Unit 4
Name
Institution
The Patriot Act: Introduction
The Patriot Act is also referred to as the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” American Act. This Act was introduced days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States of America. The Patriot Act was converted into on the 26th October 2001 as a way of the American government initiating counter-terrorism attack measures. The Public Law number 107-56, earlier known as the Patriot Act, mainly centralizes its functions by merging the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Investigation Agency, and the federal prosecutors in a bid to stop terrorism within and outside the United States of America. These intelligence agencies were allowed to share information. This Act lifted all the limitations that were set regarding the communication surveillance. The Patriot Act also formed with the intention of giving strict penalties to people caught performing terrorism activities or aiding in various terrorist activities (Ala.org, 2015).
Creation and Provisions of the Patriot Act
The Patriot Act was created a few days after the 7/11 terrorist attacks in America. The former American President, George W. Bush signed the bill allowing the forming of the Patriot Act. The Act was signed on October 26, 2001. Section 103 of the Patriot Act authorizes increased funding for all the intelligence agencies’ technical support centers. The intelligence agencies are given two hundred million dollars annually to finance their operations. Section 202 gives the indigence agencies the authority and power to intercept internet and wire communications. Section 203 of the Patriot Act allows the intelligence agencies to share criminal investigative information. Section 209 of the same Act states that stored voice mail can be accessed by the authorized agencies by using search warrants. Section 212 is the emergency disclosure of electronic messages to protect life. This allows flexibility to reveal emergencies. The Patriot Act gives the law enforcers the go-ahead to conduct extensive investigations without tripping the terrorists. It also gives the intelligence agencies the power to ask the court to give them the authority to get business records for national security investigation purposes (Justice.gov, 2015).
Components of the Patriot Act that Often Cause Debates
The Patriot Act has caused several debates in the country regarding the privacy issues. There is a group of organizations that think the government is violating the privacy of the American citizens. The ALA thinks that the Patriot Act has a few sections that violate the constitutional and privacy rights of the people. The ALA argues that the various intelligence agencies used inappropriate and traditional ways of acquiring information from people and different sources. The Patriot Act has contradictory policies to the American immigration policy. The Act fails to identify the various immigration laws in the country with the excuse of eradicating and preventing terrorism in the United States of America (Cdt.org, 2015). The Act nullifies the proper immigration policies that state the how to prosecute foreigners with terrorist connections. The civil service activists oppose the Patriot Act since they believe that it gives the executive branch much power to conduct secret investigations on the liberties. The signing statement by George W. Bush allowed various exemptions to the some of the clauses in the law (Coaffee, 2010).
References
Ala.org,. (2015). The USA PATRIOT Act | Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. Retrieved 17 October 2015, from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/federallegislation/theusapatriotact
Cdt.org,. (2015). Summary and Analysis of Key Sections of USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001, October 31, 2001. Retrieved 17 October 2015, from https://cdt.org/files/security/011031summary.shtml
Coaffee, J. (2010). Protecting vulnerable cities: the UK’s resilience response to defending everyday urban infrastructure. International Affairs, 86(4), 939-954.
Justice.gov,. (2015). What is the USA Patriot Web. Retrieved 17 October 2015, from http://www.justice.gov/archive/ll/highlights.htm
Question Two
Introduction: Domestic Terrorism in the USA
Domestic terrorism is a burning issue in the United States of America. Domestic terrorism is similar to international terrorism only that most of its proprietors are citizens of the affected country. Domestic terrorism in America has been present for many years. The evolution of domestic terrorism in the United States of America has led to the increase of many radical groups in the country. The rise of anti-government groups has caused to various protests in the country, some worse that they lead to loss of lives and expensive property (Wesley Bruer, 2015). There are various similarities between domestic and international terrorism. One of the main distinctions is how the department of justice treats cases of either type. The FBI has recorded over two hundred and forty-seven cases of domestic terrorism in the United States of America. Out of these cases, eighty-eight of them were done with the intention of making them come out as international terrorist attacks. The intelligence agencies in America have joined operations for the sole purpose of eradicating both international and domestic terrorism in America. There are two types of domestic terrorist groups in the USA; the Domestic right-wing group and left-wing groups. The domestic right-wing terrorist groups focus racial supremacy and antigovernment acts. The domestic left-wing terrorist groups act as protectors of the citizens against imperialism and other acts of capitalism (FBI, 2015).
Three Types of Domestic Groups in America
The Klu Klux Klan
The Klu Klux Klan is one of the dangerous domestic terrorist groups in the United States of America. The group was formed around 1865, a time when the American Civil War was ending. The core founders of the Klu Klux Klan were the Confederate veterans. The main aim of the formation of the terrorist group was to restore white race dominance in the country. The assaulted the many freed slaves during that time. They also killed the people who supported the black race in the United States of America. The Klu Klux Klan is responsible for assassinating prominent African Americans. The group currently targets homosexuals, illegal immigrants, criminals, and African Americans. The Klu Klux Klan handles establishing majority if the white supremacist groups in America (Listverse, 2013).
The Sovereign Citizens
The Sovereign Citizens, as the name suggests, is a group of people who believe that they are sovereign from the American laws and government. The members of this group believe that they are not supposed to pay taxes or follow the set laws. They do not acknowledge the state police officers. The sovereign citizens have killed many police officers. They have also threatened to kill the judges. They believe that the government is oppressing them. The sovereign citizens have had numerous attempts to clog the court system by filing many trivial cases in one month (Listverse, 2013).
Phineas Priesthood
This terrorist group consists of Christians promoting violence through hateful messages. The members of this group are brainwashed into hating every person or organization that is different from them. The major issues that the Phineas Priesthood opposes are interracial relationships, taxation, homosexuality, abortion, and multiculturalism. Their main aim is to see that America is comprised of only white Christians. The FBI has labeled this group as a terrorist organization (Listverse, 2013).
Similarities and Differences of the Groups
One of the main similarities of these terrorist groups is that they perform radical operations in the country. The other similarity is they kill people and destroy properties. The domestic terrorist groups are against the government activities. All of these groups continue growing by recruiting new members every year.
The above groups have individual differences that set them apart from each other. The major cause of formation of the groups is different. Their views and opinions are different in every aspect. The other difference is that some of the domestic terrorist groups are religiously based while others have different driving factors Wilkinson, (2011).
References
FBI,. (2015). The Terrorist Threat Confronting the United States. Retrieved 17 October 2015, from https://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/the-terrorist-threat-confronting-the-united-states
Listverse,. (2013). 10 Terrorist Organizations Operating In The US - Listverse. Retrieved 17 October 2015, from http://listverse.com/2013/03/24/10-terrorist-organizations-operating-in-the-us/
Wesley Bruer, C. (2015). DOJ pivots from ISIS to U.S. anti-government groups - CNNPolitics.com. CNN. Retrieved 17 October 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/14/politics/justice-department-domestic-terror-council/
Wilkinson, P. (2011). Terrorism versus democracy: The liberal state response. Taylor & Francis.