Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to further political or social objectives. It is usually intended to intimidate or coerce our government, individuals, and groups. Terrorism is the most deadly violence our nation has ever faced. Terrorism has contributed to many deaths over the past five years in the United States. Experts agree that there is almost always a strategy behind terrorist actions. Whether it takes the form of bombings, shootings, hijackings, or assassinations, terrorism is neither random, nor blind; it is a deliberate use of violence against civilians for political or religious means.
             Even though most people can recognize terrorism when they see it, experts have had difficulty coming up with an ironclad definition. Terrorism is planned in advance, rather than an impulsive act of rage. Normally, terrorism is aimed at civilians, not at military targets or combat ready troops. Terrorist acts are often deliberately spectacular, designed to rattle and influence a wide audience, beyond the victims of the violence itself. Terrorists also use weapons of mass destruction. In 1995, members of a Japanese cult, released sarin nerve gas into the Tokyo subway. The terrorist attack killed twelve and wounded over thirty-five hundred civilians. This was the first chemical terrorist attack that had been recorded in history. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh bombed and killed over one hundred sixty-eight people in a federal office building in Oklahoma City, OK.
             On September 11, 2001 terrorists maliciously invaded our nation. There were four hijacked airplanes that killed an estimated three thousand civilians. The first and second airplanes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center located in New York. The third airplane hit the Pentagon, US military headquarters, in Washington DC. The fourth airplane crashed in a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The al-Qaeda attack was the
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