Terrorist Attacks and Risk Assessment - Essay Example

Terrorist Attacks and Risk AssessmentAttacks supposedly suspected to be facilitated or those that terrorist organizations claim responsibility have over the years been portrayed as mere act of violence. For instance, suicide bomber are either motivated by the need to revenge or make money. However, according to Kydd and Barbara (2012), the core drive for terror attacks by terrorist is to achieve political objectives. For example, in 1983, the U.S. government withdrew soldiers from Lebanon shortly after a suicide bomber attacked U.S. Marine barracks.

Over the years, most terror attacks have involved five common strategies intimidation, spoiling, attrition and outbidding (Ezell et al, 2010). As much as terror attacks instill fear, the terrorist do so to get the target government to respond to their demands. Over the last decade, this strategy has worked in favor of the terrorist regardless the efforts by most governments in eradicate terrorism, elevating the risk and probabilities of terror attacks in future.The uncertainty surrounding risks of terror attacks is indisputable, making risk assessment very difficult. In U.S.

, Homeland Security is the body tasked with the responsibility of assessing the risk of terror attacks. Homeland Security has formulated a model that analyses the risk of attack from three perspectives; threat posed, vulnerability to attacks and the consequences of an attack. It has also categorized the risk into either asset based or geographically based attacks (Masse et al, 2007). These developments by Homeland Security have helped in enhancing preparedness, ability to protect, or respond to terror attacks.

In conclusion, the current risk assessment is not good enough for any government to assure its people protection from terror attacks. References Ezell C. Barry, Bennet P. Steven, Winterfeldt V. Detlof, Collins J. Andrw. (2010). Probabilistic Risk Analysis and Terrorism Risk. Journal of Risk Analysis, Vol. 30, No. 4, Kydd H. Andrew & Barbara F. Walter. (2012). The Strategies of Terrorism. Journal of International security, vol. 31.1Masse Todd, O’Neil Siobhan & Rollins John. (2007). The Department Of Homeland Security’s Risk Assessment Methodology: Evolution, Issues, And Options for Congress.

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