The U.S. faces an increasingly multifaceted and growing threat of terrorism. Foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) remain intent on conducting terror attacks in the U.S. directly or by inspiring susceptible individuals in the U.S (“U.S. National Commission on Terrorism,” 2000). In this respect, a number of U.S. agencies have been developed. This includes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), among other (McAleenan, 2019). These agencies were created to improve the nation’s intelligence, improve security in the U.S., or fight against terrorism. To achieve this, the DHS, DoS, FBIS, CIA, and other related agencies employ a number of strategies, tactics, and tools to conduct counterterrorism actions in the U.S. as well as outside of the U.S.
Foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) continue to plot against the U.S., and the DHS regularly executes its mission of preventing terrorist attacks from FTOs. Unfortunately, homegrown violent extremists (HVEs), which include white supremacists, have also grown in the U.S. (McAleenan, 2019). HVEs are largely influenced by the ideologies of FTOs, while others are racially or ethnically motivated (McAleenan, 2019). While the terrorist threat remains serious, the DHS, DoD, FBIS CIA, and other related agencies work in conjunction to prevent foreign terrorist attacks. In particular, the DHS has played a vital role. DHS’s achievement in countering terror attacks from FTOs illuminates the strategies, tactics, and tools it ought to bear so as to address the increasingly complex and evolving threat of terrorism.
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DHS has employed a multi-tiered approach to protection -using advanced technologies, improving the nation’s intelligence-collection and investigative competences, providing advanced training to militants and other experts involved in counterterrorism, and building the capacity of U.S. international partners. According to the DHS, these strategies have helped the U.S. “push its borders outside” as well as create defense-in-depth (McAleenan, 2019). In addition, screening and vetting are among DHS’s primary counterterrorism strategies, and the National Targeting Center (NTC) is the center of these efforts. The NTC employs cutting-edge tools and intelligence to identify emerging threats. This includes threats posed by terrorists, terrorist support networks, and FTOs. By identifying targets and facilitating interdictions across the various modes of transportation, NTC prevents terrorists and their allies from reaching the U.S. The NTC is one of the most effective counterterrorism tools used by the federal government and counterterrorism agencies in the U.S. to perform counterterrorism operations within America.
DHS has also increased information sharing between the federal government and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments to facilitate sharing threat-related information. Before 9/11, the U.S. had no mechanism to facilitate sharing information regarding terrorist threats between the federal government and SLTT agencies (McAleenan, 2019). In particular, the U.S. did not have a mechanism to collect and share Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR). In this regard, the DHS, FBI, SLTT agencies, and other related agencies created the Nationwide SAR Initiative (NSI), which established standards for collecting and sharing SAR information. In 2007, the NSI was recognized as a national security strategy of collecting, distribution, and information that pertains to intelligence between the federal government and SLTT agencies (McAleenan, 2019). Efforts like NSI help the DHS to detect and mitigate threats.
Another tool used by U.S. counterterrorism agencies to counter terror threats in the U.S. is the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) program. DHS supports U.S. citizens in their preparations to respond to as well as recover from terror attacks. In this respect, DHS has trained first responders and helped connect U.S. citizens with resources that can support their preparedness efforts. This includes the THIRA program provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This program helps the federal government, the DHS, and SLTT agencies to identify risk and capability gaps (McAleenan, 2019). In this way, the federal government would be able to develop response plans as well as efficiently allocate resources to address the threats. Other strategies used by the U.S. to counterterrorism in the U.S. include freezing assets belonging to terrorists and their allies and banning immigrants from certain nations (Kraft, 2016). These strategies help the U.S. prevent and mitigate threats in the U.S. soil.
U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism agencies also use a wide range measures to perform counterterrorism operations outside the U.S. Some of the strategies, tools, and tactics used include “human intelligence (HUMINT), signal intelligence (SIGINT), imagery intelligence (IMINT), measurement and signatures intelligence (MASINT), and open-source intelligence (OSINT)” (Johnson, 2010). The U.S. utilizes these measures for various reasons, such as to protect its interest and property in foreign countries. This includes its military personnel and military operations. Tools like HUMINT and SIGINT help the U.S. gather intelligence to help federal agencies combat terrorism overseas. The CIA is mainly responsible for conducting counterterrorism and intelligence gathering outside the U.S (CIA, 2003). On the other hand, the FBI is responsible for conducting counterterrorism and intelligence gathering within the U.S.
To gather intelligence and perform counterterrorism operations overseas, the CIA relies heavily on HUMINT, SIGINT, IMINT, MASINT, and OSINT. The CIA also collects intelligence from other foreign agencies to better counterterrorism outside the U.S. soil. This means that the U.S. collaborates with foreign governments to gather information about extremist groups, such as Al-Qa’ida and ISIS (Trump, 2017). For example, the U.S. has partnered with the Somali government to fight Al-Shabaab, a terror group based in Somalia. Al-Shabaab is widely known for conducting terror attacks across East Africa, especially Kenya and Somalia. It is believed that the terror group is largely funded by Al’Qa’ida, a terror group that poses a significant threat to the U.S. For this reason, the U.S. has partnered with the Somali government to collect intelligence information regarding this terror organization in order to protect its interest and property, which includes its military personnel and operations.
The measures employed by the U.S. to conduct counterterrorism operations overseas have been successful. The success can be attributed to a number of factors, including the ability of agencies to properly utilize the strategies, tactics, and tolls. In addition, politicians and Congress have played a vital role in ensuring that laws and amendments that give the U.S. a better national security defense are passed and enacted. Conducting counterterrorism operations outside the U.S. helps the U.S. defend its soil as well as help its foreign allies protect its borders.
There are a number of key differences between the counterterrorism measures employed by the U.S. in and outside the U.S. One of the key differences is that the measures within the U.S. are designed to detect, prevent, protect against, and mitigate threats within the U.S, whereas those employed outside the U.S. are mainly designed to protect U.S. interest and property overseas. Secondly, the measures used within the U.S. are more effective than those employed outside the U.S. This can be attributed to a number of factors. First, it is difficult to collect intelligence information outside the U.S. because foreign governments try to protect their intelligence information. Secondly, it is easier for the federal government to protect its interest and property within the U.S. than outside the U.S. Overall, the U.S. counterterrorism agencies have successfully used a wide range of measures to perform counterterrorism operation inside and outside the U.S.
References
Central Intelligence Agency (2003), National Strategy for Combating Terrorism . Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/Counter_Terrorism_Strategy.pdf
Johnson, L. K. (Ed.). (2010). The Oxford handbook of national security intelligence . Oxford University Press.
Kraft, M. B., & Marks, E. (2016). US Government Counterterrorism: A guide to who does what . CRC Press.
McAleenan, K. (2019). Strategic framework for countering terrorism and targeted violence. Department of Homeland Security .
Trump, D. J. (2017). National security strategy of the United States of America . Executive Office of The President Washington DC Washington United States.
U.S. National Commission on Terrorism. (2000). Countering the Changing Threat of International Terrorism . National Commission on Terrorism.
