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Counterterrorism

Counterterrorism is the use of personnel and resources to preempt, disrupt, or destroy capabilities of terrorists and their support networks. Counterterrorism is inherently an offensive, as opposed to defensive, approach to the threat, involving diplomacy, intelligence operations, law enforcement, military operations, and counterterrorism training.

Diplomacy

The diplomatic dimension of counterterrorism traditionally is associated with foreign relations and international terrorism, but it is also applicable when fighting domestic terrorism. Diplomacy is the art of persuading others to do things that serve mutual interests. The diplomatic component of counterterrorism encompasses activities such as persuading Lebanon to close down terrorist training camps, securing Pakistan's permission to arrest and render Ramzi Ahmed Yousef to U.S. authorities, or the FBI sharing information with local police to prevent a terrorist attack. The use of diplomacy involves reaching international consensus on how to handle issues ranging from aviation security to tagging explosives to imposing sanctions on state sponsors. Most important, it involves developing and implementing policy responses to terrorism or the threat of it.

Diplomacy has been used more frequently and with more success on the international front. Domestically, it is another story. Interactions between federal, state, and local officials can be just as complicated and sensitive as any operation conducted overseas. Proper coordination among the different law enforcement agencies can play a critical role in whether a prosecutable case against a terrorist can be built. Law enforcement officials across the United States frequently complain that federal officials, particularly the FBI, work in a vacuum, ignore local police, and refuse to share information. The newly established cabinet-level Homeland Security department mandates that the FBI and CIA share information with each other and with the department itself; it is hoped that this top-level coordination will translate into better interdepartment cooperation at all levels.

Finding and arresting terrorists outside the United States is a significant undertaking. It requires the permission of foreign governments and coordination among a variety of agencies. The arrest of the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, is a case in point. The U.S. government first learned of his whereabouts thanks to an informant who walked into the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan and told U.S. diplomats where Yousef was staying. Elements of several U.S. government agencies were involved in vetting the information provided by the source and putting in place an operation to apprehend Yousef. In addition, the United States asked for and received the full assistance of the government of Pakistan to arrest and remove Yousef from Pakistan. This type of coordination and cooperation is characteristic of what happens when things go well. But these events do not happen of their own accord; it takes preparation and often years of work to put the mechanisms in place. Securing cooperation is the nuts and bolts of diplomacy.

Intelligence Operations

Accurate intelligence also is a critical element in an effective counterterrorism policy. Intelligence, as a tool of counterterrorism, has several dimensions—field operations, covert action, technical collection, and analysis. In field operations the objective of intelligence is to identify the members of terrorist groups, learn how they get their money, locate where they do their training and operational planning, and ultimately obtain access to the decision makers. This kind of information is essential for mounting operations to disrupt or preempt terrorist attacks. Obtaining such intelligence, however, is a daunting task.

Another facet of intelligence activities, covert action, is similar to diplomacy only done in secret. Covert action is the use of information and/or disinformation to attack and weaken the opponent. The ultimate goal of such efforts is to help create an environment that supports the overall counterterrorism policy. For example, when employed against a terrorist group covert action could encompass planting stories in the media that are designed to undermine support for that group and/or build support within a country for taking action against the terrorists.

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