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Terrorism

The entire civilized world mourned the extensive loss of life and was angered by the cowardly terrorist acts of September 11, 2001 against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. All decent people pray for the families, loved ones, and friends whom the victims left behind.

The purpose of this Web page is to provide selected sources of current news about terrorist incidents; background information about international terrorism and domestic terrorism in the U.S.; and information about disaster assistance and response to biological or chemical warfare. The final section, "Understanding Islam," attempts to differentiate the religion and culture of peace-loving Muslims from those who perpetuated the types of acts seen on September 11th.

Background to International Terrorism

al-Qa'ida Training Manual
http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/trainingmanual.htm
View excerpts from a manual found by the Manchester (England) Metropolitan Police during a search of an al-Qa'ida member's home.

Annotated Bibliography of Government Documents Related to the Threat of Terrorism & the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Oklahoma Department of Libraries)
http://www.odl.state.ok.us/usinfo/terrorism/911.htm
Separate sections cover the aftermath of the September 11 attacks; Congressional and presidential actions; global terrorism; international politics; US national security and foreign relations, policies, and treaties; and weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Countering Terrorism and Protecting Our Forces (U.S. Department of Defense)
http://www.defenselink.mil/other_info/terrorism.html
Describes efforts by the U.S. military to combat terrorism at home and abroad.

Counterterrorism Office (U.S. Department of State. Office of the coordinator of Counterterrorism)
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/
The U.S. State Department's Counterterrorism Office coordinates US efforts to improve counterterrorism cooperation with foreign governments. Options cover official statements; assistance programs that train foreign personnel; Congressional happenings; treaties; and related sites.

Documents on Terrorism (Yale University. Avalon Project)
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/terrorism/terror.htm
The Yale Law School's Avalon Project is a digital library that reproduces documents pertaining to law, history, economics, diplomacy, politics, and government. Coverage includes Congressional and international resolutions; Congressional testimonies; and Executive Orders from 1995 to data. The section dealing with the September 11 attack ( http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/sept_11/sept_11.htm ) includes press briefings; speeches; and excerpts from the Congressional Record.

Global Terrorism Database (University of Maryland. National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)
http://www.start.umd.edu/data/gtd/
A database of nearly 80,000 international terrorist incidents from 1970-2004.  Search for information by dates; locations of incidents; types of attacks and types of weapons used; and numbers of casualties.  All records include this information, and when available, identities of perpetrators.  The database excludes foiled plots.

Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) (U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Transportation Security Administration)
http://www.ds-osac.org
Encourages sharing of security related information between the U.S. government and Americans living abroad. Select Profiled Groups to view descriptions of groups the U.S. Department of State recognizes as terrorist.

Patterns of Global Terrorism (Department of State)
http://www.state.gov/s/CT/rls/pgtrpt/ (1995-present)
Lockwood Documents US S 1.138: (1986-2001)
The U.S. State Department prepares this annual report that describes terrorist activities throughout the world. Appendices reproduce chronologies; background data on terrorist groups; and statistical overviews. Issues published since 2002 are not nearly as detailed as the earlier ones.

RAND®-MIPT (National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism) Knowledge Base (Rand Corporation)
http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp
A comprehensive database of world terrorist incidents and terrorists groups. MIPT monitors terrorism worldwide, providing information on terrorist incidents from 1968-present. Search the Knowledge Base by dates; types of weapons used; targets; terrorist organizations; and geographic regions. View descriptions of over 40 terrorist organizations in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security's Office for State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness (OSLGCP) funds MIPT.

RAND Voices of Jihad Database (Rand Corporation)
http://www.rand.org/research_areas/terrorism/database/
Links to speeches, interviews, statements, and publications of jihadist leaders and followers.

Special Briefing: The Terrorist Attack on America: Background (Council on Foreign Relations)
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/home/terrorism.asp
Reproduces articles and book reviews from the prestigious journal, Foreign Affairs (which is also available in print from 1922-present at Lockwood Periodical Collection Per D410 .F6).

September 11 & Terrorism (Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research (TFF))
http://www.transnational.org/links/Sept11_terror.html
TFF is an international group that attempts to promote nonviolent conflict resolution and education to foster security and global development. Links on this site offer an international view of terrorism; the September 11 attacks; and background to Islam. Click here for additional data about Islam.

