The Cost of Defending a Nation: Balancing Liberty and Security in Defending Against Terrorism

Abstract Following the 9/11 attacks, the United States began to reassess existing homeland security policies and procedures and determined it was necessary revise its porous security measures to prevent such future attacks. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security was established and immediately set the wheels in motion to develop tighter security metrics. The subsequent implementation of these stringent security policies immediately led to multiple negative connotations (due in part to the loss of certain freedoms that are expected in a democracy) from the very citizens it vowed to protect. In the realm of security, policymakers are continuously attempting to balance the loss of freedoms versus defending against future terrorist attacks. The formula for success will continue to prove fluid in nature as homeland security will always come at a cost when defending a nation

Guerilla Warfare & Law Enforcement: Combating the 21st Century Terrorist Cell within the U.S.

Both domestic and international terrorist organizations employ guerrilla warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures. Thus, the ability to identify and defeat the members of these organizations, cripple their infrastructures, and disrupt their financial resources lies in the understanding of modern guerrilla warfare as it develops in the twenty-first century within the United States.3 The forms of asymmetric warfare4 adopted by domestic and international terrorist groups alike is no longer intended to gain simple media exposure or governmental manipulation; they want to make an overpowering impact by causing massive loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure and are often motivated by religious imperatives and political goals. As terrorism analyst Stephen Flynn has observed, Throughout the 20th century [Americans] were able to treat national security as essentially an out-of-body experience. When confronted by threats, [America] dealt with them on the turf of our allies or our adversaries. Aside from the occasional disaster and heinous crime, civilian life [in the United States] has been virtually terror-free. With the turn of the twenty-first century, terrorist operations have become more prevalent in the United States and are taking shape in the form of modern guerrilla warfare, thus creating new challenges for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. After reviewing the origin and nature of these challenges, this article will offer some suggestions for countering guerilla warfare in the United States

Intelligence and Its Role in Protecting Against Terrorism

The art and science of gathering critical operational intelligence has been defined in many ways and is beyond our needs for this writing. Throughout the course of history, many wars have been fought depending heavily on various forms of intelligence. During our most recent actions in the War on Terror, intelligence analysis has played a critical role in both offensive and defensive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. With such varying fact-finding techniques available and utilized in the defense of our country, it has become an arduous task to collect, decipher, package, prioritize, disseminate, and act upon everything that comes down the pipe.Intelligence is even more important in homeland defense and security. Our society is suspicious of intrusions on personal liberties. Mandated identity cards, restricted vehicle access and random searches of airline passengers are generally not well received. That makes it especially important to prevent terrorist attacks by interdicting the terrorists and their resources before they can reach their targets. The primary means of accomplishing this is through a combination of intelligence and law enforcement work