Probable Strategies and Measures for Counterterrorism Acts - Essay Example

Probable strategies or measures to be implemented by the ities for Counterterrorism acts Overview Terrorism, especially Islamic terrorism lately has been regarded as the most outrageous menace of the civilized and modern. In one hand the Islamic fundamentalist groups or organizations like Al-Qaeda are operating at merciless precision against the whole of western civilization, specifically the United States and on the other hand there are organizations like Laskar-e-Toiba who are determined to establish a reign of terror against the largest democratic state, India. Islamic student organizations like SIMI acts as a favorable instrument to provide the much needed base for the infiltrators in India. Bordered by two Islamic states in the east (Bangladesh) and the west (Pakistan) and with a 20% Islamic population India finds it really difficult to negotiate and eradicate this problem of Islamic terrorism. It is so much obvious that the organizational head-quarters are of these terrorist organizations are situated in Pakistan and the terrorists use a favorable gateway into India through Bangladesh but international fraternity hardly ever grant a cross border action plan to counter cross border terrorism. Introduction On the western part of the globe in the United States and in the United Kingdoms the story of Islamic terrorism is no different. Over here, it is not a problem of cross border terrorism because in these cases of the two countries, sadly enough, the Islamic terrorists are part of their own demography and most of the acts of cross border terrorisms are committed via information channeling. Thus it is more important for countries like United States and United Kingdoms to formulate a substantial strategy to counter terrorism in the most effective manner possible. It should be remembered that the disaster of 9/11 took place when the terrorists took advantage of the American social way of life where the number of domestic frequent fliers are high enough to suffer a low security system. The same is true about London underground rail blast. In both the cases the terrorists took advantage of the counties' way of social life and it would be impossible to alter this way of life putting security as an alibi where the menace is basically organized by a fundamentalist motive. No country should rupture ever under such motives. Prelude to the probable action plans In view of the documents found in the apartment of a suspected Al Qaeda member Anas al-Liby, in Manchester, England, May 2000 it could be stated that the systematic formulation of the general action plans of terrorist activities mentioned in the document indicates a well organized sect being involved in this procedure of destructions. It should be noted that few chapters like the Eighteenth Lesson: Prisons and Detention Centers are truly gruesome and people who are able to execute or simply thing of such proceedings should be stopped at all cost. As it is obvious that the training manual not only indicates activities centering US and UK only but also is applicable to other countries as well, like India, who oppose Islamic fundamentalist's concept of Islamic rule around the world. Therefore it is extremely essential to bifurcate the strategy into two sections viz. Domestic strategies and international strategies. Domestic Strategies: In accordance to the training manual the Military Organization dictates a number of requirements to assist it in confrontation and endurance. These are: 1. Forged documents and counterfeit currency 2. Apartments and hiding places 3. Communication means 4. Transportation means 5. Information 6. Arms and ammunition 7. Transport Under the perception of these operations it would possible to underline strategies based on each of the mentioned point. Forged documents and counterfeit currency: First of all, there is the problem of forged documents and counterfeit currency. To negotiate these and to control probable and further infiltrations the authorities must make it absolutely necessary to double check each and every document under double scrutiny that are put forward by any individual of religion other than Christianity. This may appear a bit of racist statement but under the perception of national security this measure should be taken into account. The primary reason of eliminating Christians from this scrutiny is the information that hardly any person of this belief has ever been found involved with fundamentalist Islamic activities. Secondly, eliminating the Christians would ensure a faster mean of scrutiny as, and logically enough, the majority of the demography of United States and United Kingdoms are Christians. By why not eliminate Hindus, Shiks and Buddhists from this schedule This is because it would be very difficult for security personnel to identify Hindus, Shiks and Buddhist apart from that of a Islamic militant and it is not possible to teach each and every security personnel the basic differences of religion. For the menace of counterfeit currencies the only possible option available is to pass each and every currency note through counterfeit catching machines in banks. For this purpose it should be taken into consideration that the software of the machines are regularly updated. Apartments and hiding places: Next in the line is the problem of Apartments and hiding places. To counter this issuing a social security number of any other identification documents would not serve the purpose alone. To counter these Islamic militants the authorities should ensure that whoever is renting out an apartment or a property or selling the same to a non Christian individual should inform the authorities at once. The authorities should make it a mandatory issue. Furthermore, the authorities should set up enough whispering campaigns to ensure each individual is aware of this menace of Islamic terrorism and should always keep an eye or two on such suspecting parties. Reports should be forwarded immediately if there are indications of such activities. For this purpose the authorities must ensure to maintain a counter terrorism cell in each station. Communication means: Another very vital tool of operations of the Islamic fundamentalist elements is the high tech means of communication. Though we often say that the internet has opened our eyes to the world and has unlocked our minds for the greater good, it is with this medium, along with telecommunication and short wave transmitter and other communicative means the Islamic fundamentalists have closed their minds and hearts and zeroed in to destroy anything and everything that are beautiful, sober and just. To present a counterterrorist plan against this misuse of communication system the authorities must make sure that no bit of information is passed unnoticed or without proper scrutiny. For this, if it requires the best code decoders available so be it. If it requires the best possible software system so be it too. After all this is the matter of national security. Transportation means: As with apartments the same is true with transportation means. Each and every vehicle purchase or rented where any of the parties involved represents a sect that is not predominantly Christian or pro nationalistic should be monitored extremely closely. Registration