Counter Terrorism Issues

Courts in the United States carry a distinct burden: they must weigh the need to protect the nation against the civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. As danger grows, those two aims are likely to clash more often. This study looks at the major terrorism prosecutions of roughly the last twenty years and surveys how American courts have dealt with homegrown terror during that period. Relying on trial records, testimony from witnesses, and judges' written rulings, it recreates the events and shows how the justice system has tried to reconcile disputed evidence with competing legal rights and duties.

The most widely known cases covered include the two attacks on the World Trade Center, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the Fort Hood shooting. The author also turns to less publicized episodes, such as campaigns by animal-rights extremists who target university scientists and corporate leaders, and the plots of would-be terrorists who pose a threat to public safety. Lawsuits brought by people harmed in attacks, seeking to hold foreign governments that sponsor terrorism accountable, are examined as well.

The book draws on the accounts of witnesses, judges, and the lawyers who argued these cases in American courtrooms. It supplies background on the events leading up to each case and the historical and political conditions surrounding them, helping readers understand why these attacks on American soil remain significant.