Discussion 2 – Week 8Counterterrorism Challenges
Efforts to develop new counterterrorism strategies have faced a number of challenges. Some of these challenges are legislative. Laws sometimes prevent the U.S. government from doing some of the things it needs to do to combat terrorism. For example, there are, for very good reasons, limits on the ability of law enforcement agencies to collect information on American citizens. Other counterterrorism challenges can be structural. For instance, it is often difficult for government agencies to share information with one another. This may be the case for a variety of reasons, such as the sensitivity of information and the sheer large number of diverse intelligence organizations.
In addition to legislative and structural challenges, the social and cultural beliefs of a community or nation can hinder counterterrorism efforts. A good example is that of Egypt, which makes aggressive counterterrorism efforts to defeat Al-Qaeda. Despite this, many Egyptian citizens counterbalance these efforts through violence of their own, often in response to governmental corruption in that country.
Post by Day 4 a brief description of at least two counterterrorism challenges. Explain why each is a challenge. Then explain how each challenge might be addressed. Be specific.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review Chapter 8 in the course text Introduction to Homeland Security, the articles “US Counter-Terrorism Options: A Taxonomy” and “National Strategy for Combating Terrorism,” and the NPR podcast “Calls renewed for better U.S. counterterrorism strategies.” This time, focus on counterterrorism challenges.
Review the Chapter 3 video “The Counterinsurgency Strategy Close Up”. Reflect on the impact that social and cultural barriers have on combating terrorism.
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With these thoughts in mind:
Identify two counterterrorism challenges and consider why each is a challenge.
Think about how the U.S. government might address the challenges you identified.
