Saying That One Country\'s Terrorist Is Another

¶ … saying that one country's terrorist is another country's freedom fighter. If you were to use the definition of terrorism provided by Hall (2003) above, what other techniques would factor into counter-terrorism operations besides military tactics and investigation?

Hall says that whatever the reason, killing an innocent other is always 'terrorism'. This is so regardless of whether the act was for political, religious, sociological, or other reasons. The only case when terrorism may be excuse is if the act of murder was committed in self-defense; only when the perpetrator is in immediate danger of being harmed and he is trying to evade violence from the other.

Given that one country's terrorist is another country's freedom fighter, issues of terrorism may become quite complex since denouncement of terrorism by one factor may be refuted by another as heroism. The only way to make the distinction -- and this is too following Hall's (2003) recommendation is to factor clear thinking and moral principles into the equation. Superior technology and strategies for combatting terrorism should be merged with moral clarity, and reaction to terrorist attacks should never be undertaken until all the facts of the circumstance are explored and investigated, and until all the reasons of the perpetrators are understood.

Other strategies that counter-terrorism operations can use -- and these factor into enhanced understanding of appreciating that one country's terrorist is another country's freedom fighter -- is to teach tolerance and understanding of diverse religious groups from a young age so that people appreciate that no one religious group is superior to another. Children can also be trained in gratitude and appreciation; these serve as techniques for reframing mindsets that have been socialized into violence.

2. What potential organizational conflicts do you see between FBI-CIA, FBI-DHS, and CIA-DHS? How would you propose to reduce or eliminate this conflict?

"The Central Intelligence Agency's primary mission is to collect, evaluate, and disseminate foreign intelligence to assist the President and senior U.S. Government policymakers in making decisions relating to the national security... The Central Intelligence Agency may also engage in covert action at the President's direction in accordance with applicable law." (Public Affairs Staff)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) serves as key investigative agency for the United States Department of Justice. It is one of 32 federal agencies with investigative responsibilities, but its responsibilities are more overarching and powerful than any of the others. Its categories include civil rights, counterterrorism, foreign counterintelligence, organized crime and drug trafficking, violent crimes and major offenders, and financial crime.

Since investigation of terrorism falls into is purview, its enterprises and investigations may well conflict with those conducted by the CIA.