Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the US
1-In 2011, the U.S. Government released the first ever (and only) strategy to specifically address homegrown violence inspired by radical ideologies (Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States) which was followed by a more detailed Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States. These documents resulted from the identification of violent extremism and terrorism inspired by al-Qaeda as the "preeminent security threats" to the United States. Analyze this strategy and evaluate its effectiveness today to deal with the full range of domestic terrorism threats including from right wing, left wing/anarchist (Antifa) and Jihadi homegrown threats. Describe what elements you think are missing or should be reinforced in order to have a comprehensive and effective strategy to deal with homegrown terrorist attacks (regardless of the underlying ideology or political motivation). [See note]
2-Terrorism is politically motivated violence against non-combatants in order to spread fear (terrorize) and to force some change in policy. Terrorists attack indirectly (in civilian disguise) and against "soft targets" in order to strike fear and get attention to gain support for their cause (recruits, funding, propaganda). They seek revenge, renown, and reaction and are all about scaring civil society and making themselves known. So global news media agencies and the internet are both perfectly suited tools for terrorists to spread their message. How can we reduce terrorist use of the media and the internet as a tool for their evil purposes? Address both the media and the internet separately in your answer.
Note: This course is focused on politically motivated violence that is commonly called terrorism, and which always has some purported underlying cause. Do not address deranged massed shooters with serious mental dysfunctions as that is well outside the scope of this course. These people cannot be deterred and many often expose ideology as a reason when that is really just a distraction from the real proximate cause of the attack – their mental illness.
Utilize the current APA Style as the sole citation and reference style
Do not use Wikipedia or encyclopedic type sources.
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Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States
In recent years, America has witnessed new waves of terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of many innocent people. Given the rising extremism cases, the US government developed a strategy to involve local stakeholders in the fight against violent extremism. Empowering local partners to prevent violent extremism was enacted in 2011 to address the homegrown violence inspired by radical ideologies. Six principles guide it. First, building partnerships and support for local communities must be based on mutual understanding, trust, and respect (Schanzer & Eyerman, 2019). Second, stakeholders must use appropriate governance programs to prevent violent extremism. Third, local programs’ support must address concerns about terrorism-related concerns. Fourth, government officials should not blame, punish or stigmatize communities due to the actions of a few individuals. Fifth, strong religious beliefs should not be confused with radicalization. Lastly, strong opposition to government policy does not make someone a terrorist (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). An initiative is a community-based approach that encourages local stakeholders to work with law enforcement in preventing terrorism. It promotes information sharing about terrorism threats, strengthens cooperation with local law enforcement, and helps communities better understand imminent threats as they prepare to protect themselves from radicalization (Department of Homeland Security, 2011b). With the strategy in place, it is imperative to analyze its effectiveness to deal with today’s full range of domestic terrorism threats.
Schanzer & Eyerman (2019) noted that for a plan to prevent domestic terrorism effectively, it must involve local stakeholders like local communities, families, local law enforcement, and other local institutions. The strategy of empowering local partners to prevent violent extremism in the US meets this criterion. Local stakeholders act as the best defense against violent extremist ideologies because they are best placed to recognize the threat and the perpetrators (Department of Homeland Security, 2011b). Terrorists often target their children, families, and neighbors for recruitment. Instead of blaming particular communities, the government found it effective to enhance federal engagement with local communities.
This strategy effectively deals with today’s full range of domestic terrorism because it strengthens the community’s ability to counter violent extremism. According to the Department of Homeland Security (2011b), the partnership allows government and communities to share information, concerns, and viable solutions. Information-sharing is critical to identifying radicals. It is worth noting that some individuals involved in terrorist activities live within the communities. These are individuals whose minds have been corrupted by violent extremist propaganda and hired to achieve political ideologies. Collaborating with local communities can help fish out these individuals before planning an attack. In the same way, communities raise the alarm about gang violence and other criminal acts are in the same way, they are empowered to recognize terrorism threats and understand safety measures (Department of Homeland Security, 2011).
The strategy also improves public awareness and expertise in combating terrorism threats. Building expertise is achieved through continued education and research about radicalization. The federal government has constructed a robust training program with demanding curriculum standards to ensure that local stakeholders receive training based on intelligence and research (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). Accurate information about terrorism threats and dynamics of radicalization to violence can strengthen security by equipping local partners with relevant knowledge and skills for countering violent extremism. This also ensures that communities remain vigilant and sensitive to possible threats. The expertise instilled in local partners enables them to detect any form of radicalization and adopt adequate measures to deal with the issue. This strategy prepares individuals to be their security in a terrorism threat. Doing so helps prevent homegrown threats.
Besides building expertise, the strategy helps local stakeholders identify counter-terrorist propaganda while maintaining American ideals (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). Terrorists are known to use the internet and the media to spread their message, gain support for their cause, and radicalize the youth (Abrahms, 2008). The empowerment strategy actively and aggressively challenges justifications for violence by advising communities to watch out for the terrorists’ propaganda and unify American communities (Schanzer & Eyerman, 2019). For instance, Al-Qaeda and its supporters have created a false narrative that the United States is at war with Islam to justify their violence and recruit more Muslims into radicalization (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). Evidence shows that the number of Americans inspired by al-Qaeda’s ideology and involved in radicalization has grown in the past years (Wright, 2016).
The empowerment strategy challenges the terrorists’ propaganda by calling out Muslim Americans to reject them and assure them that the United States cherishes everyone’s participation regardless of their religion and background (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). This assurance inspires the communities to unite to achieve a common goal: - prevent violent extremism in the country. Schanzer & Eyerman (2019) noted that propaganda is one of the major factors fuel violent extremist radicalization. The national strategy for empowering local partners to prevent violent extremism in the US work to communicate clearly about the destructive and bankrupt ideologies of al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups (Schanzer & Eyerman, 2019). This communication helps the local population identify and ignore information that might lure them into radicalization.
Although the community-based approach is effective in countering today’s homegrown violent extremism, it has a few elements that should be strengthened so that the strategy becomes more comprehensive and effective in dealing with homegrown terrorist attacks. One of the elements is the strategy’s goals. The program failed to define its goals clearly. Some believe that the initiative aims to enlist community assistance in identifying specific individuals vulnerable to terrorist activities (Schanzer & Eyerman, 2019). Others think its main purpose is to build resilience to extremism within communities whose members are at risk of recruitment. To others, this strategy has different purposes. The absence of a coherent objective allows the critics to define the strategy in a manner that serves their interests.
Another element is discrimination. The strategy virtually focuses on engagement with Muslim-American communities. Its failure to develop a mechanism of interacting with communities whose members...