abd	al-Rahim	al-Nashiri	and	Jamal	al-Badawi	to	death	

for	their	roles	in	the	October	12,	2000,	bombing	of	the	

USS Cole	in	the	Port	of	Aden,	Yemen.		Four	other	men	

were	given	prison	sentences,	ranging	from	five	to	10	

years,	for	their	roles	in	the	attack.		Seventeen	American	

sailors	were	killed	and	more	than	40	were	injured	in	the	

October	12,	2000	bombing	of	the USS Cole,	in	which	

two	suicide	terrorists	pulled	a	small,	bomb-laden	boat	

alongside	the	U.S.	destroyer	and	detonated	their	explosives.		Al-Badawi	was	also	charged	with	a	similar,	failed	

attack	against	the	USS The Sullivans	in	January	2000.		

DEcEMBEr 8, 2004

Signing of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 

Prevention Act of 2004

On	December	8,	2004,	President	Bush	signed	into	

law	the	Intelligence	Reform	and	Terrorism	Prevention	

Act	of	2004	(IRTPA).		In	direct	response	to	the	recommendations	of	the	9/11	Commission,	IRTPA	instituted	

reforms	to	the	Foreign	Intelligence	Surveillance	Act	

and	modified	material	support	statutes	for	prosecuting	

terrorists.		Among	its	many	organizational	provisions,	

IRTPA	created	the	Office	of	the	Director	of	National	

Intelligence;	established	the	Director	of	National	

Intelligence	as	the	head	of	the	U.S.	Intelligence	

Community;	and	instituted	the	joint-agency	National	

Counterterrorism	Center	as	the	primary	entity	for	analyzing	intelligence	pertaining	to	transnational	terrorism.	

DEcEMBEr 13, 2004

Yemeni Terror Suspects Indicted

On	December	13,	2004,	a	federal	grand	jury	in	

the	Eastern	District	of	New	York	indicted	two	Yemeni	

nationals,	Sheik	Mohammad	Ali	Hassan	Al-Moayad	and	

Mohammed	Mohsen	Yahya	Zayed,	for	conspiracy	and	

attempt	to	provide	material	support	to	al-Qa’ida	and	

HAMAS.		Al-Moayad	allegedly	supported	mujahideen

around	the	world,	and	is	believed	to	have	provided	

money	and	equipment	to	al-Qa’ida	and	raised	funds	

through	a	Brooklyn	mosque	for	terrorism	financing.
22

TERRORISM 2002-2005

I

2005

IN

REVIEW

n	2005,	the	FBI	recorded	five	terrorist	incidents	and	three	terrorism	preventions.		All	of	

the	incidents	involved	arson	or	attempted	arson.		Domestic	terrorists	associated	with	the	

Earth	Liberation	Front	were	responsible	for	three	of	the	incidents,	which	targeted	commercial	and	residential	construction	sites.		The	other	two	incidents	targeted	the	residences	of	persons	involved	with	animal	research.		One	of	these	incidents	was	claimed	by	the	

Animal	Liberation	Front,	and	the	other	is	possibly	attributable	to	animal	rights	extremists	

as	well.	

Separate	preventions	in	Houston,	Texas,	and	Pocatello,	Idaho,	involved	

individuals	who	sought	to	provide	material	support	or	resources	to	

al-Qa’ida.		A	third	prevention	involved	a	group	that	formed	in	a	Los	

Angeles	prison,	which	adopted	a	jihadist	ideology	and	was	preparing	to	

commit	terrorist	acts	in	the	United	States	in	furtherance	of	the	violent	

global	jihadist	movement.		

No	deaths	or	serious	injuries	resulted	from	terrorist	activity	carried	out	

in	the	United	States	in	2005.

A	major	international	terrorist	incident	in	2005	involved	the	coordinated	suicide	bombing	of	the	transit	system	in	London,	United	Kingdom.		The	attack,	carried	out	by	British	citizens	affiliated	with	the	violent	global	jihadist	movement,	resulted	

in	52	deaths	and	approximately	700	injuries.		One	American	died	in	the	attack	and	four	

others	were	injured.

2005	TERRORIST	INCIDENTS

JaNuary – FEBruary 2005

Arson and Attempted Arson

Auburn	and	Sutter	Creek,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	January	12,	2005,	five	intact	incendiary	devices	were	discovered	at	a	commercial	

construction	site	in	Auburn,	California.		On	January	21,	2005,	a	letter	was	sent	to	four	newspapers	

claiming	responsibility	for	the	attempted	arson	by	the	Earth	Liberation	Front	(ELF).				

On	February	7,	2005,	an	arson	was	reported	at	an	apartment	complex	in	Sutter	

Creek,	California.		Fire	officials	discovered	seven	partially	burned	incendiary	devices	

placed	in	five	buildings	of	the	apartment	complex.	Graffiti	found	at	the	site	included	

“ELF”	and	“We	Will	Win”	in	red	paint.		Sprinkler	systems	installed	in	the	buildings	extinguished	six	of	the	seven	devices	and	first	responders	extinguished	the	seventh.	Damage	

was	estimated	at	$50,000.		

Ryan	Daniel	Lewis	was	convicted	of	arson	and	attempted	arson	involving	these	collective	incidents	as	well	as	a	December	27,	2004,	incident	in	Lincoln,	California.			On	

March	17,	2005,	Lewis	was	sentenced	to	a	72-month	prison	term	followed	by	three	years	of	

supervised	release.		
TERRORISM 2002-2005

23

			

July 7, 2005

Bombing of London Transportation System

London,	United	Kingdom

On July 7, 2005, a series of coordinated suicide 

bomb blasts struck London’s transport system 

during morning rush hour. Beginning at 8:50 a.m. 

three bombs exploded within 50 seconds of each 

other on three London Underground trains, and 

a fourth bomb exploded on a bus nearly an hour 

later at 9:47 a.m. in London’s Tavistock Square. 

Fifty-two people were killed and approximately 

700 injured in the bombing. Among the casualties were one American killed and four 

wounded. 

The four suicide bombers were British citizens;

three had been born in the United Kingdom, 

and the fourth had been born in Jamaica. The 

British citizenship of the bombers and the lack of 

strong ties between them and an international 

terrorist group illustrate the potential threat of 

“homegrown” terrorists as perpetrators of future 

attacks.

april 13, 2005

Arson

Sammamish,	Washington

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

In	the	early	morning	of	April	13,	2005,	arson	

occurred	at	a	nearly	completed	residence	under	construction	in	Sammamish,	Washington,	and	an	intact	

improvised	incendiary	device	(IID)	was	discovered	in	a	

second	residence	under	construction	nearby.		The	IID	in	

the	first	residence	was	located	in	the	garage,	which	was	

destroyed	by	the	fire.		The	second	IID	—	a	plastic,	twoliter	bottle	filled	with	fuel	and	using	an	improvised	

igniter	—	had	been	placed	under	debris	in	the	kitchen	

nook.		The	device	had	been	activated	but	did	not	fully	

ignite.		In	addition	a	bedsheet	with	the	wording,	“Where	

are	all	the	trees?		Burn	rapist	burn.		ELF,”	had	been	

placed	outside	the	second	residence.

July 7, 2005

Attempted Arson

Los	Angeles,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

In	the	early	morning	of	July	7,	2005,	fire	officials	

responded	to	a	vehicle	fire	in	the	driveway	of	a	private	

residence	in	Los	Angeles,	California.		In	extinguishing	

the	fire,	authorities	recovered	a	partially	melted,	plastic	

gasoline	container	from	behind	the	vehicle’s	left	front	

wheel.		The	car	belonged	to	a	representative	for	the	Animal	Care	Technicians	Union,	which	represents	employees	for	the	Los	Angeles	Animal	Services	(LAAS).		LAAS	

and	its	affiliates	have	been	targeted	by	local	animal	rights	

extremists,	and	the	LAAS	union	representative	had	

been	placed	on	a	“targets”	list	of	individuals	profiled	by	

extremists	for	“direct	actions.”		The	incident	remains	

under	investigation.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

24

SEpTEMBEr 16, 2005

Attempted Arson

Los	Angeles,	California

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	September	16,	2005,	fire	officials	responded	to	

a	fire	at	the	high-rise	condominium	home	of	the	

director	of	Los	Angeles	Animal	Services,	after	residents	

observed	smoke	coming	from	a	recyclables/janitorial	

closet.		First	responders	recovered	an	improvised	incendiary	device	consisting	of	a	four-inch-long	tube	labeled	

“TOXIC”	and	using	a	cigarette	as	a	fuse.		The	device,	

which	had	been	placed	next	to	a	stack	of	newspapers	

in	the	recycling/janitorial	closet,	had	malfunctioned	

and	only	scorched	the	concrete	floor	of	the	closet.		The	

Animal	Liberation	Front	claimed	responsibility	for	this	

incident.	

NOVEMBEr 20, 2005

Arson

Hagerstown,	Maryland

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

In	the	early	morning	of	November	20,	2005,	five	

townhomes	under	construction	were	set	on	fire	at	the	

Hagers	Crossing	Development	in	Hagerstown,	Maryland.		Fire	officials	investigating	the	scene	determined	

that	kerosene	was	used	as	the	accelerant	in	the	arson.		

The	blaze	damaged	or	destroyed	five	units	in	two	buildings.		The	Earth	Liberation	Front	claimed	responsibility	

for	the	fire.

			

OcTOBEr 1, 2005

Kuta and Jimbaran Bombings

Bali,	Indonesia

On October 1, 2005, three suicide bombers affiliated with the Jemaah Islamiya (JI) terrorist organization used improvised explosive devices to 

conduct attacks against targets in the towns of 

Kutu and Jimbaran, outside the provincial capital of Denpasar, on the island of Bali, Indonesia. 

The bombers, who either wore vests or carried 

backpacks containing the explosives, targeted 

the Raja Restaurant in Kuta Square, the Nyoman 

Café in Jimbaran Beach, and the Mandega Café 

also in Jimbaran Beach and located across from 

the Four Seasons and Intercontinental Hotels. 

The bombings killed 22 persons and injured 102. 

The FBI reported that those injured included a 

family of six U.S. and Indonesian dual national individuals, who were dining at the Raja 

Restaurant in Kuta. 

On November 9, 2005, officers from the 

Indonesian National Police, working on leads 

from the October 1st bombing, conducted a 

number of law enforcement operations throughout the island of Java, Indonesia. These operations resulted in the arrests of a number of JI 

associates and the death of JI bomb-maker 

Azahari Husin. Husin was one of the most wanted 

terrorists in Southeast Asia and was a suspect in 

both the Kuta and Jimbaran bombing operation and the October 12, 2002, bombing of a 

Balinese nightclub. 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

25

May 20, 2005

Attempt to Build and Sell Explosives

Houston,	Texas

(Prevention of one act of Terrorism)

On	May	20,	2005,	FBI	Special	Agents	arrested	

Ronald	Allen	Grecula	following	an	arranged	meeting	with	undercover	officers.		During	the	meeting,	

Grecula	presented	his	design	for	a	bomb,	which	he	

allegedly	understood	would	be	used	by	al-Qa’ida	to	kill	

Americans.		On	June	16,	2005,	the	U.S.	District	Court,	

Southern	District	of	Texas,	indicted	Grecula	on	one	

count	of	providing	material	support	or	resources	to	a	

designated	foreign	terrorist	organization.		The	indictment	stemmed	from	information	that	indicated	Grecula	

intended	to	build	and	sell	a	bomb	to	a	terrorist	organization	for	use	against	the	United	States.		

July 5, 2005

Disruption of Plot to Attack Military and Jewish 

Targets

Los	Angeles	County,	California

(Prevention of one act of International Terrorism)

 

On	July	5,	2005,	officers	with	the	Torrance	(California)	Police	Department	arrested	Levar	Washington	

and	Gregory	Patterson	during	a	commercial	armed	

robbery	in	progress	at	a	Los	Angeles	area	gas	station.		

Their	arrest,	and	subsequent	local	and	FBI	investigation,	revealed	that	Washington	and	Patterson	were	

conducting	the	armed	robberies	to	raise	money	for	an	

alleged	terrorist	plot	targeting	U.S.	military	facilities,	

Israeli	government	facilities,	and	Jewish	synagogues	in	

the	greater	Los	Angeles	area.		FBI	investigation	determined	that	Washington	and	Patterson	were	part	of	a	

Muslim	convert	organization,	Jam’iyyat	Ul-Islam	Is-Saheeh	(“Authentic	Assembly	of	Islam”),	or	JIS,	allegedly	

founded	in	prison	by	inmate	Kevin	James	in	1997.		The	

FBI	identified	James,	Washington,	Patterson—all	U.S.	

citizens—and	Hammad	Samana,	a	Permanent	Resident	

Alien	of	Pakistani	origin,	as	the	primary	members	of	JIS.	

Samana	was	arrested	on	August	1,	2005.

2005	TERRORISM	

PREVENTIONS

On	August	31,	2005,	a	federal	grand	jury	in	Santa	

Ana,	California,	indicted	James,	Washington,	Patterson,	and	Samana	for	their	alleged	roles	in	the	terrorist	

plot	on	charges	of	conspiracy	to	levy	war	against	the	

U.S.	government	through	terrorism	and	conspiracy	to	

possess	and	discharge	firearms	in	furtherance	of	crimes	

of	violence.		Washington,	Patterson,	and	Samana	were	

also	charged	with	conspiracy	to	kill	members	of	the	U.S.	

government	uniformed	services	and	conspiracy	to	kill	

foreign	officials.		Washington	and	Patterson	were	further	

charged	with	interference	with	commerce	by	robbery	

and	using	and	carrying	a	firearm	in	connection	with	a	

crime	of	violence.

DEcEMBEr 5, 2005

Planned Attacks Against Pipeline Systems

Pocatello,	Idaho

(Prevention of one act of International Terrorism)

 

On	December	5,	2005,	Michael	Curtis	Reynolds	was	

arrested	at	a	motel	near	Pocatello,	Idaho,	after	arranging	

to	meet	a	purported	al-Qa’ida	contact.		Reynolds	offered	

to	assist	al-Qa’ida	in	engaging	in	acts	of	terrorism	within	

the	United	States	by	identifying	targets,	planning	terrorist	attacks,	and	describing	bomb-making	methods.		Reynolds	sought	to	carry	out	violent	attacks	against	pipeline	

systems	and	energy	facilities	in	an	effort	to	reduce	energy	

reserves,	create	environmental	hazards,	and	increase	

anxiety.		Reynolds	sought	payment	for	supplying	his	

assistance	and	continuing	work	on	behalf	of	al-Qa’ida.		

Reynolds	has	been	charged	with	attempting	to	provide	

material	support	to	a	foreign	terrorist	organization.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

26

March 10, 2005

Al-Moayed and Zayed Convicted

On	March	10,	2005,	a	federal	jury	convicted	

Yemeni	cleric	Mohamed	Al-Moayed	and	Mohammed	

Zayed	on	charges	of	providing	and	conspiring	to	provide	material	support	and	resources	to	al-Qa’ida	and	

HAMAS.		Tape-recorded	statements	from	Al-Moayad	

indicated	that	he	was	engaged	in	providing	money	to	

support	mujahideen	fighters	in	Afghanistan,	Chechnya,	

and	Kashmir.		Al-Moayed	and	Zayed	were	arrested	in	

Germany	in	January	2003	and	charged	with	providing,	

and	conspiring	to	provide,	material	support	to	terrorism.		On	July	28,	2005,	Al-Moayed	was	sentenced	to	a	

75-year	prison	term;	Zayed	was	sentenced	to	a	45-year	

prison	term.		

2005	SIGNIFICANT	EVENTS

FEBruary 10, 2005

Associates of Imprisoned Sheikh Convicted

On	February	10,	2005,	a	federal	jury	in	Manhattan	

convicted	Lynne	Stewart,	an	attorney	representing	Sheik	

Omar	Abdul	Rahman	the	“Blind	Sheikh”;	Mohammed	

Yousry,	a	translator	for	Rahman’s	attorneys;	and	Ahmed	

Abdel	Sattar,	a	follower	of	Rahman	in	New	York,	on	

charges	including	providing	and	concealing	the	provision	of	material	support	or	resources	to	terrorists.		

Rahman,	who	was	convicted	of	a	1993	conspiracy	to	

bomb	several	New	York	City	landmarks,	is	the	spiritual	

leader	of	the	Egyptian-based	terrorist	organization	AlGama	Al-Islamiya.	

FEBruary 17, 2005

Indictment against the Al-Haramain Islamic 

Foundation

On	February	17,	2005,	a	federal	grand	jury	

returned	a	three-count	indictment	against	the	Ashland,	

Oregon-based	Al-Haramain	Islamic	Foundation,	Inc.,	

and	two	of	its	officers	on	charges	of	conspiring	to	

defraud	the	U.S.	government	and	concealing	their	

intent	by	filing	a	false	tax	return	and	failing	to	acknowledge	they	were	transporting	funds	out	of	the	United	

States.		The	charges	of	conspiracy	to	defraud	the	United	

States,	tax	fraud,	and	currency	smuggling	revolve	

around	a	$150,000	transaction	apparently	intended	for	

the	benefit	of	Chechen	mujahideen.

March 1, 2005

Kourani Pleads Guilty

On	March	1,	2005,	Mahmoud	Youssef	Kourani	

pled	guilty	to	one	count	of	conspiracy	to	provide	material	support	to	the	designated	foreign	terrorist	organization	Hizballah.		The	guilty	plea	came	in	response	to	

meetings	Kourani	hosted	at	his	home,	during	which	

a	guest	speaker	from	Lebanon	solicited	donations	to	

Hizballah’s	“orphans	of	martyrs”	program	to	benefit	the	

families	of	Hizballah	members	killed	in	action.		Kourani	

was	sentenced	on	June	14,	2005,	to	a	54-month	prison	

term	to	be	followed	by	his	removal	upon	release.

april 6, 2005

Hale Sentenced

On	April	6,	2005,	Matthew	Hale,	leader	of	the	

white	supremacist	Creativity	Movement	was	sentenced	

to	40	years	in	prison.		Hale	had	been	convicted	on	

three	counts	of	obstruction	of	justice	and	soliciting	the	

murder	of	Joan	Lefkow,	a	federal	judge	in	Chicago.		

Hale	was	arrested	on	January	8,	2003,	for	attempting	to	

arrange	the	murder	of	Judge	Lefkow,	who	had	previously	upheld	a	ruling	against	Hale	in	a	trademark	infringement	case.				

april 13, 2005

Elashi Brothers Convicted

On	April	13,	2005,	a	federal	jury	convicted	

Bayan	Elashi,	Basman	Elashi,	Ghassan	Elashi,	and	the	

Infocom	Corporation	of	conspiring	and	sending	money	

to	co-defendant	Mousa	Abu	Marzook,	an	investor	in	

Infocom	and	a	self-admitted	leader	of	HAMAS.		In	

1995,	the	U.S.	Department	of	Treasury	named	HAMAS	

a	specially	designated	terrorist	organization,	making	it	

illegal	for	any	U.S.	person	or	entity	to	conduct	business	

with	HAMAS	or	its	representatives.	
TERRORISM 2002-2005

27

april 22, 2005

Guilty Plea of Zacarias Moussaoui

On	April	22,	2005,	Zacarias	Moussaoui	pled	guilty	

to	six	charges	related	to	his	participation	in	the	9/11	

conspiracy.		Moussaoui	admitted	he	had	trained	with	

al-Qa’ida	in	Afghanistan;	had	communicated	directly	

with	Usama	Bin	Ladin;	and	had	been	personally	

selected	by	Bin	Ladin	to	participate	in	an	operation	to	

fly	hijacked	airplanes	into	American	buildings,	and	who	

approved	him	to	attack	the	White	House.		

april 26, 2005

Ali Al-Timimi Convicted

On	April	26,	2005,	Ali	Al-Timimi	was	convicted	on	

all	charges	brought	against	him	in	connection	with	the	

“Virginia	Jihad”	case.		Al-Timimi,	a	spiritual	leader	at	a	

mosque	in	Northern	Virginia,	encouraged	other	individuals	to	go	to	Pakistan	to	receive	military	training	from	

Lashkar-e-Tayyiba,	a	designated	foreign	terrorist	organization,	in	order	to	fight	U.S.	troops	in	Afghanistan.		

