Unit II Essay
MHS5201
Targets for Domestic Terrorism
One of the main targets in my community for a domestic terrorism attack is the Center of
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is a federal agency that is a major component
of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS). The CDC’s main goal is to protect
American citizens from diseases and other biohazards (CDC, n.d.). They research and study dis-
eases and medications to prevent diseases. Given the nature of the CDC’s work, there could be a
major impact on Georgia or even nationally if there was an attack on the facility.
The CDC has several labs working on disease prevention. They house several different
types of specimens, including pathogens that are extremely deadly and have no treatment for
them. This would make the CDC a potential target for domestic terrorism due to the nature of its
work. If any of the diseases got into the wrong hands, it could have a devastating impact on
America. It could also create a national emergency if the CDC had a major fire or explosion and
the diseases were released into the air. An attack on the CDC would have the potential of causing
severe devastation and economic impact if it were to be targeted.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is located just south of the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. This air-
port is considered to be the busiest airport in the world. There are over 90 million travelers that
go through Hartsfield in a year (Hartsfield, 2021). Due to this enormous amount of people and
traffic, an attack on this airport could be devastating for many people and families. There are also
a large number of connecting flights through Hartsfield; if there was an attack on this airport it
could disrupt the entirety of air traffic. If Hartsfield was to ever be attacked it could have a huge