Homeland Defense Terrorism Domestic Counter

Homeland Defense

Terrorism

Domestic counter terrorism

Domestic counter terrorism refers to any efforts by United States law enforcement and government agencies to detect, prevent, or cope with real or threatened act of terrorism against Americans or the American government. As a result of the United States' failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks, domestic efforts have increased dramatically and the government has created the Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center; agencies that can devote 100% of their time to detection and prevention efforts (Treverton, 2008).

Border and transportation security

The successful implementation of border and transportation security is complex and challenging. From arresting terrorists before they reach the U.S. border to exercising emergency response procedures on the site of a terrorist attack, the defense of American borders and transportation systems requires many levels of complicated service. For example, cargo shipped to the United States from overseas will go through multiple people, organizations, check points and conveyances, and require "up to 40" separate documentations (Lake, Robinson, & Seghetti, 2005).

National strategies for homeland security

National strategies implemented post-9/11 to detect and prevent terrorist acts against the United States are vast and varied. Some examples include: "denying terrorists access to the material, expertise, and other enabling capabilities required to develop" weapons of mass destruction (WMD); preventing terrorists from utilizing legitimate transportation routes to gain access to U.S. vulnerabilities; screening people to detect suspected and potential terrorists through standards for driver licenses, airline passenger information, foreign exchange student policies, immigration, visas, and general travel; screening all cargo, freight, imports, and exports; garnering aid from all law enforcement bureaus and communities across the nation; and focusing on the protection of critical infrastructure and key resources (Homeland Security Council, 2007).

Homeland Security and Police Homeland Security Act of 2002

In 2002, the United States government established the Department of Homeland Security in response to 9/11. This executive department was introduced and described in the Homeland Security and Police Homeland Security Act of 2002. According to that Act, the mission of the department is: "to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; to reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; and to minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States" (U.S. Homeland Security, 2002).

The USA Patriot Act

Now referred to as the "Patriot Act," this piece of legislation was enacted post-9/11 and has been a subject of controversy. The Act is said to "improve counter terrorism efforts in several significant ways," by allowing law enforcement to take advantage of existing tools used for the fights against organized crime and drug trafficking (Department of Justice, 2002). Some examples include the use of: general surveillance methods, roving wiretaps, "delayed notification search warrants," and business record investigations (Department of Justice, 2002).

History of Homeland Security

Before 9/11, homeland security efforts were very spread out across different agencies and departments (Homeland Security History Office, 2008). In order to consolidate these efforts to make them more effective, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created via the Homeland Security Act of November, 2002 (Homeland Security History Office, 2008). Before the department was established in late 2002, however, legislators discussed and passed measures to establish first the Office of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Council (Homeland Security Council, 2007). On January 24, 2003, approximately two months after the Homeland Security Act was passed into law, the DHS officially became operational (Homeland Security History Office, 2008). Since then, the Headquarters Operational Integration Staff (I-Staff) was implemented to further increase the consolidation of department efforts and activities (Homeland Security History Office, 2008)

Police Tactics for Homeland Security

Homeland Security efforts post-9/11 extend to community police departments' Special Operations teams. These teams are called in to deal with highly dangerous and threatening situations, including terrorist attacks. Some of the "special operations" tactics that may be employed to deal with active shooters, barricades, and hostage situations include: three or four man entries using shields, power flooding for "large structure clearing," mobile hostage rescues, "linear entry techniques," and vehicle takedowns (Navy Seals, 2010).

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) include any weapons that can cause catastrophic damage or destruction to a large number of people, structures, organizations, or the environment. Examples include bombs, nuclear, chemical, radiological, or biological weapons. Due to the catastrophic threats posed by WMD, in 2006 the FBI launched the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD) to further integrate agency efforts for better prevention against WMD attack.

Terrorism group, (International or Domestic)

Terrorists most often operate from within radical groups with political motivations. Within the United States, there have not been any official groups identified as such, but examples include right-wing militants such as Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph, as well as various rogues from the animal rights movement (Schuster, 2005). Animal rights activists also operate on an international level under the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), but most international terrorist groups are concerned with issues such as Islamic extremism, religion, or overthrowing imperialist or dictatorial governments.

Cyber terrorism

With America's increasing dependence upon the Internet for storage and retrieval of critical information, and the use of computers to direct and make critical decisions, terrorists have more and more opportunities to hack or otherwise sabotage the Internet and cost human lives (as well as lots of money) as a result. While many people believe the threat of lost lives from a cyber attack is minimal, experts warn that the danger must be taken seriously, because "servers in the United States are the most aggressively targeted information systems in the world, with attacks increasing in severity, frequency, and sophistication each year" (CDI, 2011). Malicious computer users are becoming more skilled day-to-day, so defensive measures against these attacks must increase in strength and remain vigilant at all times. Cyber-terrorism threats can involve banks, hospitals, and government agencies; motivations include profit, general harm, or even assassination. While the U.S. has only experienced minor attacks, other countries such as the Ukraine and Estonia have suffered more massive attacks (CDI, 2011).