Al-Timimi	was	sentenced	to	life	in	prison.

april 27, 2005

Hemant Lakhani Convicted

On	April	27,	2005,	a	federal	jury	in	the	District	of	

New	Jersey	convicted	British	national	Hemant	Lakhani	

on	charges	of	attempting	to	sell	shoulder-fired	missiles	

to	what	he	thought	was	a	terrorist	group	intent	on	

shooting	down	U.S.	airliners.		Lakhani	was	arrested	

following	an	undercover	sting	operation	involving	

agents	from	several	nations.		Lakhani	was	sentenced	on	

September	11,	2005,	to	47	years	in	prison.

July 7, 2005

Clayton Lee Waagner Sentenced

On	July	7,	2005,	anti-abortion	extremist	

Clayton	Lee	Waagner	was	sentenced	in	the	Southern	

District	of	Ohio	to	19	years	in	federal	prison	for	acts	of	

violence	he	committed	against	abortion	clinics	in	2003	

and	for	sending	hoax	anthrax	letters	to	several	reproductive	health	clinics	in	2001.

July 18, 2005

Rudolph Sentenced

On	July	18,	2005,	a	federal	judge	in	Birmingham,	

Alabama,	sentenced	convicted	bomber	Eric	Robert	

Rudolph	to	life	in	prison	for	the	1998	bombing	of	a	

Birmingham	family	planning	clinic	that	killed	a	police	

officer	and	critically	injured	a	nurse.		On	May	31,	2003,	

Rudolph	had	been	arrested	and	charged	with	the	clinic	

bombing	as	well	as	the	bombing	of	Centennial	Olympic	

Park	in	Atlanta,	Georgia,	two	bombings	at	the	Sandy	

Springs	Professional	Office	Building	near	Atlanta,	and	

two	bombings	at	the	Otherside	Lounge	in	Atlanta.		

Rudolph	pled	guilty	to	the	charges	in	April	2005.	

July 26, 2005

Aref Ahmed Sentenced

On	July	26,	2005,	a	federal	judge	in	Buffalo,	New	

York,	sentenced	Yemeni-American	businessman	Aref	

Ahmed	to	three	years’	imprisonment	for	his	role	in	

a	cigarette-smuggling	operation	that	may	have	been	

linked	to	terrorist	activity.		According	to	federal	prosecutors,	Ahmed	gave	$14,000	to	five	members	of	the	

Lackawanna	Six	to	facilitate	their	travel	to	and	attendance	at	a	terrorist	training	camp.		Members	of	the	

Lackawanna	Six	were	charged	with	conspiring,	providing,	and	attempting	to	provide	material	support	to	alQa’ida	based	upon	their	travel	to	Afghanistan	to	train	

in	the	al-Farooq	camp	operated	by	al-Qa’ida.		
TERRORISM 2002-2005

28

July 27, 2005

Ressam Sentenced

On	July	27,	2005,	Ahmed	Ressam	was	sentenced	

to	22	years	in	prison	for	conspiracy	to	commit	an	international	terrorist	act	and	smuggling	explosives.		Ressam	

had	been	arrested	on	December	14,	1999,	in	Port	

Angeles,	Washington,	as	he	attempted	to	smuggle	explosives	into	the	United	States	for	use	in	the	Millennium	

Bombing	plot	against	Los	Angeles	International	

Airport.

auGuST 8, 2005

Carlos E. Gamarra-Murillo Sentenced

On	August	8,	2005,	Carlos	Gamarra-Murillo	was	

sentenced	in	U.S.	District	Court	in	Tampa,	Florida,	to	

25	years’	imprisonment	for	brokering	and	exporting	

defense	articles	without	a	license	and	providing	material	

support	to	a	foreign	terrorist	organization.		GamarraMurillo	attempted	to	supply	the	Colombian-based	

FARC	with	4,000	grenades	and	200	firearms.

auGuST 25, 2005

Qureshi Sentenced

On	August	25,	2005,	Mohammed	Salman	Farooq	

Qureshi	was	sentenced	in	the	Western	District	of	

Louisiana	to	four	years	of	federal	incarceration.		On	

February	11,	2005,	Qureshi	pled	guilty	to	making	false	

statements	to	the	FBI	and	provided	information	that	

established	Qureshi’s	connections	to	and	contacts	with	

al-Qa’ida	member	Wadih	El	Hage.		In	addition,	Qureshi	

provided	information	about	his	activities	and	financial	

support	of	the	nongovernmental	organization	Help	

Africa	People,	which	was	believed	to	have	been	used	by	

El	Hage	and	others	in	connection	with	the	attacks	on	

the	U.S.	embassies	in	Kenya	and	Tanzania.

NOVEMBEr 8, 2005

Young Sentenced

On	November	8,	2005,	a	federal	judge	in	

Madison,	Wisconsin,	sentenced	Peter	Daniel	Young	to	

24	months	in	prison	following	his	September	2,	2005,	

guilty	plea	to	one	count	of	conspiracy	and	one	count	

of	animal	enterprise	terrorism.			Young	and	Justin	C.	

Samuel	had	been	indicted	by	a	grand	jury	for	actions	

in	releasing	thousands	of	mink	from	three	Wisconsin	

farms	in	late	1997.		Samuel	was	extradited	from	

Belgium	and	later	pled	guilty	to	two	counts	of	animal	

enterprise	terrorism	on	November	3,	2000.		Young	

remained	a	federal	fugitive	until	his	capture	by	the	San	

Jose	Police	Department	in	San	Jose,	California,	on	

March	21,	2005.

NOVEMBEr 22, 2005

Jose Padilla Indicted

On	November	22,	2005,	a	federal	grand	jury	in	

Miami,	Florida,	indicted	Jose	Padilla	on	charges	of	

conspiring	to	“murder,	kidnap	and	maim	persons”	

overseas	and	providing	material	support	to	terrorists	as	

part	of	a	North	American	terrorist	support	cell.		Padilla	

was	arrested	in	Chicago	on	May	8,	2002.		He	allegedly	

trained	with	al-Qa’ida	while	on	travel	in	Afghanistan	

and	Pakistan	during	2001.	

NOVEMBEr 22, 2005

Ahmad Abu Ali Convicted of Terrorist Plots

On	November	22,	2005,	a	federal	jury	in	the	

Eastern	District	of	Virginia	convicted	Ahmad	Abu	Ali	

on	all	counts	of	an	indictment	charging	him	with	terrorism	offenses	of	providing	material	support	and	resources	to	al-Qa’ida	and	conspiracy	to	commit	air	piracy	and	

conspiracy	to	destroy	aircraft.	An	investigation	revealed	

that	Ali	had	sought	out	and	joined	an	al-Qai’da	cell	in	

Medina,	Saudi	Arabia,	where	he	received	training	in	

weapons,	explosives,	and	document	forgery.		He,	along	

with	other	members	of	the	cell,	began	to	develop	plans	

for	several	terrorist	attacks	against	the	United	States,	

including	a	plot	to	assassinate	President	Bush.

NOVEMBEr 23, 2005

Paracha Convicted

On	November	23,	2005,	a	federal	jury	in	the	

Southern	District	of	New	York	convicted	Uzair	Paracha,	

a	Pakistani	national	with	permanent	resident	alien	status	

in	the	United	States,	on	charges	of	providing	material	support	to	al-Qa’ida.		Evidence	at	trial	proved	that	

Paracha	agreed	with	his	father,	Saifullah	Paracha,	and	

al-Qa’ida	members	Majid	Kahn	and	Ammar	Al-Baluchi	

to	provide	material	support	to	al-Qa’ida	by	trying	to	help	

Kahn	reenter	the	United	States	to	commit	a	terrorist	act.	

The	elder	Paracha	was	in	custody	at	the	U.S.	military	

prison	in	Guantanamo	Bay,	Cuba,	at	the	end	of	2005.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

29

DEcEMBEr 5, 2005

“Operation Backfire” Arrests

On	December	7,	2005,	the	following	individuals	

were	taken	into	federal	custody	on	arson	charges	stemming	from	a	series	of	approximately	25	criminal	actions	

that	occurred	from	1996	to	2001	in	a	major	investigation	collectively	referred	to	as	Operation	Backfire:		

Stanislas	Meyerhoff	(Charlottesville,	Virginia),	Kevin	

Tubbs	(Springfield,	Oregon),	Daniel	McGowan	(New	

York,	New	York),	Chelsea	Gerlach	(Portland,	Oregon),	

Sarah	Kendall	Harvey	(Flagstaff,	Arizona),	and	William	

Rodgers	(Prescott,	Arizona).		Rodgers	later	committed	

suicide	while	in	state	custody	on	December	22,	2005.		

Meyerhoff	and	McGowan	were	also	charged	with	multiple	counts	of	use	of	an	incendiary	device.		Darren	

Thurston,	a	Canadian	citizen,	was	arrested	on	immigration	charges	in	connection	with	the	case.		In	addition,	

Grand	Jury	subpoenas	were	issued	to	Jennifer	Adrian,	

Joseph	Dibee,	Frank	Winbigler,	Shannon	Urich,	

Suzanne	Savoie,	Jonathan	Paul,	and	Jennifer	Kolar.		

The	location	of	Dibee	and	another	suspect,	Josephine	

Overaker,	were	unknown	at	the	end	of	2005.		

The	subjects	of	the	Backfire	investigation	are	

suspected	of	having	committed	a	series	of	arsons	

in	Oregon,	Washington,	Colorado,	Wyoming,	and	

California	on	behalf	of	the	Animal	Liberation	Front	

and	Earth	Liberation	Front.		Among	the	most	significant	of	these	actions	were	the	October	19,	1998,	Vail	

Ski	Resort	arson	in	Vail,	Colorado,	that	resulted	in	an	

estimated	$26	million	in	damage,	and	the	May	21,	2001,	

destruction	by	arson	of	the	University	of	Washington’s	

Center	for	Urban	Horticulture,	that	resulted	in	an	estimated	$3	million	in	damage.		Other	targets	included	

U.S.	Forest	Service	ranger	stations,	BLM	wild-horse	

facilities,	meat-processing	companies,	lumber	companies,	

and	a	high-tension	power	line.		Members	of	the	group	

allegedly	committed	the	attacks	using	improvised	incendiary	devices	made	from	milk	jugs,	petroleum	products,	

and	homemade	timers.		Federal,	state,	and	local	law	

enforcement	agencies	participating	in	these	investigations	include	the	FBI,	Bureau	of	Alcohol,	Tobacco,	

Firearms,	and	Explosives,	U.S.	Forest	Service,	Bureau	of	

Land	Management,	Oregon	State	Police,	Eugene	Police	

Department,	and	Portland	Police	Bureau.		Additional	

arrests	are	expected	in	the	ongoing	investigation.

CONCLUSION

The	preceding	summary	of	terrorism-related	events	and	investigations	offers	a	picture	of	the	FBI’s	

response	to	domestic	and	international	terrorism	from	2002	through	2005.		In	keeping	with	a	longstanding	trend,	domestic	extremists	carried	out	the	majority	of	terrorist	incidents	during	this	period.		Twenty	

three	of	the	24	recorded	terrorist	incidents	were	perpetrated	by	domestic	terrorists.		With	the	exception	

of	white	supremacist	Sean	Michael	Gillespie’s	firebombing	of	a	synagogue	in	Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma,	

all	of	the	domestic	terrorist	incidents	were	committed	by	special	interest	extremists	active	in	the	animal	

rights	and	environmental	movements.		The	acts	committed	by	these	extremists	typically	targeted	materials	

and	facilities	rather	than	persons.		The	sole	international	terrorist	incident	in	the	United	States	recorded	

for	this	period	involved	the	attack	by	Hesham	Hedayet,	who	fatally	shot	two	people	at	the	El	Al	ticket	

counter	at	Los	Angeles	International	Airport.		

	 The	terrorist	preventions	for	2002	through	2005	paint	a	more	diverse	threat	picture.		Eight	of	the	

14	recorded	terrorist	preventions	stemmed	from	right-wing	extremism,	and	included	disruptions	to	plotting	by	individuals	involved	with	the	militia,	white	supremacist,	constitutionalist	and	tax	protestor,	and	

anti-abortion	movements.		The	remaining	preventions	included	disruptions	to	plotting	by	an	anarchist	

in	Bellingham,	Washington,	who	sought	to	bomb	a	U.S.	Coast	Guard	station;	a	plot	to	attack	an	Islamic	

center	in	Pinellis	Park,	Florida;	and	a	plot	by	prison-originated,	Muslim	convert	group	to	attack	U.S.	military,	Jewish,	and	Israeli	targets	in	the	greater	Los	Angeles	area.		In	addition,	three	preventions	involved	

individuals	who	sought	to	provide	material	support	to	foreign	terrorist	organizations,	including	al-Qa’ida,	

for	attacks	within	the	United	States.		
TERRORISM 2002-2005

36

	 Whereas	the	violent,	global	jihadist	movement	manifested	itself	primarily	in	terrorist	preventions	in	the	United	States	from	2002	through	2005,	internationally	the	movement	claimed	major	attacks	

against	U.S.	and	Western	targets	that	resulted	in	American	casualties.		Most	of	these	incidents	were	perpetrated	by	regional	jihadist	groups	operating	in	primarily	Muslim	countries,	including	attacks	perpetrated	

by	Indonesia-based	Jemaah	Islamiya	and	al-Qa’ida	in	the	Arabian	Peninsula.		The	coordinated	suicide	

bombing	of	London’s	mass	transit	system	by	homegrown	jihadists,	however,	brought	the	violent	jihadist	

movement	and	the	tactic	of	suicide	bombing	to	the	heart	of	a	major	European	capital.				

	 In	addition	to	these	incidents	and	preventions,	the	years	2002	through	2005	saw	the	resolutions	

to	high-profile	prosecutions	in	the	fight	against	terrorism.		These	included	the	December	2003	sentencing	

of	the	Lackawanna	Six	terror	cell	members,	who	received	prison	terms	ranging	from	7	to	10	years	for	providing	material	support	or	resources	to	al-Qa’ida;	the	October	4,	2002,	sentencing	of	John	Walker	Lindh	

to	20	years	in	prison	for	conspiring	with	the	Taliban	to	kill	U.S.	citizens;	the	January	30,	2003,	sentencing	of	Richard	Colvin	Reid	to	life	in	prison	for	attempting	to	bomb	a	transcontinental	flight	using	a	shoe	

bomb;	the	sentencings	in	2003	and	2004	of	members	of	a	Portland	terrorist	cell,	who	received	prison	

terms	ranging	from	3	to	18	years	for	plotting	to	provide	assistance	to	the	Taliban	and	al-Qa’ida	in	fighting	

against	U.S.	troops	in	Afghanistan;	the	September	29,	2004,	sentencing	in	Yemeni	court	of	six	individuals	for	their	roles	in	the	bombing	of	the	USS	Cole	bombing,	two	of	whom	received	the	death	penalty;	

the	April	6,	2005,	sentencing	of	Matthew	Hale,	leader	of	the	white	supremacist	Creativity	Movement,	to	

40	years	in	prison	for	solicitation	of	violence	and	obstruction	of	justice;	the	April	22,	2005,	guilty	plea	of	

Zacaraias	Moussaoui	to	his	role	in	the	9/11	attack;	the	July	18,	2005,	sentencing	of	Eric	Robert	Rudolph	

to	life	in	prison	for	perpetrating	several	bombings,	including	the	Centennial	Olympic	Park	bombing	in	

Atlanta,	Georgia;	the	April	26,	2005,	sentencing	of	Ali	Al-Timimi	to	life	in	prison	for	encouraging	others	

to	receive	military	training	from	the	designated	foreign	terrorist	organization	Lashkar-e-Tayyiba,	to	fight	

U.S.	troops	in	Afghanistan;	and	the	August	30,	2005,	sentencing	of	white	supremacist	Sean	Michael	

Gillespie	to	39	years	for	firebombing	a	synagogue	in	Oklahoma	City,	Oklahoma.

	 FBI	counterterrorism	initiatives	since	the	9/11	terrorist	attack	have	focused	on	preventing	future	

attacks	through	the	timely	gathering,	analysis,	and	dissemination	of	information;	the	facilitation	of	

appropriate	sharing	of	terrorism-related	information	between	federal,	state,	and	local	partners;	and	the	

advancement	of	intelligence	and	law	enforcement	partnerships	worldwide.		FBI	and	U.S.	counterterrorism	organizational	changes	from	2002	through	2005	include	the	creation	of	the	National	Joint	Terrorism	

Task	Force;	the	establishment	of	the	Foreign	Terrorist	Tracking	Task	Force;	the	establishment	of	the	

U.S.	Department	of	Homeland	Security	through	the	signing	of	the	Homeland	Security	Act;	and	the	

consolidation	of	government	terrorist	watch	lists	into	the	Terrorist	Screening	Center.		In	direct	response	

to	recommendations	made	by	the	9/11	Commission,	the	Intelligence	Reform	and	Terrorism	Prevention	

Act	of	2004	created	the	Office	of	the	Director	of	National	Intelligence,	established	the	Director	of	

National	Intelligence	as	the	head	of	the	U.S.	Intelligence	Community,	and	instituted	the	National	

Counterterrorism	Center	as	the	primary	federal	entity	for	analyzing	intelligence	pertaining	to	transnational	terrorism.		These	and	other	FBI	and	government	initiatives	are	discussed	in	greater	detail	in	the	

following	In	Focus	retrospective	of	the	FBI’s	counterterrorism	program.

30
TERRORISM 2002-2005

3731
TERRORISM 2002-2005

32

HISTORICAL	OVERVIEW	OF	THE	FBI’S	

COUNTERTERRORISM	PROGRAM

iNTrODucTiON

From	its	inception	the	FBI’s	counterterrorism	program	has	had	a	mission	to	prevent	planned	acts	of	terrorism	and,	

should	a	terrorist	act	occur,	to	mount	a	swift	investigative	response.		During	the	first	75	years	after	the	Bureau’s	

founding	in	1908,	the	terrorist	threat	to	the	United	States	came	primarily	from	domestic	sources.		In	recent	

decades,	however,	the	problem	of	terrorism	has	developed	into	an	international	and	global	concern,	and	the	FBI’s	

counterterrorism	program	has	evolved	significantly	as	its	counterterrorism	responsibilities	have	increased.		As	a	

result,	the	FBI	has	steadily	improved	its	ability	to	assess	and	counter	the	dynamic	variety	of	domestic	and	international	terrorist	threats.		The	following	summary	provides	a	brief	discussion	of	the	definition	of	terrorism,	

followed	by	an	historical	overview	of	the	FBI’s	counterterrorism	efforts—from	discrete,	ad	hoc	responses	to	terrorist	

threats	to	its	current	top	priority	status—through	a	retrospective	of	the	formative	events	and	legislative	initiatives	

that	have	contributed	to	its	development.

