Terrorist attack characteristics and impacts

Terrorist Attack

Efforts made to identify a terrorist group and techniques used to prevent an attack

Crime incidences and terrorist attacks have been on the rise in many parts of Georgia State. Police have tried to conduct investigations and patrol in the area, but minimal or no justifiable results are available to explain the situation. The situation called for the intelligence department of police to conduct surveillance and come up with a report that explains the situation. The surveillance used intelligence techniques to identify the central problem in the local area and the measures used to curb the situation.

The intelligence department utilized a combination of intelligence stages and law enforcement to identify the source of the attacks and prevent further attacks from taking place in the local area. Strategic intelligence was to identify potential terrorist operations and targets within the community. Strategic intelligence assisted in predicting where future operational terrorist acts might occur. Obtaining the tactical target that may prove advantageous to the terrorists was also through the strategic gathering of information from local people and places. The procedure used tactical intelligence through training personnel to observe cultural patterns and behavioral modifications of the local people. In order to conduct the surveillance in the area, the use of the police force was more efficient than using a military intelligence system. According to Jones & Libicki (2008), unlike the military, police have a permanent presence in cities, towns and villages. This gives them a better understanding of local groups and threats in the environment.

Through using intelligence techniques such as identifying factors and scenarios that are out of the ordinary, comments from interviews and reactions of people who are suspicious, I was able to identify a terrorist group in the area. Through experience and understanding of the area, I identified the terrorist group by the intelligence procedure. Intelligence stages such as tasking provided information about the terrorist group from citizens, businesses and organizations in the area. Heavy tasking provided enough information to justify the activities and operations of the suspected terrorist group. The collection of information was through observation and interviews. I carried out a participative observation by taking a role in various social activities of the society such as games and entertainment places. Processing of the gathered information took place by translating the signal intelligence information, human intelligence reports and imagery intelligence information into a usable form.

The processed information went to another stage of that is exploitation. The processed information goes through an analysis to determine the significance of the terrorist group and deciding the way forward to curb the situation. The information at this level also undergoes processing in a more suitable form that fits the local area. Dissemination of the exploited information to specific intelligence departments and other key organizations in the local area led to the arrest of one member of the terrorist group. Conducting an interrogation with the terrorist member required the use of intelligence stages in order to obtain and establish facts about the terrorist group. Finding the right information from the group member was not easy due to lack of enough evidence and firm grounds to establish the case. Jones and Libicki (2008) support this argument by noting that, finding sensitive information about the sources and methods used by the terrorist group can be challenging. This is especially the case when a terrorist has not yet perpetrated an attack.

The confrontation technique facilitated the presentation of interrogation information about the group activities and available evidence to the terrorist member. The suspect's behaviors that may indicate the truth of the matter such as fidgeting and licking of lips confirms the suspect's participation in the terrorist activities. These indicate deception, which show the suspect is one of the terrorists. The next step was the development of a theme, which required the suspects to explain the motives behind participation in the group activities. By noting whether the suspect likes the theme and pays attention, the interrogation proceeded with a low and soft voice to lull the suspect into a false sense of security. The interrogation reduced the suspect's ability to deny because this could increase his confidence. When the theme earlier developed caught the attention of the suspect, the interrogation picked a different alternative because the suspect developed objections grounds in the earlier theme. The interrogation offered two contrasting motives for the suspect's participation in attacks beginning with a minor motive so that the suspect could not feel threatened. Contrasting motives included suggesting whether the group participates in attacks for money or political motives.

Contrasting motives lead the suspect to choose one motive in which the interrogation could proceed. Choosing one motive between the two offered confirms the suspect's participation in the group terrorist activities. The interrogation did not involve any torture or coercion to obtain the required information from the suspects. Some research also shows that coercion can help obtain information about terrorist activities and eliminate the occurrence of future events. According to Gross (2006), there are circumstances in which a suspect may refuse to provide information and the only alternative is to torture the suspect in order to prevent the occurrence of more events.

From the information obtained from the interrogated suspect, the intelligence department established a surveillance plan in the area. The reason why surveillance was necessary is the little information provided by the group member. There was also a need to establish and attain a stronger ground for the facts obtained through interrogation. The necessity to obtain key information about the movements of the group and plans required the conducting of surveillance. This information could help to track the group before a more injurious event could take place. Surveillance could further provide clarification about the group leaders and the motives behind the terrorist activities. Roadblocks to inspect vehicles in all major roads of the state are a surveillance measure that helped to obtain information about suspicious people in the local area. This surveillance ensures the type of materials transported in and out of the state. The aim of this surveillance was to countercheck transportation of materials used by terrorist. Intelligence information from this surveillance was critical in determining the paths used by terrorist to escape after the attacks. Jones & Libicki (2008) notes that, intelligence is the principle source of information on terrorists and their activities.

Another surveillance to obtain intelligence information was through controlling, monitoring and recording of information in communication channels. This is information from telephone conversations, e-mails, fax and any other form of communication that terrorist may use. This required government intervention to allow the installation of 'wire tap' to capture the content of phone or internet communications. Installation of 'pen register' and a 'trap and trace device' to capture routing information is also necessary in order to indicate whom one person communicates with and the time. This form of surveillance also took into account the use of a hidden microphone popularly known as 'bug' to eavesdrop on a person-to-person communications.