Although terrorism has been around for millennia in different forms, today terrorism is becoming more and more prevalent with the ability to reach across the globe. Terrorism is defined as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government and/or the civilian population to advance ideological objective” (Schwab, p.115). These attacks can be performed by individuals or by groups. They may also be either overt or covert attacks. An example of an overt attack is when planes were hijacked on September 11, 2001, destroying the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York and hitting the Pentagon in Washington D.C. A covert attack may be a biological attack by releasing a virus or infection
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) are three key players in the efforts to counter or mitigate terrorism. The FBI’s mission for counterterrorism “is to detect, deter, prevent, and swiftly respond to terrorist actions that threaten the U.S. national interests at home or abroad, and to coordinate those efforts with local, state, federal, and foreign entities as appropriate” (FBI.gov). In the FBI’s efforts to protect the US, the biggest asset used is the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is comprised of investigators, linguists, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel, and other experts from law enforcement and intelligence communities. The JTTF allows for the FBI to have local cells based in 104 cities throughout the country. After 9/11, 71 of these cells were created. The FBI also has operations that include a terrorist screening center to help identify known terrorists by using a database that local law enforcement units can use. As part of the terrorist screening center, there is a most wanted list as well. Currently, there are 28 most wanted terrorists by the FBI with Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed Al-Nasser as the number one most wanted for multiple conspiracies against the US. In addition, the FBI uses …show more content…
Local communities are tasked with assessing their own risks for their area. The probability and severity of the situation dictates how much a community should be prepared to deal with a terrorist attack. The exercises should be specific to the expected occurrences and outcomes. With the advisement of federal agencies, the local emergency management working group will develop the response plan. While running the exercises, the local communities can learn where they need to improve and what they performed well at. The exercises should include all required agencies in order to get the best situational response. The communities need to continually evaluate and improve on their plans. As stated by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “’Preparedness’ is a meaningless abstract concept without a specific threat; it should be seen as a process rather than a state”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) are three key players in the efforts to counter or mitigate terrorism. The FBI’s mission for counterterrorism “is to detect, deter, prevent, and swiftly respond to terrorist actions that threaten the U.S. national interests at home or abroad, and to coordinate those efforts with local, state, federal, and foreign entities as appropriate” (FBI.gov). In the FBI’s efforts to protect the US, the biggest asset used is the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is comprised of investigators, linguists, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel, and other experts from law enforcement and intelligence communities. The JTTF allows for the FBI to have local cells based in 104 cities throughout the country. After 9/11, 71 of these cells were created. The FBI also has operations that include a terrorist screening center to help identify known terrorists by using a database that local law enforcement units can use. As part of the terrorist screening center, there is a most wanted list as well. Currently, there are 28 most wanted terrorists by the FBI with Abdelkarim Hussein Mohamed Al-Nasser as the number one most wanted for multiple conspiracies against the US. In addition, the FBI uses …show more content…
Local communities are tasked with assessing their own risks for their area. The probability and severity of the situation dictates how much a community should be prepared to deal with a terrorist attack. The exercises should be specific to the expected occurrences and outcomes. With the advisement of federal agencies, the local emergency management working group will develop the response plan. While running the exercises, the local communities can learn where they need to improve and what they performed well at. The exercises should include all required agencies in order to get the best situational response. The communities need to continually evaluate and improve on their plans. As stated by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “’Preparedness’ is a meaningless abstract concept without a specific threat; it should be seen as a process rather than a state”