Title: Counter-Terrorism in the United States
Thesis Statement: The ISIS is continuously threatening the United States; this can be countered by employing efficient security intelligence bodies.
Counter-Terrorism in the United States
Understanding the Threat
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is a militant group that started as an al Qaeda splinter group. The group is a Sunni jihadist group with a particularly violent ideology that claims religious authority over Muslims. The group has perpetrated acts of terror in Germany, Belgium, the United States, and many other countries. The group’s territorial conquest has, and religious crusades have led to many innocent people’s deaths through ware fare and religious persecutions (Ratcliff, 2017).
The group is adequately funded through multiple revenue streams such as looting, oil sales, and imposing a tax on the territories under its control. With the numerous income sources, the group poses a massive threat to the United States through its undeniable growth. With the examination of several indicators, the ISIS can become a direct threat to the United States. Some of the indicators are; foreign recruitment fighters traveling to Iraq and Syria and its ability to launch multiple attack lots. According to Ratcliff, Many Islamist groups have continued to pledge their allegiance ISIS; the organization has managed to expand its presence to dozens of territories (2017). Most alarmingly the ISIS driving an unprecedented surge of terror plots against the west, which poses a particular and grave threat to the United States.
Intelligence Assets capability
With the impending threat that ISIS possesses to the United States, the intelligence community should refocus strategies to track terrorists that use unconventional means. Adequate intelligence is vital to prevent any future attacks upon the United States.
National Security Agency – this is the largest and adequately funded intelligence organizations in the United States. Its primary function includes signals intelligence, which relies on the breaking of codes and ciphers. The organization is under the secretary of defense and maintains a high degree of autonomy. NSA is efficient in conducting an immense variety of electronic espionage activities that involve listening devices on planes, ships, and ground installation overseas. The organization will be able to conduct surveillance through gathering vital information regarding ISIS through intercepting e-mails, telephone messages, or frequency channels which contain preselected words (Zieba, 2018).
Department of Homeland Security- The department of homeland security deals with protecting the United States within and outside borders. The main goal is to prepare, prevent, and respond to domestic emergencies, particularly terrorism. The organization has many departments that deal mainly focus on the enforcement and administration of immigration laws. Department of homeland security will be essential in targeting terrorists and suspicious immigrants within its national borders (Kahan, 2016).
The Financial Intelligence Unit – this intelligence community is tasked with being the primary intelligent source for financial information in the United States, which is an independent bureau within the treasury department. It is responsible for maintaining and analyzing suspicious actions and currency transactions (Johnson, 2017). Since sympathizers continuously fund the ISIS, the United States will track down particular individuals who might be financing the extremist group within its borders.
Harmonization of these three intelligence units will be able to track down any last counter-attacks. Since ISIS wealth is a strong indicator of potential attacks in America, assessing and reporting money flow between suspicious persons will eradicate any ISIS sympathizers.
Request for intelligence
As threats against the United States evolve, intelligent capabilities need to be adapted immediately to new security measures. Since technology can provide an instant solution to the challenge of terrorism and targeted violence, the national security agency should forth begin monitoring every person or group’s conversations with a particular association with the ISIS. Enhanced methods of data collection should be accurate and comprehensive at a national level. This action should ensue any person gaining entry in the United States from any territory that has pledged its allegiance to the ISIS (Xinyu, 2019).
Border monitoring should be tightened, with specific but not biased interest in person’s gaining entry from the Middle East. Every shipment entering or leaving the United States to any middle east should be thoroughly scrutinized at the ports. The importation and exportation of arms to or from the middle should henceforth be sanctioned. Personal fundraising schemes and other forms of financial transactions from sympathizers should be tracked down and treated as a case of espionage (Johnson 2017).
Recommendation to Law Enforcement Agencies
The department of homeland security calls for defined community policing that focuses on crime and social order through traditional law enforcement aspects. Community-oriented policing resources and practices have direct application to terrorism deterrence and prevention. This process includes crime mapping, data collection, and analysis protocols. The extensive use of technology helps gather intelligence to assess vulnerability to terrorism.
Local law enforcement agencies need to expand beyond the rudimentary aspects of law enforcement training such as firearms, unarmed defense, and criminal law. Local agencies need to understand the nature, dynamics, and operations of international terrorist groups. The department of homeland security recommends understanding the locations, movements, and plans of global terrorist cells in the local community. Also, gathering and analyzing intelligence on potential terrorist activities will help conduct threat assessments (Kahan 2016).
Conclusion
The ISIS is continuously threatening the United States; this can be countered by employing efficient security intelligence bodies. The nation is fighting a global war on terror, and these progressive initiatives will halt ISIS’ territorial gains. However, the terrorist organization is far from being fully contained without putting in place efficient measures.
References
Johnson, L. K. (2017). National security intelligence. John Wiley & Sons.
The author Johnson explores various intelligence bodies that are efficient in ensuring counter-terrorism. This book maps out each intelligence body’s discipline and aims to suggest which is more efficient in dealing with international terrorist groups. The book’s objective of this book is to provide an up to date assessment of literature and findings in strategic intelligence assets.
Kahan, J. H. (2016). Living with terrorism: unimaginable nightmare or prospective reality. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 13(2), 231-246.
This article assesses research and practice in the fields of homeland security and emergency management. Promotes a comprehensive and dynamic perspective and gives up-to-date information regarding homeland security and emergency management fields’ evolving nature.
Ratcliff, K. J. (2017). ISIS in America: A Sociohistorical
https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/1915
This article helps us understand how ISIS has continually posed a threat to America. Ratcliff digs deep into the history of ISIS and the fundamental goal of its existence. The author explores factors leading to the survival of the ISIS in a long time and explains why many Islamist groups are pledging its allegiance to ISIS
Xinyu, L., 2019.Analysis of American antiterrorism strategy in the new global antiterrorism era
https://webofproceedings.org/proceedings_series
This article shows how America has evolved in the fight against strategies. Xinyu outlines the various methods that have been put in place to prevent terrorist attacks similar to the 9\11. He further demonstrates how multiple presidents have tackled terrorism while still managing to maintain amicable relationships with countries that extremist groups have developed. This article will ensure that the research paper thoroughly outlines workable strategies in counter-terrorism.
Zięba, R. (2018). The Failure to Eliminate Terrorism. The Euro-Atlantic Security System in the 21st Century (pp. 133-151).
Zieba states the various challenges the United States has faced in the 21st Century in the war against terrorism. The author outlines multiple security organs in the united states that have failed to act appropriately to security intelligence. Given these challenges, the article also explores recommendations from the U.S. allies in the elimination of terrorism.