Criminal Justice

As a capstone to your experiences in the course, you’ll be asked to write a well-cited research paper on a subject covered during this course. You are expected to write a 1200+ word research paper that analyzes the subject in-depth and presents the state of current knowledge on this subject. Please note that different content scores have different requirements in terms of word length. A top score requires that you exceed 1500 words. Please ensure that you include your word count on your title page.

The paper must be formatted according to APA guidelines established in the seventh edition. Please ensure that you include a title page, abstract, and references page. A minimum of 8 academic sources are required and the use of outside ones is needed for full credit. Your paper must be submitted as a word document. They will be checked utilizing the anti-plagiarism tool Turnitin.

Papers will be evaluated on the basis of content, analysis, sources, organization and flow, language mechanics, and APA formatting. Please see the grading scheme for specifics.

Note: Do not rewrite an essay or discussion post. The assignment will demonstrate your ability to select a specific research topic and develop that research topic into a more detailed examination of the issue.

Prompts:

The final paper, worth 33% of the total course grade, will be an original research paper based on one of the following five topics:

(1) compare two domestic groups (one violent, one nonviolent) and explain why one group adopted violence while the other did not;

(2) choose two domestic terrorist groups (one active and one that has abandoned terrorism) and explain why one has abandoned armed struggle where the other has not;

(3) choose two federal states or government agencies that have confronted terrorism threats using different policies, and explain why they chose different policies;

(4) select two different types of counter-terrorism policies in the USA (one successful and one failed), and explain why one policy has succeeded where the other has failed.

(5) A topic of your choice from the course. This could be, for example, a case study of a specific domestic terrorist group or a critique of a specific counter-terrorism policy or strategy. If you chose this option, please discuss it with Dr. Bottema.

***************FOR NUMBER ( 5)
PLEASE let me know what case are you going to write about it so I can confirm it with the professor also provide me with brief details. THANK YOU

ANSWER

U.S. Counterterrorism Agencies

Word Count: 1,473

Abstract

The U.S. counterterrorism measures and policies are proactively designed to ensure adequate measures are taken to avert any terror attack on the American people and interests. The level of preparedness towards terrorism attacks was prompted by the occurrences of the September 11, 2000 requiring a high-level measure to be put in place to ensure maximum security for American people. The paper will look at the operations and policies used by the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Central Intelligence Agency in ensuring the protection and security of the Americans. Furthermore, an analysis of the difference and commonality in policy formulation and implementation is vital to understanding how coordinated efforts by different agencies promote the U.S. counterterrorism efforts.

U.S. Counterterrorism Agencies

Introduction

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2000, the U.S. counterterrorism approach and policies changed drastically. The change in approach, policies, and tactics was geared towards protection of the United States national interests both overseas and locally. The focus is intended on ascertaining the maximum security of every American national and the U.S. interests globally while at the same time promoting world peace and security. The U.S. policies on counterterrorism take proactive measures to search, gather sufficient intelligence, and eradicate the scourge of terrorist activities globally. The research analyzes the polices utilized by three of the most aggressive and effective U.S. counterterrorism agencies to assert the role of government agencies in enhancing peace and security for Americans and her national interests (Davis, Pollard, Ward, Wilson, Vards, Hansell & Steinberg, 2010). The government agencies of focus include the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) – Counterterrorism Unit, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). These agencies work closely with the Department of Justice (USDOJ), Customs Service (USCBP), Marshals Service (USMarshals), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Military to provide a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) through coordinated efforts (Davis et al., 2010). Therefore, every respective armed force and law enforcement agency in the United States plays a fundamental role in the pursuit of counterterrorism measures and ascertaining the security of the United States both domestic and internationally.

The Department of Homeland Security

The DHS was primarily created as a result of the occurrence of the September 11 terrorism attack in the United States. The DHS highest priority focuses on the protection of the American people from terrorist threats acting in any ways that threaten the Americans freedom and prosperity. The DHS operations are aimed at detecting explosives and other weapons including chemical, radiological, biological, nuclear, cyber-attacks, and explosive attacks as a counterterrorism measure (Givens, Busch & Bersin, 2018). Also, the DHS operates as a front-line in the protection of critical U.S. infrastructure threatened by terrorism attacks and cyber-terrorism attacks. The DHS policies rely on gathering and sharing of intelligence with other strategic counterterrorism agencies such as the FBI and CIA to enhance the security of the American people.

The DHS policies enables the operations of the body to oversee the functionalities of the Coast Guard, Directorate of Preparedness, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Policy Directorate, Transport Security Agency (TSA), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service, and Research and Technology – Centers of Excellence. The core policy objective is seal any potential terrorist threat from reaching into the American soil (Brady, 2018). All the above agencies work closely and coordinate information enabling deep security searches for persons entering and living in the United States. The DHS information systems serve as the cornerstone of the agency’s counterterrorism measures as it provides the foundation for security checks and approval for every individual. As a result, the DHS is able to maintain intelligence on potential and active threats to the United States and facilitate other government agencies to act accordingly in readiness and execution of counterterrorism measures.

