Analysis on terrorist attacks:mitigation and strategies of risk reduction - Essay Example

? Analysis on Terrorist Attacks: Mitigation and Strategies of Risk Reduction Analysis on Terrorist Attacks: Mitigation and Strategies of Risk Reduction 1. Using a likely tactic and target (targeting airports with bombings), create a hypothetical scenario for a terrorist attack by the terrorist group Hezbollah. Terrorist attacks have become the most critical threat to the security of several countries especially of the United States. From 1980 to 2002, military deaths that are associated with terrorist attacks reached over 672 military personal, with 63% of which are caused by terrorist actions (US Army TRADOC). The terrorists are notable with their versatility on doing several types of attacks. Among the most popular terrorist actions that are seen by the world includes bombing, kidnapping, and hijacking (US Army TRADOC). These terrorist actions have truly made a great impact on how current counter terrorist protocols have shaped up, through mitigation measures and strategies for risk reduction that are continually updated based on lessons learned from previous attacks, several lives can be saved and terrorist attacks can be prevented. The Hezbollah is said to be the terrorist group that have started the modus operandi of contemporary suicide attacks. This can be traced back in April 1983 when the group attacked western settlements in Lebanon. Several establishments were attacked using vehicles that were loaded with bombs and driven by a suicide bomber. The attack on the US Embassy in Beirut had left sixty-three people dead, including 17 Americans. In this regard, the Hezbollah would also be using a vehicle, such as a truck full of bombs (US Army TRADOC). They can successfully attack an airport by building connections with personnel to sneak in the van inside the premises of the airport and detonate the bombs near a plane or they can just ram through the gates leading to the departure area and detonate the bombs where there are many people. 2. Identify the steps that the terrorist must take to implement the scenario, and for each of these steps, describe mitigation measures to prevent the incident or reduce the impact. The success of every terrorist operation is dependent of several elements, which includes secrecy, comprehensive and thorough planning and reconnaissance, and most of all, good rehearsals. The most common and basic structure of how terrorists implement a certain attack can be explained by the following steps to be discussed (US Army TRADOC). Planning starts with the target selection. This step will determine the overall objectives of the attack as well as the sophistication of the required elements to make it successful. Usual targets are government establishments, military settlements, airports, train stations, and other areas that will likely have a larger number of casualty and damage to the government and the citizenry. An effective way to mitigate and prevent any terrorist actions to government officials, buildings, and other infrastructures is to have a special intelligence unit that will closely monitor any leads that are likely associated with a terrorist attack. Covert informants may be utilized to gain more information on the movement of any group that is known to threatening the area. Other steps that are taken by terrorists are intelligence gathering, recruitment, training, rehearsal, preparation of explosives, and transportation of the suicide bombers to the target area (US Army TRADOC). To improve aviation security, it is essential that the airport should have an advanced air cargo screening technology to be able to detect any substance that can be used for any form of attack. In addition, Aviation safety and security program must be improved and realigned at preventing terrorist attacks. Aviation hotlines should also be secured. Lastly, there should be legislations pertaining to Alien Flight and Flight school training (Department of Homeland Security). 3. Are there any opportunities for early warning and detection of this incident? Explain. According to the head of RAND Corporation’s terrorism research, the goal of terrorist groups is to reduce the public confidence on the government’s ability to protect and defend its citizen, thus producing distrust and doubts on the government. The terrorist groups also has some major objectives that they intend to achieve through suicide terrorism, which includes achieving their major political goals, to punish a state or society for doing harm to their community or religion, to use it against specific targets, to create high casualties in order to ensure the media coverage and to mobilize support for the terrorist group’s cause, to have revenge, and it is usually the result of a group’s failed goal which used less extreme measures (US Army TRADOC). The Hezbollah can do several strategies in order to push through with their plans of attacking an airport. One of the most upfront methods is by physically carrying the bomb, and when the security measures in an airport is not that high, there will be higher chances that the suicide bomber can get past the gates and can be able to detonate the bomb in places where there are many people. One way of preventing this is by interventions which will increase detections in airports such as by installing metal detectors and increasing the security screening more generally. Fortifications on the gates of airports as well as the overall structure of the airport should also be taken in consideration since suicide bombers may use vehicles to ram the gates in order to force entry to the premises (Lum, Kennedy, and Sherley). Police and security personnel should also be well trained for such situations so that they can easily respond and perform on a situation where a suicide bomber is within the airport.REFERENCES Department of Homeland Security (DHS). (2012). Preventing Terrorism and Enhancing Security. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/pso-preventing-terrorism-and-enhancing-security.pdf Lum, C., Kennedy, L. W., & Sherley, A. J. (2006). The Effectiveness of Counter-Terrorism Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.rutgerscps.org/publications/Lum_Terrorism_Review.pdf US Army TRADOC. (2006). Suicide Bombing on the COE. US Army Training and Doctrine Command, handbook 1.03. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/irp/threat/terrorism/sup3.pdf Read More