HLS 615 DF5 Homeland Security

HLS 615 DF5
Name
Institution of affiliation
Date
HLS 615 DF5
Terror attacks are designed to spread fear among the public in a given region. These attacks are designed to achieve a given political objective through non-judicial or political means. As such, the terrorist will utilize violent attacks on the public or areas of significance of the public to achieve the greatest impact on the public psyche CITATION Tod14 \l 1033 (Sandler, 2014). The paper looks at three venues in New York City that could be considered potential terror targets due to their symbolic value. The paper will also discuss and explain a past terror attack.
Discussion
The paper identified three potential targets for terror attacks namely; The New York Subway system, JFK Airport and the Brooklyn Bridge. All these venues have been previously targeted by terror attacks. These venues are highly visible and symbolic of Western values and American civilization. They are also crucial to the public. The public also uses these facilities in large number. Thus an attack would result in thousands of casualties CITATION NYP16 \l 1033 (NYPD, 2016).
Past Attack
The Boston Marathon bombing of 2013 was carried out by exploding two bombs at the finish line of the marathon. The terrorists also shot an MIT police officer. The bombing is significant as the terrorists chose a venue that they knew would feature an international group of people. The Boston Marathon typically features international athletes and individuals come from across the globe to watch and participate in it. The Boston Marathon is also televised internationally CITATION Mal16 \l 1033 (Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, 2016). The attackers therefore aimed at showing the vulnerability of US security by attacking a high-profile international event. The attack achieved its purpose of terrorizing the citizens of Boston. The attackers were however shot and one of the attackers was caught, tried in court and sentenced to death CITATION Let14 \l 1033 (Volpp, 2014).
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