Terrorism - Background and Threat Assessments (Federation of American Scientists)
http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/terror.htm
A comprehensive site that covers the September 11 attacks and their aftermath; general information about terrorism; Mideast terrorism; chemical and biological weapons; the State Department's annual reports on Patterns of Global Terrorism ; and related links.

Terrorism Information Center (National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, Rand Corporation)
http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/
An online library of reports, articles, fact sheets, and links to related web sites.

TERRORISM LAW & POLICY (University of Pittsburgh School of Law)
http://www.jurist.law.pitt.edu/terrorism.htm
Deals with terrorism from a legal viewpoint.  Topics cover counter terrorism; U.S. and world anti-terrorism laws; civil liberties; and bioterrorism.

Terrorism: Questions and Answers (Council on Foreign Relations)
http://www.terrorismanswers.com/home/
A series of questions and answers offers basic information. Topics relate to terrorist groups and their havens; weapons of mass destruction; homeland security; and responses to and policy since the September 11 attacks.

Terrorism Research Center
http://www.terrorism.com/index.shtml
The Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC) is a non-partisan independent institute dedicated to research on terrorism; information warfare; critical infrastructure protection; and other related issues. It accepts commercial sponsorship in exchange for advertising space on the Web site. Access to selected parts of the Web site requires a subscription.

UN Action Against Terrorism (United Nations)
http://www.un.org/terrorism/
Summarizes UN activities to combat terrorism. Topics cover the Security Council; Counter Terrorism Committee; General Assembly; relevant debates; Economic and Social Council; Secretary-General; the UN Charter and other relevant conventions and declarations; and terrorism and disarmament.

World Terrorist Attacks and Organizations (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/issues/terrordata/
A world map displays locations of terrorist attacks. Click on the appropriate area to view brief background information. Additional features let users search by names of organizations and individuals; countries; incidents; and keywords.

Terrorism in the US

Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (Rand Corporation. National Security Research Division)
http://www.rand.org/nsrd/terrpanel
Assessed response capabilities at federal, state, and local levels.

America's War against Terrorism: World Trade Center/Pentagon Terrorism and the Aftermath (University of Michigan. Documents Center)
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/usterror.html
One of the most comprehensive Web sites on the subject that covers dozens of related issues. Selected ones deal with chronologies; American and international news sources; Afghanistan; airline safety; Arab-Americans; Arab-Israeli conflict; civil rights; counter terrorism; disaster preparedness; economic impact of the September 11 attacks; military background; religion; psychological effects of disasters; and anti-war activism.

BACKGROUNDER: TERRORISM (U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency)
http://www.fema.gov/hazards/terrorism/terror.shtm
A very brief factsheet that outlines basic background information about terrorism in America.

Combating Terrorism: Interagency Framework and Agency Programs to Address the Overseas Threat (U.S. General Accounting Office)
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS37262
The U.S. General Accounting Office prepared this report in 2003 to assist Congressional committees charged with overseeing federal programs that combat terrorism abroad. Subjects cover the interagency framework for planning, executing, and coordinating activities; and programs and activities designed to disrupt and destroy terrorist organizations.

Congressional Publications
Lockwood Library's Government Documents collection has Congressional publications pertaining to all aspects of terrorism. Retrieve information one of two ways:

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
CRS prepares background studies for Congress. Federal law prohibits CRS from distributing its documents to the general public. However, a number of Web sites still post the data. Especially good sites include:

Penny Hill Press ( http://www.pennyhill.com/ ) indexes and sells CRS reports. Rather than buying them, your Congress person can usually provide copies without charge.

Counter-Terrorism: Training and Resources for Law Enforcement (U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs)
http://www.counterterrorismtraining.gov/
Information pertains to news reports; research; statistics; planning and risk assessment; publications; victim assistance; preparedness at home and work; and preparedness of state and local authorities.

FindLaw: Special Coverage: War on Terrorism (FindLaw)
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/terrorism/documents/index.html
A broad discussion of military and legislative policies that pertain to both the international and domestic scenes.

Global war on terrorism (gwot) (U.S. Department of Defense. Air Force Counterproliferation Center)
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cps-terr.htm
Links connect to key government agencies; non-government sources; and major documents.

