Terrorism and radicalisation
Order Instructions:
Cilluffo, Cozzens, and Ranstorp (2010) outline potential problems areas associated with the trend of western nationals going into troubled areas and becoming radicalized. Read this paper and using it with the many sources contained within, answer the following questions:
1. How are terrorist recruiters using target assessment and vulnerability analysis in their selection?
2. What tools do the recruiters use to select targets?
3. Based on the reading, how vulnerable does the U.S and Western Europe remain today to this type of recruitment and utilization? Explain your position.
4. Using the Boyd loop, how would you prepare the steps for counter activities prior to the ACT phase?
Length: This Case Assignment should be at least 3 pages not counting the title page and references.
References: At least two references should be included from academic sources (e.g. peer-reviewed journal articles). Required readings are included. Quoted material should not exceed 10% of the total paper.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to question.
Required readings:
Brandt, P. T. and Sandler, T. (2009). What do transnational terrorists target? Has it changed? Are we safer? Journal of Conflict Resolution. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from: http://www.utdallas.edu/~tms063000/website/TargetSubstitution-20091003.pdf
Cilluffo, F. J., Cozzens, J. B., and Ranstorp, M. (2010). Foreign fighters: Trends, trajectories, and conflict zones. The George Washington University, Homeland Security Policy Institute. Retrieved November 20,
2012, from: http://www.gwumc.edu/hspi/policy/report_foreignfighters501.pdf
SAMPLE ANSWER
Terrorism is the premeditated use of threat by subnational groups or even individuals to use violence against noncombatants with an aim to obtain social or political objectives trough the intimidation of a large audience. Terrorism can be categorized as transnational or even domestic events, whereby domestic terrorism involves homegrown terrorists, who in most cases are trained at home and even financed there. On the other side transnational terrorism occurs when victims, governments, institutions, perpetrators of more than two countries are involved example the hijacking incidences. Investigations have been conducted to be able to discern the cumulative aggregate patterns of the terrorists over a long period whereby terrorist threats have changed over time (Brandt & Snadler, 2009). Along the perimeters of the government buildings, improved barriers were placed in order to minimize damage from the car and truck bombs thus; bomb sniffing devices were also installed at airports after on-board bombs brought down planes.
According to Brandt and Sandler (2009), terrorists are known to use the target assessment and vulnerability analysis in their selection process to improve their chances of success during their strikes. In addition, Hoffman (2006) supports that most of the latest terrorist attacks have been more successful than the past attacks due to initial target assessment that is designed to eliminate any possible errors. Moreover, the terrorist are likely to strike the most vulnerable groups with more a valuable price. With this regard, attacks on private parties have increased over time since they provide soft targets that favor their vulnerability analysis (Cilluffo, Cozzens, & Ranstorp, 2010). Terrorists are known to choose among their targeted groups to maximize their expected utility or even payoff since the average cost per incidence is constant and not dependent on the number of attacks. A state should not favor one type of target since this will increase the incidences against the target class and terrorists may take advantage of this. Terrorists who pose high political demands to the government, they become more publicly known for their cause of actions. If granted their political demands the terrorists may reduce the number of attacks against their target group and in turn they increase the number of attacks on a relatively cheaper other types of targets.
According to Brandt and Sandler (2009), there are many types of tools used by the terrorists such as bombs, non-aerial hijackings, skyjackings, hostage seizures, barricade and kidnappings which are regarded as the best weapons by the terrorists to their target groups. Nature of victim is a tool that terrorists use to select their targets and it helps them identify whether the attack only involves property or involves people alone. More missions against people rather than property are being completed as planned for all target types owing to relative considerations since their vulnerability is always high. Logistical success is another tool used by terrorists in selecting their target and this is done by securing one or more hostages in a kidnapping or even they may decide to plant a bomb that will later explode (Hoffman, 2006). Target classes, especially military and the officials are now allocated more security as we also anticipate to see a reduction in terrorist attacks on them. There are various media tools used by the terrorists in selecting their targets and these tools include: YouTube, Facebook, blogs, twitter, message boards, audio recording, DVDs and websites (Brandt & Sandler, 2009). These tools are known to provide figures that can bridge and relate to social subgroups in a comfortable medium that is well understood by the targeted audience.
The United States and Western Europe are vulnerable to the terrorist recruitment and utilization due to their deployment of their fighters in the Middle East regions which is the bedrock of terrorists. In addition, the stationing of their troops in Islamic countries has greatly fueled the mobilization of Muslim fundamentalist that are determined to advance the terrorism ideals. The western military involvement while tackling terrorists also continue to award them more sympathy, especially from the Muslim community who feel that they are being targeted with by the west. Moreover, there is a very high presence of social media in the west and the terrorist use such media to source for cheap recruits to advance their ideals (Cilluffo, Cozzens, & Ranstorp, 2009). Therefore, the United States and other western countries are highly vulnerable to terrorist activities.
In order to counter the terrorist activities, the western countries first need to fully understand the operations of the terrorism threats, both at the tactical and strategic level. The law enforcement and the intelligence services should be properly equipped with tools and technologies that can help them deal with the terrorists. Moreover, the western countries should heavily invest in counter-radicalization efforts that are effective enough to destabilize all the radicalization threats (Brandt & Sandler, 2009). Moreover, the west should not overlook the opportunities to infiltrate the jihadist networks and pay a close attention on how such networks utilize homogenous groups of foreign fighters.
References
Brandt, Patrick T., and Todd Sandler. 2009. Hostage taking: Understanding terrorism event dynamics. Journal of Policy Modelling 31 (5):758-778.
Brandt, P. T. and Sandler, T. (2009). What do transnational terrorists target? Has it changed? Are we safer? Journal of Conflict Resolution. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from: http://www.utdallas.edu/~tms063000/website/TargetSubstitution-20091003.pdf
Cilluffo, F. J., Cozzens, J. B., and Ranstorp, M. (2010). Foreign fighters: Trends, trajectories, and conflict zones. The George Washington University, Homeland Security Policy Institute. Retrieved November 20, 2012, from: http://www.gwumc.edu/hspi/policy/report_foreignfighters501.pdf
Hoffman, Bruce. 2006. Inside terrorism: Revised and expanded Ed. New York: Columbia University Press.
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