Browsing by Subject "terrorism"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    American Muslim Organizations: Response to Counterterrorism Initiatives
    (2015-12) Michel, Amber
    Counterterrorism efforts in the US have discriminatorily targeted Muslims through the use of surveillance, infiltration, paid informants and other forms of harassment. In this project, I examine the narrative generated by Muslim organizations nationally and in Minnesota, in response to the intense policing practices of American counterterrorism initiatives. I identified accommodationist themes throughout the national narratives but observed this phenomenon much less frequently at the local level. I observed the damaging and destabilizing effects of such initiatives. I also theorize that proximity to a national stage determines the tone of public narrative.
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    Cyber-threats and the Limits of Bureaucratic Control
    (2013-02-12) Brenner, Susan W.
    For over half a decade, the author has been writing about how and why the institutions modern nation-states rely on to fend off the threats––war, crime, and terrorism––that can erode their ability to maintain order and compromise their viability as sovereign entities become ineffective when the threats migrate into cyberspace. In a succession of law review articles and books, the author refined her analysis of the essentially unprecedented challenges cybercrime, cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare pose for law enforcement and the military. The goal of this article is to go beyond critiquing the efficacy of the current threat-control structures and outline an alternative approach. The current approach, which appropriately focuses on remediating specific factors that contribute to the inefficacy with which current United States threat-control structures confront cyber-threats, is inadequate because it seeks to “update” systems that were developed to control threats that were simpler and more parochial than the ones we confront now. The author does not believe existing threat-control structures can be modified in ways that will make them effective against the twenty-first century threats many countries already confront, and most, if not all, will eventually confront. Like others, the author believes we need a new threat-control strategy: one that replaces the rigid, hierarchical structures on which we currently rely, with systems that mirror the lateral, networked structures that prosper in cyberspace. This article outlines how such a strategy could be structured and implemented.
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    The Developing Global Crisis: What Security Practitioners and Policy Makers Need to Know
    (2016) Andregg, Michael M.
    The Developing Global Crisis: What Security Practitioners and Policy Makers Need to Know Abstract (d7, for “Global Security and Intelligence Studies” of American Military University.) General Michael Flynn asks why we don’t win wars anymore. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper claims we cannot fix the problems in the Middle East where so many of our troops and related forces have been deployed for so long. This essay attempts to explain why. We have been addressing mainly symptoms instead of causes, and since the causes continue, the wars don’t stop. The “Developing Global Crisis” involves at least six factors that are difficult for anyone to deal with. Each has military consequences, but few respond well to military force. The result is hundreds of millions of poorly educated teen aged males maturing into desperate circumstances of failed or failing states where they encounter demagogues and WMDs instead of opportunities. The factors I allude to include: 1) population growth and population pressure (not the same things) , 2) corruptions of governance that prevent solutions, 3) growing income inequalities within and between nations, 4) militant religion(s), 5) rising authoritarianism in politics worldwide, and 6) global warming. Bombing global warming cools nothing and brings no rain, but global warming can definitely contribute to the collapse of states like Syria, which then export millions of their desperate people into neighbors like Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey that are in turn destabilized to some degree. Even Europe feels the stress of a million sudden immigrants, so we will consider the case of Syria in particular. But what is happening there is happening in far too many other desert states today. Keywords: demographics, failed states, terrorism, intelligence, corruption
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    Intelligence and Migration: Cases from North America, for Need to Know 6 in Sweden
    (Polish Institute for National Remembrance, sponsor of the annual "Need to Know" conferences on intelligence history, 2016-11-17) Andregg, Michael M.
    The USA and Canada receive migrants from every part of the world. Many are legal immigrants and some are illegal or undocumented immigrants (about 11 million in the USA of a population of about 324 million, or ~ 3.4% of the total US population in 2016). Syrians, North Africans, Afghans and Iraqi refugees are the biggest immigration demographics in Europe and each occur here but in North America other ethnicities predominate, especially Latin Americans and Asians. 21st century terrorism has increased concerns about immigrants, especially undocumented or illegal immigrants. There is a long history of such concerns in North America beginning with Native American fears of the tidal wave of Europeans entering after 1492. What happened to them is one lesson security professionals must consider. The natives were nearly wiped out over a period of centuries, often by direct aggression, but more by disease and exile to harsh and barren lands. That lesson is that if large numbers of immigrants with aggressive birth rates come, they can take over entire continents in just a few centuries. But our vigorous and interesting continent has also been “built by immigrants” who remain very important to national economies today. Immigrant populations of special interest to modern US intelligence services include: Cubans (who enjoy a special immigration status and intelligence significance). Somalians (targeted for recruitment for foreign wars by Al Shabaab and ISIS). Colombians (and other South and Central Americans, of special interest in drug wars). Mexicans (the same except that Mexicans and their descendants are also very involved in domestic US agriculture, construction, health care, and every job description). Chinese (of special national security concern for economic and technical espionage). Poles, Romanians, Ukrainians, Russians, Slovenes, Czech’s, and all Eastern European ethnicities (of special relevance during the ‘Cold War,’ now warming up again). We will survey these ethnic groups with respect to three broader themes: A. National security concerns like counterterrorism and counter proliferation (of WMD). B. The drug wars. C. Economic espionage and cybersecurity concerns (related, but also quite different).