National Commission on Terrorism

RAND®-MIPT (National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism) Knowledge Base

National Security/Terrorism Convictions (Syracuse University. Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC))
http://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/terrorism/
Summarizes convictions and prosecutions filed in U.S. courts for international and domestic terrorism, and terrorism financing.  Selected information is free, but the publisher requires modest fees for detailed reports on specific prosecutions/convictions.

Response to September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks (Center For Democracy And Technology)
http://www.cdt.org/security/010911response.php
Presents an overview and analysis of the Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism measures.

September 11th Sourcebooks (National Security Archives)
http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB55/index1.html
A compilation of selected US documents about combating domestic terrorism covering the mid-1980's through the present. Five sections pertain to terrorism and Usama bin Laden; Congressional Research Service reports; General Accounting Office reports; Department of Defense directives, instructions and statements; and Presidential directives and executive orders. The National Security Archives collects and preserves declassified US government information.

Special Collections - Homeland Security (U.S. General Accountability Office)
http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/featured/homelandsecurity.html
A collection of documents about homeland security prepared between 1998 and 2002. The General Accountability Office (GAO) is a Congressional agency that conducts audits of programs and services at the request of Congress. Selected materials have General Accounting Office imprints, the previous name of the same agency.

Task Force on Terrorism and the Law - Report and Recommendations on Military Commissions (American Bar Association)
http://www.abanet.org/leadership/military.pdf
The American Bar Association outlines its thoughts on President Bush's idea of detaining suspected terrorists by military authorities and trying them before military commissions.

Terrorism in a Nuclear Age (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
http://set.lanl.gov/programs/cif/Curriculum/Terrorism/terrmain.htm
Presents curriculum materials for teaching children and youth about terrorism. Parents and educators are the intended audiences.

Terrorism in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice. Federal Bureau of Investigation)
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terroris.htm
The Department of Justice prepares annual reports that describe terrorism in America. In September 2005, the most recent report covered 2000/2001.

TRAC Reports (Syracuse University. Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC))
http://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/
Presents a statistical and narrative summary of federal law government enforcement activities. Two links include Spotlight on Homeland Security and Spotlight on Terrorism.

US Department of Homeland Security
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/
The Office of Homeland Security develops and coordinates national strategies to combat domestic terrorist threats or attacks, and natural disasters. Data pertain to emergencies and disasters; travel and transportation; immigration and borders; research; and threats and protection.

US Policy on Combating Terrorism, Unclassified Abstract of Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) 39 (Federation of American Scientists)
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/pdd39.htm
Presidential Directives are usually classified documents available to the National Security Council.

War on Terrorism
http://www.cia.gov/terrorism/index.html
Presents articles and statements by CIA staff covering 2001 through the present in reverse chronological order.

World Trade Center & Pentagon Attacks

Congressional Reports: Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 (U.S. Congress)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/911.html
The declassified version of the report prepared by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on the September 11 attacks. See also Documents From Congress' Joint Inquiry into 9/11 ( http://www.thememoryhole.org/911/hearings/ ) that reproduces testimonies about the attacks presented to the Congressional Intelligence Committees between June and October 2002.

Documenting the Tragedy: Organizational Documentation Projects (New York State Historical Records Advisory Board)
http://www.nyshrab.org/wtc/
Links to organizations, state and local governments, and educational institutions that offer information about September 11.

Final Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations, December 5, 2005 (9/11 Public Discourse Project)
http://www.9-11pdp.org/press/2005-12-05_report.pdf
The 10 members of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States formed the 9/11 Public Discourse Project after submitting their report. This December 5, 2005 report describes the Commission's perception of progress made towards implementing its recommendations.

Hot Topics: Terrorist Attacks on the U.S. September 11, 2001 (Evergreen State College)
http://www.evergreen.edu/library/govdocs/hotopics/sept11/index.html
Provides an overview of events through pictures; maps; press briefings from the Whitehouse and other agencies; relevant New York State links; and news sources.

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
http://www.9-11commission.gov/
An independent, bipartisan commission charged with investigating and reporting upon the September 11, 2001 attacks. View the Commission's Final Report at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/index.html and a search engine that indexes its contents at http://vivisimo.com/911 . Although the Commission concluded that the US is on the correct path, the report emphasizes areas that still need improvement.