of a vehicle, in a way, point at the fact that the authorities are granting enough faith on the individual to gain access all over the country, within citizen limits. It is a valid document then whereby the potential terrorist is available everywhere to be contacted and accessed. To prevent this, authorities must be aware to impose as much security possible on the individual. Again, the security clearance should double or triple checked before any such documentation is granted. Information: This is one of the most important of all features of the terrorist groups. Infiltrators are basically implanted into the geography of a state mainly to gather information about the related state so that it would be possible for these people to gather enough information whereby it would be possible for the terrorist groups to utilize the information to gain access into the strategic location and perform terrorist activities. To negotiate and nullify these activities the authorities must ensure to put up wings involved in counter espionage. A wing of domestic counter espionage system is very hard to digest but overlooking this manifestation of the Islamic terrorist group would be resulting into adversity. So it is much needed that the authorities appoint units to monitor and report all possible act of terrorist espionage. Alongside, strategic points of the country should be well protected and supervised on a regular basis. Departments of concerns related to the country's defense mechanisms should be well protected as well because there are the prime targets of the Islamic terrorist groups. Every other point of strategic points should be kept under thorough watch like stock exchange and other financial institutions for possible scams. This is because it has been found that the end in source of many financial scams result in the hand of different terrorist groups. These groups are always in need of financial assistance and scams are a good source of acquiring a substantial amount of finance. Arms and ammunition: No terrorist group can ever survive without a constant supply of arms and ammunitions. Therefore it is essential, at least in the domestic sector, to regulate the buying and selling of arms in open or in underground markets. This could prove to be a very effective strategy that would ultimately seize the supply of arms and ammunitions at least in the short term. But looking at the long term perspective this strategy holds well enough too. This is because once the supply of arms and ammunitions are not available the Islamic terrorist groups like Al Qaeda would certainly look for an alternative method to acquire those through other means which in the contrary of their usual formulation of terrorist activity planning would make way for some desperate measures that could open a gateway into the organization from a counter espionage context too. Transport: Ultimately, the regulation of arms and ammunitions could take us to the last possible issue related to acts of terrorism. Once the arms and ammunitions regulation act is implemented the terrorist group would certainly look into possibilities of gather arms and ammunitions through other means. These other means may result into importing the needed arms and ammunitions from abroad. Here the issue of transportation comes into play. Now if the authorities are conscious and attentive enough flaws within the planning sections of terrorist groups would certainly be revealed. A special cell to monitor and scrutinize all inbound materials from overseas could be placed on every possible enter points to counter the incoming of arms and ammunitions through international transport systems. International strategy It is evident from the training manual that the other target of terrorist activities is India therefore there is every reason to include Indian intelligence into the counterterrorism activities put forward by the authorities. In the days of the cold wars India's position of non allayed or neutral stand was regarded as a potential foe considering the rule of the thumb that if you are not with me then you are against me. But with post cold war era it is time to change all that keeping in mind that all the nations suffering from this disease should stand united to eradicate this malady of Islamic terrorism. Islamic organizations like Al Qaeda are not situated in any thin air. They and their organizational head quarter must prevail in some state in some country. The main focal point of this operation would be to identify the country or countries who actively encourage this form of organizational behavior. For this purpose the intelligence bureau of the stake holding countries must exchange information and strategies to formulate the best possible way out in nullifying these terrorist organizations. For example, the information of RAW of India could be very much helpful to MOSAD of Israel where both of them can benefit from the information taken from Pentagon of USA and M 16 of UK and vice versa. All the information available that way would ultimately help the authorities to present enough proof against the potential terrorist state or states among the international fraternity at the United Nation Council where by it would be possible to gear up actions to be taken against these countries. The USA, the UK, India, Israel and other affected countries must all realize that standing as a united front would evoke much more power to eradicate Islamic terrorism. Till date the potential terrorist states like Pakistan and Libya and states responsible organizing terrorist training camps like Bangladesh and several African countries could dummy out any allegation put forward against them in view of several lobbying principals in the United Nation's Council. Conclusion The reason behind these precautions to be taken both in the domestic and international strata lies in a fact that a far more danger waits from the Islamic terrorist groups other than hijacking passenger planes or planting time bound explosives in the underground or at the front of embassies. It is a well know fact that after the decomposition of communist Soviet Union quite a few nuclear war heads were misplaced and at this point according to many security agencies some or most of them are at a bounty waiting for a favorable customer to buy them. Quite reasonably this potential buyer or buyers could be Al Qaeda or such related organizations. Once a nuclear warhead reaches one of their possession the result could be disastrous for any of the stake holding state. It should also be remembered regarding nuclear threats that many of the counties today are capable of developing and assembling a nuclear warhead at this point of time. With the know how of a nuclear bomb well know and in the possession of countries with threatening past like North Korea, China, Pakistan, Libya and any other potential terrorist state it is very difficult for the threatened states to be contented. Therefore, in all possibilities, in the view of the terrorist training manual found in May 2000 by British investigators in Manchester, England, while searching the apartment of suspected Al Qaeda member Anas al-Liby, AKA Nazih al-Raghie it is but high time to react and eliminate the menace of Islamic terrorism from its roots, even if it requires difficult measures to be taken, so be it. Read More