In overall, the DHS policies on counterterrorism provides a preparedness framework in which the agencies are to act on new terrorism intelligence. Regular updates, checks, and improvement of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, tools, and expertise is a continuous process (Friedman, 2011). This is aimed at ascertaining maximum protection of the American people and her national interests. The DHS provides a conduit in which all U.S. counterterrorism units work closely to ensure maximum security and quelling of violent attacks against the U.S. interests. This is done by maintaining active readiness and preparation to act on growing information on violent attacks.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations – Counterterrorism Unit

The FBI is an integral feature in the U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The FBI maintains a multifaceted approach in the prevention of terrorism attacks on the U.S. interests both domestically and internationally. The policy approach used by the FBI on counterterrorism primarily hinges on the capacity to identify, scrutinize, and unearth sources of funding and financial support for terrorist activities (Ingram, 2018). The capacity to identify the financial sources of terrorism activities provides a major break-through that can be used to cut terrorism attacks from the source. The FBI constitutes of a dedicated workforce determined to ensure maximum security for the American people. The Bureaus role is to classify the level of threat, origin, and potential impact it has on the U.S. national interests (Laub, 2017). This prompts a commitment to incident management, quelling, and prevention, before or when they happen.

Moreover, the Bureau’s policies on classifying the evolving nature of the terrorism threats on the American interests both locally and internationally. At the local level, the FBI takes a front-line in identifying the terrorist activities, chain of operations, and sources of their finances. The FBI operations transcends the ideological contexts that inform terrorist activities enabling the Bureau to be adequately prepared in thwarting any threat (Alcoke, 2019). The FBI works closely with the citizens to create a line of communication and flow of information on terror alerts. This is based on informing potential suspicious activities and persons that pose a threat to the American people. Additionally, it includes informing the American people of how to act in a coordinated manner during terrors incidents that threaten and disrupt their livelihoods (Ingram, 2018). The Bureau’s policy approach, therefore, mainly focuses on thwarting terror threats and attacks before they occur.

The Central Intelligence Agency

The CIA policies and operations mainly cover international terror threats on American interests. The CIA is tasked with gather vast intelligence to inform strategic decision making in counterterrorism measures. The capacity to gather intelligence is vital to identify the correct targets that threaten the American interests (Bury & Chertoff, 2020). The CIA constitutes of clandestine agents that conduct covert operations overseas in the promotion of information gathering vital to the protection of the U.S. national interests. The CIA is a fundamental entity in the counterterrorism efforts pursued by the United States (Schmidt & Sikkink, 2018). The CIA policies enables in preparedness and access to vital information that is critical to thwarting of terror threats on American interests.

The CIA operations and policies create room for the U.S. counterterrorism agencies to cooperate, collaborate, and coordinate efforts in gathering intelligence on potential terror attacks. This is integral to building capacity of preparedness and acting in critical times of terror incidences. The CIA policies primarily enable the U.S. counterterrorism efforts to be highly alert, ready to defend, and execute protect measures worldwide (Thimm, 2018). The CIA relies on the use of information which constitutes of global intelligence collection and passing the intelligence to other agencies to act on informed basis and capacity.

Comparison and Analysis

The main difference in policy and strategic operations of the DHS, FBI and CIA is embedded in their areas of jurisdiction. The DHS and FBI have the capacity to operate domestically and protect the American people from any terror attack. The CIA policies are geared towards international operations both clandestine and in collaboration with local intelligence agencies in different parts of the world. The difference in policy approach is to provide a wide pool of operation which enables the U.S. counterterrorism preparedness both locally and internationally. This is vital to ascertain that U.S. national interests are protected across the global. As a major target for terror attacks, the U.S. domestic capacity must be strengthened effectively using numerous resources, expertise, and capacity in various agencies that operate locally. Thus, it maximizes on the capacity of the United States to protect its citizens and interests locally and overseas.

Finally, it is fundamental to note – the common feature in the U.S. counterterrorism policies is gathering of information and sharing of intelligence. The acts of U.S. counterterrorism agencies are driven by acting on massive intelligence gathered by different agencies. This is vital to strengthen tactical approach and capacity to thwart terror attacks. Information is the cornerstone of U.S counterterrorism efforts. Hence, creates a comprehensive approach to countering and keeping terror attacks on bay at the lowest level possible.

References

Alcoke, M. (Nov 19, 2019). The Evolving and Persistent Terrorism Threat to the Homeland. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/news/speeches/the-evolving-and-persistent-terrorism-threat-to-the-homeland-111919

Brady, K. R. (2016). Comprehensive homeland security: Developing a domestic protection force for the United States. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 13(2), 219-229.

Bury, P., & Chertoff, M. (2020). New Intelligence Strategies for a New Decade. The RUSI Journal, 165(4), 42-53.

Davis, L. M., Pollard, M., Ward, K., Wilson, J. M., Varda, D. M., Hansell, L., & Steinberg, P. (2010). Long-term effects of law enforcement’s post-9/11 focus on counterterrorism and homeland security. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation.

Friedman, B. H. (2011). Managing fear: The politics of homeland security. Political Science Quarterly, 126(1), 77-106.

Givens, A. D., Busch, N. E., & Bersin, A. D. (2018). Going global: the international dimensions of US homeland security policy. Journal of Strategic Security, 11(3), 1-34.

Ingram, H. J. (2018). Terrorism Prevention in the United States.

Laub, Z. (Jun 21, 2017). The FBI’s Role in National Security. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/fbis-role-national-security

Schmidt, A., & Sikkink, K. (2018). Partners in crime: An empirical evaluation of the CIA rendition, detention, and interrogation program. Perspectives on Politics, 16(4), 1014-1033.

Thimm, J. (2018). From exception to normalcy: The United States and the war on terrorism.