Student Post #8

Michele Peterson

"Terrorism, Intelligence, and Homeland Security" by Taylor and Swanson (2019) provides a comprehensive understanding of the terrorist threat environment, the dynamics that come into play in that environment, and the vital role the Intelligence Community plays in the nation's security. This post provides key concepts from the text and looks at how these concepts can be applied and improved to better secure the United States (Taylor & Swanson, 2019).

The textbook begins by providing a foundational understanding of terrorism, including the different types of terrorism and the motivation and root causes of terrorism, outlining the importance of understanding recruitment practices and past actions that have led to the creation of certain groups. The rise of organizations such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) provides a case study on which the rest of the book is based. This approach allows students to grasp real-world actions and concepts (Taylor & Swanson, 2019).

The book's next section explores the Intelligence Community has a role in counterterrorism efforts, various intelligence collection methods, and analytic techniques. However, the most impactful topics covered in this section are the new and updated legislation created in the aftermath of 9/11. Discussion circles around the USA PATRIOT Act and the lasting impact the act had on the operating authorities of the Intelligence Community and law enforcement and their ability to carry out anti-terrorism and counterterrorism operations domestically and internationally (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). Perhaps no other legislation has significantly influenced the United States and the Intelligence Community. Many worldwide indicate that the USA PATRIOT Act expanded the United States' powers at the expanse of traditional checks and balances (Bhatt, 2020).

The following sections of the text review security at home and securing the borders of the United States. This section focuses on enhancing border security through strengthening border control measures and screening processing. There is also discussion on leveraging technology for improved border surveillance and detection (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). While these actions may seem strictly under the purview of the government, that is not always the case. In order to accurately secure the border, the government needs to work with and gain information from private entities. This type of cooperation assists with identifying the transportation of potential goods across the border (Engelenburg et al., 2019).

The last major section of the text covers critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR). These sections cover identifying what CIKR is, vulnerabilities associated with CIKR, and developing resiliency and response capabilities. One key component for securing CIKR is the public-private partnerships needed to share the requirement to secure CIKR (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). Defining what constitutes CIKR can be a challenge as technology develops and progresses. Attacks on CIKR no longer just include physical attacks. Cyberattacks can be carried out by a number of perpetrators, including terrorist organizations. Protecting CIKR no longer not stops at the border of individual states. There is now an international effort to protect national critical infrastructure as the world becomes increasingly globalized (Newbill, 2019). Moving forward, it is imperative to leverage technological advancements and promote information sharing and collaboration with international partners to combat terrorism. These actions must be completed by balancing civil rights and liberties with national security concerns. Technology use should be adopted to continue adapting to an ever-changing threat environment (Taylor & Swanson, 2019). A review of how intelligence information is collected and processed can assist with making intelligence assessments stronger. Changing information evaluation methods from a rigid all-purpose method to a flexible, context-sensitive one can improve the national security decision-making process based on intelligence assessments (Irwin & Mandel, 2019).