September 11 Digital Archive (Center for History and New Media. George Mason University and City University of New York Graduate Center. American Social History Project)
http://911digitalarchive.org/
Reproduces personal accounts; photographs; moving images; audio; documents; a guide to Web sites; and FAQs.

September 11th Resources (Special Libraries Association)
http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/internet/911/
Topics pertain to building and rebuilding; changes in America since 9/11; charities and organizations established for 9/11; economic information; graphics, images, and maps; news; reports and evaluations; victims; and related Web sites

September 11, 2001 (Library of Congress. American Memory Project)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/collections/911_archive
The Library of Congress compiled reactions, eyewitness accounts, and opinions to the September 11th events. Retrieve data by titles and subjects; and in different formats including written narratives, audios, photographs, and videos.

Television Archive: The September 11th Collection
http://www.televisionarchive.org/sept11.html
Reproduces television news broadcasts between September 11 and 13, 2001.

Usama bin Laden Video Tape-Transcript (U.S. Department of Defense)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2001/d20011213ubl.pdf
bin Laden speaks about the attacks on this tape that was probably made in mid-November 2001.

Afghanistan and the Afghan War

Afghanistan (Pacifica Graduate Institute. Mythological Studies Department. Kathleen Jenks)
The Department's MYTH*ING LINKS project includes annotated and illustrated collections of Web resources relating to mythology, fairy tales, and sacred traditions. Two pages cover Afghanistan.

AFGHANISTAN: A Country Study (U.S Library of Congress. Federal Research Division)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/aftoc.html
Presents detailed background information about Afghanistan. Topics cover history from pre-Islamic times through the present; society and environment; and government and politics.

Afghanistan, the Taliban, and the US: Selected Internet Resources (University of California, Berkeley. Library)
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/SouthAsia/afghan_US.html
A comprehensive guide that covers general information; Taliban; opposition groups; al-Qa'ida and Osama bin Laden; government statements; pacifist viewpoints; research & analysis; human rights; Afghans in diaspora; news sources; and online journals.

Afghanistan Web Links (United States Institute of Peace)
http://www.usip.org/library/regions/afghan.html
The United States Institute of Peace is a nonpartisan group created by Congress to promote peaceful resolution of international conflicts. Highlights cover general resources; government agencies and international organizations; Islamic area studies; maps and guides; media and news sources; political resources; and selected documents.

Campaign Against International Terrorism: Prospects After the Fall of the Taliban (Great Britain. House of Commons Library. International Affairs and Defence Section)
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2001/rp01-112.pdf

Understanding Afghanistan: Land in Crisis (National Geographic)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/landincrisis/
View news; bibliographic references that include live links; a Webcast; and maps.

UNESCO and Afghanistan (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO))
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1259&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Summarizes UNESCO's activities relating to Afghanistan. Topics cover women, journalism, education, and post-war reconstruction. Most data are press releases.

United Nations and Afghanistan (United Nations)
http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=16&Body
=Afghanistan&Body1=
Reproduces data issued by the UN about the Afghan situation, including Security Council reports and resolutions. A link to Afghanistan & the United Nations presents background data about the country that emphasizes the second half of the 20th Century. ( http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/afghan/un-afghan-history.shtml )

War on Terrorism Resource Guides (East Carolina University. David Durant, Government Documents Librarian)
http://personal.ecu.edu/durantd/wot/
Different sections describe bin Laden and al-Qa'ida; bin Laden statements and interviews; government documents on bin Laden and al-Qa'ida; historical analysis of al-Qa'ida and Radical Islam; and sources on terrorism and September 11th. Few other Web sites compile in one place as many bin Laden statements and interviews.

Iraq War

Iraq Crisis (University at Buffalo. Law Library)
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/law/guides_handouts/Iraq.html
Karen Spencer, a Law Librarian at the University at Buffalo, covers background data about Iraq, the war, postwar developments, and sources for further information.

 

Disaster Assistance

CEPPO's Role in Homeland Security (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/oswer/ceppoweb.nsf/content/homelandSecurity.htm?openDocument
Links lead to related publications and other related agencies.

