Counterterrorism strategy and approaches

Criminal Justice - Counterterrorism

COUNTERTERRORISM STRATEGY

The al-Qaeda Training Manual captured in the United Kingdom in 2000 provides valuable insight into the policies, methods, and procedures of al-Qaeda operatives engaged in terrorist activities against the West. Specific sections of the manual detail operational procedures that preset potentially recognizable patterns, provided that information is appropriately disseminated to law enforcement authorities.

Because many of the operational details pertain to ordinary transactions and relationships, certain components of the manual should also be provided to various non-governmental (i.e. private sector) entities to maximize their ability to recognize suspicious behavior consistent with the known practices of al-Qaeda operatives.

Likewise instructions contained in the manual also outline procedures used during travel and prescribed in connection with economic transactions that further expose possible al-Qaeda affiliation to the extent they are recognized by private citizens involved in those transactions. Forgery, and False Documentation:

Substantial portions of the al-Qaeda Training Manual are devoted to the fraudulent procurement and use of forged documentation of identity cards and other related instruments. Section BM-12 details the importance of obtaining false identification credentials, such as in connection with renting apartments. Likewise, section BM-41 (Item #3) specifically outlines the requirement that al-Qaeda operatives always purchase motor vehicles using forged documentation and false identities to avoid the possibility of connections established by investigating authorities between al-Qaeda operatives and those vehicles after their use.

Both of this sections strongly suggest that effective counterterrorism efforts must include heightened security measures and scrutiny in all phases of identification credential issuance. Local, state, and federal authorities must coordinate their respective responsibilities and establish uniform standards to ensure that al-Qaeda operatives attempting to procure fraudulent documentation are prevented from doing so.

Similarly, the implications of BM-41 are that dealers and licensed resellers of motor vehicles must satisfy identification verification procedures established by the state to identify and immediately report any attempted purchases using fraudulent credentials.

Apartment Rentals Used as Safe-Houses for Terrorist Activities:

Two different sections of the al-Qaeda Training Manual outline procedures for securing apartments used for clandestine operations in newly developed areas (BM-26, Item # 13), and for replacing existing apartment locks with new hardware upon doing so (BM-27, Item # 17). These provisions strongly suggest that effective counterterrorism strategy incorporate assistance from landlords and apartment rental agencies in connection with potentially suspicious behavior consistent with provisions of the al-

Qaeda Training Manual that pertain to apartment rental. Specifically, individuals responsible for tenant selection, approval, and relations (particularly in newly developed areas) must be apprised of the operational patterns used by al-Qaeda operatives so that they will recognize behavior consistent with potential terrorist activities in the realm of property rental and use.

Travel Procedures and Transportation Security:

The al-Qaeda Training Manual includes considerable attention to the operational use of public transportation for travel and surveillance activities. Specifically, BM-40, Item #2 requires al-Qaeda operatives to use secondary rather than primary entrance and exit stations because they are less subject to electronic monitoring and law enforcement patrols. Similarly, BM-40, Item #5 instructs al-Qaeda operatives to separate themselves from their baggage by storing it in a different passenger compartment from that in which they ride. Both elements are consistent with later-published studies, such as by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Intelligence Division (2007).