TErrOriSM: DEFiNiTiONS

Terrorism	is	not	always	self-evident.		On	July	4,	2002,	Egyptian	national	Hesham	Mohamed	Hadayet	shot	and	

killed	two	people	and	wounded	a	third	person	at	Los	Angeles	International	Airport’s	El	Al	ticket	counter	before	he	

was	himself	fatally	shot	by	an	airline	security	guard.		Nine	months	later,	on	April	12,	2003,	the	U.S.	Department	

of	Justice	publicly	declared	the	shootings	by	Hadayet	an	act	of	terrorism.		The	FBI’s	investigation	into	the	incident	

led	to	the	conclusion	that	Hadayet,	while	unconnected	to	a	formal	terrorist	organization,	had	committed	an	act	of	

terrorism	based	upon	his	intention	to	advance	the	Palestinian	cause	in	the	Israel-Palestine	conflict	through	the	killing	of	civilians	and	the	targeting	of	an	airline	owned	by	the	Government	of	Israel.		This	case	shows	that	investigation	of	an	incident	is	sometimes	necessary	to	determine	motives	or	objectives	behind	a	crime	that	would	lead	to	its	

consideration	as	an	act	of	terrorism.		Beyond	any	consolation	that	understanding	the	nature	of	a	crime	can	bring	

to	survivors,	to	declare	an	incident	a	terrorist	act	is	also	to	invoke	a	set	of	laws	and	punishments	under	which	the	

incident	may	then	be	prosecuted.

Over	the	past	several	decades,	the	United	States	has	begun	to	articulate	terrorism	as	a	distinctive	category	of	criminal	activity.		The	United	States	Code	(USC)	uses	several	definitions	of	terrorism	that	address	specific	legal	situations,	all	of	which	have	entered	into	the	legal	lexicon	only	since	the	1970s.		The	FBI	subdivides	the	terrorist	threat	

facing	the	United	States	into	the	broad	categories	of	international	and	domestic	terrorism,	each	of	which	involves	

violent	acts	intended	to	intimidate	or	coerce	a	civilian	population,	or	influence	the	policy	or	conduct	of	a	government	by	mass	destruction,	assassination,	or	kidnapping.		In	cases	of	international	terrorism,	these	acts	transcend	

national	boundaries	in	terms	of	the	means	by	which	they	are	accomplished,	the	persons	they	intend	to	intimidate,	

IN	FOCUS
TERRORISM 2002-2005

33

or	the	locale	in	which	perpetrators	operate	(18	USC	§	2331(1)).		In	cases	of	domestic	terrorism,	the	FBI	defines	the	

source	of	coercion	as	a	group	or	individual	based	and	operating	entirely	within	the	United	States,	or	its	territories,	

without	foreign	direction	(18	USC	§	2331(5)).		These	legal	definitions	revolve	around	terrorism	as	coercion—as	a	

violent	means	to	a	political	end.		

Another	incident	unrelated	to	terrorism	provides	comparative	insight	into	the	nature	of	terrorism.		On	the	morning	of	February	21,	2003,	an	oil	tanker	exploded	while	unloading	at	a	Staten	Island	oil	depot.		The	blast	killed	two	

mariners	and	critically	injured	a	third.		News	of	the	explosion	sent	prices	on	the	New	York	Stock	Exchange	sharply	

lower	on	the	assumption	that	a	major	terrorist	incident	had	occurred.		When	details	emerged	in	subsequent	hours	

that	revealed	the	explosion	to	have	occurred	accidentally,	however,	the	stock	market	quickly	recovered.		The	public	anxiety	and	relief	exhibited	in	the	drop	and	recovery	of	trading	on	the	stock	exchange	highlight	two	features	

of	terrorism	not	otherwise	covered	by	the	legal	definitions,	and	which	to	some	extent	reveal	terrorism	to	be	more	

about	the	intention	than	the	violence	behind	the	act.		What	the	accident	shared	with	terrorist	acts	was	its	dramatic	

impact.		By	virtue	of	its	accidental	nature,	however,	the	explosion	lacked	the	premeditated	intent	to	do	harm	that	

marks	terrorist	attacks.		The	publicity	and	motivation	associated	with	terrorism	contribute	to	the	anxiety	a	population	can	experience	from	an	attack	and	also	help	to	identify	terrorism	as	an	act	of	propaganda	by	which	extremists	

bring	notoriety	to	their	causes.

March 1, 1971

BOMBiNG OF

u.S. SENaTE BuilDiNGS

no injuries

FEBruary 5, 1974

KiDNappiNG of 

paTTy hEarST by

SyMBiONESE liBEraTiON arMy

auGuST 5, 1974

aNTi-hiJacKiNG

acT paSSED

YEARS	OF

TERRORISM

35

In	his	September	20,	2001,	Address	to	a	Joint	Session	of	Congress	and	the	American	People,	President	Bush	

assured	his	audience	that	in	the	present	conflict	with	terrorism,	violence	would	be	met	with	“patient	justice.”		The	

struggle	against	terrorism—especially	that	currently	waged	against	al-Qa’ida—is	one	of	endurance,	and	it	is	one	in	

which	the	FBI	is	prepared	to	engage	with	unflagging	persistence.		Although	the	preeminent	mission	of	protecting	

the	United	States	from	terrorist	attack	is	changing	the	character	of	the	FBI	as	a	whole,	an	abiding	strength	of	the	

FBI	remains	its	tradition	of	excellence	in	vigorously	investigating	and	prosecuting	criminal	acts.		These	traditional	

pursuits	are	essential	to	the	disruption	of	terrorist	activities,	the	dismantling	of	terrorist	organizations,	and,	consequently,	the	prevention	of	future	terrorist	attacks.		By	combining	a	willingness	to	innovate	with	its	traditional	law	

enforcement	responsibilities,	the	FBI	continues	to	evolve	in	order	to	counter	the	varied	forms	of	terrorism	that	

threaten	the	interests	and	security	of	the	United	States.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

34

COUNTERING	DOMESTIC	TERROR	

(1908-1982)

TErrOriSM TrENDS

There	are	five	traditional	means	by	which	the	U.S.	government	fights	terrorism:		diplomacy,	economic	sanctions,	military	options,	covert	intelligence	operations,	and	law	

enforcement	action.		The	last	two	of	these	engage	the	resources	of	the	FBI.		Throughout	

its	history,	the	FBI	has	directed	the	emphasis	of	its	resources	toward	the	most	pressing	

national	security	and	criminal	activities	affecting	the	country.		Founded	in	1908,	the	

Bureau	inherited	subversive	domestic	political	threats,	including	anarchism	and	communism,	as	concerns.		Following	the	U.S.	entry	into	World	War	I,	the	Bureau	became	

the	principle	counterintelligence	agency	in	the	United	States	and,	following	the	war,	

the	investigation	of	a	series	of	domestic	terrorist	bombings	were	the	focus	of	its	activities.		These	activities	were	eventually	eclipsed	by	the	property	and	violent	crimes	of	the	

1920s	and	early	1930s	gangster	era.		World	War	II	and	the	subsequent	Cold	War	greatly	

increased	the	FBI’s	role	in	international	affairs	and	counterintelligence.		The	Civil	

Rights	Movement	and	the	Vietnam	War	of	the	1960s	and	early	1970s	provoked	criminal	

responses	both	from	reactionary	groups,	such	as	the	Ku	Klux	Klan,	and	antiwar	extremists,	such	as	the	Weather	Underground,	respectively.		Following	strong	criticism	of	FBI	

domestic	security	efforts	by	Congress	in	the	mid-1970s,	the	Bureau’s	focus	on	domestic	

subversion	gave	way	to	new	emphasis	on	organized	crime	and	other	criminal	matters	in	

the	late	1970s	and	early	1980s.

Prior	to	the	early	1980s,	the	FBI’s	terrorism-related	investigations	were	dominated	by	

domestic	concerns.		During	the	period	from	1908	to	1982,	the	FBI	dealt	with	two	broad	

categories	of	domestic	terrorism:		right-	and	left-wing	extremist	groups.		In	the	period	

between	World	War	I	and	World	War	II,	the	domestic	threat	primarily	came	from	

right-wing	groups,	like	the	Ku	Klux	Klan,	which	often	adhered	to	principles	of	racial	

supremacy	or	embraced	antigovernment	and	antiregulatory	beliefs	in	favor	of	individual	

freedoms.		The	FBI	had	little	jurisdiction	over	these	groups.		In	one	case,	the	Bureau	

successfully	developed	a	case	against	a	ranking	Klan	official	based	on	his	violation	of	a	

law	against	interstate	prostitution;	there	were	no	significant	federal	laws	that	forbade	the	

Klan’s	terrorist	activities	at	that	time.		The	passage	of	significant	civil	rights	legislation	

in	the	1960s	enabled	the	FBI	to	more	effectively	target	the	Klan	and	support	successful	

prosecutions	of	Klan	members	for	terrorist	crimes.

JaNuary 24, 1975

BOMBiNG of FrauNcES TaVErN 

on Wall STrEET

4 killed 53 injured

JaNuary 29, 1975

BOMBiNG of u.S. STaTE DEparTMENT

BuilDiNG in WaShiNGTON, D.c.

no injuries

May 1980

FirST FBi JOiNT TErrOriSM

TaSK FOrcE ESTaBliShED in

NEW yOrK
TERRORISM 2002-2005

35

lEGiSlaTiVE acTiON

In	this	earliest	period	of	FBI	counterterrorism	responses,	there	were	few	strong	legislative	tools	available	to	handle	the	terrorist	threats	facing	the	United	States.		The	1917	

Espionage	Act	and	1918	Sabotage	Act	addressed	domestic	subversion	during	wartime,	

but	had	no	significant	peacetime	extension.		Alien	anarchists	were	apprehended	and	

removed	under	various	immigration	statutes.		National	Security	Action	Memorandum	

177,	signed	by	President	Kennedy	on	August	7,	1962,	enhanced	the	U.S.	government’s	

foreign	police	training	program,	which	has	come	to	include	counterterrorism	measures.		The	Organized	Crime	Control	Act	of	1970	bears	upon	terrorism	issues	as	they	

relate	to	the	importation,	manufacture,	distribution,	and	storage	of	explosive	materials	

(18	USC	§§	842-844).		The	Antihijacking	Act	of	1974	is	noteworthy	because	it	was	

the	first	law	to	specifically	address	an	issue	intimately	connected	to	terrorism.		And	

on	April	10,	1982,	President	Reagan	signed	National	Security	Directive	30	(NSD	30),	

which	gave	lead	agency	counterterrorism	responsibilities	and	crisis	management	in	terrorist	attacks	to	the	FBI	under	the	U.S.	Department	of	Justice.

Beginning	in	the	1950s,	the	most	serious	domestic	terrorist	threat	shifted	to	leftistoriented	extremist	groups	that	generally	professed	a	revolutionary	socialist	doctrine	

and	viewed	themselves	as	protectors	of	the	people	against	the	adverse	effects	of	capitalism	and	U.S.	foreign	policies.		Some	of	the	more	sensational	terrorist	events	during	

this	latter	period	included	the	November	1,	1950,	attempted	assassination	of	President	

Truman	at	Blair	House	by	two	members	of	the	National	Party	of	Puerto	Rico.		On	

March	1,	1954,	members	of	the	same	group	opened	fire	on	a	session	of	the	U.S.	House	

of	Representatives,	injuring	five	congressmen.		The	1958	commandeering	of	a	Cuban	

airliner	in	flight	from	Miami	inaugurated	a	decade	of	hijackings	by	Cuban	revolutionaries.		

During	the	1970s	and	1980s,	Croatian	nationalists	and	the	anti-Castro	Cuban	group	

Omega	7	arose	as	prominent	terrorist	threats.		Leftist	groups,	however,	continued	to	

remain	active	during	these	decades	and	committed	numerous	bombings,	including	the	

prominent	March	1,	1971,	bombing	of	the	U.S.	Senate	building	and	the	January	29,	

1975,	bombing	of	the	U.S.	State	Department	building,	both	attributed	to	the	Weather	

Underground,	and	the	January	24,	1975,	bombing	of	Fraunces	Tavern	on	Wall	Street	

by	the	Armed	Forces	for	Puerto	Rican	National	Liberation	(FALN)	that	resulted	in	

four	deaths	and	53	people	injured.		The	threat	from	leftist	groups	receded	by	the	late	

1980s	as	law	enforcement	dismantled	their	infrastructures.		The	dissolution	of	the	

communist	Soviet	Union	in	December	1991	into	the	democratic	Russian	Federation	

with	a	free	market	economy	further	deprived	many	of	these	groups	of	their

ideological	foundation	and	patronage.

FEBruary 13, 1983

FirST rEcOrDED aTTacK of riGhT-WiNG

aNTiGOVErNMENT GrOup

(Sheriff’s posse comitatus in 

Medina, North Dakota)

JaNuary 1982

FBi hOSTaGE rEScuE

TEaM ESTaBliShED

april 10, 1982

NaTiONal SEcuriTy DEciSiON

DirEcTiVE 30

gives lead agency counterterrorism

responsibilities to the FBi

(u.S. DEparTMENT of JuSTicE)
TERRORISM 2002-2005

36

FBi iNiTiaTiVES

In	the	decades	leading	up	to	the	1980s,	the	FBI	had	not	yet	begun	to	structure	its	

resources	in	terrorism-specific	terms.		Following	two	significant	anarchist	bombing	attacks	

in	the	spring	of	1919,	the	U.S.	Department	of	Justice	established	a	General	Intelligence	

Division,	headed	by	J.	Edgar	Hoover,	to	gather	and	analyze	intelligence	concerning	communist,	anarchist,	and	other	radical	threats	in	the	United	States.		In	1920,	the	General	

Intelligence	Division	was	incorporated	into	what	was	then	known	as	the	Bureau	of	

Investigation.		Hoover	continued	to	head	the	division	and	was	appointed	the	Bureau’s	

Assistant	Director	under	Director	William	Burns	(1922-24),	a	position	he	held	until	

his	own	appointment	as	Director,	a	position	he	held	from	1924	to	1972.		Discontinued	

at	that	time,	the	division	was	re-established	in	1935	to	monitor	communist	and	fascist	

activities.

The	General	Intelligence	Division	went	through	several	name	changes	during	the	1940s	

and	1950s—the	National	Defense	Division	in	1940,	the	Security	Division	in	1942,	and	

the	Domestic	Security	Division	in	1951—that	tended	to	reflect	the	FBI’s	responsibilities	for	domestic	security.		Until	1973,	this	division	oversaw	the	FBI’s	responsibilities	

for	domestic	security,	counterintelligence,	and	counterterrorism.		In	1973,	in	response	

to	criticism	of	FBI	programs	to	disrupt	radical	groups,	the	Domestic	Security	Division	

was	split	into	a	General	Investigative	Division	and	an	Intelligence	Division.		In	1977	the	

newly	created	Criminal	Investigative	Division	assumed	domestic	terrorism	responsibilities	

on	the	principle	that	investigations	into	domestic	radical	groups	were	predicated	upon	

criminal	activity.		In	1982,	in	response	to	NSD	30,	Director	William	H.	Webster	(1978-

87)	named	counterterrorism	an	FBI	priority	program.1			The	responsibilities	for	counterterrorism	continued	to	reside	in	the	Criminal	Investigative	Division,	which	developed	a	

Terrorism	Section	comprised	of	a	domestic	unit	and	several	international	counterterrorism	units.

Like	the	early	acts	of	legislation	that	have	since	served	as	the	foundation	for	terrorismrelated	amendments,	the	FBI	initiated	several	programs	over	this	period	that	have	come	

to	play	significant	roles	in	its	evolving	counterterrorism	efforts.		One	innovation	during	

this	early	period	was	the	deployment	of	forensic	specialists	to	the	site	of	an	investigation.		The	first	incarnation	of	this	rapid	deployment	capability	was	the	Disaster	Squad	

established	on	June	24,	1940,	to	assist	civilian	authorities	in	identifying	persons	killed	in	

a	Virginia	plane	crash.		Since	then,	these	deployment	capabilities	have	expanded	to	other	

areas	of	FBI	operations	including	the	Hostage	Rescue	Team,	the	Rapid	Deployment	

Teams,	and	the	Fly	Team,	which	support	counterterrorism	operations,	as	well	as	the	

Laboratory	Division’s	Evidence	Response	Teams	and	Hazardous	Materials	Response	

Teams,	which	support	forensic	investigations.		

1 The	designation	of	“Priority	

Programs”	began	under	the	

management	reform	initiated	

by	Director	Clarence	M.	Kelley	

(1973-78)	to	focus	FBI	resources	

on	the	most	pressing	matters.		At	

the	time,	these	included	white	

collar	crime,	organized	crime,	

and	foreign	counterintelligence.		

Counterterrorism	became	a	

Priority	Program	in	1982.

 

SEpTEMBEr 16, 1983

WEllS-FarGO arMOrED car

rOBBEry NETS lOS MachETErOS

$7.2 MilliON

OcTOBEr 23, 1983

BOMBiNG of the MariNE BarracKS

in BEiruT, lEBaNON

241 u.S. Marines killed

april 18, 1983

BOMBiNG of the u.S. EMBaSSy

in BEiruT, lEBaNON

63 killed
TERRORISM 2002-2005

37

In	the	middle	of	the	20th	century,	the	FBI	also	laid	the	foundations	for	coordinating	

investigations	and	sharing	information	with	international	law	enforcement	and	intelligence	

partners	when	it	established	its	Legal	Attaché,	or	“Legat”	program.		The	origins	of	the	Legat	

program	lie	in	the	FBI’s	early	intelligence	responsibilities.		On	June	24,	1940,	prior	to	the	

United	States’	involvement	in	World	War	II,	President	Roosevelt	issued	a	directive	for	the	

FBI	to	assume	responsibility	for	countering	Axis	movements	in	the	Western	Hemisphere	

and	gathering	intelligence	about	other	developments	in	that	sphere	of	responsibility.		In	

response,	Director	Hoover	created	the	Special	Intelligence	Service	(SIS)	within	the	FBI.		The	

effort	was	successful	both	in	gathering	intelligence	and	countering	Axis	intelligence	activities.		In	1946,	President	Truman	terminated	the	SIS	and	reassigned	its	duties	to	the	newly	

created	Central	Intelligence	Group,	later	renamed	the	Central	Intelligence	Agency,	as	part	

of	his	centralization	of	foreign	intelligence	collection.		The	FBI,	however,	was	allowed	to	

maintain	a	number	of	its	liaison	offices	in	order	to	communicate	with	foreign	police	and	

intelligence	services.		By	January	1953,	FBI	Legats	operated	in	U.S.	embassies	in	London,	

Paris,	Madrid,	Havana,	Mexico	City,	and	Rio	de	Janeiro.		The	number	of	Legat	offices	has	

continued	to	grow	in	recognition	of	their	valued	assistance	in	tracking	terrorist	threats	and	

bringing	investigative	resources	swiftly	to	bear	on	terrorist	and	other	incidents	overseas.	