Emergency Preparedness: Guidance and General Information (U.S. Department of Justice. Justice Management Division)
http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/ps/dojepm.htm
Topics cover the homeland security advisory system; emergency notification numbers; CFR Title 41 Management of Buildings and Grounds; frequently asked questions; fact sheet on terrorism; crisis management plan; funding guidelines; and a family preparedness guide.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
http://www.fema.gov/
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, an office within the larger Department of Homeland Security, responds to natural disasters and other emergency rescue operations. Selected online materials include:

  • CONPLAN
    http://www.fema.gov/rrr/conplan/
    A multi-agency group participated in developing this plan for responding to a terrorist threat or incident in the US. It creates guidelines for assessing and monitoring threats; and notifying and deploying resources. Participants include FEMA; the Departments of Justice, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services; and the Environmental Protection Agency.
  • State and Local Guide (SLG) 101: Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning
    http://www.fema.gov/rrr/gaheop.shtm

GOVERNOR PATAKI PROPOSES "ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2001" (New York State. Governor's Office)
http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/year01/june14_01.htm
Summarizes Governor Pataki's legislative package designed to combat terrorism.

Managing The Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents : Interim Planning Guide For State and Local Governments (U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA))
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/onp/managingemerconseq.pdf
Provides a framework for local planners who are preparing emergency plans. FEMA hopes this will improve federal, state, and local interactions, and demonstrate planning and operational challenges.

National Terrorism Preparedness Training (St. Petersburg College. National Terrorism Preparedness Institute)
http://terrorism.spjc.edu/
The Institute trains first responders to survive and mitigate the consequences of terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction. The most valuable parts of this site are links to key documents and government agencies ( http://terrorism.spjc.edu/wmdlinks.htm ).

New York State Emergency Management Office
http://www.nysemo.state.ny.us/
The New York State Emergency Management Office coordinates activities relating to natural disasters and other emergencies.

Responding to Terrorism Victims: Oklahoma City and Beyond (U.S. Department of Justice.
Office of Justice Programs)
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/respterrorism/welcome.html
Identifies the special measures needed to protect the rights and meet the needs of victims of a large-scale terrorist attack involving mass casualties.

State Offices and Agencies of Emergency Management (U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency)
http://www.fema.gov/fema/statedr.shtm

Biological and Chemical Terrorism

Bioterrorism Threat: A Health Spotlight Special Report (Public Broadcasting Service)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/bioterrorism.html
Reproduces broadcasts about bioterrorism from the MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour in text and audio formats.

Chemical & Biological Weapons Resource Page (Center for Nonproliferation Studies)
http://cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/
Covers the characteristics and capabilities of chemical and biological weapons; proliferation; defense against their use; and terrorism. Additional information deals with the Americas; Middle East and Africa; Europe and the former Soviet states; and East Asia.

Federation of American Scientist (FAS)
http://www.fas.org
A group of nuclear scientists formed FAS in 1945 to promote humanitarian uses of science and technology while addressing broad spectrums of national security issues. Three Web sites are particularly useful.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
Describes the Centers for Disease Control's bioterrorism program. Data cover news; emergency response; planning and training; laboratories; specific biologic and chemical agents and related diseases; National Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program; and emergency contacts.

Understanding Islam

INDEPTH: Islam FAQ: The will of God (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/islam/
Brief articles summarize Islam's history and evolution; Ramadan; Hajj--the pilgrimage to Mecca; Sunni v. Shia; Islamic law in Canada; Fatwas--legal opinions of Islamic scholars; and additional resources.

Islamic Studies, Islam, Arabic, and Religion (University of Georgia. Virtual Center
for Interdisciplinary Studies of the Islamic World (VCISIW))
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/
Professor Alan Godlas of the University of Georgia presents an overview of Islam and related subjects. Sections cover Muhammad; Islamic sects; Islam in the modern world; Islamic women, populations, and culture; and recent events in Afghanistan and the Taleban.

Muslim Life In America (U.S. Department of State. Bureau of International Information Programs)
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/muslimlife/homepage.htm
Outlines Muslim Life in the United States. Topics pertain to photographs; articles; Presidential statements; readings; and links to Internet sites and non-governmental organizations.