Efforts for Counterterrorism

 The counterterrorism efforts are better strategies for eliminating terrorism acts. The plans have incorporated various methods such as technology, collaboration and training of the officers among others. These plans include anti-terrorist laws, outlawing businesses that promote terrorism, conducting counterterrorism intelligence, crime prevention planning, training of the anti-terrorists police, use of the policy tools and conducting terror weapon awareness campaigns. Hitherto, these strategies have significantly led to reduced incidences of terror attacks in the whole world. In conclusion, the counterterrorism efforts are effective in reducing the terror crimes.

Introduction

 Counterterrorism efforts are the strategies that various governments and the law enforcement institutions use to combat terrorism (Tucker and Jonathan, p.2). The primary aim of the counterterrorism strategy is to control the terrorists from interfering with the national agenda of various countries and at the same time preserves the civilian population’s psychological resilience. Countries like Israel have used counterterrorism expertise to thwart the progress of the al Qaeda group. Some of the counterterrorism efforts are the enactment of anti-terrorist laws, preventing a business that promotes terrorism, counterterrorism intelligence, crime prevention plans, training of the anti-terrorists police, use of the policy tools and weapon awareness. Therefore, this paper intends to discuss the counterterrorism efforts.

Objective

 The primary purpose is to determine the effectiveness of the counterterrorism efforts in reducing terror attacks.

Hypothesis

Ha: The use of the counterterrorism efforts to reduce the terrorism is highly significant.

Ho: There is no significance in using the counterterrorism to reduce the terrorism.

Results and Discussions

Business terrorism prevention

 The terrorists usually conduct businesses activities such as selling of the weapons. Another example is the bomb-making business. Due to the recent emergence of the number of incidences of bomb attacks, the business of making the explosives has been discouraged in many countries as a strategy to lower criminal acts. Commercial products like the dynamite are sold for making explosives such as bombs (Pickering et al. p.10). The counterterrorism effort that has been used to discourage the commercial manufacturing and the sales of the dynamite is to stop the sales of the dynamite (Pickering et al. p.16). Also, some governments and the law enforcement institutions have outlawed licensing the sales of such products. In essence, the outlawing of the businesses that promote selling terrorism tools has proved to be a better counterterrorism effort.

Electronics bans in the flights

 Recently, the federal government of America under the leadership of Donald Trump has imposed a ban in using the electronics such as the laptops in airplanes. The ban is a counterterrorism strategy to thwart the technology advancement in making bombs. With the advanced technology, the terrorists have adapted various models of making weapons and explosives that resemble the electronic devices. A ban on the use of the electronics in the planes is an example of the strategy that U.S has recently implemented to curb terrorist attacks.

Counterterrorism intelligence

 The counterterrorism intelligence is another important strategy that has been used to thwart the spreading of the terrorism (Tucker and Jonathan, p.24). Data collection and analysis of the information collected is an innovative approach to reducing the risks of the terrorist attacks. Tucker and Jonathan argue that the affected nations should come together and share the intelligence information and further collect and analyze information to ascertain the possibilities of threats and attacks (p.32). Proper collaboration, as well as coordination between the internal and the foreign agencies, is essential in accessing and sharing reliable intelligence for terrorism elimination.

Policy analysis

 Terrorism is a problem that is linked to political, religious and social issues and hence can merely be solved through military counterattacks alone (Tecott, Rachel, p.8). Moreover, the use of the military machines such as the guns to assassinate the groups can result in boomerang effects (Tucker and Jonathan, p.27). The boomerang effect makes the terrorists to equally oppose and react to the techniques used against them such as assassination. Additionally, the policy tools have often been used to support the policy analysis so as to strengthen the military, economic, diplomatic and political decisions in fighting the terrorists (Tucker and Jonathan, p.56). Tucker and Jonathan assert that the policy analysis helps in enacting legislations which discourage any terrorist’s activity (p.45). The legal enactments also outlaw the use of the use of internet sites that support the work of the terrorists.  Strengthening the foreign policy is also a useful effort in ensuring that attacks do not penetrate to U.S. The policy is a counterterrorism effort that aims at controlling those who move in and out of American and especially those from the Islamic countries like Somalia.