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    Spiritual Responses to Terrorism: Saying No to Fear
    (2001-12-06) Andregg, Michael M.
    Spiritual Responses to Terrorism: Saying No to Fear Prepared for Mari Ann Graham, Fr. Posey, and the folks at our forum on Dec. 6, 2001, 7-9:30 pm at UST. (Do not blame them for the author’s words below!) – by Michael Andregg, JPST program at St. Thomas The causes of the attack on September 11, 2001 include at least 17 distinct elements, only one of which I am going to focus on this evening. That is attractive for busy people, but it is also simplistic. We cannot prevent future acts of terrorism if we only consider one aspect of 17 causes. In fact, this is why many great problems continue unsolved -- they have multiple causes, but people are impatient. We pick one or two of the most attractive causes, often because they are easiest to deal with, work awhile, and then move on declaring the problem unsolvable. Abject poverty is like that too, a problem I will return to. But time is limited, so I'll identify all 17 causes very briefly, then focus what time remains on the one that brings us together tonight – Spiritual intolerance, ignorance, bigotry, and ultimately hatred and violence. 1. There is a huge struggle going on today worldwide, between fundamentalist forms of religion based on fear and envy, and ecumenical forms of religion based on love and tolerance. This struggle is occurring within every major faith, and is central to questions of why bombs go off today, and more importantly, also to how we may act as individuals and nations to stop the killing between factions over religious differences. This is the big cause that I will return to in a few minutes. But first, the other 16. 2. Wars have at least two sides, and the reasons they fight are often not identical. Osama Bin Laden has been very explicit about his reasons for the war. His first reason is the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and support for a government there he views as profoundly corrupt. Which it is. 3. U.S. support for Israel is the second cause he cited in his fatwa against Americans everywhere. 14 more items follow and summary
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    Terrorism, Fear, Evil and the Challenge to Civilization, 62-slide PowerPoint
    (2015-02-27) Andregg, Michael M.
    This is a very long PowerPoint presentation on critical aspects of US history that bear on our understandings of "Terrorism, Fear and Evil" in the world today. It covers a number of topics that are semi-taboo, like whether "Evil" has dimensions other than the ordinary human failings and mistakes.
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    Terrorism, Fear, Evil, and the Challenge to Civilization in the 21st Century: What does Religion Say about That?
    (not published, presented, 2015-02-27) Andregg, Michael M.
    Outline for: Terrorism, Fear, Evil, and the Challenge to Civilization in the 21st Century: What does Religion Say about That? Created for Rev. Alan James and his Institute of Theological and Interdisciplinary Studies February 27, 2015, by Michael Andregg, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. mmandregg@stthomas.edu 1. Opening comments for veterans, peace activists & other patriots. My deepest sympathies. Rethinking National Security in Light of the True* History of America since 1963 2. The murder of President John F. Kennedy, November 22, 1963. NSAM 263, on Oct. 11. 3. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution, and other ‘Deep State’ events, exaggerations & fabrications. 4. The murders of Rev. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, 1968. 5. The “October Surprise” that knocked out President Jimmy Carter, 1980. 6. The “Iran-Contra” scandal of 1985-86. 7. The “False-Flag” Operation of September 11, 2001. 8. The Invasion of Iraq Based on Fraudulent “Intelligence” March 19, 2003. 9. How the “Mainstream Media” was neutered to create “Stenographers for Power, Inc.” 10. How to Restore the Country Before it Decays and Breaks, like many Civilizations Before* * If you lose your way in high mountains, you should go ALL the way back to where you went astray. Shortcuts are seldom really shorter. That was my outline based on preliminary ideas suggested by Rev. James (transformed by me, of course, who is the only one responsible for every error in this analysis and presentation!). Today we address “Terrorism, Fear, Evil, etc.” Oy! And the developing global crisis that confronts our entire Civilization. Oy Vey!! Let’s start with “terrorism, fear and evil.” 1. How many people are actually killed by real terrorists in the US and Canada each year? a. Less than the number of veterans who commit suicide each DAY (~22). b. Less than the number of citizens killed by bee stings or lightning strikes. c. Less than are killed by falling furniture in their homes, especially TVs. d. Less than are killed by avalanches, average = 28/yr. e. About a thousand times less than are video ‘killed’ on television each year, which our children watch. Those who play video ‘war’ games see many more. Why are we so terrified by these terrorist morons? Sure, many are nutcases, and yes they are dangerous, but??? One answer is that someone wants us to be terrified, there … and here.
