by Mary H. Cooper

About the author: Mary H. Cooper is a staff writer for C.Q. Researcher, published by Congressional Quarterly, Inc.

Until February 1993, Americans were secure in the knowledge that, at least at home, they were safe from international terrorists. Then Islamic fundamentalists sent a shocking wake-up call—the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. In April 1995, Americans were shaken again when a powerful blast destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City. But that attack—the worst case of domestic terrorism in U.S. history—apparently was perpetrated by American citizens. In response to the escalating terrorism against the U.S., the Clinton administration and the Republican-dominated Congress have presented several anti-terrorism proposals. But some observers question whether they will work, whether they are constitutional and if future terrorists will up...