Cooperation	among	law	enforcement	and	intelligence	agencies	is	now	widely	recognized	as	

essential	to	a	comprehensive	plan	to	prevent	and	respond	to	terrorism.		Internationally,	in	

order	to	create	a	corps	of	advocates	for	best	law	enforcement	practices	worldwide,	in	1935	

the	Bureau	began	training	law	enforcement	officers	from	foreign	countries	at	its	National	

Academy	in	Quantico,	Virginia.		Domestically,	the	FBI	operationally	cooperates	with	other	

law	enforcement	agencies	in	part	through	Joint	Terrorism	Task	Forces	(JTTFs),	whose	

strength	lies	in	combining	the	national	and	international	investigative	resources	of	the	FBI	

with	the	street-level	expertise	of	state	and	local	law	enforcement	agencies.		The	first	JTTF	was	

formed	in	New	York	City	in	1980	in	response	to	domestic	terrorism	threats	posed	by	such	

organizations	as	the	Puerto	Rican	separatist	group	FALN	and	the	anti-Castro	Cuban	group	

Omega	7.				

DEcEMBEr 8, 1984

“ThE OrDEr” lEaDEr

rOBErT Jay MaThEWS DiES

in cONFrONTaTiON with laW 

ENFOrcEMENT

May 1984

cOMprEhENSiVE criME

cONTrOl acT GiVES FBi JuriSDicTiON 

to purSuE TErrOriSTS

WhO TaKE aMEricaNS hOSTaGE

SEpTEMBEr 20, 1984

BOMBiNG of the u.S. EMBaSSy aNNEX

in BEiruT, lEBaNON

14 killed
TERRORISM 2002-2005

38

THE	EMERGENCE	OF	INTERNATIONAL	

TERRORISM	(1983-1992)

2 At	the	end	of	2005,	the	U.S.	

Department	of	State	designated	

six	nations–Cuba,	Iran,	Libya,	

North	Korea,	Sudan,	and	Syria–

as	state	sponsors	of	terrorism.	

The	U.S.	Department	of	State	

formally	removed	Iraq	from	the	

list	of	state	sponsors	of	terrorism	on	October	20,	2004.	

3 Since	its	founding	in	1982,	

Hizballah’s	numerous	anti-U.S.	

attacks	overseas	made	it	responsible	for	the	deaths	of	more	

Americans	than	any	other	terrorist	group	in	the	world	prior	to	

September	11,	2001.

TErrOriSM TrENDS

For	the	decade	from	1983-1992,	major	acts	of	terrorism	against	U.S.	interests	took	place	

overseas.		The	FBI	recognized	state-sponsored	and	autonomous	terrorist	organizations	as	

the	two	significant	sources	of	international	terrorism.		Both	types	of	organizations	remain	

threats	today.		

State-sponsored terrorism	refers	to	those	countries	that	violate	international	law	by	using	

terrorism	as	a	tool	of	foreign	policy.2			One	of	the	most	infamous	acts	of	state-sponsored	

terrorism	during	this	period	occurred	on	December	21,	1988,	with	the	bombing	of	Pan	

Am	flight	103	in	mid-air	over	Lockerbie,	Scotland.		The	bombing	killed	all	259	people	

aboard	the	Boeing	747	aircraft	and	11	people	on	the	ground.		In	November	1991,	following	an	extensive	investigation	by	the	FBI	and	other	U.S.	and	foreign	police	authorities,	

a	U.S.	grand	jury	indicted	two	Libyan	intelligence	officers	for	the	crime.		The	two	were	

tried	in	the	Netherlands	under	Scottish	law.		On	January	31,	2001,	the	court	acquitted	

one	of	the	officers	due	to	insufficient	evidence,	but	convicted	the	other	officer,	Abdel	

Basset	Ali	al-Megrahi,	of	murder	and	issued	him	a	mandatory	life	sentence.		In	August	

2003	the	Government	of	Libya	agreed	to	pay	$2.7	billion	in	restitution	to	the	families	of	

the	victims.

Foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs)	are	autonomous,	generally	transnational	groups	that	

maintain	their	own	personnel,	infrastructures,	financial	arrangements,	and	training	facilities.		FTOs	are	often	formed	to	pursue	nationalistic	agendas	that	can	span	the	political	

spectrum,	and	their	operational	capabilities	range	from	organizations	with	extremely	

limited	resources	and	memberships	of	fewer	than	100,	to	others	with	thousands	of	supporters	and	substantial	sources	of	aid.		FTOs	committed	two	major	bombings	in	1983	

and	a	series	of	prominent	hijackings	in	the	decade	that	followed,	drawing	legislative	and	

law	enforcement	attention	to	international	terrorism.		On	April	18,	1983,	members	of	

Lebanese Hizballah	bombed	the	U.S.	Embassy	in	Beirut,	Lebanon.		The	attack	resulted	

in	63	deaths,	including	those	of	17	U.S.	citizens.		Six	months	later,	on	October	23,	

Hizballah	bombed	the	U.S.	Marine	barracks	in	Beirut.		The	blast	killed	301,	of	whom	241	

were	U.S.	Marines.		Hijackings	during	the	1980s,	most	notably	committed	by	Hizballah3

and	the	Abu	Nidal	Organization	in	the	Middle	East	and	South	Asia,	targeted	U.S.	airliners,	or	American	citizens	on	foreign	carriers,	and	frequently	resulted	in	extended	hostage	

situations	and	civilian	fatalities.		

Although	international	terrorism	against	U.S.	interests	took	place	overseas	during	this	

period,	the	FBI	began	investigations	into	the	use	of	the	United	States	as	a	staging	area	

april 16, 1987

FirST FBi rEcOrDED alF aTTacK

in the uNiTED STaTES

(Davis, california)

SEpTEMBEr 14, 1985

TWa 847 hiJacKED

u.S. Navy Diver killed

auGuST 27, 1986

OMNiBuS DiplOMaTic SEcuriTy

and aNTiTErrOriSM acT

EXpaNDS FBi JuriSDicTiON to iNcluDE

ViOlENcE against u.S. NaTiONalS aBrOaD
TERRORISM 2002-2005

39

lEGiSlaTiVE acTiON

In	the	mid-1980s	Congress	passed	several	legislative	initiatives	that	expanded	the	FBI’s	

jurisdiction	to	include	U.S.	interests	overseas.		The	Comprehensive	Crime	Control	Act	

of	1984	gave	the	FBI	jurisdiction	to	pursue	terrorists	who	have	taken	Americans	hostage,	

regardless	of	where	the	incident	occurred.		Also	in	1984,	the	Act	to	Combat	International	

Terrorism	established	the	Rewards	for	Justice	Program,	authorizing	the	Secretary	of	State	

to	issue	rewards	of	up	to	$5	million	for	information	that	prevents	or	favorably	resolves	

acts	of	international	terrorism	against	U.S.	persons	or	property	worldwide.		The	Omnibus	

Diplomatic	Security	and	Antiterrorism	Act	of	August	27,	1986,	expanded	the	FBI’s	

jurisdiction	to	include	homicide	or	violence	against	U.S.	citizens	abroad.		The	Biological	

Weapons	Anti-Terrorism	Act	of	1989	granted	federal	jurisdiction	with	respect	to	developing,	transferring,	and	possessing	biological	weapons.

FBi iNiTiaTiVES

The	FBI’s	international	responsibilities	had	been	increasing	in	the	decades	leading	up	

to	the	1980s	as	drug	trafficking,	organized	crime,	and	terrorism	investigations	frequently	

crossed	national	boundaries.		With	respect	to	international	liaison	activities,	in	1983	

Congress	authorized	the	U.S.	Department	of	State’s	Antiterrorism	Assistance	Program	as	

part	of	a	major	initiative	against	international	terrorism.		As	part	of	this	program	the	FBI	

began	to	provide	counterterrorism	training	to	law	enforcement	and	security	personnel	

of	selected	friendly	foreign	governments	at	the	FBI	Academy	at	Quantico.		This	training	

served	both	to	strengthen	bilateral	ties	and	to	increase	respect	for	human	rights	by	sharing	with	civilian	authorities	modern,	humane,	and	effective	counterterrorism	techniques.

		

Another	significant	development	within	the	Bureau	resulted	from	an	incident	during	the	

1972	Summer	Olympic	Games	held	in	Munich,	Germany,	in	which	Palestinian	gunmen	

or	source	of	arms	for	terrorist	operations	and	activities	overseas.		An	example	of	this	is	

the	1990	conviction	in	Boston	court	of	two	U.S.	citizens	and	a	citizen	of	the	Republic	

of	Ireland	of	conspiracy	to	violate	the	Arms	Export	Control	Act	and	of	conspiracy	to	

injure	and	destroy	foreign	property.		Until	their	arrest	in	1989,	these	individuals	had	

engaged	in	the	research	and	development	of	an	anti-helicopter	missile	system	for	use	by	

the	Provisional	Irish	Republican	Army	in	its	attacks	against	British	targets	in	Northern	

Ireland	and	elsewhere.

OcTOBEr 13, 1989

TErrOriST ThrEaT WarNiNG SySTEM (TTWS)

ESTaBliShED

DEcEMBEr 21, 1988

BOMBiNG of paN aM 103 over lOcKErBiE, 

ScOTlaND

217 americans killed

JuNE 1987

FaWaZ yOuNiS rENDErED

from cypruS for hiJacKiNG a

rOyal JOrDaNiaN airliNEr 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

40

associated	with	the	terrorist	group	Black	September	took	11	Israeli	athletes	hostage	in	the	

Olympic	Village.		The	gunmen	killed	their	captives	in	the	rescue	attempt	that	followed.		

This	incident	led	the	FBI	to	anticipate	the	possibility	of	a	similar	international	act	of	terrorism	during	the	1984	Summer	Olympics	to	be	held	in	Los	Angeles.		In	1983	the	FBI	

began	training	its	Hostage	Rescue	Team	(HRT),	which	was	in	operation	by	the	start	of	the	

games.		Based	at	the	FBI	Academy	at	Quantico,	the	HRT	has	the	mission	of	responding	

within	four	hours	of	notification	by	the	Director	or	his	designate	to	any	extraordinary	

hostage	crisis	occurring	within	the	United	States.		Since	its	inception,	the	HRT	has	been	

deployed	in	support	of	FBI	terrorism,	violent	criminal,	foreign	counterintelligence,	and	

other	investigations.	

Recognizing	the	importance	of	warning	as	a	component	in	the	FBI’s	efforts	to	prevent

acts	of	terrorism,	on	October	13,	1989,	the	FBI	established	the	Terrorist	Threat	Warning	

System	(TTWS)	for	the	dissemination	of	terrorist	threat	information	to	the	U.S.	

Intelligence	Community4		and	state	and	local	law	enforcement	agencies.5

THE	GLOBALIzATION	OF	TERRORISM	

(1993-2001)

TErrOriSM TrENDS

Until	the	1990s,	terrorist	targets	had	historically	been	selected	for	reasons	of	their	vulnerability	and	symbolism.		Indiscrimination	generally	remained	an	unintended	consequence	

of	terrorist	attacks.		During	the	1990s,	however,	the	nature	of	domestic	and	international	

terrorism	underwent	recognizable	changes	in	tactics	and	methodologies	as	terrorists	

aimed	to	inflict	massive	and	indiscriminate	casualties	upon	civilian	populations.		The	

terrorist	trend	toward	higher	levels	of	casualties	came	at	a	time	when	interest	was	growing	

among	domestic	and	international	extremists	in	weapons	of	mass	destruction	(WMD).		

The	movement	toward	acquiring	and	using	WMD	became	a	reality	on	March	20,	1995,	

when	the	Japanese	group	Aum	Shinrikyo	launched	a	series	of	sarin	nerve	gas	attacks	in	

Tokyo’s	subway	system.		The	incidents	resulted	in	12	deaths	and	approximately	5,000	

exposures.		The	FBI	provided	investigative	assistance	to	Japanese	law	enforcement	and	

intelligence	agencies	in	response	to	the	incident.		These	attacks	suggested	the	wide	range	

of	weapons	available	to	contemporary	terrorists	and	raised	the	specter	of	a	similar	attack	

in	the	United	States.

		

Another	trend	during	this	period	altered	the	paradigm	that	only	international	terrorists	

operating	outside	of	the	United	States	committed	major	acts	of	terrorism.		With	respect	

to	domestic	terrorism,	left-wing	political	groups	and special interest terrorism—that	is,	terrorism	committed	by	extremists	who	use	violence	to	compel	society	to	change	its	attitudes	

4 The	“U.S.	Intelligence	

Community”	refers	to	those

Executive	Branch	organizations

engaged	in	U.S.	national	intelligence	efforts.		The	Community

includes	the	Central	Intelligence	

Agency,	National	Security	

Agency,	Defense	Intelligence	

Agency,	intelligence	elements	

of	the	departments	of	Defense,	

State,	Treasury,	Energy,		

Homeland	Security,	and	the	FBI	

(CIA,	Factbook on Intelligence,

2006).

5 On	January	4,	1999,	the	FBI	

integrated	the	TTWS	into	the	

National	Threat	Warning	System	

(NTWS).

NOVEMBEr 5, 1990

aSSaSSiNaTiON of raBBi MEir KahaNE, 

FOuNDEr of the JEWiSh DEFENSE lEaGuE, in 

NEW yOrK ciTy

FEBruary 26, 1993

BOMBiNG of the WOrlD TraDE cENTEr

in NEW yOrK ciTy

6 killed 1,000+ injured

JuNE 24, 1993

arrEST of EiGhT SuBJEcTS

plOTTiNG to BOMB 

NEW yOrK laNDMarKS
TERRORISM 2002-2005

41

about	specific	causes—asserted	themselves	during	the	1990s.		Anarchists	reemerged	in	the	

United	States	during	this	period	and	caused	much	of	the	criminal	disruption	during	the	

1999	World	Trade	Organization	meeting	in	Seattle.	The	majority	of	domestic	terrorism	

incidents	from	1993	to	2001	were	attributable	to	the	left-wing	special	interest	movements	

the	Animal	Liberation	Front	(ALF)	and	the	Earth	Liberation	Front	(ELF).		Right-wing	

extremism,	however,	primarily	in	the	form	of	domestic	militias	and	conservative	special	

interest	causes,	began	to	overtake	left-wing	extremism	as	the	most	dangerous,	if	not	the	

most	prolific,	domestic	terrorist	threat	to	the	country	during	the	1990s.		In	contrast	to	

the	ALF	and	the	ELF,	which	have	pursued	a	philosophy	that	avoids	physical	violence	

in	favor	of	acts	of	property	damage	that	cause	their	victims	economic	harm,	right-wing	

extremists	pursued	a	qualitatively	different	method	of	operation	by	targeting	people.

The	April	19,	1995,	bombing	of	the	Alfred	P.	Murrah	Federal	Building	in	Oklahoma	

City,	Oklahoma,	brought	the	threat	of	right-wing	terrorism	to	the	forefront	of	American	

law	enforcement	attention.		The	Oklahoma	City	bombing,	which	killed	168	people	and	

injured	642	others,	was	an	extreme	manifestation	of	a	grass-roots	antigovernment	movement	that	became	prominent	during	the	1990s.		Several	factors	fueled	the	growth	of	this	

movement,	including	the	passage	of	gun	control	legislation,	fears	of	increased	United	

Nations	involvement	in	domestic	affairs,	and	several	confrontations	between	members	of	

right-wing	groups	and	law	enforcement	officers	at	Waco,	Texas,	and	Ruby	Ridge,	Idaho.		

These	confrontations	inspired	Timothy	McVeigh	and	Terry	Nichols	to	carry	out	the	

Oklahoma	City	bombing,	which	coincided	with	the	second	anniversary	of	the	destruction	

of	the	Branch	Davidian	compound	near	Waco.		The	FBI	aggressively	pursued	the	prosecutions	of	McVeigh	and	Nichols,	and	the	two	were	eventually	convicted	for	their	roles	

in	the	bombing.		McVeigh	was	executed	on	June	11,	2001,	marking	the	first	federal	execution	in	38	years.		

The	motivations	behind	another	series	of	bombings	in	the	mid-1990s	illustrate	the	

increasing	prominence	of	terrorism	in	support	of	conservative	special	interest	causes	

during	this	decade.		On	July	27,	1996,	an	explosion	in	Olympic	Centennial	Park	killed	

two	and	injured	112	during	the	closing	days	of	the	Summer	Olympics	held	in	Atlanta,	

Georgia.		Early	the	next	year,	two	more	bombings	occurred:		the	first,	on	January	16,	

1997,	at	a	Birmingham,	Alabama,	health	clinic;	the	second,	on	February	21,	1997,	at	

the	Otherside	Lounge,	a	nightclub	patronized	by	Atlanta’s	gay	community.		These	latter	

bombings	were	distinctive	in	that	the	terrorist	used	secondary	explosive	devices	with	an	

apparent	intent	to	target	emergency	responders.		On	May	31,	2003,	Top	Ten	Fugitive	Eric	

Robert	Rudolph	was	arrested	in	North	Carolina	on	suspicion	of	having	committed	the	

bombings;	Rudolph	pled	guilty	to	these	attacks	and	received	a	life	sentence	for	his	crimes.	

The	bombings	in	Oklahoma	City,	Atlanta,	and	Birmingham	also	brought	an	awareness	

of	a	new	type	of	threat	from	those	who	may	be	sympathetic	to	extreme	political	or	social	

ideologies,	but	who	commit	acts	of	violence	outside	of	the	auspices	of	structured	terrorist	

organizations	or	without	the	prior	approval	or	knowledge	of	these	groups’	leaders.		The	

roles	of	McVeigh	and	Nichols	in	the	Oklahoma	City	bombing,	and	the	bombings	by	

JuNE 21, 1995

prESiDENTial DEciSiON DirEcTiVE 39

cONFirMED and clariFiED

FBi’S cOuNTErTErrOriSM rOlE

april 24, 1996

aNTi-TErrOriSM and

EFFEcTiVE DEaTh pENalTy 

acT paSSED

april 19, 1995

BOMBiNG of the OKlahOMa

ciTy FEDEral BuilDiNG

168 killed 642 injured
TERRORISM 2002-2005

42

Rudolph,	exemplify	the	FBI’s	“lone	offender”	category	of	terrorist	for	those	who	engage	in	

terrorist	activities	free	from	organizational	guidance.

With	respect	to	international	terrorism,	terrorist	organizations,	sometimes	with	state	sponsorship,	continued	to	attack	U.S.	military	targets	overseas.		A	November	13,	1995,	truck	

bomb	killed	seven	people,	including	five	Americans,	and	injured	at	least	34	U.S.	citizens	

at	the	Office	of	the	Program	Manager/Saudi	Arabian	National	Guard	building	in	Riyadh,	

Saudi	Arabia.		Seven	months	later,	on	June	25,	1996,	members	of	Saudi	Hizballah	

bombed	the	Khobar	Towers	in	Dhahran,	Saudi	Arabia,	where	Western	military	personnel	resided.		The	explosion	killed	19	U.S.	service	personnel	and	injured	over	350	others.		These	bombings	highlighted	force	protection	issues,	to	which	the	U.S.	government	

responded	by	“hardening”	its	official	establishments	overseas.	

