Terrorism and Counter terrorism

Select a Terrorist Organization

It must be currently active (by current that means it has an active website and can be linked to the threat of violent or political acts). I suggest that you consider the potential threat this organization poses to society. I would suggest selecting an organization of some personal interest to you. Often times we share common cultural, political or ethnic backgrounds with these organizations. However, your selection, say of the KKK, does not mean you espouse those values, it only indicates that you think they are a threat at this time.

Background Information

Provide some background information on your organizations. Please provide information on the basics of who, what, where, when and how of your organization. Some questions to answer in your research; but are not limited to include the following. Who are the members of your organization? What is its purpose? Where is it located? When did it come into existence? How is it structured? What acts of terrorism have been linked to the organization or are threatened by the organization? May sure you include the URL addresses of any websites used by the organization.

Organizational Agenda

Second, provide some insight into organizational mission and goals. This is more of a “why” question. Why does this organization exist? What does it hope to accomplish? What is the organization’s ideology? Why does it engage in certain tactics? Identify the leaders of the organization if possible. You should provide a historical background to the organization and a discussion of its evolution. You might include a review of the wider social, political and economic environment in which it is located in order to discuss its agenda in more detail.

Counterterrorism Strategy

Finally, develop a counterterrorism strategy for your group. There are many possible strategies for combating terrorism. Your strategy may be law enforcement tactically oriented. Or, it might be more political in nature or social economically based. In other words you could argue for infiltration, assassination, funding-source abatement, political compromise, or a social economic program to dry up potential recruitments. There are many possibilities. But first you must identify what you think are the weakest points in the organization and develop your strategy from there. Your tactics should be legal, ethical and logical. I will assess the validity of your strategy based these three criterion.

For a possible five points extra credit you can predict the immediate future of your organization. Should we fear a terrorist act from this organization in the next year? Predict the specifics of who, what, where, when and how of the act; with some legitimate justification. I want a prediction with a cogent (a well-thought-out, convincing) justification.

Each topic/section is comprised of:

1. Introduction: Briefly introduce the topic by reviewing the requirements.

2. Answers: Use headers and a clear format to structure your paper. Explicitly, correctly, and in sufficient detail answer the questions. Use appropriate data and sources of data to answer the questions. Cite the source of your data.

4. Works Cited: You must cite sources in your paper in TWO PLACES.