We all have tendencies to act and operate a certain way. It might be the route that we take to the grocery store, or the sequence that we follow when we get dressed. As human beings, we are creatures of habit, and this conformity to order can be beneficial to us, but it can also be detrimental. Terrorists study their targets, and they study their enemy. For a terror attack to be successful, the terrorist mind must understand the environment in which they are operating, and the standard operating procedure of the enemy. The US anti-terrorism effort has to involve the same kind of strategic evaluation when attempting to prevent terrorist attacks on US soil. Analysis of terrorist groups, their operations, and preferences, is necessary to prevent acts of violence at the hands of these groups.
What terrorist tactics and strategies can be exploited in order to enhance our national security? That would depend on what group you are looking at and their operational preferences. ISIS for example, has used free market principles to acquire materials and funding. When they originally took control of Mosul, the intent was not limited to the desire to put another notch in their belt for the caliphate. Mosul was a strategic move, that gave ISIS control of the city’s natural resources and the means by which to manufacture goods. ISIS has created terrorist’s economy, as they have used the land that they take for the caliphate, for its resources and geographical location by seizing oil, selling it to neighboring countries, stealing military equipment and either choosing to sell it, or use it for their own fighters. ISIS has even created their own currency that utilizes precious metals like gold and silver. These business savvy terrorists make it necessary for intelligence analysts to view this group and its financial dealings differently, especially when it comes to monitoring transactions while attempting to intercept those that appear shady or inconsistent with what is generally considered legitimate in its appearance. Mosul was just recently taken back from ISIS, after being in their possession for quite some time.
Behavioral profiling is an important part of understanding terrorists and their intentions. The fact that terrorist attacks usually rely on simplicity, rather than intricate plans with many moving parts, makes the tangible warning signs much more difficult to observe, left of boom. The intangible quality of one’s behavior can be the most obvious indication that is available to you right before things start to get chaotic. Someone that is walking through an airport to get on a plane with his/her family, is not going to act the same as someone that is getting ready to blow themselves up or crash a plane. Law enforcement and national security professionals entrusted with the task of keeping America safe, must also be able to observe physiological changes in individuals and integrate those observations into a broader profile analysis. These physiological signs might include, increased heart rate, diaphoresis, dilated pupils, etc. Many of these natural responses can be monitored via modern surveillance equipment that we currently have in airports and other potentially sensitive locations.
Another crucial part of any terrorist organizations’ operation, is recruiting. Recruiting is done through propaganda, and taking advantage of emotionally vulnerable individuals. Propaganda can come in the form of state run media, magazines, books, and even on Youtube. People like to win, and terror groups that tout their accomplishments, victories, and effectiveness of their jihadi message in the west, have no problems when it comes to bringing new blood into the organization. This is why we strive for tactical victories overseas, to show the world that terror can be defeated when they go toe to toe with world superpowers or western coalitions. It shoots holes in their message and shines light on their weaknesses. However, we have to keep in mind that there are limitations when it comes to tactical military victories. The optics may be good, but when you drive them out of the Middle East, and the evil invades western countries as we have seen recently in Europe and the US, the dynamic changes. Terrorists reside in every inhabitable continent and to think that we can wipe them out with bullets and bombs is blatantly naïve at best, extremely dangerous at worst. Instead we have to destroy their credibility and delegitimize their message of death and hate. Islamic terrorists draw their ideology straight from the Quranic texts, and understanding the Quran is absolutely necessary when dealing with jihadists that swear allegiance to Allah.
Many refer to Islam when they hear the word terrorism, but terrorism has no ethnic boundaries, and it does not claim any nationality. Terrorists that operate without a government sponsor, or without support from a known funded terrorist organization can kill with the same impunity, and channel the same hate, as any well-funded professional terrorist. Individuals that may commit acts of terror, in order to persuade policy makers, may not leave the same kind of paper trail, thus making it more difficult to observe activities or transactions, that might otherwise be associated with potential terrorists. Blinders cannot be worn at any time and stereotypes must be abandoned, or the probability of letting something slip by you, goes up significantly. Terrorists are classified by their experience, effectiveness, abundance or scarcity of funding and the entities that provide said funding, ideology and common cause. Race, gender, faith, and age are not relevant when one is attempting to profile, as terrorists have operatives that tend to be so diverse, that general appearance can be very deceiving when trying to identify a potential threat.
