Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Domestic Terrorism Fun Facts

Tuesday is the most common day for an attack.... Right-wing extremists tend to be early risers, striking in the morning...while left-wing activists wait until evening and environmentalists wait until after midnight.

...because if you set your bomb off after midnight, most of the cute little animals are already asleep and you're not likely to injure any.

Other interesting conclusions from the American Association for the Advancement of Science panel on domestic terrorism.

[Kelly R. Damphousse of the University of Oklahoma] said right-wing extremists spend the most time meeting, preparing and planning before committing a violent act — some 480 "events," whether that is a telephone call or some other form of plotting.

They like the planning aspect, the speechifying. To a right-wing extremist, all that's like foreplay.

While some domestic extremists travel long distances, most strike within 30 miles of where they live, Damphousse said]. Environmental extremists tend to strike within 10 miles of home.

Right-wing extremists tend to stick close to home because they're afraid if they go too far they'll fall off the edge of the world. Left-wing extremists know better, but how far can you go on a bicycle?

And, oh yeah, here's the most important bit:

When it comes to fears about a terrorist attack, people in the U.S. usually focus on Osama bin Laden and foreign-based radical groups. Yet researchers say domestic extremists who commit violence in the name of their cause — abortion or the environment, for example — account for most of the damage from such incidents in this country.

The article also contains a link to the MIPT Terrorism database, where you can track terrorism attacks by group, country, target, and etc. Holy crap!

Canada had Armenian troubles back in the 1980s?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Uh, surprising that there's been so little coverage of all those anti-abortion terrorist acts that have supposedly happened. Care to document a few for us?

bigcitylib said...

Most recently Paul Ross Evan's attempted bomb attack on a clinic in Texas.

Ti-Guy said...

Five terrorist incidents in Canada since 2000, three committed by The Earth Liberation Front, all of which list The Western Standard as source.

All of a sudden, I'm feeling unsafe in light of the demise of that publication.

Is it too late to take out a subscription? It is? Oh, darn...

The Rat said...

Maybe you could compare "abortion related" attacks to "environment related" attacks.

Too late, I already did it for you. Your tags a a tad biased, Mikey.

Ti-Guy said...

I don't find property damage to be all that terrorising, although I understand Righties think keying a Hummer is the equivalent of Bergen-Belsen X 2.

...and, as Kate McMillan would add, not nearly as funny.

bigcitylib said...

I'm sure you'll manage to worry about both, anon.

Ti-Guy said...

Hey, BCL..."The Rat's" started blogging again. You should go visit...it's a veritable spectacle of obsessive-compulsive disorder and chronic dyspepsia.

Anonymous said...

PETA, animal rights morons, anti-free traders, anti-capitalists, anti-globalizers (except when it's for UN-style uni/uber/govt), anti-Christians, pro-Palestinians, anti-western civilization, anti-Israel, etc.

So, just where are all these 'right wing' terrorist groups?

Anonymous said...

That's it - ONE attempted bomb attack on a clinic in Texas? Yeah, they're a BIG threat.

bigcitylib said...

Anons,

I'm not going to hold your hands. Employ teh googles. You'll find plenty more.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for link to the terrorism database. It looks like a great resource.

Btw, out of all the incidents it documents - accounting for thousands of casualties - only 3 deaths (2 U.S., 1 Australian) are classed as abortion-related. I've read elsewhere that there have been 7 abortion-related killings (well, you know what I mean) in the United States since 1973. Too many, bu dwarfed, by terror attacks like Oklahoma City and 9-11. Anyone know the death toll for environmentalism-inspired attacks.

intellectual pariah

Anonymous said...

Re-reading your "most important bit" -

When it comes to fears about a terrorist attack, people in the U.S. usually focus on Osama bin Laden and foreign-based radical groups. Yet researchers say domestic extremists who commit violence in the name of their cause — abortion or the environment, for example — account for most of the damage from such incidents in this country.

- I can't help wondering if it's not also their most dubious bit.

Let's see: 9-11 killed 3000 people and cause umpteen billion dollars' worth of damage. Are the authors claiming that domestic terror attacks - collectively, even going back to the 1960s and even including Oklahoma City - have caused more damage than this single incident? Sounds innumerate to me.

intellectual pariah

Anonymous said...

Eco groups: Pretty peaceful for the most part (as far as the MIPT database goes), but a German group called the Peace Conquerors killed 3 people and injured 42 in a series of bomb attacks in the 1980s.

i.p.

bigcitylib said...

The Unabomber might count as an environmental terrorist, I suppose.

Anonymous said...

Obamma condemn all terrorist activity especially Bin ladin killed last operation, Speaking of Obamma you know that the president of United state of America always wearing Zoot Suits?