During	the	1990s,	the	U.S.	Intelligence	Community	began	to	recognize	a	trend	in	international	terrorism	away	from	state	sponsors	of	terrorism	and	FTOs	to	those	of	loosely	

affiliated	extremists,	whose	ad	hoc,	autonomous	nature	tended	to	shield	them	from	infiltration	and	disruption.		This	new	aspect	of	international	terrorism	first	presented	itself	

in	the	February	26,	1993,	bombing	of	New	York	City’s	World	Trade	Center.		The	blast	

killed	six	people,	injured	more	than	1,000,	and	caused	millions	of	dollars	in	damage.		In	

a	subsequent	plot	based	out	of	the	Philippines,	the	New	York	bombing’s	operational	mastermind,	Ramzi	Ahmed	Yousef,	along	with	two	co-conspirators,	planned	to	destroy	simultaneously	as	many	as	12	American	jumbo	jets	in	flight	over	the	Pacific.		Yousef	conducted	

a	trial	run	of	the	“Manila	Air”	plot	on	December	11,	1994,	when	a	test	explosive	killed	a	

Japanese	businessman	on	board	a	Philippine	airliner	in	flight	to	Tokyo.		A	few	months	

later,	on	February	7,	1995,	Yousef	was	apprehended	in	Islamabad,	Pakistan,	by	Pakistani	

officials	who	were	working	with	FBI	assistance	and	rendered	back	to	the	United	States.		

In	January	1998,	Yousef	was	sentenced	to	240	years	plus	a	life	sentence	in	prison	for	his	

roles	in	the	1993	World	Trade	Center	bombing	and	the	“Manila	Air”	plot.

By	the	late	1990s,	the	interwoven	violence	and	self-perpetuating	nature	of	terrorism,	in	

which	a	terrorist	act	in	one	location	can	elicit	a	sympathetic	response	elsewhere,	regardless	of	national	boundaries,	became	apparent.		An	example	of	the	web	of	terrorism	

can	be	seen	in	the	events	involving	Shayk	Omar	Abdel	Rahman,	the	spiritual	leader	of	

Egypt’s	Al-Gama’a	al-Islamiyya	(AGAI)	militant	group.		Investigation	into	the	World	Trade	

Center	bombing	uncovered	unrelated	plotting	by	Shayk	Rahman	and	his	followers	to	

bomb	landmarks	throughout	New	York	City	in	the	summer	of	1993	and	to	assassinate	

Egyptian	President	Hosni	Mubarak	during	a	visit	to	New	York	in	1994.		In	January	1996								

Shayk	Rahman	and	nine	co-conspirators	were	convicted	of	the	plots,	and	Shayk	Rahman	

himself	received	a	life	sentence	plus	55	years.		On	November	17,	1997,	six	AGAI	members	killed	58	foreign	tourists	at	the	Temple	of	Hatshepsut	near	Luxor,	Egypt.		Although	

no	Americans	were	among	the	victims,	the	attack	was	intended	to	apply	pressure	on	the	

United	States	to	release	Shayk	Rahman	from	incarceration.		The	web-like	nature	of	terapril 24, 1996

FBi cOuNTErTErrOriSM 

cENTEr ESTaBliShED at

FBi hEaDQuarTErS

July 27, 1996

BOMBiNG of cENTENNial 

OlyMpic parK

2 killed 112 injured 

July 1996

FBi cOMpuTEr iNVESTiGaTiON

and iNFraSTrucTurE ThrEaT cENTEr (ciTac) ESTaBliShED 

at FBi hEaDQuarTErS
TERRORISM 2002-2005

43

rorism	underscores	the	need	for	vigilance	and	international	cooperation	in	countering	

terrorist	groups.		While	the	serial	plotting	of	Shayk	Rahman	highlights	the	importance	of	

relentlessly	pursuing	the	arrest	and	prosecution	of	individual	terrorists	in	order	to	prevent	

them	from	perpetrating	future	acts,	the	related	attack	near	Luxor	underscores	the	importance	of	a	cooperative	international	effort	to	control	terrorism.

As	a	result	of	the	plots	by	Ramzi	Yousef	and	Shayk	Rahman,	the	FBI	began	to	focus	investigative	attention	on	the	then-emerging	phenomenon	of	Sunni	extremism	and	its	operational	manifestation	in	loosely	affiliated	groups	devoted	to	violent	international	jihad.		

The	international	jihad	movement,	which	interprets	jihad	(“struggle”)	in	militant	terms,

is	composed	of	individuals	of	varying	nationalities,	ethnicities,	and	terrorist	group	

affiliations.		These	individuals	find	common	purpose	in	seeking	to	establish	states	

ruled	by sharia (conservative	Islamic)	law	and	free	of	Western	influence.		As	precedent,	

Afghanistan’s	resistance	to	the	Soviet	invasion	of	1979	attracted	foreign	fighters,	who	

viewed	their	participation	in	the	regional	conflict	as	a	defense	both	of	their	Muslim	brethren	and	of	Islam.		The	Soviet	Union’s	eventual	withdrawal	from	Afghanistan	in	1989	led	

to	the	establishment	of	Afghanistan’s	Taliban	regime	and	inspired	former	Arab-Afghan	

mujahidin	(“holy	warriors”)	to	focus	their	zeal	upon	other	international	conflicts	that	

involved	Muslim	populations.		This	globalization	of	violent	jihad	contributed	to	the	globalization	of	terrorist	groups,	which	recruited mujahidin	to	engage	in	militant	struggle	with	

operations	that	transcended	national	boundaries.

		

Influenced	by	radical	leaders	such	as	Usama	Bin	Ladin,	former	Arab-Afghan	mujahidin 

integrated	into	the	international	terrorist	infrastructure	known	as	al-Qa’ida	(“the	Root”).		

In	the	early	1990s	the	al-Qa’ida	network	began	issuing	fatwahs	(religious	opinions	based	

upon	Islamic	law)	to	its	members	and	associates	calling	for	the	deposition	of	the	Saudi	

monarchy	and	the	forced	removal	of	U.S.	and	other	Western	forces	from	the	Arabian	

Peninsula.		Bin	Ladin	first	stated	his	declaration	of	war	against	the	United	States	in	a	

twelve-page banyan	(“statement”)	issued	on	August	22,	1996,	in	which	he	offered	a	“final	

warning”	for	all	American	troops	to	leave	the	land	of	the	“Two	Holy	Places”	(Mecca	and	

Medina	in	Saudi	Arabia)	or	else	face	military	action	by	the	same	people	who	drove	the	

Soviets	out	of	Afghanistan.		Bin	Ladin’s	rhetoric	since	then,	including	a	1998	statement	

urging	Muslims	to	“kill	the	Americans	and	their	allies–civilians	and	military,”	revealed	a	

steady	shift	toward	greater	indiscrimination	in	al-Qa’ida’s	targeting.

With	the	exception	of	the	1995	Oklahoma	City	bombing,	the	major	terrorist	acts	or	

attempts	against	U.S.	interests	leading	into	the	21st	century	stemmed	from	militant	

Islamic	jihad,	guided	directly	or	indirectly	by	al-Qa’ida.	These	include	the	following:

	 •	 On	August	7,	1998,	al-Qa’ida	operatives	carried	out	near-simultaneous	

	 	 bombings	of	the	U.S.	embassies	in	Nairobi,	Kenya,	and	Dar	es	Salaam,		

	 	 Tanzania.		These	attacks,	which	took	place	against	targets	considered	“soft”		

FEBruary 26, 1998

FBi ciTac rEplacED by

NaTiONal iNFraSTrucTurE

prOTEcTiON cENTEr

auGuST 7, 1998

BOMBiNG of u.S. EMBaSSiES in KENya and 

TaNZaNia

12 americans killed 7 injured

OcTOBEr 16, 1998

NaTiONal DOMESTic

prEparEDNESS OFFicE

ESTaBliShED
TERRORISM 2002-2005

44

	 	 and	in	low-threat	countries,	resulted	in	224	deaths	and	5,722	injuries.		The		 	

	 	 small	number	of	Americans	among	the	casualties	(12	dead	and	seven	

	 	 wounded)	highlighted	the	indiscriminate	nature	of,	and	collateral	damage		 	

	 	 inflicted	by,	large-scale	terrorist	attacks	even	when	directed	against	specific		 	

	 	 targets.

	 •	 On	December	14,	1999,	U.S.	border	guards	at	Port	Angeles,	Washington,		 	

	 	 arrested	Ahmed	Ressam	as	he	attempted	to	smuggle	explosives	into	the		 	

	 	 United	States	from	Canada.		Investigation	by	the	FBI	and	other	domestic		 	

	 	 and	foreign	law	enforcement	agencies	revealed	that	Ressam	had	attended	

	 	 al-Qa’ida	training	camps	in	Afghanistan	and	was	part	of	an	Algerian	terrorist			

	 	 cell	based	in	Canada	that	had	plotted	to	detonate	explosives	at	Los	Angeles		 	

	 	 International	Airport.

	 •	 On	October	12,	2000,	in	the	port	of	Aden,	Yemen,	pilots	of	a	bomb-laden		 	

	 	 boat	pulled	alongside	the	USS Cole	at	midship	and	detonated	their	explo-	 	

	 	 sives	in	a	suicide	attack	against	the	destroyer,	killing	17	and	injuring	at	least		 	

	 	 40	crew	members.		Investigation	revealed	that	the	incident	followed	an		 	

	 	 unsuccessful	attack	on	January	3,	2000,	against	the	USS The Sullivans.		The		 	

	 	 alleged	conspirators	in	the	Sullivans and	Cole attacks	were	al-Qa’ida	opera-	 	

	 	 tives	who	trained	in	its	terrorist	camps	in	Afghanistan	during	the	1990s.		

	 	 The Cole	bombing	highlighted	al-Qa’ida’s	resolve	and	revealed	the	network’s		 		

	 	 a	more	powerful	and	technologically	more	advanced	target.

lEGiSlaTiVE acTiON

Motivated	by	the	World	Trade	Center	and	Oklahoma	City	bombings,	the	U.S.	government	took	a	number	of	executive	and	legislative	steps	that	directed	the	focus	of	future	law	

enforcement	activity	to	include	prevention	before	an	incident,	as	well	as	the	apprehension	

and	conviction	of	those	responsible	after	an	incident	has	occurred.	

On	June	21,	1995,	President	Clinton	issued	Presidential	Decision	Directive	39	(PDD	39),	

which	clarified	the	FBI’s	designation	as	the	lead	U.S.	government	agency	for	dealing	with	

terrorism	against	Americans	in	the	United	States	and	overseas.		On	April	24,	1996,	the	

U.S.	government	passed	the	Anti-Terrorism	and	Effective	Death	Penalty	Act	(AEDPA),	

which	addressed	domestic	terrorism	by	increasing	the	protection	afforded	to	federal	workers	and	expanding	criminal	statutes	relating	to	explosives.		The	AEDPA’s	most	significant	

contributions,	however,	concerned	the	expansion	of	the	FBI’s	investigative	authority	into	

international	acts	of	terrorism	and	the	activities	of	international	terrorist	groups	as	they	

occurred	within	the	United	States.		These	contributions	included	provisions	addressing	

JaNuary 4, 1999

EXpaNDED NaTiONal ThrEaT

WarNiNG SySTEM (NTWS) rEplacES TTWS

NOVEMBEr 21, 1999

FBi cOuNTErTErrOriSM DiViSiON 

ESTaBliShED at

FBi hEaDQuarTErS

DEcEMBEr 14, 1999

arrEST OF ahMED rESSaM ENTEriNG the uNiTED STaTES

from caNaDa with EXplOSiVES

 

resourcefulness	and	ingenuity	in	developing	asymmetrical	tactics	to	strike	
TERRORISM 2002-2005

45

the	prevention	of	entry	into	and	deportation	of	alien	terrorists	from	the	United	States	

and	the	prosecution	of	those	who	provide	material	support	to	a	designated	terrorist	

organization.		

In	a	reflection	of	the	changing	dynamics	of	terrorism,	the	U.S.	government	responded	

legislatively	and	administratively	to	the	WMD	threat.		In	1996	the	passage	of	the	Defense	

Against	Weapons	of	Mass	Destruction	Act—also	known	as	the	Nunn-Lugar-Domenici	

Program	after	the	three	senators	who	sponsored	the	legislation—established	first-responder	

training.		On	May	28,	1998,	President	Clinton	issued	Presidential	Decision	Directives	62	

and	63	(PDDs	62	and	63).		PDD	62	established	guidelines	for	FBI-led	interagency	cooperation	in	the	detection,	prevention,	and	consequence	management	of	terrorist	incidents	

involving	WMD.		PDD	63	set	objectives	for	protecting	the	nation’s	infrastructure	from	

attack.		On	October	16,	1998,	Congress	established	the	interagency	National	Domestic	

Preparedness	Office	at	FBI	Headquarters	to	coordinate	federal	assistance	programs	and	to	

streamline	the	process	of	delivering	that	assistance	to	state	and	local	communities	in	the	

event	of	a	catastrophic	terrorist	attack.

FBi iNiTiaTiVES

During	the	1990s,	the	FBI’s	counterterrorism	program	underwent	several	organizational	

transformations	that	led	to	the	eventual	creation	of	a	Counterterrorism	Division	within	

the	Bureau.		On	March	18,	1994,	the	Intelligence	Division	was	renamed	the	National	

Security	Division,	retaining	foreign	counterintelligence	responsibilities	and	taking	over	

the	Criminal	Investigative	Division’s	domestic	and	international	terrorism	responsibilities.	

In	1998,	the	FBI	established	a	strategic	plan	that	set	flexible	investigative	priorities	within	

a	three-tiered	structure:		Tier	1	for	criminal	and	intelligence	matters—including	terrorism—

that	threatened	national	or	economic	security;	Tier	2	for	offenses	that	involved	criminal	

enterprises,	public	corruption,	and	violations	of	civil	rights;	and	Tier	3	for	violations	that	

affected	individual	property.		The	priority	given	to	counterterrorism	was	reflected	in	FBI	

Director	Louis	J.	Freeh’s	(1993-2001)	October	29,	1999,	transfer	of	the	National	Security	

Division’s	counterterrorism	components	into	two	new	complementary	divisions—the	

Counterterrorism	Division	and	the	Investigative	Services	Division—that	took	responsibility	for	most	of	the	old	division’s	operational	and	analytical	functions,	respectively.		

The	FBI’s	liaison	activities	also	evolved	during	this	period.		Domestically,	the	New	York	

JTTF	took	part	in	several	high-profile	terrorism-related	investigations	in	the	mid-1990s.		

Its	proven	value	led	to	the	expansion	of	the	JTTF	program	to	other	field	offices	and	

spurred	an	increase	in	the	participation	of	federal,	state,	and	local	member	agencies	in	

the	task	forces.		In	1996,	JTTFs	received	executive	endorsement	when	President	Clinton	

issued	PDD	39	authorizing	the	Bureau	to	provide	a	coordinated	law	enforcement	effort.		

PDDs	62	and	63	led	to	the	establishment	of	the	multi-agency	Domestic	Emergency	

Support	Team	(DEST),	coordinated	by	the	FBI	and	deployed	by	the	FBI	Director.6			On	

OcTOBEr 12, 2000

BOMBiNG of uSS cOlE

17 killed at least 40 injured 

JuNE 11, 2001

OKlahOMa ciTy BOMBEr

TiMOThy McVEiGh

EXEcuTED;

FirST FEDEral EXEcuTiON in 38 yEarS

SEpTEMBEr 11, 2001

al-Qa’iDa OpEraTiVES hiJacK and craSh FOur cOMMErcial airliNErS into 

WOrlD TraDE cENTEr, pENTaGON, and STONycrEEK TOWNShip

2,972 killed

6 The	FBI	also	participates	in	the	Foreign	

Emergency	Support	

Team	(FEST)	coordinated	by	the	U.S.	

Department	of	State.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

46

November	20,	1998,	a	technologically	upgraded	Strategic	Information	and	Operations	

Center	(SIOC)	opened	at	FBI	Headquarters	to	manage	and	monitor	major	events	and	crises,	including	those	requiring	a	counterterrorism	response.7

				

The	bombings	of	the	World	Trade	Center,	the	Khobar	Towers,	and	the	East	African	

embassies	made	clear	the	importance	of	international	cooperation	in	investigations	of	

international	acts	of	terrorism.		As	part	of	its	cooperative	efforts	with	international	law	

enforcement,	Director	Freeh	expanded	the	number	of	Legat	offices	to	42	by	the	spring	of	

2001.		The	FBI	also	took	lead-agency	responsibility	for	establishing	the	International	Law	

Enforcement	Academy	(ILEA)	to	provide	professional	law	enforcement	education	to	foreign	nationals	overseas	including	counterterrorism	components;	the	first	ILEA	opened	in	

1994	in	Budapest,	Hungary.

Until	the	last	decade	of	the	20th	century,	criminal	threats	within	the	United	States	set	

a	domestic	agenda	for	the	FBI.		The	East	African	embassy	bombings,	however,	elevated	

al-Qa’ida	to	the	highest	priority	of	FBI	counterterrorism.		On	November	4,	1998,	Usama	

Bin	Ladin	was	indicted	for	his	role	in	the	embassy	bombings,	and	the	U.S.	Department	

of	State	issued	an	unprecedented	$5	million	reward	for	his	apprehension.8			In	April	1999	

the	FBI	placed	Bin	Ladin	on	its	Ten	Most	Wanted	Fugitives	List,	and	in	the	same	year	

established	a	dedicated	Bin	Ladin	Unit	at	FBI	Headquarters.		

In	1998,	the	FBI	formalized	its	ability	to	respond	to	international	terrorist	incidents	by	

creating	Rapid	Deployment	Teams	(RDTs),	which	swiftly	bring	investigative	personnel	and	

resources	to	attack	sites	where	an	FBI	presence	is	otherwise	wanting	or	in	need	of	augmentation.		These	teams	are	capable	of	organizing	and	establishing	field	command	posts,	

forensically	exploring	crime	scenes,	and	conducting	criminal	investigations.		By	March	28,	

2001,	the	FBI	had	established	five	RDTs	in	four	of	its	major	field	offices.

“Cyberterrorism,”	or	the	use	of	cyber	tools	to	shut	down	critical	national	infrastructures	

for	the	purpose	of	coercing	or	intimidating	a	government	or	civilian	population,	emerged	

as	a	threat	at	the	end	of	the	last	century.		While	terrorist	groups	have	not	yet	employed	

cyber	tools	as	a	weapon	against	critical	U.S.	infrastructures,	their	acquisition	of	computer	

expertise	and	reliance	on	information	technology	to	formulate	plans,	raise	funds,	spread	

propaganda,	and	engage	in	secure	communications	represent	clear	warning	signs.		In	1996	

the	FBI	established	the	Computer	Investigation	and	Infrastructure	Threat	Center	(CIITC)	

at	FBI	Headquarters.		On	February	26,	1998,	President	Clinton	expanded	CIITC	into	the	

multi-agency	National	Infrastructure	Protection	Center	(NIPC),	to	serve	as	the	focal	point	

for	the	government’s	effort	to	warn	of	and	respond	to	domestic	and	international	cyber	

intrusions.9

7 SIOC	was	originally	conceived	

in	1987	in	response	to	prison	

riots	at	Oakdale,	Louisiana,	and	

Atlanta,	Georgia.		These	concurrent	incidents	suggested	the	need	

to	provide	integrated	

support	to	FBI	field	offices	in	

major	crises.		SIOC	first	became	

operational	under	the	aegis	of	

the	Criminal	Investigative	Division	

on	January	20,	1989,	in	time	

for	the	inauguration	of	the	elder	

President	Bush.		In	subsequent	

years,	management	of	SIOC	

transferred	to	the	Investigative	

Services	Division	and	the	Critical	

Incident	Response	Group	

before	being	integrated	into	the	

Counterterrorism	Division	in	

April	2003.

