The Current Fight Within

Terrorism acts are becoming more deadly through the years even as the acts are becoming fewer. The number of attacks being conducted in the United States is alarming to the Federal Bureau of Investigations and all law enforcement agencies, whereas the threat overseas is identified by the Department of State. All agencies involved with counterterrorism must work together to prevent attacks or mitigate incidents. In order to achieve such tasks, investigators must take into consideration all sources available internationally and domestically to prevent terrorist attacks and better prepare for incidents conducted by terrorists. There are strategies, tactics, and tools available that makeup the resources available to all law enforcement agencies both domestically and abroad. Some of these resources lead to the use of military forces as deemed necessary by the President of the United States when other international counterterrorism measures have failed, but domestic counterterrorism is operated differently. It is necessary for the United States to maintain a presence overseas to perform counterterrorism operations. Democratic governments do not condone terrorism, but combating terrorists requires intelligence and cooperation from all agencies in the military and in law enforcement. The United States prefers diplomacy before deadly force, but terrorist organizations have abused that privilege. Terrorism will never end, and it is difficult to predict attacks, but America can always implement prevention measures and share information. While information is an area of secrecy, sharing intelligence among required agencies will place the covert practice of terrorist groups in compromising positions. For more than 50 years, the Department of Energy (DOE) has provided intense security for all assets domestically and internationally in order to protect American interests (DOE, NEST). The September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the New York World Trade Center Buildings brought new momentum of security to all DOE facilities that store nuclear weapons. This new momentum vamped the functional role of counterterrorism to DOE and many federal agencies in the intelligence community (DOE). As the functional role changed, so did all assets and tools available for all agencies to conduct counterterrorism operations. Changing assets and tools available to counterterrorism activities brought new manners of interaction among separate agencies that never previously had an intelligence role, to a collective group that now shares information and resources. This has placed the Department of Justice in a position to identify implications of available counterterrorism tools so federal agencies can achieve proactive investigations that lead to suspicious activity perceived as terrorism related (DOJ). All agencies’ involvement in counterterrorism and support from the Department of Justice allows for immediate emergency response to emergencies initiated by terrorist action, which will ultimately minimize casualties within the jurisdiction in which a situation occurs. The world is continuing to be threatening by terrorist activity, and this activity has taken its toll on America. With safety in question, it will be difficult to balance the Constitutional Rights of Americans and provide thorough security procedures that deter or prevent terrorist activity. America’s current security perspective has changed, and protecting America is a must through the United States Patriot Act. Opponents of the Patriot Act have scrutinized it as being unjust to the American people. This opposition can cause more concern as America becomes more prone to attacks. The Patriot Act supports law enforcement officials to be more aggressive in tracking crime that leads to terrorist related activity, and even to stop terrorist attacks. The Patriot Act allows law enforcement officials to gather, analyze, and disseminate information as it pertains to investigating operations of, and response to, terrorist activity or attacks. Noticeably terrorists have affected American society with fear, and their success will ultimately continue to fuel their efforts. It is important for Americans to understand how the Patriot Act can deter or prevent terrorist activity and attacks. The media benefits terrorism more than America and abroad. This chapter doesn’t go against press reporters, but amplifies the importance of their duties. The twenty-first century has a dramatic increase of terrorism ranging from suicide bombings, missile strikes, and random shootings. Terrorism attacks place the lives of the public, emergency responders, police, and military at risk, but innocent civilians suffer the most loss. Around the world all people react in horror when attacks are taken on civilians. Attacking civilians is morally wrong, and the broadcasting of attacks by the media can trigger memories and mental health conditions to progress. The media plays an important role to the public. The outlet capability provided by television, newspaper, radio, and the Internet have a well-developed means of network communications that can’t be mirrored. The public expects the media to provide accurate and timely information, which is supported by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, but many people who live in America do not have a basic understanding of the First Amendment. Even if our government supports the media, media does affect all people, children in particular, negatively when disaster hits. Growing technology has created an increased frequency of cyber-attacks due to the capabilities to access any source of information. This is a threat to any state’s national infrastructure. There is no question that information technology will soon become the next arena of war between governments, which indicates that the security of such technology is required. Terrorism has a long history, but in 1996, Osama Bin Laden submitted declaration of war against Western Civilization in the name of all Muslims who believe in Allah (PBS, 1996). This became threatening waters to navigate as allies of America and Americans working abroad had many concerns. Since 1996, there have been recorded attacks against American interests in the United States and American interests abroad. Infrastructure was the objective of the attacks more than individual targets. The enemy in the reasonable person’s view is al-Qaeda, but our true threat is the United States infrastructure. Infrastructure includes facilities, services, and installations needed for a community or society to function (The American Heritage Dictionary, 2011). Under United States Code 42, Chapter 68, Subchapter 6B-5195C of 2001, critical infrastructure is defined as those "systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitation impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters” (Legal Information Institute, website, 2001). In California, there are many military installations and power supply plants. Thinking like a terrorist, a chemical attack would be conducted on the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. This information is only a scenario I created. The scenario is not generated from any classified or unclassified information from either location. Again, this is my example to the reader of how terrorists think. Like many other areas of concern highlighted in this book and by the attacks on September 11, 2001, border security has become a priority. When discussing borders security most people assume Mexico as the problem, but in truth, concern spreads to the United States air travel, ports, checkpoints on land, and land not in direct control of the Border Patrol or Homeland Security, or law enforcement agencies.