Counter-Terrorism: What You Need to Know

Introduction and Thesis 

The incidences of terrorism have increased over the past few decades and it has been used to inflict fear and panic in different parts of the world. Different countries and different global organizations have taken the threat of terrorism seriously and have engaged in counter-terrorism efforts. One of the international organizations that has been at the forefront of fighting terrorism has been the United Nations. The UN has made one of its primary goals to combat terrorism. The United States has also been at the forefront of combating terror aggressively especially after the September 11 attacks that claimed the lives of thousands. Combating terrorism and terrorist activities remains a difficult issue. The United States has been forced to combat terrorism from both overseas and from within its borders. There are also countries that choose to retaliate terrorist activities through an eye for an eye approach that becomes more disastrous. Counter-terrorism activities have improved through government, military, and intelligent activities to prevent terrorism and can be further enhanced through better communication and collaboration among countries. 

Literature Review 

What is counter-terrorism? 

In order to first define counter-terrorism, one must have a clear definition of terrorism. While there is no universally accepted or clear definition of terrorism, it can be defined as an act of violence or threat against non-military individuals with the main objective of intimidating or harming the targeted population (Simeon, 2019). Such a definition encompasses both terrorist activities that have been conducted from overseas or within a country. The motivations of terrorism also vary and can be political or non-political. Terrorist activities today have been used to create panic, fear, and to primarily get publicity through print media and various television news channels. Terrorism is highly distressful because it leads to damages and destruction, killing of innocent civilians, and panic and fear in the larger population. 

Counter-terrorism can thus be defined as the strategies and policies put in place by the government, military, and intelligence agencies to prevent or retaliate terrorist activities. These agencies could implement political strategies by the government, military tactics, intelligence gathering, law enforcement, and other practices that can be used to combat or to prevent terrorist activities. 

How Terrorism Got into the Homeland 

Terrorism in the United States has changed significantly over the years. The government has to identify the different terrorist activities and act accordingly. Jihadism is the current main form of terrorism and involves violence posed by Islam extremists. Jihadism has been propagated by both foreign and domestic terrorists. Domestic terrorism has also been propagated by white supremacists. The government is increasingly facing challenges to combat terrorism posed by white supremacists. 

Data 

Successful Counter-terrorism Methods 

Military Response 

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States decided to engage in the military operation in Afghanistan. The aim of the operation was to prevent a catastrophic terror attack that could take place from overseas. The military operations in Afghanistan can be described as a success. According to Goepner (2016), the United States has sent approximately 2.5 million military members and spent more than 4 trillion members in sending troops to Afghanistan. The military operations have been extensive and this can be seen through the fact that there have been no overseas attacks carried out to the United States since the 9/11 attacks. Additionally, the killing of Osama Bin Laden marked as a victory for the United States in striving to undertake counter-terrorism measures. 

Intelligence Gathering 

Intelligence gathering is at the center of counter-terrorism activities. Counter-terrorism activities thus involve an increase in domestic intelligence activities. New technology has allowed for the interception of communication, improvement in surveillance, and tracing of persons. After the 9/11 attacks, there were several measures undertaken by the United States to improve on its intelligence-gathering activities. The Patriot Act was passed in order to reduce the limitation of law enforcement agencies when searching for medical, email, financial, and telephone records. The Act reduced strict restrictions by the US government when gathering information about other countries (Combs, 2017). 

International Collaboration 

Counter-terrorism activities have also improved through collaboration by different countries to fight the war on terror. The United Nations has been the main uniting force for different countries. All UN Member States came to a common operational and strategic approach to fight terrorism. The countries came together and sent the message that terrorism is unacceptable and that any form and manifestation of terrorism would be resolved by taking the required steps to collectively and individually combat it and prevent it (Nesi, 2016). The required steps include several measures such as strengthening the capacity of every to counter terrorist activities and to improve coordination among member states in counter-terrorism activities. 

Limiting Finances and Knowledge 

Counter-terrorist activities have also been carried out by ensuring that terrorist groups have limited funding and limited knowledge and material to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Collaboration among both private and public financial sectors has allowed for information sharing regarding financial data, activities, and transactions undertaken by terrorist groups. The information has been used to conduct financial sanctions, financial measures, and law enforcement actions that deny terrorists the ability to raise funds and thus disrupt terrorist activities and support networks. The collaboration with other nations has also made it possible for governments to ensure that terrorists do not exploit the academic and scientific communities in the acquisition of new weapons and capabilities. 

Punitive Measures 

There have also been punitive measures undertaken by several governments to prevent terrorist activities. The lifeline of terrorist activities has been cut off through strict financial measures and cutting resource-generating abilities. Organizations that have been suspected to support terrorist activities have had their assets frozen and banning of any fund-raising activities. Additionally, countries that have been suspected to support and harbor terrorist groups have also experienced economic sanctions. This has been the case of Iraq and Iran where the two countries have experienced economic sanctions because they have been suspected to harbor terrorists. 

Political Strategies 

Counterterrorism endeavors have also been focused on political strategies that address the root cause of terrorism. Terrorists legitimize violent activities to be as a response of unemployment, poverty, and other socio-political issues. Governments have thus tried to address terrorism by focusing on poverty-reduction activities, employment, land distribution, and improving the livelihood of different individuals. Political strategies have also involved negotiating with terror groups. However, the strategy can give terrorists the validity to carry out other terror activities. 

Recognizing radicalization 

Terrorists have to go through a radicalization process before resorting to any forms of violence. Counterterrorism measures involve recognizing and reporting any forms of radicalization. The general public such as teachers and youth workers are increasingly being taught how to recognize and report any forms of radicalization to criminal justice authorities. Recognizing and stopping radicalization in the correct time is one of the strategies to prevent attacks from leading terrorists. 

