Role of the DHS in Protecting the US

TERRORISM

COUNTER-TERRORISM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Counter-terrorism is popular as antiterrorism and incorporates techniques, practices, strategies, and tactics that militaries, governments, corporations and police departments adopt in attacking terrorist threats and acts either real or imputed. Both governments and insurgents use terror tactics. It is clear that some insurgents do not terror as tactics while others opt not to apply as other tactics have better outcomes for their particular contexts. Individuals may engage in acts of terror, as it was the case with Oklahoma City bombing (Katherine, Darmer & Rosenbaum, 2004). Where the terrorism acts are part of broader insurgencies, counter-terrorism forms an integral element of security doctrines. However, economic, political, and other measures focus on insurgencies as compared to specific terror acts. The United States uses foreign internal defense doctrine in its military programs to support other nations while attempting to suppress lawlessness, insurgency, or subversion and reduce the severity of conditions of such threats to security.

Counter-terrorism encompasses detection of possible acts and responding to similar events (Nacos, 2012). The anti-terrorism scope for systems is inclusive of long borders, high traffic volumes, and vast area monitoring. The dimensions of counter-terrorism include the degree and type of the terrorism threat coupled with diplomatic and political ramifications as well as legal issues. The environment allows for the development of persistent systems for anti-terrorism protection through daunting tasks. The system brings together various models and technologies in enabling reconnaissance and surveillance missions, persistent intelligence, and potential actions. The design of such system-of-systems is inclusive of major technological projects.

Eleven days after terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Tom Ridge, the Pennsylvania Governor became the Office of Homeland Security Director within White House. The department was responsible for overseeing and coordinating comprehensive national strategies of safeguarding the nation against terrorism while responding to future attacks (Katherine, Darmer & Rosenbaum, 2004). The incorporation of Homeland Security Act in November 2002 by Congress, make formal the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a stand-alone department with cabinet-level status. The systems were responsible for coordinating and unifying national efforts for homeland security from 2003. The homeland security vision is to implement homeland safety, security, and resilience against terrorism and potential hazards (Nacos, 2012). The key concepts in its foundation and development of a national strategy on homeland security include vision towards customs and exchange, security and resilience.

The concepts drove broad activity areas for the Homeland Security Review processes and definition for homeland security missions. The missions have an enterprise-wide consequence was not limited of the Department of Homeland Security. Such objectives and associated goals tell detail of impacts of preventing, protecting, responding and recovering security. The impact of the system ensures resilience and facilitates exchange and customs. Many people from the federal, local, territorial, and state governments, the nongovernmental organizations, and private sector are responsible for the execution of the strategies (Katherine, Darmer & Rosenbaum, 2004). The DHS is expected to interact regularly with people for purposes of enhancing responsibility for public security and safety, who operate and own the nation's critical services and infrastructures. The department performs develop and research technology for watching, preparing and responding to emergent disasters and threats. The homeland security professionals focus on clarity in efforts to achieve overarching objectives as articulated in the DHS principles of operations.

Protection of American people from threats of terrorism is the founding principle and highest priority in the counterterrorism responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security and focus on the primary goals (Nacos, 2012). The prevention of the terrorist attacks is dependent on securing unauthorized acquisition, movement, importation, or application of radiological, chemical, nuclear, and biological materials as well as capabilities of United States. The other goal involves the reduction of the critical infrastructure vulnerability and essential leadership, major events, and vital resources to terrorist attack. The DHS undertakes a comprehensive evaluation of vulnerabilities on critical infrastructure such as water and food systems, agriculture, emergency services and health systems, telecommunications and information, finance and banking and energy. Others include transportation (road, air, ports, rail, and waterways), the defense and chemical industries, shipping and postal entities, and national icons and monuments.

The Department also uses and analyzes intelligence and other pieces of information that relate to threats against the homeland. The sources of such information include the DEA, CIA, NSA, DOE, FBI, DOT, Customs, INS and information garnered from subsequent agencies and organizations. The Department merges under the capability of identifying and assessing threats to homeland security through mapping the threats against the current vulnerabilities (Katherine, Darmer & Rosenbaum, 2004). The DHS issues timely warnings while taking effect on appropriate and preventive actions. One of the partners of the division of intelligence and threat analysis in the Department is the Office of Intelligence in the FBI. The new reforms for both FBI and CIA provide critical information and analysis to the Department. The other role is that of safeguarding America's critical infrastructure (Nacos, 2012).