Organization and Policies of Counterterrorism - Essay Example

Organization and Policies of Counter Terrorism The worldwide spread of terrorism has necessitated the need for establishment of organizations which help in eradicating terrorism in the grass root level. Many organizations have been established for the purpose of combating terrorism and finding a way out from the evil. Terrorism can destruct the world peace and it will lead to devastating consequences like losing of life and property on a large scale. Terrorism is a threat which continues day by day if effective remedial measures are not being taken adequately. Where there is the menace of terrorism, all round development, utilization of resources to the fullest level etc. are not possible. In this context, the need for an effective counter terrorism organization emerges. The formulation of effective counter terrorism organization is necessary for the complete uprooting of terrorism and terrorists in the world. In this regard, the need for an international organization for counter terrorism comes to the scene. The organization must be an international organization which has branches all over the world. The global prevalence of the organization will help in eradicating the threat of terrorism in the entire world. Many world organizations like UN, which are concerned with human issue, can give the organization a global perspective. This will certainly help giving an impetus to the need of combating terrorism in the future and getting the desired result. As Eric Herren rightly states, “It would be useful to establish an international counter-terrorist unit, which would bring together the best counter-terror solutions from around the world” (Herren, 2005). The establishment of an international counter terrorism unit would be helpful to deracinate the threat of terrorism in the future days. A global counter terrorism organization has a number of tasks to be completed within a short span of time and has to prove its effectiveness. The successful functioning of the global counter terrorism organization requires a well defined objectives and tasks. These short term tasks act as motivating factors for the organization and they lead to its success in the long run. As per the records of Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation the main tasks of an international counterterrorism organization are, coordinate the implementation of Leaders Statements and commitments on fighting terrorism and enhancing human security assist members to identify and assess counter-terrorism needs coordinate capacity building and technical assistance programs cooperate with relevant international and regional organizations The effective completion of these tasks enables the organization to fulfill its objectives fruitfully. These are the important tasks the global organization has to complete as a rigorous step to combating terrorism in its grass root level. The international counter terrorism organization should have certain standards and condition for its successful functioning. These conditions and standards give formalism and authenticity to the organization. An organization aimed at eliminating terrorism will not be so effective if it does not have certain international standards and conditions. These set standards provide formalism to the organization and it helps in the proper functioning of the organization. The counter terrorism policies adopted by an organization become the standards and conditions for its international operation. The set conditions and strategies help in implementing the strategies and policies. The effective functioning of the organization depends fully on these internal factors. They are nothing but operational strategies for its smooth functioning. The important policies, standards and conditions that the organization can adopt are, 1. Make no deals with terrorists and do not submit to blackmail. 2. Treat terrorists as criminals, pursue them aggressively, and apply the rule of law. 3. Apply maximum pressure on states that sponsor and support terrorists by imposing economic, diplomatic, and political sanctions and by urging other states to do likewise. As a part of the standards and condition the counter terrorism organization follows these policies. If these standards are followed by the organization it will result in the better performance of the organization. When these standards are clearly observed in no way there is the possibility of resulting any kind of mutual understanding between the organization and terrorists. It is important to keep international standards for practical issues like immigration, transport etc. for the smooth functioning of the organization. This helps in ensuring security at all levels. The main equipments available for counter terrorism organizations are, Bomb jammers - cellular jammers and other ECM equipment Armored vehicles - Omnis is one of the leading suppliers of high quality new and used armored vehicles Protective equipment – bullet-proof vests, blast blankets, helmets and jackets And they help in combating terrorism effectively. These are the tools available as equipments to fight terrorism and eradicate it in the grass root level. The training profile implies the ways in which the people in the organization are equipped with new strategies and tactics. Their successful implementation helps in encountering terrorism effectively. The training profile for a counter terrorism unit involves all the strategies that can be adopted as one of the modes of combating terrorism. As a part of the training profile, when ample training is given to the members of the organization, the desired result can be easily achieved. It does not require much technology and huge expenditure, given the human resource is effectively utilized in the proper channel. “Counterterrorism does not require vast expenditure in new technology and hardware, but rather a greater investment in human capabilities” (Burton, 2008). As and when priority is given to the human factor, the counter terrorism organization is going to conquer new heights. Direct action helps the organization in combating terrorism openly. The methods like airfield seizure and intelligence gathering also contribute to the effective functioning of the counter terrorism unit tasked with a worldwide mission of hostage recovery and rescue. The concept of political will plays a major role in counter terrorism planning. The policies and procedures to be included in the counter terrorism planning are highly affected by the political will of the country. Political will in combating terrorism actually means the presence of strong political leadership to fight terrorism. “Strong political leadership is essential for combating terrorism” (Karnal, 2009). When a region lacks good political will the possibility of spread of terrorism in the region is very high. Effective counter terrorism planning can control the threat of terrorists to a greater extent. Counter terrorism planning predicts the possible threat of terrorism and helps in successfully curbing its menace. The foremost step in counter terrorism planning is to have clear knowledge and threat assessment. This enables proper action plans and strategies. Counter terrorism planning helps in formulating counter terrorism strategies which are feasible and viable. Counter terrorism planning is highly affected by the concept of political will. Popular political will is needed to encounter the threat of terrorism in the grass root level. It is necessary to have a supportive political will in formulating effective plans and strategies for opposing terrorism. The political will sometimes may be against the popular will of the common people. The political will highly affects the formulation and implementation of counter terrorism plans. The political will in counter terrorism planning should go at par with the will of the common people. In order to gain some undue advantages the political will is distorted by the politicians. If such a situation prevails in any country, the counter terrorism planning will never be effective and it will never give the desired result. So, the countries which fight terrorism should understand the importance of political will in counter terrorism planning and accordingly should go for the implementation these strategies and plans. Works Cited Burton, B. (2008, June). The Counter Terrorism Paradox. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from Armed Forces Journal : http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2008/06/3483209/ Burton, B. (n.d.). The counterterrorism paradox. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from Armed Forces Journal : http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2008/06/3483209/ Counter Terrorism . (2009, May 25). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation: http://www.apec.org/apec/apec_groups/som_committee_on_economic/som_special_task_groups/counter_terrorism.html Counter-Terrorism Briefing. (n.d.). Retrieved June 14, 2009, from Flashpoints: http://www.flashpoints.info/issue_briefings/Counter-Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism-_main.htm Herren, E. (2005, August 15). Tools for Countering Future Terrorism. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ICT - International Institute for Counter-Terrorism : http://www.ict.org.il/Articles/tabid/66/Articlsid/196/currentpage/12/Default.aspx Karnal. (2009, March 22). Strong Political Will must for Combating Terrorism. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from Web India : http://news.webindia123.com/news/articles/India/20090322/1205506.html SPG Media Group. (n.d.). Omnis - Counter-Terrorism Equipment and Advisory Services. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from SPG Media Group Army Technology Web site: http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/jamming/omnis/ Read More