This volume presents the papers and summarizes the discussions of a workshop held in Goa, India, in January 2004, organized by the Indian National Institute of Advanced Science (NIAS) and the U.S. Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC). During the workshop, Indian and U.S. experts examined the terrorist threat faced in both countries and elsewhere in the world, and explored opportunities for the U.S. and India to work together. Bringing together scientists and experts with common scientific and technical backgrounds from different cultures provided a unique opportunity to explore possible means of preventing or mitigating future terrorist attacks.
This book considers some of the most notable aspects of the legal response to the "war on terror" post- 9/11 and the use of technology to support them. It examines the shift from a criminal justice response to the creation of a parallel preventive system running in tandem with it. This system has tended to veer away from the commission of criminal offences or adherence to ordinary criminal justice safeguards. Such a preventive strategy relies on targeting terrorist suspects – those who it is thought may in future commit terrorist acts – and curbing their actions with the aim of preventing terrorist activity before it occurs. The book further considers the role that surveillance plays in the counter-terrorist efforts of state or non-state actors. It also evaluates the counter-productive effects that many of these measures have had. This book was originally published as a special issue of International Review of Law Computers & Technology.
This report describes many ways in which science and engineering can contribute to making the nation safer against the threat of catastrophic terrorism. The report identifies key actions that can be undertaken now, based on knowledge and technologies in hand, and, equally important, describes key opportunities for reducing current and future risks through longer-term research and development activities.
All U.S. agencies with counterterrorism programs that collect or "mine" personal data-such as phone records or Web sites visited-should be required to evaluate the programs' effectiveness, lawfulness, and impacts on privacy. A framework is offered that agencies can use to evaluate such information-based programs, both classified and unclassified. The book urges Congress to re-examine existing privacy law to assess how privacy can be protected in current and future programs and recommends that any individuals harmed by violations of privacy be given a meaningful form of redress. Two specific technologies are examined: data mining and behavioral surveillance. Regarding data mining, the book concludes that although these methods have been useful in the private sector for spotting consumer fraud, they are less helpful for counterterrorism because so little is known about what patterns indicate terrorist activity. Regarding behavioral surveillance in a counterterrorist context, the book concludes that although research and development on certain aspects of this topic are warranted, there is no scientific consensus on whether these techniques are ready for operational use at all in counterterrorism.
Traditionally, resources on terrorism and counterterrorism tend to focus on the social, behavioral, and legal aspects of the subject, with minimal emphasis on the scientific and technological aspects. Taking into account these practical considerations, the second edition of Science and Technology of Terrorism and Counterterrorism discusses the nature of terrorism and the materials used by terrorists. It describes how intelligence professionals and law enforcement personnel can detect and destroy these materials, and how they can deal with terrorist groups. This volume begins by introducing the shift in analysis of terrorist attacks after September 11, 2001 and summarizes selected case studies. It discusses the origin and nature of terrorism and the factors involved in diplomacy. Covering a broad range of topics, the book examines: Aerosol dispersion of toxic materials Bioterrorism and the manufacture, detection, and delivery of biological agents Agricultural terrorism Nuclear terrorism and nuclear weapons systems, threats, and safeguards Chemical terrorism, including manufacture, detection, delivery, and decontamination Cyber-terrorism Personal protective equipment The role of government at federal, state, and local levels The role of international agencies and their resources, capabilities, and responsibilities The National Infrastructure Protection Plan As terrorist activities increase globally, it is critical that those charged with protecting the public understand the myriad of ways in which terrorists operate. While we cannot predict where, when, and how terrorists will strike, our vigilance in staying abreast of the terrorist threat is the only way to have a fighting chance against those who seek to destroy our world.
Based on a series of regional meetings on university campuses with officials from the national security community and academic research institutions, this report identifies specific actions that should be taken to maintain a thriving scientific research environment in an era of heightened security concerns. Actions include maintaining the open exchange of scientific information, fostering a productive environment for international scholars in the U.S., reexamining federal definitions of sensitive but unclassified research, and reviewing policies on deemed export controls. The federal government should establish a standing entity, preferably a Science and Security Commission, that would review policies regarding the exchange of information and the participation of foreign-born scientists and students in research.
Information technology (IT) is essential to virtually all of the nation's critical infrastructures making them vulnerable by a terrorist attack on their IT system. An attack could be on the system itself or use the IT system to launch or exacerbate another type of attack. IT can also be used as a counterterrorism tool. The report concludes that the most devastating consequences of a terrorist attack would occur if it were on or used IT as part of a broader attack. The report presents two recommendations on what can be done in the short term to protect the nation's communications and information systems and several recommendations about what can be done over the longer term. The report also notes the importance of considering how an IT system will be deployed to maximize protection against and usefulness in responding to attacks.
Terrorism and radicalization came to the forefront of news and politics in the US after the unforgettable attacks of September 11th, 2001. When George W. Bush famously asked "Why do they hate us?," the President echoed the confusion, anger and fear felt by millions of Americans, while also creating a politicized discourse that has come to characterize and obscure discussions of both phenomenon in the media. Since then the American public has lived through a number of domestic attacks and threats, and watched international terrorist attacks from afar on television sets and computer screens. The anxiety and misinformation surrounding terrorism and radicalization are perhaps best detected in questions that have continued to recur in the last decade: "Are terrorists crazy?"; "Is there a profile of individuals likely to become terrorists?"; "Is it possible to prevent radicalization to terrorism?" Fortunately, in the two decades since 9/11, a significant body of research has emerged that can help provide definitive answers. As experts in the psychology of radicalization, Sophia Moskalenko and Clark McCauley propose twelve mechanisms that can move individuals, groups, and mass publics from political indifference to sympathy and support for terrorist violence. Radicalization to Terrorism: What Everyone Needs to Know synthesizes original and existing research to answer the questions raised after each new attack, including those committed by radicalized Americans. It offers a rigorously informed overview of the insight that will enable readers to see beyond the relentless new cycle to understand where terrorism comes from and how best to respond to it.
