Terrorism AwarenessQuestion 186 of 200

'Domestic terrorism' as defined by 18 U.S.C. §2331(5) is distinguished from 'international terrorism' chiefly by:

a.The severity of the casualties that the attack ends up producing, with the larger death toll marking out the international category from the domestic one

b.The use of explosives rather than any other kind of weapon, since explosive attacks are treated as the international variety and shootings as the domestic one

c.The activities occurring primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, often by US-based actors with US-focused ideologies

d.Whether the FBI rather than the CIA leads the investigation into the incident, which is the sole distinction that the statute itself actually draws between them

Explanation

Domestic terrorism under §2331(5) involves activities that occur primarily within US territorial jurisdiction and are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence government, or affect conduct of government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. The dividing line from international terrorism (§2331(1)) is geographic/jurisdictional, not severity (a), weapon type (b), or which agency leads (d — investigation may involve FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces regardless). Recent threat assessments identify domestic violent extremism — including racially-motivated, anti-government, and other ideologies — as significant US threats.

Law Reference: 18 U.S.C. §2331(5); FBI domestic terrorism framework

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'Domestic terrorism' as defined by 18 U.S.C. §2331(5) is distinguished from 'international terrorism' chiefly by:

Explanation

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