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Bombing of the United States Embassy in Lebanon
A suicide bomber blew up the embassy in Lebanon, killing 63 people and 17 Americans. The group that claimed responsibility said that it was in response to Western intervention in the Middle East. The bombing caused the embassy to be moved to a safer location in Beirut, although that location was also later bombed. It also caused the United States, France, and England to send more peacekeeping forces to Lebanon. -
Rajneeshee Salmonella Poisoning in Oregon
In 1984, the Rajneeshee movement wanted to gain control of Wasco County in Oregon. In order to try to influence the election, they poisoned ten restaurants with Salmonella. No one died, but 45 people were hospitalized. This was the first example of bioterrorism in the United States and many people realized it as a new form of terrorism and were scared. -
Unabomber (aka. Ted Kaczynski) Kills First Victim
Ted Kaczynski killed his first victim in 1985. Also known as the Unabomber, Kaczynski was very relevant throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He was talked a lot about during this time and no one knew who he was. He used a lot of natural things, like trees and wood, in his bombs and people were fearful of him. -
World Trade Center Bombing
Terrorist bombed the World Trade Center in 1993. Their intention was to make the towers fall over, but they didn't. The bomb still killed six people and injured more than 1,000. The terrorists said that it was in response to the United States's support of Israel. This was the second major terrorist attack in the last ten years with the reason being the United States support for Israel, and it made many people really think about intervention in the Middle East and the United States's role there. -
Oklahoma City Bombing
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. The bomb killed 168 people and injured more than 600 others. McVeigh and Nichols were angry at the U. S.'s government's handling of the Waco Siege and the federal government in general. The motivation for this bombing was similar to Ted Kaczynski's motivation for his actions, while the motivations for the WTC bombing and the embassy bombing in Lebanon were more about the U.S.'s foreign policy. -
Khobar Towers Bombing
The United States had a military base in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Members of the terrorist group Hezbollah blew it up in 1996. It killed 20 people and injured almost 500. The people who did it were upset about the United States's involvement in the Middle East, which is the same reason that the World Trade Center and the United States's embassy in Lebanon were blown up. -
USS Cole Bombing
Al-Qaeda bombed the USS Cole in 2000, which killed 17 people and injured 39. This was another example of countless terrorist incidents with the motivation being anger at the United States's involvement in the Middle East. Al-Qaeda received funding from Sudan, and a court ordered Sudan to pay for damages. The attack also upset many people. -
September 11th Attacks
Osama Bin Laden instructed al-Qaeda to commit the horrible acts of 9/11. He cited as motives the United States's support of Israel, their presence in the Middle East, and sanctions against Iraq. Almost 3,000 people were killed and over 6,000 people were injured. This is the deadliest terrorist event in history and the climax of Radical Islamic Terrorism. -
Fort Hood Shooting
Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and injured more than 30 in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009. Hasan supported Muslim extremist groups and said he wanted to protect the leaders of the Taliban in Afghanistan. -
Summary
There were many instances of terrorism throughout the 80s, 90s, and 00s that were Radical Islamic Terrorist incidents. Many Muslims from the Middle East, like Osama bin Laden and other people aligned with al-Qaeda, are angry over the U.S.'s involvement there and their support of Israel. Some people are also upset about the size and control of the federal government domestically, like Tim McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski. In conclusion, most terrorism against the U.S. is due to the government's actions.