	

OcTOBEr 7, 2001

uNiTED STaTES BEGiNS

MiliTary acTiON in aFGhaNiSTaN

Fall 2001

aNThraX-TaiNTED lETTErS SENT through u.S. pOSTal SySTEM

FirST criMiNal uSE of a BiOlOGical TOXiN

18 infected 5 deaths

SEpTEMBEr 23, 2001

EXEcuTiVE OrDEr 13224 ENacTED 

BlOcKiNG TErrOriST aSSESTS

8 Four	al-Qa’ida	members	

have	received	life	sentences	for	conspiring	to	

kill	Americans	in	the	East	

African	embassy	bombings.		

Two	other	suspects	await	

trial,	and	16	others,	including	Usama	Bin	Ladin,	stand	

indicted.		

9 NIPC	now	operates	under	

the	aegis	of	the	Department	

of	Homeland	Security.		In	

December	2001,	Director	

Robert	S.	Mueller	III	approved	

creation	of	the	FBI’s	Cyber	

Division	to	address	cyber	investigations	formerly	addressed	

by	the	Counterterrorism	and	

Criminal	Investigative	Divisions.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

47

THE	“WAR	ON	TERRORISM”	

(SEPTEMBER	11,	2001-PRESENT)

TErrOriSM TrENDS

Beginning	in	the	late	1950s	the	most	serious	terrorist	threat	to	U.S.	civil	aviation	came	

in	the	form	of	hijackings	of	commercial	aircraft.		In	these	incidents,	the	aircraft	provided	

hijackers	both	transportation	to	diverted	destinations	and	a	ready	supply	of	hostages	for	

leverage	in	their	negotiations	with	government	authorities.		By	the	late	1980s—as	seen	in	

the	1988	bombing	of	Pan	Am	flight	103	over	Lockerbie,	Scotland,	and	in	the	prevented	

“Manila	Air”	plot	of	1994—the	threat	to	civil	aviation	began	to	include	the	targeting	of	

commercial	aircraft	and	their	passengers	and	crews	for	destruction.		

On	the	morning	of	September	11,	2001,	al-Qa’ida	directed	its	ruthless	ingenuity	toward	

the	further	exploitation	of	civil	aviation	when	19	of	its	operatives	hijacked	four	U.S.	

commercial	airliners	for	use	as	suicide	weapons	against	selected	political,	military,	and	

economic	targets	on	the	U.S.	East	Coast.		The	hijackers	used	knives,	boxcutters,	and	possibly	pepper	spray	to	commandeer	the	aircraft.		Three	of	the	aircraft	struck	their	targets,	

destroying	the	Twin	Towers	of	the	World	Trade	Center	in	New	York	City	and	badly	

damaging	the	Pentagon	in	Arlington,	Virginia.		The	fourth	aircraft	crashed	into	a	remote	

field	in	Stonycreek	Township,	Pennsylvania,	as	passengers	attempted	to	regain	control	

of	the	airplane.		All	of	the	passengers	on	each	of	the	aircraft	were	killed	in	the	attack,	as	

were	more	than	2,500	people	in	the	Twin	Towers	and	the	Pentagon.		In	total,	2,972	people	died	in	the	September	11	attack,	making	it	the	most	deadly	act	of	terrorism	ever	committed.10		The	September	11	attack	also	marked	the	first	known	suicide	terrorist	attack	

carried	out	in	the	United	States	since	the	FBI	began	keeping	terrorist	records.	

The	threat	of	terrorism	is	expected	to	continue	from	both	international	and	domestic	

sources.	Internationally,	at	least	two	operational	trends	are	evident	in	the	militant	Islamic	

jihad	movement.		First	is	a	preference	for	high-casualty,	high-profile	attacks	directed	

against	lower-risk,	unofficial,	so-called	“soft”	targets,	as	traditional	military	and	diplomatic	targets	become	increasingly	hardened.		Second,	the	dissolution	of	much	of	al-Qa’ida’s	

structure	by	international	military	and	law	enforcement	efforts	has	resulted	in	the	dispersal	of	its	multinational	trainees	to	pursue	their	own	regional	agendas.		The	following	terrorist	incidents	from	September	11,	2001,	through	2005	may	involve	both	trends:		

	 •	 On	October	12,	2002,	a	nightclub	bombing	on	the	Indonesian	island	of	

	 	 Bali	killed	approximately	200	people,	including	seven	Americans,	and	on

		 	 August	5,	2003,	a	bombing	of	the	JW	Marriott	Hotel	in	Jakarta,	Indonesia,		

	 	 resulted	in	15	deaths.		Both	of	these	bombings	have	been	attributed	to	memOcTOBEr 10, 2001

FBi ESTaBliShES

MOST WaNTED TErrOriST liST

OcTOBEr 26, 2001

uSa paTriOT acT paSSED into laW

DEcEMBEr 12, 2001

ZacariaS MOuSSaOui iNDicTED

on SiX cOuNTS of cONSpiracy 

for hiS rOlE in 9/11 aTTacK

10 This	number	does	not	include	

the	19	hijackers,	all	of	whom	

died	in	the	attack.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

48

	 	 bers	of	the	Jemaah	Islamiyya	terrorist	organization,	a	Southeast	Asian-based

		 	 terrorist	network	with	links	to	al-Qa’ida.

	 •	 On	May	12	and	November	9,	2003,	al-Qa’ida	operatives	conducted	bombings

		 	 of	residential	compounds	that	housed	Western	workers	in	Riyadh,	Saudi		

	 	 Arabia.		The	first	incident	claimed	dozens	of	lives	and	injured	nearly	200	

	 	 others.		The	second	resulted	in	18	deaths	and	over	120	injuries.		

	 •	 On	May	16,	2003,	five	nearly	simultaneous	explosions	in	Casablanca,		

	 	 Morocco,	killed	41	people	and	injured	approximately	100	others.		Although		

	 	 no	definitive	evidence	links	al-Qa’ida	to	the	bombings	in	Casablanca,	the		

	 	 Sunni	extremist	group	responsible	for	this	attack	may	have	al-Qa’ida	ties.	

	 •	 On	March	11,	2004,	a	series	of	10	bombs	detonated	on	four	commuter		

	 	 trains	in	Madrid,	Spain.		The	near	simultaneous	explosions	killed	191	people		

	 	 and	injured	more	than	1,400	others.		Spanish	police	have	traced	responsibil-	

	 	 ity	for	the	attack	to	Moroccan	Islamic	militants	with	ties	to	al-Qa’ida.

	 •	 On	July	7,	2005,	four	coordinated	bomb	blasts	struck	London’s	public	transit

		 	 system	during	the	morning	rush	hour.		Fifty-two	people	were	killed	and		

	 	 approximately	700	injured	in	the	attack,	including	the	death	of	one		 	

	 	 American	and	the	wounding	of	four	others.		The	London	bombing	was	dis-

	 	 tinctive	in	having	involved	“homegrown”	jihadist	terrorists	operating	in	a		

	 	 Western,	predominantly	non-Muslim	country.

The	use	of	WMD	against	civilian	targets	represents	the	most	serious	potential	international	and	domestic	terrorism	threat	facing	the	United	States	today	and	provides	a	glimpse	

into	emerging	terrorist	scenarios	of	the	21st	century.		A	variety	of	intelligence	reporting	

indicates	that	al-Qa’ida	has	energetically	sought	to	acquire	and	experiment	with	biological,	

chemical,	and	radiological	weapons	of	mass	destruction.		The	January	2003	arrests	in	the	

United	Kingdom	of	Algerian	extremists	suspected	of	producing	the	biological	toxin	ricin	

exemplifies	the	interest	some	Islamic	militants	have	in	the	operational	use	of	such	agents.		

In	April	2004,	Jordanian	authorities	disrupted	a	plot	by	Islamic	extremists	to	generate	a	

cloud	of	cyanide	gas	in	Amman.		

Ricin	and	the	bacterial	agent	anthrax	are	emerging	as	the	most	prevalent	agents	involved	

in	WMD	investigations.		Prior	to	the	fall	of	2001,	there	had	been	no	criminal	cases	involving	the	actual	use	of	anthrax	in	the	United	States.		In	September	and	October	of	that	

year,	however,	several	anthrax-tainted	letters	were	received	in	Florida,	New	York,	New	

Jersey,	Connecticut,	and	the	District	of	Columbia.		The	contaminations	resulted	in	five	

fatalities	and	22	infections.		On	February	2,	2004,	in	an	incident	for	which	no	threat	was	

made	or	threat	letter	identified,	ricin	was	discovered	on	the	automated	mail	opening	system	used	in	the	Washington,	D.C.,	office	of	U.S.	Senate	Majority	Leader	William	Frist.		

Both	the	anthrax	mailings	of	2001	and	the	2004	ricin	incident	remain	under	investigation	by	the	FBI,	and	their	connection	to	domestic	or	international	terrorism	has	not	been	

determined.			

July 2002Zaca

crEaTiON of the

NaTiONal JOiNT TErrOriSM 

TaSK FOrcE

SEpTEMBEr 13-14, 2002Zaca

arrEST of 

lacKaWaNNa SiX

TErrOr cEll MEMBErS

OcTOBEr 4, 2002Zaca

JOhN WalKEr liNDh SENTENcED 

to 20 yEarS in priSON after plEaDiNG

GuilTy to TErrOriSM charGES

JuNE 21, 2002Zaca

crEaTiON of the

FBi Fly TEaM
TERRORISM 2002-2005

49

lEGiSlaTiVE acTiON

In	his	September	20,	2001,	address	to	a	Joint	Session	of	Congress	and	the	American	people,	President	Bush	declared	a	war	to	disrupt	global	terrorism,	beginning	with	al-Qa’ida.		

The	war	on	terrorism	has	included	military	action	to	overthrow	Afghanistan’s	Taliban	

government	and	Sadaam	Hussein’s	Baathist	regime	in	Iraq,	as	well	as	a	multifaceted	campaign	involving	diplomacy,	economic	sanctions,	covert	intelligence	operations,	and	law	

enforcement	action.		In	the	weeks	immediately	following	the	September	11,	2001,	attack,	

Congress	and	the	President	enacted	legislation	and	policies	intended	to	minimize	the	possibility	of	another	catastrophic	act	of	terrorism	from	occurring	on	U.S.	soil.

On	October	26,	2001,	Congress	passed	the	Uniting	and	Strengthening	America	by	

Providing	Appropriate	Tools	Required	to	Interrupt	and	Obstruct	Terrorism	Act	of	2001	

(USA	PATRIOT	Act),	which	includes	changes	to	national	security	authorities,	criminal	

and	immigration	laws,	and	money-laundering	and	victim	assistance	statutes.		In	making	

these	modifications	to	existing	laws,	Congress	intended	to	strengthen	the	capabilities	

of	federal	law	enforcement	in	the	fight	against	terrorism	while	simultaneously	protecting	civil	liberties.		The	USA	PATRIOT	Act	improved	the	processes	by	which	federal	law	

enforcement	officials	obtain	legal	authority	for	conducting	surveillance	and	allowed	for	

greater	information	sharing	between	criminal	investigators	and	intelligence	collectors.		

The	act	modified	the	definition	of	terrorism	as	a	federal	crime	to	include	several	offenses	

likely	to	be	committed	by	terrorists,	including	certain	computer	crimes	and	a	number	of	

violent	crimes	involving	aircraft.		New	federal	offenses	include	attacks	on	mass	transportation	systems,	vehicles,	facilities,	or	passengers;	harboring	or	concealing	persons	who	

have	committed	or	are	about	to	commit	an	act	of	terrorism;	expansion	of	the	prohibition	

against	providing	material	support	or	resources	to	terrorists;	and	possessing	a	biological	

agent	or	toxin	of	a	type	or	in	a	quantity	that	is	not	reasonably	justified	for	specifically	

defined	purposes.		Additionally,	the	inclusion	of	the	International	Money	Laundering	

Abatement	and	Financial	Anti-Terrorism	Act	of	2001	into	the	USA	PATRIOT	Act	significantly	increased	the	United	States’	ability	to	combat	the	financing	of	terrorism.

On	October	29,	2001,	President	Bush	issued	Homeland	Security	Presidential	Directive	

No.	2	(HSPD-2).		Among	its	provisions,	HSPD-2	offers	federal	guidance	for	keeping	foreign	terrorists	and	their	supporters	out	of	the	United	States	through	entry	denial,	removal,	and	prosecution.		

On	November	27,	2002,	Congress	and	the	President	created	the	National	Commission	

on	Terrorist	Attacks	Upon	the	United	States	(Public	Law	107-306)	with	a	mandate	“to	

investigate	‘facts	and	circumstances	relating	to	the	terrorist	attacks	of	September	11,	2001,’	

including	those	relating	to	intelligence	agencies,	law	enforcement	agencies,	diplomacy,	

immigration	issues	and	border	control,	the	flow	of	assets	to	terrorist	organizations,	commercial	aviation,	the	role	of	congressional	oversight	and	resource	allocation,”	and	other	

relevant	areas.11			

NOVEMBEr 25, 2002Zaca

hOMElaND SEcuriTy acT OF 2002 OFFicially

ESTaBliShES the u.S. DEparTMENT of 

hOMElaND SEcuriTy

NOVEMBEr 8, 2002Zaca

SyMBiONESE liBEraTiON arMy MEMBEr JaMES WilliaM KilGOrE

arrESTED in capE TOWN, SOuTh aFrica

OcTOBEr 12, 2002Zaca

JEMaah iSlaMiyya BOMBiNG OF NiGhTcluB

in Bali, iNDONESia

202 killed 

11 National	Commission	

on	Terrorist	Attacks	Upon	

the	United	States,	The 9/11 

Commission Report	(New	York:	

W.W.	Norton	&	Co.,	2004),	

preface,	xv.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

50

On	July	22,	2004,	the	9/11	Commission	published	a	summary	of	its	investigative	findings	along	with	recommendations	designed	to	guard	against	future	attacks.		In	response	

to	this	report,	President	Bush	signed	into	law	on	December	8	the	Intelligence	Reform	

and	Terrorism	Prevention	Act	of	2004	(IRTPA).		This	act	instituted	reforms	to	FISA	

and	modifications	to	material	support	statutes	for	prosecuting	terrorists.		The	IRTPA	also	

created	the	Office	of	the	Director	of	National	Intelligence	and	established	the	Director	

of	National	Intelligence	(DNI)	as	the	head	of	the	U.S.	Intelligence	Community.		In	addition,	the	act	created	the	National	Counter	Proliferation	Center	to	oversee	the	Intelligence	

Community’s	efforts	against	the	proliferation	of	weapons	of	mass	destruction;	the	Joint	

Intelligence	Community	Council	to	assist	the	DNI	in	establishing	a	collective	national	

intelligence	effort;	the	Privacy	and	Civil	Liberties	Oversight	Board	within	the	Executive	

Office;	and	instituted	the	joint-agency	National	Counterterrorism	Center	as	the	primary	

entity	for	analyzing	intelligence	pertaining	to	transnational	terrorism.		

FBi iNiTiaTiVES

Director	Robert	S.	Mueller	III	(2001-present)	took	office	in	the	FBI	on	September	4,	

2001,	with	an	agenda	to	restructure	the	Bureau	and	upgrade	its	technology.		Seven	days	

later,	the	September	11	terrorist	attack	gave	greater	urgency	to	this	agenda	and	focused	it	

on	the	prevention	of	future	terrorist	attacks.		On	May	29,	2002,	Director	Mueller	formally	

elevated	counterterrorism	and	the	prevention	of	future	terrorist	attacks	against	U.S.	interests	to	the	FBI’s	preeminent	mission.		In	response	to	this	mandate,	the	FBI	moved	away	

from	its	traditional	field-oriented	approach	to	setting	priorities	and	managing	cases,	to	a	

more	centralized	national	approach	in	which	counterterrorism	was	the	overriding	priority	

in	every	field	office	and	all	international	counterterrorism	cases	were	managed	centrally	

by	FBI	Headquarters.		The	shift	of	resources	to	meet	this	new	priority	has	resulted	in	a	

significant	structural	reorganization	at	the	FBI	that	includes	a	greatly	expanded	counterterrorism	program.	

March 1, 2003Zaca

KhaliD ShEiK MOhaMMED, al-Qa’iDa 

OpEraTiONal cOMMaNDEr and MaSTErMiND

of 9/11 aTTacK capTurED in paKiSTaN

March 20, 2003Zaca

uNiTED STaTES and cOaliTiON parTNErS 

BEGiN MiliTary acTiON in iraQ

May 12, 2003Zaca

BOMBiNG of rESiDENTial cOMpOuNDS

in riyaDh, SauDi araBia
TERRORISM 2002-2005

51

			 FBi priOriTiES

 Three factors influence the ranking of priorities: the significance of the threat to 

 the security of the United States; the priority the American public places upon the 

 threat; and the degree to which addressing the threat falls most exclusively within 

 the FBI’s jurisdiction. In executing the following priorities, the FBI produces and 

 uses intelligence to protect the nation from threats and to bring to justice those who 

 violate the law. 

 1. Protect the United States from terrorist attack.

 2. Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations

 and espionage.

 3. Protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and high-

 technology crimes.

 4. Combat public corruption at all levels.

 5. Protect civil rights.

 6. Combat transnational and national criminal organizations and

 enterprises.

 7. Combat major white-collar crime.

 8. Combat significant violent crime.

 9. Support federal, state, municipal, and international partners.

 10. Upgrade technology to successfully perform the FBI’s mission.

 As the top priority, counterterrorism receives first consideration throughout the 

 Bureau in the allocation of funding, physical space, resources, and the hiring and 

 training of personnel.

The	current	shape	of	the	Counterterrorism	Division	reflects	the	complexity	of	terrorism	

as	the	United	States	currently	faces	it,	with	branches,	sections,	and	units	that	focus	upon	

domestic	terrorism,	different	global	regions	of	international	terrorist	activity,	and	terrorists’	methods	of	operation,	finance,	and	communication.		This	reorganization	supports	

the	Bureau’s	current	strategic	mission	of	preventing	terrorist	attacks	while	preserving	the	

civil	liberties	of	all	American	citizens.		This	strategic	mission	also	identifies	the	Bureau’s	

law	enforcement	and	domestic	intelligence	leadership	roles	within	the	U.S.	Intelligence	

Community.		In	these	leadership	capacities,	the	FBI	defines	the	domestic	and	international	

terrorism	threats	to	the	Homeland,	contributes	to	the	Intelligence	Community	in	its	evaluation	of	those	threats,	and	provides	investigative	and	crisis	response	in	the	event	a	terrorist	

attack	does	occur.		Many	of	the	organizational	changes,	developments	in	strategic	mission,	

and	the	initiatives	discussed	below	anticipated	the	recommendations	made	in	July	2004,	

when	the	9/11	Commission	published	its	endorsement	of	the	FBI’s	continuing	role	in	

terrorism	prevention	and	urged	the	Bureau	to	institutionalize	and	cultivate	its	expertise	in	

intelligence	and	national	security.12

12 	National	Commission	on	

Terrorist	Attacks	upon	the	United	

States,	The 9/11 Commission Report,

423-27.