To stop a terrorist, you must be able to think like a terrorist. Knowing the rationale that accompanies decisions on target selection, and potential media exposure, makes it a little easier to predict where the next attack will happen, and where it will come from (Wright, 2011). While studying the enemy, one must remember that terrorists study law enforcement in the same fashion and that they adapt based on patterns of behavior that they observe. This is why we are told from day one to vary the sequences in how we operate, and not to fall into a cyclic routine that can be observed and capitalized upon by an observer. Terrorism exists mainly as a means by which to instill fear. This goal can be met through a ridiculously high body count, or a spectacular scene that is shown on every local and national news network for maximum psychological effect. The effects of an attack, reach every person in the country with a TV, not just those that are directly and physically affected by the attack. Mass media is played like a fiddle, at the hands of these barbarians.
Assassination is another tactic, that is used by almost every known terrorist organization. The target is usually someone that represents the establishment that the terror group is at war with, political, social, or economic figures, or a symbol of the infrastructure in which they are in conflict. Other reasons for assassinations can include intimidation, swaying public opinion, revenge, or to gain media attention. In modern times, with media being consumed by so many people, an assassination that is recorded, or on live TV, could have the maximum effect and instill fear in the masses. Look at the impact that the 8mm home movie taken by Abraham Zapruder while standing near the greasy knoll, had on the American mind, as it shows a US President having half of his head shot off while riding through Dealey Plaza. Media distribution has a huge impact on the public perception of terror.
False credentials when traveling, can be another indication of affiliation with a terrorist organization. Indicators that suggest fraudulent passports, include those that are physically altered, serial numbers that are on a watchlist, or show up as stolen, absence of additional supporting documents, significant gaps in travel history, and many others. Terrorists will always find a way, but that is why law enforcement must keep up with the latest trends in terrorist tactics as they change quite frequently, as they adapt to changes in security policy. Therefore, taking your shoes off when going through security, is ridiculous and ultimately ineffective in the grand scheme of things. We lose our rights permanently, and they just shift gears. Violating our rights to keep us safe? Some would say, that this argument doesn’t really pass the smell test.
Knowing the philosophical motivations of a terror group, is crucial when trying to anticipate their next move. Understanding details about their political leanings and world view, and whether those views are rational, or irrational in nature, is a great starting point. Is there a Bible, manifesto, or other religious or ideological doctrine that governs their actions, and sets a baseline for their moral behavior (Dyson, 2015)? It is important to keep in mind, that morality is relative, especially in religious texts, as killing someone of a certain race or religion would be the standard for morality in one case, whereas loving one’s enemies is the standard elsewhere. Ideology and word view drive the actions of terrorists, and variations of these closely held beliefs determine how they act and react to certain situations.
In conclusion, there is no cookie cutter approach to defining terror, as organizations and events must be observed objectively and handled in such a way, that the perpetrators are dealt with in an appropriate manner, and an assurance must be made that terrorists that take up arms against the US cannot use our criminal justice system against us by weighing things down with procedural pitfalls, and faux civil rights issues. As mentioned above our criminal justice system does not exist to hold trials for enemy combatants. Many people complain about our system here and the flaws that exist within the system, but the fact remains that we are still the best game in town. Local, state, and Federal law enforcement must work as one, left of boom as well as right, and there is no room for ego (Ernst, 2014). Those that enter public service should want to serve the public, and if they don’t, they are not being honest with themselves. Equal treatment under the law, without special treatment for elites or their big money donors. Most people have the view that the war on terror started on 9/11, but this conflict has existed for many years, even in this country, and 9/11 was just a significant escalation. Terrorism is a threat to our way of life, and the American dream. The fact that the very fabric of America rests in the balance here, gives our national security agencies a sense of urgency when dealing with this threat. Understanding the modus operandi of terrorists and the groups that they represent must be taken seriously, and this understanding has to include knowledge of, and respect for our constitution and the promise of liberty that America has always offered. Liberty and freedom shouldn’t be recognized as bumper sticker slogans, or words to regurgitate on the 4th of July. These hallmarks of America must continue to have meaning, those promises from our founders must not be forgotten, or go unrecognized. Awareness of the Saint Leo core value of responsible stewardship is necessary as we acknowledge the abundance of resources that God has made available to us, as we are staring evil in the face. We must effectively utilize our sense of morality when these tools are implemented, as not to affect individual rights and/or liberty, as we seek to strengthen our communities and promote safety within those communities.
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