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    Weapons of Mass Destruction
    (Combating Terrorism, 2020) Andregg, Michael M.
    WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) have three major types: nuclear, biological, and chemical. Some people think that this range should be expanded to include Electromagnetic Pulse weapons (EMP), radioactive “dirty bombs” or recent developments like cyber-warfare, or sophisticated information operations. By any definition, all WMD are characterized by the potential to cause large numbers of casualties without distinction between combatants and civilians. The prospect of terrorists acquiring such weapons has renewed interest in them, and in defenses against WMD deployed by either states or terrorists. Nuclear weapons cause the most general destruction because they can destroy structures as well as people. They were used twice in war, over Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 and over Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. These were relatively primitive, small “atom bombs” compared to modern “hydrogen” or thermonuclear bombs that can be 1000 times more powerful. Those two weapons destroyed both cities and about 200,000 citizens each when long-term radiation effects are included. Global warhead inventories peaked in 1986 at over 70,000 nuclear warheads, but they have since declined to about 15,000 held by nine countries, Russia, the USA, China, France, Great Britain, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea. Biological weapons have a longer history since medieval warriors sometimes threw plague infected corpses into besieged cities, and some American colonists shared smallpox infected blankets with local Indians with the goal of reducing their populations. The Soviet Union (and to a lesser degree the USA) developed “cocktails” of mixed smallpox and anthrax agents complete with delivery systems. The USA also used some biological weapons to attack Cuban agriculture during “Operation Mongoose” in the Cold War. This superpower rivalry frightened the world so much that comprehensive arms control legislation (both international and national) prohibited further development, production or stockpiling of biological weapons by nations in 1975. Modern genetic engineering techniques raise even more fearsome possibilities of designer germs enabled to resist medicines and infect all people. Perhaps the worst nightmare of biological weapons is that they can reproduce themselves. Therefore, a disease organism that might infect everyone could, in theory, grow from the point of attack to damage the entire world. Despite such nightmare scenarios, biological weapons have actually killed less people in the last century than either nuclear or chemical weapons. Chemical weapons became infamous during World War I, when mustard gas and other relatively primitive but deadly weapons were used by both sides during trench warfare in Europe. These gases were very efficient at killing or maiming large numbers of troops, but if the wind suddenly changed direction, clouds of deadly gas could turn back to kill the troops who deployed them. Indiscriminate deaths of civilians were also unintended but common effects. Germans in World War II also used chemical agents to kill some millions of Jews, Gypsies and other victims in concentration/extermination camps. This unpredictability, persistent lethality, and inability to stop the spread of effects on battlefields contributed to attempts to ban both chemical and biological weapons after World War II. Despite the essentially total ban on chemical weapons in international law (Chemical Weapons Convention of April 29, 1997) and the presence of very sophisticated control institutions like the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) some modern “nerve agents” have been used in recent years to assassinate Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia (half-brother of North Korea’s leader, 2017) and in attempts to assassinate others by Russia. Terrorist groups have expressed considerable interest in WMD. Therefore, better control of WMD before terrorists can build or buy any is a top priority for counter-terrorism today. Michael Andregg [Word count excluding “Further Readings” is 598] Further Reading Cirincione, Joseph, John B. Wolfsthal and Miriam Rajkumar, 2005. Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats. 2nd Edition. Washington, D.C.: The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Wright, Susan, 2002. Biological Warfare and Disarmament: New Problems/New Perspectives. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Osterholm, Michael T. and John Schwartz, 2000. Living Terrors: What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe. New York: Dell Publishing, Random House. Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at https://www.opcw.org/ maintains the most comprehensive collection of open source education resources in the world on chemical weapons. It is based in The Hague, The Netherlands. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, is a periodical founded by scientists who actually built the first nuclear weapons, and whose board includes many Nobel Laureates. Its website has great detail on global nuclear weapons inventories and issues, at http://thebulletin.org . Of special value is their “Nuclear Notebook” at http://thebulletin.org/nuclear-notebook-multimedia .