FEBruary 9, 2004Zaca

FiNal SENTENciNG in

pOrTlaND TErrOr cEll caSE

auGuST 5, 2003Zaca

JEMaah iSlaMiyya BOMBiNG of

JW MarriOTT hOTEl in JaKarTa, iNDONESia

11 killed

May 31, 2003Zaca

Eric rOBErT ruDOlph arrESTED and

charGED in cONNEcTiON to SEVEral 

BOMBiNGS, iNcluDiNG a BOMBiNG at 

cENTENNial OlyMpic parK in aTlaNTa, GEOrGia
TERRORISM 2002-2005

52

FOcuS ON prEVENTiON

One	of	the	most	effective	weapons	in	the	prevention	of	terrorist	attacks	involves	the	gathering,	analysis,	and	dissemination	of	intelligence	and	the	full	integration	of	that	intelligence	into	investigations,	operations,	and	crisis	response.		To	this	end,	in	December	

2001,	the	FBI	merged	the	counterterrorism	analytical	activities	of	the	Investigative	

Services	Division	into	the	Counterterrorism	Division	and	established	the	Office	of	

Intelligence	to	cultivate	the	division’s	analytical	workforce	and	develop	informationsharing	policies.		In	response	to	the	IRTPA	and	a	subsequent	Presidential	directive,	the	

FBI	redesignated	the	Office	of	Intelligence	as	the	Directorate	of	Intelligence	and,	in	

September	2005,	incorporated	it	into	the	newly	created	National	Security	Branch,	which	

oversees	all	of	the	Bureau’s	national	intelligence	programs,	projects,	activities,	and	workforce.	

Domestically	through	its	field	offices,	and	internationally	through	its	Legat	offices,	the	

FBI	has	a	significant	infrastructure	in	place	by	which	to	gather	intelligence.		Although	

the	FBI	has	traditionally	employed	its	intelligence	analysts	in	“tactical,”	or	case-specific	

support	capacities,	the	mandate	to	prevent	acts	of	terrorism	has	led	the	FBI	to	develop	

a	professional	corps	of	analysts	who	study	broader	terrorism	trends	and	assess	priority	

threats	at	the	“strategic,”	or	predictive,	level.		In	2002,	the	Counterterrorism	Division	

established	an	Analytical	Branch	to	develop	actionable	and	strategic	intelligence	for	

FBI	field	offices,	the	U.S.	Intelligence	Community,	and	domestic	and	international	law	

enforcement	partners.		In	September	2003,	the	FBI	established	Field	Intelligence	Groups	

in	each	of	its	field	offices	to	analyze	and	direct	the	collection	of	information,	and	ensure	

its	appropriate	dissemination.

		

FOcuS ON parTNErShipS

The	timely	two-way	flow	of	information	between	appropriate	federal,	state,	and	local	

partners	is	a	key	element	in	dismantling	terrorist	organizations	and	eliminating	threats.		

Whereas	the	primary	consumer	of	FBI	intelligence	used	to	be	its	field	offices,	FBI	agents	

and	analysts	now	regularly	communicate	with	the	larger	U.S.	Intelligence	Community	

and	other	federal	agencies,	law	enforcement	partners	at	the	state	and	local	levels,	and	

private	and	public	sectors	of	society.		At	the	federal	level,	a	new,	multi-agency	National	

Joint	Terrorism	Task	Force	(NJTTF)	was	integrated	into	the	Counterterrorism	Division	

at	FBI	Headquarters	in	June	2002.		Staffed	by	representatives	from	more	than	40	federal,	

state,	and	local	agencies,	the	NJTTF	coordinates	the	flow	of	information	between	its	participating	entities	and	over	100	JTTFs	that	were	in	place	nationwide	by	the	end	of	2005.		

In	addition,	the	FBI	details	agents	and	analysts	to	numerous	federal	agencies,	including	

the	CIA,	National	Security	Agency,	National	Security	Council,	Defense	Intelligence	

Agency,	Department	of	Homeland	Security,	and	the	National	Counterterrorism	Center	

(NCTC).13			

July 22, 2004Zaca

The NaTiONal cOMMiSSiON 

on TErrOriST aTTacKS 

upON the uNiTED STaTES puBliShES

The 9/11 cOMMiSSiON rEpOrT

SEpTEMBEr 29, 2004Zaca

SENTENciNG in 

uSS cOlE BOMBiNG

March 11, 2004Zaca

BOMBiNGS of the MaDriD 

TraNSiT SySTEM

191 killed 

approximately 1700 wounded 

DEcEMBEr 8, 2004Zaca

iNTElliGENcE rEFOrM and TErrOriSM

prEVENTiON acT SiGNED into laW

13 	The	Terrorist	Threat	

Integration	Center	(TTIC)	was	

established	by	presidential	directive	and	became	operational	on	

May	1,	2003.		NCTC	replaced	

TTIC	on	December	6,	2004.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

53

In	response	to	HSPD-2,	the	Attorney	General	established	the	Foreign	Terrorist	Tracking	

Task	Force	(FTTTF)	to	track	and	identify	terrorists	and,	on	August	6,	2002,	consolidated	the	task	force	into	the	FBI.		In	addition	to	its	federal	agency	participants,	the	

FTTTF	maintains	a	close	liaison	with	foreign	intelligence	and	law	enforcement	services.		

In	another	terrorist	tracking	initiative,	on	September	16,	2003,	the	President	directed	

the	Attorney	General,	Secretary	of	Homeland	Security,	Secretary	of	State,	and	Director	

of	Central	Intelligence	to	develop	the	Terrorist	Screening	Center	(TSC)	to	consolidate	

information	from	terrorist	watch	lists	and	provide	24-hour,	seven-day-a-week	operational	

support	for	law	enforcement,	consular	officers,	and	other	officials.		The	TSC	began	

operations	on	December	1,	2003.

An	example	of	interagency	cooperation	led	by	the	FBI	involves	the	analysis	of	improvised	explosive	devices	(IEDs)—a	technology	used	in	most	of	the	terrorist	attacks	against	

U.S.	citizens	and	interests	during	the	past	five	years.		These	explosives	often	reflect	the	

unique	characteristics,	or	signature,	of	the	terrorist	organizations	or	individuals	who	

made	them.		In	December	2003	the	FBI	Laboratory	began	preliminary	operations	of	

the	Terrorist	Explosive	Device	Analytical	Center	(TEDAC)	to	coordinate	and	manage	

a	national	effort	to	gather	and	analyze	information	on	IEDs	recovered	both	inside	and	

outside	the	United	States.		TEDAC	uses	the	knowledge	gained	from	its	analysis	to	assist	

in	the	investigation	of	terrorist	bombing	attacks,	to	develop	countermeasures	to	defeat	

IEDs,	and	to	train	first-responders	in	terrorist	IED	techniques.	

april 26, 2005Zaca

ali al-TiMiMi, SpiriTual lEaDEr of

the “VirGiNia JihaD” GrOup,

cONVicTED on TErrOriSM charGES

april 24, 2005Zaca

ZacariaS MOuSSaOui plEaDS GuilTy

to SiX charGES in cONNEcTiON to the

9/11 attack

april 6, 2005Zaca

crEaTiViTy lEaDEr MaTThEW halE SENTENcED

to 40 yEarS iN priSON for SOliciTaTiON of

ViOlENcE and OBSTrucTiON of JuSTicE

14 Beginning	on	August	6,	2004,	

the	FBI	began	routinely	disseminating	bulletins	jointly	with	the	

U.S.	Department	of	Homeland	

Security.

Shortly	after	the	events	of	September	11,	2001,	the	FBI	undertook	several	initiatives	to	

integrate	state	and	local	law	enforcement	into	counterterrorism	operations.		On	February	

27,	2002,	the	Counterterrorism	Division	issued	its	first	weekly	FBI	Intelligence	Bulletin	

to	provide	actionable	terrorism-related	intelligence	to	law	enforcement	partners.		The	

Bulletin	currently	reaches	more	than	60	federal	agencies,	all	FBI	field	offices	and	Legats,	

and	more	than	18,000	state	and	local	law	enforcement	agencies	through	secure	communication	systems.14			Since	September	11,	2001,	the	Counterterrorism	Division	has	also	

disseminated	Intelligence	Assessments	and	several	thousand	Information	Intelligence	

Reports	to	the	U.S.	Intelligence	Community	and	appropriate	state	and	local	law	

enforcement	entities.		In	spring	2002	the	FBI	created	the	Office	of	Law	Enforcement	

Coordination	(OLEC)	as	a	liaison	between	the	Bureau	and	other	law	enforcement	organizations.		In	response	to	a	USA	PATRIOT	Act	mandate,	the	FBI	has	participated	with	

other	federal	agencies	in	the	State	and	Local	Anti-Terrorism	Training	initiative	(SLATT),	

which	has	raised	the	level	of	counterterrorism	expertise	and	developed	professional	relationships	among	law	enforcement	partners.	
TERRORISM 2002-2005

54

July 7, 2005Zaca

BOMBiNGS of the lONDON TraNSiT SySTEM

52 killed approximately 700 injured

July 18, 2005Zaca

Eric rOBErT ruDOlph SENTENcED

to liFE in priSON

auGuST 30, 2005Zaca

SEaN GillESpiE SENTENcED

to 39 yEarS for FirEBOMBiNG

a SyNaGOGuE in 2004

GlOBal FOcuS

The	investigation	into	the	September	11,	2001,	attack—which	at	its	height	involved	more	

than	7,000	FBI	agents	and	support	personnel,	including	approximately	700	personnel	

deployed	overseas—underscored	the	global	nature	of	terrorism	and	the	ability	of	terrorists	

to	plan,	finance,	and	conduct	operations	in	a	variety	of	countries	around	the	world.		The	

transition	in	recent	decades	from	terrorism	as	a	primarily	domestic	concern	to	one	of	

global	implications	has	led	the	FBI	to	develop	its	intelligence	and	law	enforcement	partnerships	worldwide.		

This	has	led	to	new	initiatives	and	the	cultivation	of	old	ones,	including	the	continued	

expansion	of	the	Legat	program	and	the	offering	of	counterterrorism	training	to	international	law	enforcement	agencies	at	the	National	Academy	at	Quantico	and	International	

Law	Enforcement	Academies	in	Budapest,	Hungary;	Bangkok,	Thailand;	and	Gaborone,	

Botswana.		Other	venues	of	international	cooperation	include	FBI	participation	in	the	

Group	of	8,	the	Organization	of	American	States,	the	NATO	alliance,	and	chairing	the	

International	Association	of	Chiefs	of	Police	Committee	on	Terrorism.		

In	October	2001	the	FBI	established	a	Most	Wanted	Terrorists	List	to	engage	the	international	public’s	assistance	in	the	war	on	terrorism.		Set	at	22	names,	this	list	places	a	“global	spotlight”	on	indicted	terrorist	suspects.		Those	who	initially	occupied	the	list	took	part	

in	the	1985	hijacking	of	TWA	flight	847,	the	1993	World	Trade	Center	bombing,	the	

“Manila	Air”	plot,	the	bombing	of	Khobar	Towers,	and	the	U.S.	embassy	bombings	in	

East	Africa.		Usama	Bin	Ladin	occupies	a	place	on	this	list	and	on	that	of	the	FBI’s	list	of	

Top	Ten	Most	Wanted	Fugitives.

cONcluSiON		

During	the	first	75	years	of	its	history	the	FBI	encountered	a	predominantly	domestic	

terrorist	threat	that	underlay	larger	criminal	trends.		Between	the	World	Wars,	this	threat	

came	primarily	from	right-wing	extremists,	then	shifted	to	left-wing,	socialist-oriented	

groups	beginning	in	the	1950s	and	continuing	into	the	1980s.		In	the	early	1980s,	international	terrorism–sponsored	primarily	by	states	or	organizations–began	to	impact	US	

interests	overseas	and	led	to	legislation	that	extended	the	FBI’s	responsibilities	to	cover	

terrorist	threats	originating	outside	the	United	States	and	its	territories.		The	1990s	saw	

a	new	era	of	domestic	and	international	terrorism	in	which	terrorists	sought	to	inflict	

massive	and	indiscriminate	casualties	upon	civilian	populations.		This	threat	grew	as	terrorists	began	to	seek	out	unconventional	weapons	and	weapons	of	mass	destruction.		The	

1990s	also	saw	the	rise	of	terrorism	pursued	by	loosely-affiliated	extremists,	with	examples	

ranging	from	terrorists	involved	with	domestic	special	interest	causes	to	militants	engaged	

in	international	jihad.		These	terrorism	trends	combined	into	the	September	11,	2001,	

attack	that	has	set	in	motion	an	international	effort	to	counter	the	global	terrorist	threat	

and	elevated	counterterrorism	to	the	FBI’s	preeminent	mission.		
In	his	September	20,	2001,	Address	to	a	Joint	Session	of	Congress	and	the	American	People,	President	Bush	

assured	his	audience	that	in	the	present	conflict	with	terrorism,	violence	would	be	met	with	“patient	justice.”		The	

struggle	against	terrorism—especially	that	currently	waged	against	al-Qa’ida—is	one	of	endurance,	and	it	is	one	in	

which	the	FBI	is	prepared	to	engage	with	unflagging	persistence.		Although	the	preeminent	mission	of	protecting	

the	United	States	from	terrorist	attack	is	changing	the	character	of	the	FBI	as	a	whole,	an	abiding	strength	of	the	

FBI	remains	its	tradition	of	excellence	in	vigorously	investigating	and	prosecuting	criminal	acts.		These	traditional	

pursuits	are	essential	to	the	disruption	of	terrorist	activities,	the	dismantling	of	terrorist	organizations,	and,	consequently,	the	prevention	of	future	terrorist	attacks.		By	combining	a	willingness	to	innovate	with	its	traditional	law	

enforcement	responsibilities,	the	FBI	continues	to	evolve	in	order	to	counter	the	varied	forms	of	terrorism	that	

threaten	the	interests	and	security	of	the	United	States.

55

TERRORISM 2002-2005
TERRORISM 2002-2005

56

To	ensure	that	the	most	current	terrorism-related	information	is	available	to	the	American	public,	the	

FBI	continually	evaluates,	and,	when	investigation	warrants,	updates	terrorism	statistics	presented	in	

the	Terrorism	series.		In	this	issue,	the	following	two	acts,	which	were	committed	during	1998	and	1999,	

have	been	added	to	the	concluding	chronological	summary	of	terrorist	incidents.

JUNE 27, 1998

Oso Complex Fire

Espanola,	New	Mexico

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

On	June	27,	1998,	a	wildfire	originated	by	arson	began	in	the	Espanola	Ranger	District,	10	

miles	northwest	of	Espanola,	New	Mexico.		Known	as	the	Oso	Complex	Fire,	the	blaze	reached	within	

eight	miles	of	Los	Alamos	and	burned	a	total	of	5,185	forested	acres,	including	on	Santa	Fe	National	

Forest	and	Santa	Clara	Pueblo	lands.		The	cost	to	suppress	the	fire	was	$3,433,983.		In	November	1998,	

the		Albuquerque	Journal	received	a	letter	claiming	the	wildfire	on	behalf	of	a	local	militia	group,	the	

Minutemen,	as	a	statement	against	the	killing	of	gray	wolves.		Associates	of	the	group	are	suspected	of	

arsons	and	threats	targeting	federal	and	state	land	use	and	environmental	advocacy	groups	over	apparent	disagreements	with	environmental	causes	during	the	late	1990s.		

MARCH 19, 1999

Pipe Bombing

Santa	Fe,	New	Mexico

(One act of Domestic Terrorism)

	 On	March	19,	1999,	a	pipe	bomb	improvised	explosive	device	(IED)	was	discovered	in	a	

mailbox	at	Forest	Guardians	in	Santa	Fe,	New	Mexico.		The	pipe	bomb	failed	to	detonate	apparently	

because	the	cigarette	intended	to	initiate	the	IED	burned	out	before	igniting	the	fuse.		Forest	Guardians	is	a	nonprofit	group	devoted	to	stopping	commercial	logging	in	national	forests,	and	other	environmental	issues.		

	 On	February	14,	2003,	law	enforcement	officers	with	the	FBI,	U.S.	Forest	Service,	and	Espanola,	New	Mexico	Police	arrested	Raymond	Anthony	Sandoval	for	setting	the	June	27,	1998,	Oso	

Complex	Fire	and	the	attempted	March	19,	1999,	Forest	Guardians	bombing.		On	June	25,	2003,	

Sandoval	pled	guilty	to	manufacturing	a	destructive	device,	possession	of	an	unregistered	firearm,	arson	

on	federal	land,	and	willfully	injuring	property	of	the	United	States.		On	October	7,	2003,	Sandoval,	

was	sentenced	to	84	months	incarceration	and	ordered	to	make	restitution	payment	of	$3	million.		