Countering Cyberterrorism 

Cyberterrorism involves any form of terrorist activities that make use of the internet to conduct violence activities. Countering cyberterrorism has been achieved by making sure that there are improved security measures adopted by different online companies. For instance, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 protects wire, oral, and electronic communication from unauthorized access. Companies that handle public data are expected to operate and make use of high security standards. 

Analysis 

How Governments Can Improve Counter-terrorism Programs 

Further analysis shows that military actions to undertake counter-terrorism activities have been largely ineffective. According to Goepner (2016), US counter-terrorist activities have failed because more people have died since 9/11 acts from terrorist activities than ever before and the number of fighters and organizations supporting Al-Qaeda has grown. The proposal by Goepner is that the US defense policy should focus on critical areas such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence in order to support homeland security. Instead of focusing more on military action, the United States government and its defense should strive on having a tactical approach in order to improve its effectiveness. 

Intelligence Improvement 

There should be an improvement in intelligence gathering in order to prevent terrorist activities in time. Intelligence gathering has gone through several challenges and objections. Domestic intelligence has often been directed towards specific groups of specific religion and origin and this has raised political controversy. Mass surveillance of the entire population raises questions on civil liberties. Additionally, there are homegrown terrorists and lone wolves’ terrorist that are difficult to detect because of their legal status and citizenship. The government should channel more funds towards intelligence gathering as it can be used to prevent terrorist activities with minimal costs. Additionally, the government should focus on good intelligence that involves a target-focused approach to understanding the motivation, methods, source, and tactics of terrorist groups. 

Collaboration and Information Sharing 

One of the ways to improve counter-terrorism activities is to strengthen collaboration and information sharing between the state, local, federal, and international counter-terrorist activities. Collaboration with international governments should be made to enhance information sharing. Information sharing should ensure that it is analyzed in a timely manner so as to prevent any possible crimes and terrorism. The federal, state, and local governments should also share sensitive information in a timely manner. This will be important in carrying out any investigation regarding the motivation of the sensitive information gathered. 

Internet and Technology 

The advent of the internet and social media has created a platform where terrorists can easily pass their agenda and radicalize individuals. One of the activities of counter-terrorist activities should involve counter-radicalization. This can involve combating their influence online and social media. Individuals that are involved in violent extremism online and letting terrorists abuse their platforms should be prosecuted. Governments should strive to identify early signs of radicalization and mobilizations that may motivate terrorist attacks. Proper communication should also be done so as to combat any propaganda and narratives that have been raised by terrorists (Trump, 2018). This should render the activities and initiatives of terrorists ineffective. 

Internet Propaganda 

Counter-terrorism should involve fighting internet propaganda through policies and legislation. New legislation should be passed that prevents dissemination of any terrorist content online. For instance, social media platforms can be given one hour to delete terror-related videos and posts or pose financial penalties on the companies. Additionally, internet propaganda can be combatted through counter-propaganda and counter-radicalization interventions (Bertram, 2016). The interventions should involve the establishment of a strong system for recognizing and reporting terrorist propaganda. 

The Media 

The general media including television, the internet, and print media is a platform where reporting can be used to advance terrorist agenda. The media has made it possible to perpetuate rumors and even actual terrorist attacks that create fear. Emotions and opinions that follow attacks through media can be used to advance the terror cycle. The government and law enforcement should be ready to offer accurate and regular information to minimize any negative fallout. Experts from around the world should offer guidance to authorities regarding how they can manage the impact of terror attacks through harnessing of international media communication. 

Policies that Can Aid and Hinder Counterterrorism 

One of the policies that has hindered counterterrorism attempts has been the Fourth Amendment in the United States constitution. This is a bill of rights that prohibits unreasonable searches, seizures, and requires the issuing of a warrant by a judge before seizing a person or thing. When undertaking any investigation, law enforcement personnel have to go through several legal policies and procedures before making the arrest of a terrorist suspect. 

Privacy laws in the United States have also hindered counterterrorism measures. Privacy laws makes it difficult for law enforcement personnel to intrude private property or information. Privacy laws also go online through the use of encryption in direct messaging. Intercepting terrorist communication through the internet has thus been difficult. The general public has also issued increasing concern over monitoring by the government and noted that they require additional privacy. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, counterterrorism activities have improved through military, intelligent, and government activities. These activities can be further improved through communication and collaboration. Counterterrorism involves military, intelligent, and government activities to prevent and retaliate to terrorist activities. Previous military activities like that of the United States in Afghanistan has been effective. However, it can be improved by focusing on more resources dedicated to intelligent gathering activities. There is also a need for collaboration and information sharing among different governments to counter terrorist activities in a timely manner. 

References 

Bertram, L. (2016). Terrorism, the Internet and the Social Media Advantage: Exploring how terrorist organizations exploit aspects of the internet, social media and how these same platforms could be used to counter-violent extremism.  Journal for Deradicalization , (7), 225-252. 

Combs, C. C. (2017).  Terrorism in the twenty-first century . Routledge. 

Goepner, E. W. (2016). Measuring the Effectiveness of America’s War on Terror.  Parameters ,  46 (1), 107-120. 

Nesi, G. (Ed.). (2016).  International cooperation in counter-terrorism: The United Nations and regional organizations in the fight against terrorism . Routledge. 

Simeon, J. C. (2019). The Evolving Common Law Jurisprudence Combatting the Threat of Terrorism in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.  Laws ,  8 (1), 5. 

Trump, D. J. (2018).  National Strategy for Counterterrorism of the United States of America . Executive Office of the President Washington DC Washington United States.