Homeland security research paper on the terrorist group Al-Qaeda

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Instructions (100% Original Work)
This assignment will not be accepted late. The term paper consists of two parts: Part 1  - Select a domestic or international terrorist organization that threatens the U.S. homeland and complete a profile of that organization. The group profile should be approximately 50 percent of the final paper and must include a discussion of the group's ideology, targeting, tactics, capability, and overall goals, analysis of attacks, and any statements or propaganda released by the group. Make sure you have enough information on the group to address all these factors and how it affects the US homeland. A foreign terrorist group for this project must be on the official list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) maintained by the U.S. Department of State. In the case of domestic terrorist groups, there is no sanctioned list from which to choose, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has made significant arrests from several groups that would fit the description of a domestic terrorist group. The FBI also names many other groups in congressional testimony. Materials presented in the first module, as well as recent news and congressional testimony, are good sources of information on how to identify domestic groups for this project. Part 2 -  Use the group profile to conduct an analysis of one or more U.S. homeland security policies studied in module 2, to assess the ability of the policy or policies to counter the threat posed by the group profiled. This analysis should begin with an introduction and explanation of the policy, followed by an analysis addressing the breadth of the information (from part 1) gathered on that terrorist group. The policy you analyze should be consistent with the group; for example, if you choose a domestic terrorist group, it would be improper to analyze the Secure Border Initiative and its ability to counter a domestic threat, because the members of the group are already within the nation's borders. If you find the policy deficient, make specific recommendations for policy change to counter the threat. If you deem the policy sufficient to counter the threat, explain the rationale for your conclusion.

To complete part 2 of the paper. Conduct the required analysis on the USA PATRIOCT ACT security policy. See below.

The  USA PATRIOT Act , which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush on October 26, 2001, broadened the ability of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to interdict terrorism in four ways (Congressional Research Service [CRS], 2002). First, it applied toward the fight against terrorism a number of investigative tools that had previously been available to fight other forms of organized crime. Second, the act removed many of the legal barriers that prevented the  intelligence community  (IC) from sharing information with law enforcement. Third, it updated laws to reflect new technology and new threats. Fourth, it increased penalties and created new offenses for terrorism-related crimes. We will explore each of these elements to develop an understanding of the scope of the changes effected by the PATRIOT Act.

Many provisions of the PATRIOT Act are viewed by some as too great an expansion of government power, which could violate the constitutional rights of American citizens.

The following is a brief summary of the major changes provided for in the USA PATRIOT Act, as explained by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in "The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty?" (n.d.):

1. Legalized the use of a greater range of tools to fight terrorism

· allows law enforcement to use electronic surveillance against the full range of terrorism-related crimes

· allows federal agents to follow terrorists by using "roving wiretaps" that can be authorized by a federal judge to apply to a particular suspect, rather than just a particular phone or device

· allows law enforcement to conduct investigations without tipping off terrorists, by delaying when the subject is told that a search warrant was executed; this delay gives law enforcement time to identify associates, eliminate immediate threats to our communities, and coordinate the arrests of multiple individuals

· allows federal agents to ask a court for an order to examine business records from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for activity in terrorism cases, if needed to aid a terrorism investigation

2. Enabled information sharing

· abolished the legal barriers that previously prevented the sharing of information between the law enforcement and intelligence communities, allowing coordination of information among the agencies to counter terrorism

3. Updated laws to reflect new technology

· allows warrants to be obtained in any district in where the terrorism activity being investigated occurred, regardless of where those warrants will be executed

· allows cyber hacking victims to give law enforcement access to systems to investigate and prosecute hackers

4. Increased penalties and added new offenses for terrorism-related crimes

· created a new offense that prohibits knowingly harboring persons involved in terrorist offenses

· expanded the definitions of some conspiracy crimes and increased the number of distinct conspiracy offenses

· increases the maximum penalties for terrorist crimes, including conspiracy crimes

· creates specific punishments for attacks using biological weapons and attacks on mass transit

· eliminates the statutes of limitations on some terrorist crimes, and lengthens it on others

The PATRIOT Act has spurred much debate concerning the balance between freedom and security in America. Proponents of the act support the need for expanded law enforcement with expanded powers to fight terrorism. Opponents cite the potential for abuses of rights that could occur under the provisions of the act. Opponents of the act were fueled by a DOJ Office of the Inspector General report that found abuses of the use of National Security Letters (USA PATRIOT Act, Section 505) to obtain information from businesses and educational institutions for investigations (2007). The act as originally legislated included sunset provisions that were to expire at the end of 2005 unless expressly reauthorized. In 2006, the act was reauthorized, making all sections of the original act permanent except for two sections: the National Security Letters and roving wiretap provisions were reauthorized with four-year expirations. In 2011, these provisions were again reauthorized for four years. The effectiveness of the PATRIOT Act and its impact on the rights of American citizens continue as a topic of debate.