UPDATES
1980-2005

TERRORISM 2002-2005

57

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 1-7-80 San Juan, PR Pipe Bombing Anti-Communist Alliance 

 1-13-80 New York, NY Bombing Omega 7 4

 1-13-80 Miami, FL Bombing Omega 7 

 

 1-19-80 San Juan, PR Bombing Omega 7 

 3-12-80 Hato Rey, PR Armed Assault Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 3-15-80 Chicago, IL Hostile Takeovers (2) Armed Forces of National Liberation 

 

 3-17-80 New York, NY Bombing Croatian Freedom Fighters 3

 

 3-25-80 New York, NY Attempted Bombing Omega 7 

 

 4-19-80 Chattanooga, TN Shooting Justice Knights of the Ku Klux Klan 4

 4-30-80 New York, NY Assault Revolutionary Communist Party 

 

 6-3-80 Washington, DC Bombing Croatian Freedom Fighters

 6-3-80 New York, NY Bombing Croatian Freedom Fighters 

 7-14-80 Dorato, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Organization of Volunteers for the 

 San Juan, PR Puerto Rico Revolution

 7-14-80 Ponce, PR Multiple Arsons (2) Organization of Volunteers for the 

 Mayaguez, PR Puerto Rico Revolution

 

 7-22-80 Hato Rey, PR Multiple Bombings (4) Revolutionary Commandos of the People, 

 Santurce, PR Ready and at War 

 Rio Piedras, PR 

 

 8-20-80 Berkeley, CA Pipe Bombing Iranian Free Army 2 

 9-11-80 New York, NY Shooting Omega 7 1 

 

 10-7-80 New York, NY Attempted Bombing International Committee Against Nazism 

 10-12-80 New York, NY Bombing Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide 4

 10-12-80 Hollywood, CA Bombing Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide 1

 10-14-80 Fort Collins, CO Shooting Libyan Revolutionary Committee 1

 12-21-80 New York, NY Pipe Bombing Armed Forces of Popular Resistance 

 

 12-30-80 Hialeah, FL Attempted Bombing Omega 7 

 1-8-81 Santurce, PR Multiple Incendiary People’s Revolutionary Commandos 

 Ponce, PR Bombings (3)

 Rio Piedras, PR

 1-12-81 San Juan, PR Bombing Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 1-23-81 New York City, NY Bombing Croatian Freedom Fighters 

The	following	Chronological	Summary	includes	all	of	the	terrorist	incidents	recorded	in	the	Terrorism/Terrorism in 

the United States	series.		The	statistical	information	contained	in	the	following	summary	supports	the	graphs	and	

charts	presented	in	this	publication.
TERRORISM 2002-2005

58

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 1-26-81 San Francisco, CA Bombing Jewish Defense League/American Revenge 

 Committee

 2-2-81 Los Angeles, CA Attempted Bombing October 3 

 2-9-81 Eugene, OR Assault Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade 

 2-22-81 Hollywood, CA Bombing Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation 

 of Armenia

 3-15-81 San Juan, PR Attempted Bombing Armed Forces of Popular Resistance 

 4-21-81 Santurce, PR Robbery Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 4-27-81 Washington, DC Incendiary Bombing Iranian Patriotic Army 

 5/16-18/81 New York City, NY Multiple Bombings (5) Puerto Rican Armed Resistance 1 

 6-25-81 Torrance, CA Incendiary Bombing Jewish Defenders 

 6-26-81 Los Angeles, CA Bombing June 9 Organization 

 7-30-81 New York City, NY Hostile Takeover Libyan Students 

 

 8-7-81 Washington, DC Hostile Takeover People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran 3

 8-20-81 Washington, DC Arson Black Brigade 

 8-20-81 Los Angeles, CA Bombing June 9 Organization 

 8-27-81 Carolina, PR Bombing Grupo Estrella 

 8-31-81 New York City, NY Hostile Takeover Jewish Defense League 

 9/3-4/81 New York City, NY Multiple Bombings (2) Jewish Defense League 

 9-9-81 Washington, DC Assault Concerned Sierra Leone Nationals 

 9-11-81 Miami, FL Multiple Bombings (2) Omega 7 

 9-12-81 New York City, NY Bombing Omega 7 

 

 9-22-81 Schenectady, NY Bombing Communist Workers Party 

 

 9-24-81 Miami, FL Attempted Bombing Omega 7 

 10-1-81 Hollywood, CA Bombing Armenian Secret Army for the 

 Liberation of Armenia

 10-25-81 New York City, NY Incendiary Bombing Jewish Defense League 

 11-11-81 Santurce, PR Bombing Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 

 11-14-81 Glen Cove, NY Shooting Unaffiliated Extremists 

 11-20-81 Los Angeles, CA Bombing Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide 

 11-27-81 Fort Buchanan, PR Shooting National Liberation Movement 1

 11-27-81 Santurce, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 Condado, PR

 12-24-81 New York City, NY Attempted Pipe Jewish Defense League 

 Bombing
TERRORISM 2002-2005

59

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 

 1-28-82 Los Angeles, CA Shooting Justice Commandos of the Armenian 1 

 Genocide

 2-19-82 Miami, FL Multiple Bombings (2) Omega 7 

 2-19-82 Washington, DC Bombing Jewish Defense League 

 2-21-82 Rio Piedras, PR Pipe Bombing Antonia Martinez Student Commandos 

 2-28-82 New York City, NY Multiple Bombings (4) Armed Forces of National Liberation 

 3-22-82 Cambridge, MA Bombing Justice Commandos of the Armenian 

 Genocide

 4-5-82 Brooklyn, NY Arson Jewish Defense League 1 7

 4-28-82 New York City, NY Multiple Bombings (2) Jewish Defense League 

 

 4-29-82 San Juan, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Provisional Coordinating Committee of the 

 Bayamon, PR Labor Self-Defense Group

 4-29-82 San Juan, PR Shooting Provisional Coordinating Committee of the 

 Labor Self-Defense Group

 

 5-4-82 Somerville, MA Shooting Justice Commandos of the Armenian 1 

 Genocide 

 

 5-16-82 San Juan, PR Shooting Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros/ 1 3

 Group for the Liberation of Vieques

 

 5-17-82 Union City, NJ Incendiary Bombing Omega 7 

 5-19-82 Villa Sin Miedo, PR Shooting Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 1 12

 5-20-82 San Juan, PR Attempted Bombing Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 5-25-82 San German, PR Kidnapping Grupo Estrella 1

 

 5-30-82 Van Nuys, CA Attempted Bombing Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of 

 Armenia

 

 6-10-82 Carolina, PR Multiple Bombings (3) Armed Forces of Popular Resistance 

 7-4-82 New York City, NY Multiple Pipe Croatian Freedom Fighters 

 Astoria, NY Bombings (2)

 

 7-5-82 New York City, NY Multiple Pipe Jewish Defense League 

 Bombings (2)

 8-20-82 Old San Juan, PR Bombing Armed Forces of National Liberation 

 9-1-82 Naranjito, PR Attempted Bombing Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 9-2-82 Miami, FL Bombing Omega 7 

 

 9-8-82 Chicago, IL Bombing Omega 7 

 9-20-82 New York City, NY Bombing Armed Forces of National Liberation 

 9-25-82 Miami, FL Attempted Bombing Omega 7 

 10-15-82 Washington, DC Hostile Takeover Islamic Extremists 

 10-22-82 Philadelphia, PA Attempted Bombing Justice Commandos of the Armenian 

 Genocide 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

60

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 11-4-82 New York City, NY Smoke Bombing Jewish Defense League 

 11-16-82 Carolina, PR Multiple Robberies (2) Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 1 

 12-8-82 Washington, DC Attempted Bombing Norman David Mayer 1 

 12-16-82 Elmont, NY Multiple Bombings (2) United Freedom Front 

 

 12-21-82 New York City, NY Attempted Pipe Jewish Defense League 

 Bombing

 12-22-82 McLean, VA Hostile Takeover People of Omar 

 

 12-31-82 New York City, NY Multiple Bombings (5) Armed Forces of National Liberation 3

 1/11-12/83 Miami, FL Multiple Bombings (3) Omega 7 

 1-28-83 New York City, NY Bombing Revolutionary Fighting Group 

 2-13-83 Medina, ND Shooting Sheriff’s Posse Comitatus 2 4

 

 2-15-83 Killeen, TX Hijacking Hossein Olya 

 2-19-83 Washington, DC Pipe Bombing Jewish Defense League 

 3-20-83 San Antonio, TX Bombing Republic of Revolutionary 

 4-26-83 Washington, DC Bombing Armed Resistance Unit 

 4-27-83 Miami, FL Attempted Bombings (4) Haitian Extremists 

 4-29-83 Rio Piedras, PR Hostile Takeover Ejercito Popluar Boricua Macheteros 

 

 5-12-83 Uniondale, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 

 5-13-83 New York City, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 

 5-27-83 Miami, FL Bombing Omega 7 

 

 7-8-83 Miami, FL Kidnapping Ejercito Revolucionario Del Pueblo 

 7-15-83 Rio Piedras, PR Robbery Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 1 

 8-8-83 Detroit, MI Attempted Incendiary Fuqra 

 Bombing

 8-8-83 Detroit, MI Shooting Fuqra 1 

 

 8-9-83 Detroit, MI Arson Fuqra 2 

 8-16-83 Los Angeles, CA Hostile Takeover Carlos Martinez 

 8-18-83 Washington, DC Bombing Armed Resistance Unit 

 8-21-83 New York City, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 8-27-83 Washington, DC Incendiary Bombing Unknown 

 10-12-83 Miami, FL Pipe Bombing Omega 7 

 10-30-83 Hato Rey, PR Rocket Attack Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 11-7-83 Washington, DC Bombing Armed Resistance Unit 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

61

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 12/13-14/83 East Meadow, NY Multiple Bombings (2) United Freedom Front 

 New York City, NY

 1-29-84 New York City, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 

 2-23-84 New York City, NY Bombing Jewish Direct Action 

 

 3-19-84 Harrison, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 

 4-5-84 New York City, NY Bombing Red Guerrilla Resistance 

 4-20-84 Washington, DC Bombing Red Guerrilla Resistance 

 5-9-84 New York City, NY Attempted Assassination Bashir Baesho 

 

 8-22-84 Melville, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 9-26-84 New York City, NY Bombing Red Guerrilla Resistance 

 

 9-26-84 Mount Pleasant, NY Bombing United Freedom Front 

 12-10-84 Levittown, PR Multiple Bombings (5) Organization of Volunteers for the 

 Rio Piedras, PR Puerto Rican Revolution

 Ponce, PR

 Mayaguez, PR

 Cayey, PR

 1-25-85 Old San Juan, PR Rocket Attack Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros/ 

 Organization of Volunteers for the Puerto

 Rican Revolution

 2-23-85 New York City, NY Bombing Red Guerrilla Resistance 

 

 5-15-85 Northridge, CA Pipe Bombing Jewish Defense League 

 

 8-15-85 Paterson, NJ Bombing Jewish Defense League 1 1

 

 9-6-85 Brentwood, NY Bombing Jewish Defense League 1

 

 10-11-85 Santa Ana, CA Bombing Jewish Defense League 1 7

 11-6-85 Bayamon, PR Shooting Organization of Volunteers for the 1

 Puerto Rican Revolution 

 1-6-86 Cidra, PR Multiple Bombings (4) Ejercito Revolucionario Clandestino/ 

 Toa Baja, PR National Revolutionary Front of 

 Guanica, PR Puerto Rico

 Santurce, PR

 3-17-86 Ponce, PR Attempted Bombing Commando Rojo 

 

 4-14-86 Rio Piedras, PR Bombing Organization of Volunteers for the 

 Puerto Rican Revolution

 4-29-86 San Juan, PR Shooting Organization of Volunteers for the 1 1

 Puerto Rican Revolution

 5-14-86 Phoenix, AZ Sabotage Earth First Organization 

 9-2-86 New York City, NY Tear Gas Bombing Jewish Defense League 17

 9-15-86 Coeur d’Alene, ID Pipe Bombing Aryan Nations 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

62

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 9-29-86 Coeur d’Alene, ID Multiple Bombings (4) Aryan Nations 

 10-20-86 New York City, NY Incendiary Bombing Jewish Defense League 

 10-28-86 Bayamon, PR Multiple Bombings (7) Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 1

 Fajardo, PR

 Mayaguez, PR

 Aguadilla, PR

 Santurce, PR

 Fort Buchanan, PR

 11-4-86 Puerta De Tierra, PR Attempted Bombing Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 

 12-28-86 Yauco, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 Guayama, PR

4-16-87 Davis, CA Arson Animal Liberation Front 

 

 5-25-87 Caguas, PR Multiple Bombings (7) Guerrilla Forces of Liberation 

 Carolina, PR

 Mayaguez, PR

 Cidra, PR

 Aibonita, PR

 Ponce, PR

 11-9-87 Flagstaff, AZ Sabotage Evan Mecham Eco-Terrorist 

 International Conspiracy

 1-12-88 Rio Piedras, PR Multiple Incendiary Pedro Albizu Campos Revolutionary Forces 

 Bombings (2) 

 

 5-26-88 Coral Gables, FL Bombing Organization Alliance of Cuban 

 Intransigence 

 

 7-22-88 Caguas, PR Pipe Bombing Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 

 9-19-88 Los Angeles, CA Bombing Up the IRS, Inc. 

 9-25-88 Grand Canyon, AZ Sabotage Evan Mecham Eco-Terrorist International 

 Conspiracy

 

 10-25-88 Flagstaff, AZ Sabotage Evan Mecham Eco-Terrorist International 

 Conspiracy

 11-1-88 Rio Piedras, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Pedro Albizu Campos Revolutionary Forces 

 4-3-89 Tucson, AZ Arson Animal Liberation Front 

 

 6-19-89 Bayamon, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 

 7/3-4/89 Lubbock, TX Malicious Destruction Animal Liberation Front 

 of Property

 1-12-90 Santurce, PR Multiple Pipe Eugenio Maria de Hostos International Brigade 

 Carolina, PR Bombings (2) of the Pedro Albizu Campos 

 Revolutionary Forces
TERRORISM 2002-2005

63

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 2-22-90 Los Angeles, CA Bombing Up the IRS, Inc. 

 4-22-90 Santa Cruz Malicious Destruction Earth Night Action Group 

 County, CA of Property

 5-27-90 Mayaguez, PR Arson Unknown Puerto Rican Group 

 9-17-90 Arecibo, PR Multiple Bombings (2) Pedro Albizu Group Revolutionary Forces 

 Vega Baja, PR 

 2-3-91 Mayaguez, PR Arson Popular Liberation Army 

 2-18-91 Sabana Grande, PR Arson Popular Liberation Army 

 3-17-91 Carolina, PR Arson Unknown Puerto Rican Group 

 

 4-1-91 Fresno, CA Bombing Popular Liberation Army 

 7-6-91 Punta Borinquen, PR Bombing Popular Liberation Army 

 

 

 4-5-92 New York, NY Hostile Takeover Mujahedin-E-Khalq 

 

 11-19-92 Urbana, IL Attempted Firebombing Mexican Revolutionary Movement 

 12-10-92 Chicago, IL Car Fire and Attempted Boricua Revolutionary Front 

 Firebombing (2) 

 

 2-26-93 New York, NY Car Bombing International Islamist Extremists 6 1042

 7/20-22/93 Tacoma, WA Multiple Bombings (2) American Front Skinheads 

 11/27-28/93 Chicago, IL Firebombings (9) Animal Liberation Front 

 

 3-1-94 New York, NY Shooting Rashid Najib Baz 1 3 

 

 4-19-95 Oklahoma City, OK Truck Bombing Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols 168 754 

 (Michael Fortier found guilty 

 of failing to alert authorities of plot)

 4-1-96 Spokane, WA Pipe Bombing/Bank Spokane Bank Robbers 

 Robbery

 7-12-96 Spokane, WA Pipe Bombing/Bank Spokane Bank Robbers 

 Robbery

 7-27-96 Atlanta, GA Pipe Bombing Eric Robert Rudolph 2 112

 

 1-2-97 Washington, DC Letter Bombing Unknown 

 Leavenworth, KS (Counted as 1 incident) 

 1-16-97 Atlanta, GA Bombing of Abortion Eric Robert Rudolph 8

 Clinic 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

64

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 2-21-97 Atlanta, GA Bombing of Alternative Eric Robert Rudolph 5

 Lifestyle Nightclub 

 1-29-98 Birmingham, AL Bombing of Eric Robert Rudolph 1 1

 Reproductive 

 Services Clinic 

 3-31-98 Arecibo, PR Bombing of Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 Superaqueduct 

 Construction Project 

 6-9-98 Rio Piedras, PR Bombing of Bank Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 

 Branch Office 

 6-25-98 Santa Isabel, PR Bombing of Bank Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros 1 

 Branch Office suspected

 6-27-98 Espanola, NM Arson Raymond Anthony Sandoval 

 10-19-98 Vail, CO Arson Fire at Ski Earth Liberation Front 

 Resort 

 

 3-19-99 Santa Fe, NM Attempted Bombing Raymond Anthony Sandoval 

 3-27-99 Franklin Township, NJ Bombing of Circus Animal Liberation Front 

 Vehicles 

 

 4-5-99 Minneapolis- Malicious Destruction Animal Liberation Front 

 St. Paul, MN and Theft

 

 5-9-99 Eugene, OR Bombing Animal Liberation Front 

 7/2-4/99 Chicago, IL Multiple Shootings Benjamin Nathaniel Smith 2 8

 Skokie, IL 

 Northbrook, IL

 Bloomington, IN 

 

 8-10-99 Granada Hills, CA Multiple Shootings Buford O’Neal Furrow 1 5

 8/28-29/99 Orange, CA Malicious Destruction Animal Liberation Front 

 and Theft 

 10-24-99 Bellingham, WA Malicious Destruction Animal Liberation Front 

 and Theft 

 11-20-99 Puyallup, WA Malicious Destruction Animal Liberation Front 

 12-25-99 Monmouth, OR Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 

 12-31-99 East Lansing, MI Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 

 

 1-3-00 Petaluma, CA Incendiary Attack Animal Liberation Front 

 1-15-00 Petaluma, CA Incendiary Attack Animal Liberation Front 

 1-22-00 Bloomington, IN Arson Earth Liberation Front

 5-7-00 Olympia, WA Arson Revenge of the Trees 

 7-2-00 North Vernon, IN Arson Animal Liberation Front 

 

 7-20-00 Rhinelander, WI Vandalism Earth Liberation Front 
TERRORISM 2002-2005

65

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 12-1-00 Phoenix, AZ Multiple Arsons Mark Warren Sands 

 

 12/9-30/00 Suffolk County, Multiple Arsons Earth Liberation Front 

 Long Island, NY

 

 1-2-01 Glendale, OR Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 2-20-01 Visalia, CA Arson Earth Liberation Front

 3-9-01 Culpeper, VA Tree Spiking Earth Liberation Front 

 3-30-01 Eugene, OR Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 4-15-01 Portland, OR Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 5-17-01 Harrisburg, PA Bank Robbery Clayton Lee Waagner 

 5-21-01 Seattle, WA Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 5-21-01 Clatskanie, OR Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 

 7-24-01 Stateline, NV Destruction of Property Earth Liberation Front 

 9-9-01 Morgantown, WV Bank Robbery Clayton Lee Waagner 

 

 9-11-01 New York, NY Aircraft Attack Al-Qa’ida 2972 est.12000

 Washington, DC 

 New Cumberland, PA

 9/01-11/01 New York, NY Bacillus anthracis Unknown 5 17

 Washington, DC Mailings 

 Lantana, FL 

 

 10-14-01 Litchfield, CA Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 

 11-12-01 San Diego, CA Burglary and Vandalism Animal Liberation Front 

 

 3-18-02 Erie, PA Vandalism Earth Liberation Front 

 3-24-02 Erie, PA Arson Earth Liberation Front

 5/11-12/02 Harborcreek, PA Vandalism/Destruction Earth Liberation Front/

 of Property Animal Liberation Front 

 7-4-02 Los Angeles, CA Shooting Hesham Mohamed Ali Hedayat 2 

 8/02-10/02 Henrico and Goochland Vandalism and Earth Liberation Front 

 Counties, VA Destruction of Property

 8-11-02 Warren, PA Arson Earth Liberation Front

 9/15-16/02 Harborcreek, PA Vandalism/Destruction Earth Liberation Front/ 

 of Property Animal Liberation Front

 11-26-02 Harborcreek, PA Arson Earth Liberation Front/

 Animal Liberation Front

 1-1-03 Girard, PA Arson Earth Liberation Front

 3-3-03 Chico, CA Vandalism Animal Liberation Front
TERRORISM 2002-2005

66

1980-2005

CHRONOLOGICAL	SUMMARY	OF	

TERRORIST	INCIDENTS	IN	THE	UNITED	STATES

 DATE LOCATION INCIDENT TYPE PERPETRATOR KILLED INJURED

 8/03-9/03 San Diego, CA Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 8-22-03 West Covina, CA Vandalism and Earth Liberation Front 

 Destruction of Property

 8-28-03 Emeryville, CA Bombing Daniel Andreas San Diego 

 suspected 

 

 9-26-03 Pleasanton, CA Bombing Daniel Andreas San Diego 

 suspected

 1-19-04 Henrico County, VA Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 suspected

 4-1-04 Oklahoma City, OK Arson Sean Michael Gillespie/Aryan Nations 

 4-20-04 Redmond, WA Vandalism and Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 5/04-7/04 Provo, UT Vandalism and Arson Animal Liberation Front 

 12-27-04 Lincoln, CA Attempted Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 1/05-2/05 Auburn, CA Attempted Arson and Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 Sutter Creek, CA

 4-13-05 Sammanish, WA Arson Earth Liberation Front 

 7-7-05 Los Angeles, CA Attempted Arson Animal rights extremists

 suspected 

 9-16-05 Los Angeles, CA Attempted Arson Animal Liberation Front 

 11-20-05 Hagerstown, MD Arson Earth Liberation Front 
TERRORISM

2002–2005