Diplomacy and financial controls

 Despite the role of law, security, military and intelligence in combating terrorists’ activities, there is still a gap is using other control measures like diplomacy and financial controls. The diplomatic pressure and sanctions on the governments have since the onset of the attacks been applied on the countries hosting terrorist group leader (Tecott and Rachel, p.54). For instance, in Africa, sanction on Libya government forced the country to leave its direct link with tourism operations. Similarly, the diplomacy pressure applied on Sudan forced the country to expel terrorists’ leader known as Osama Bin Laden. Therefore, the sanctions on the governments have successfully been used as a counterterrorism effort.

Counterterrorism training of the police

 The counterterrorism training is a kind of training that is different from the regular training because it polices every function with the aim of reducing the terror attacks and increasing the level of preparedness (Pickering et al. p.100). Many countries such as Berlin have rolled out modern police training machines and equipment to combat the criminal acts. Surprisingly, today the terror groups use the cops vehicles for camouflage and attack the security forces, but the police officers have undergone thorough training in preparation for the same. The police are usually issued with powerful ammunition that can penetrate bulletproof glass of the terrorists’ vehicles to counterattack the armed terrorist groups. 

Educational Campaigns and awareness

 The educational campaigns in public have played a role in enhancing the psychological resilience of the citizens against demoralizing terrorism effects (Tucker and Jonathan, p.33). The educational campaigns are also meant to inform the people of the changing tactics of the terror groups. Therefore, educating the public is an excellent way of letting the people weary of the possible attacks and subsequently reducing the chances of occurrence of the attacks.

Military engagement

 The military engagement with other countries has reduced the chances of attacks. The engagement strategy has frequently been used by the U.S to provide training to the African troops. For example, the military of U.S has provided the African Unions soldiers with enough fighting skills to combat the insurgents in Somalia.

Counterterrorism Partnership

 The counterterrorism partnership has since long been regarded as an effective approach to controlling the movement of the terrorists. It is the regional partnership with other organizations and countries to outdo the terror groups. The sole purpose of the counterterrorism partnership is to strengthen the local capabilities of the counterterrorist, enhance corporation among the security forces and promote democratic governance. Besides, the collaboration is useful in discrediting the ideologies of the terrorists. For instance, the Trans-Sahara partnership which included Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Chad created the capacity to counteract the terror attacks and reduce the transnational crime. Finally, despite all the counterterrorism efforts above, the decision of President Trump to cut down the budget will undermine the efforts and financial strengths to fight terror group.

Conclusion

 Counterterrorism involves strategies of combating the terror group from the government and the law enforcement commitments. The counterterrorism efforts include enactment of anti-terrorist laws, preventing a business that promotes terrorism, counterterrorism intelligence, crime prevention plans, training of the anti-terrorists police, use of the policy tools and weapon awareness.

Recommendations

 Governments should introduce a standard metrics for determining the tactics of the individual terrorists and act as appropriate. The independent institutions and law enforcement departments should involve the experts in evaluating the tactics of the terrorists as this will help them understand the process better. The policy makers should be made to understand the role of the corporative community partnerships entirely. Finally, the government through the institutions concerned should use a universal protocol in screening criminals.

Works Cited

Pickering, Sharon, Jude McCulloch, and David Wright-Neville. Counter-terrorism policing: Community, cohesion and security. Springer Science & Business Media, 2008.

Tecott, Rachel Elizabeth. "Israeli Counterterrorism Decision-Making: The Causes and Costs of a-Strategic Incoherence." (2011). pp.1-127.

Tucker, Jonathan B. "Strategies for countering terrorism: Lessons from the Israeli experience." Journal of Homeland Security 3 (2003).