Reasons Why Deterring Terrorism is a Challenge?
Dilemmas in the Deterrence of Terrorists (Chapter 4 in The Counter Terrorism Puzzle). Why is deterring terrorists a challenge? Do you think terrorists can be deterred? Address both sides of the argument (through diplomacy, information, military, economic, financial, intelligence and law enforcement (D.I.M.E.F.I.L.) means).
The U.S. Government published the most recent National Strategy for Counterterrorism (NSCT) in October 2018. For this second topic you are to develop a framework for a brand-new National Strategy for Counter Terrorism of the United States. Address both domestic (homeland) components and offensive overseas elements. Make sure to address how you will balance domestic security with civil liberties at home and how you will be effective in dealing with terrorists abroad without creating even more terrorists in the process. Make sure your framework employs all elements of national power (diplomatic, informational, military, economic, intelligence, law enforcement, financial). Also describe the importance of gathering all sources of domestic and overseas intelligence for effective counter terrorism efforts. You do not need to write an entire strategy, just the outline or framework for a new NSCT; an executive summary or details of your pillars or plan of action for a comprehensive strategy.
Paper must be at a minimum of 5-6 pages (the Title and Reference pages do not count towards the minimum limit).
Scholarly and credible references should be used. A good rule of thumb is at least 2 scholarly sources per page of content; however, a minimum of eight (8) scholarly sources are required to support your paper.
Times New Roman, 12 point and double space.
Utilize the current APA Style as the sole citation and reference style used in written work submitted as part of coursework.
Do not use Wikipedia or encyclopedic type sources.
Terrorism Deterrence
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Terrorism Deterrence
Why is Deterring Terrorism a Challenge?
Terrorism deterrence is a challenge because it emanates from several factors systematically evaluated through the D.I.M.E.F.I.L. The first is that some terrorist organizations enjoy state support. Terrorist organizations are only as formidable as their supporting structures. Although this aspect is often not given significant thought, terrorists require relatively as many resources as the government security agencies to mount successful attacks. Warriors do not gladly head to war when disadvantaged.
The second reason is that counterterrorism initiatives are vulnerable to political messaging and spinning. People view the formulation and the implementation of the NSCT as the president’s prerogative. In this case, this perspective exposes the initiative to politicization from the outset. Bad politics can inhibit important proposals made by an administration. As a result, the NSCT is vulnerable to politics. The vitality of counterterrorism requires the establishment of practical security measures devoid of political hoodwinking.
The third reason is that terrorists may acquire lethal military weaponry. Terrorist groups have destructive motives, making it critical for the government to inhibit their access to commensurately deadly weapons. Faria (2014) records that terrorist groups intend to develop and acquire weapons and technologies for mass killings. Terrorism may become uncontainable if the terrorist organizations access highly destructive weaponry such as chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear weapons, commonly referred to as the CBRN (Faria, 2014). The weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) can efficiently materialize the destructive desires of the terrorists. They can utilize the WMDs to exploit minor security breaches to wreak unimaginable damage. As a result, the breaches’ negligibility warrants barring the terrorists from the CBRNs as a more practical strategy.
Lastly, a terrorist organization can access resources rivaling government security agencies. It indicates that terrorists gain sustenance from entities that equal the resource magnitude of the government. As such, the most prominent suspects are other governments. According to the NSCT (2018), the Iran government is the primary sponsor of terrorist activities.
Do You Think Terrorism Can Be Deterred?
Despite the challenges experienced during terrorism deterrence, through an appeal to elements of national power denoted by D.I.M.E.F.I.L, I think stakeholders can succeed or fail to deter this vice. For instance, states can prevent terrorism through the cajoling of the pro-terrorism governments to terminate the sponsorships. However, this approach becomes frustrated by international relations dynamics, leading to deterrence failure. Thus, diplomacy is an indispensable facilitator of counterterrorism efforts. Hence, the nation aims to enhance diplomatic relations with all countries so that terrorist groups cannot find formidable buffers.
Secondly, information is essential. Citizens should not be passive in counterterrorism efforts. Their sensitization is an indispensable pillar in the fight against terrorism, leading to deterrence. However, terrorist organizations thrive on the naivety of the targeted population, frustrating deterrence. Terrorists desire to mingle in society so that they can execute surprise attacks inconspicuously. As a result, governments should train their citizens to identify suspicious maneuvers by eccentric individuals and utilize the 911 call line.
A concerning aspect is the citizen’s vulnerability to radicalization. As already implied, terrorists operate best in politically conducive environments. The ideological masks are more efficient than physical masks. Terrorist organizations aim to influence the unrealistic perceptions of the targeted group. Calmy-Rey (2008) indicates that terrorist organizations exploit the imbalances in governance to facilitate radicalization. Thus, marginalization and unemployment factors make populations more vulnerable to radicalization. Abrahms (2008) reckons that the organizations focus their recruitment on the socially isolated. This administration encourages as much public participation as possible in all government roles.
Social media technology has also exposed the public to remote manipulation by terrorists (Killion, 2019). The security agencies plan to utilize artificial intelligence techniques to profile terrorist communication. The initiative will supplement the existing mechanisms implemented by the social media companies. The citizens also require sufficient information during operations, albeit prudently, to maintain discretion. Modern weaponry may be confusing to the citizens. For instance, distinguishing between the military drones and the media drones may be cumbersome to the public (Coleman & Gray, 2014). The public should be effectively informed to diminish the potential stray attacks, promoting deterrence.
Fourth, military action is indispensable in counterterrorism efforts. Faria (2014) argues that the costly nature of the CBRNs diminished the probability of their acquisition by terrorist organizations, except they remain state-sponsored. This element reaffirms the significance of diplomacy in counterterrorism efforts. In its absence, it becomes challenging to deter terrorists. Moreover, state sponsorship is not necessarily voluntary since unstable governments, particularly in the Middle East, risk rebels’ overthrow with terrorist ties. Such hazardous and volatile sovereignties do not warrant the possession of CBRNs as the weapons could land in the wrong hands. For instance, Syria’s chemicals such as Yperite, V.X., and Sarin risk being usurped by Al-Qaeda-affiliated rebels (Faria, 2014). This uneventful situation can become deterred by a resolution by U.S. and Russia to regulate Syria’s chemical weapon stockpile (Faria, 2014). This move demonstrates the significance of diplomatic negotiations despite a not-so-amicable relationship between na...