Category: Terrorism

Overview

Incorrect assumption in alleviating the threat posed by industrial terrorism is the main setback in the fight against acts of terror that target industrial chemical establishments. In the past, much of the effort had been directed towards responding to disasters caused by terrorism with minimal consideration of protective measures that can be put in place.

Although the September 11, 2001 incidence did not target chemical plants but real human life, first responders have made significant progress strengthening capabilities needed to defend the nation against the threat of WMD (Kosal, 2006). The DHS national guidelines developed and implemented nationwide have provided a durable framework for multi-agency coordination and cooperation.

This is important because terrorist attacks or major disasters often are beyond what a single jurisdiction can respond to effectively. However, whether levels of preparedness are adequate at all levels of government may prove difficult to assess. Many emergency response and management professionals believe that the nation is better prepared than it was prior to 11th September 2001, but still has plenty of room for improvement.

For example, priority missions identified in Homeland Security Strategic Plans have associated capabilities taken from the DHS Target Capabilities List. Each capability must reach target levels of performance if an adequate level of preparedness is to be achieved. It is clear that the emergency response community benefits from national standards that allow response entities to coordinate more effectively than before.

However, to reiterate, is this level of preparedness where it needs to be? If not, what are the shortfalls and how should they be addressed? The biggest challenge for achieving an appropriate level of preparedness nationwide remains the need for continued strengthening of multi-agency capabilities.

Multi-agency preparedness, in terms of multi-agency capabilities achieving target levels of performance, is critical for safeguarding the country. This paper offers a succinct overview of industrial terrorism with cross reference to regulatory measures in place and some of the loopholes that need to be sealed in fully addressing the menace.

Incidents

It is highly possible that close to 2.4 million people may either sustain serious injuries or be killed altogether in the event that a terrorist attack is directed in a heavy industrial plant establishment with several employees (Perrow, 2007). Secondly, it also worth to note that substantial quantities of industrial chemicals emanating from over 15,000 chemical plants are transported, stored and produced.

It is against this background that a worst vase release was determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996 and established the fact that over 100 of the identified chemical facilities had the potential of jeopardizing over one million lives located near the plants.

Further, it is also estimated that between100, 000 and 1,000,000 people are currently at risk of the chemical facilities should they turn to be targets of industrial terrorists. Indeed, these are staggering numbers that authorities cannot merely develop policy documents without implementing the proposals.

While politics has played a significant role in aggravating industrial terrorism, the international terrorist groups targeting industrial chemical plants has been uniquely identified as a thorn in the flesh in domestic security platform. It is an urgent threat to the security of people, whether viewed in terms of loss in life or destruction of property.

Unfortunately, the relative efforts to improve the status of domestic security have not seriously embarked on setting up robust measures against safeguarding industrial plants. The chemical plants remain as potential points of accidents yet to be caused by terrorist.

Owing to this precariously dangling scenario, there are interest groups that have incessantly pressured Washington to institute safety measures. On the same note, the chemical industries themselves are fighting hard to see into it that the federal government put up measures that will protect them against organized international terrorism.

Even after the September 11 attacks and the subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), critics continue to assert that security measures adopted by the Homeland Security Act f 2002 on industrial chemicals are quite weak.

The Act does not fully take into account the growing technological trends in industrial terrorism. Most chemical plants do not have any robust security structure since the federal standards in place are relatively weak.

Critical infrastructure

Why then are the chemical industries considered to be critical infrastructure? It is definite that employees in chemical industries are at a higher risk exposure due to threats of industrial terrorism. It is also evident that the worst-case scenarios present staggering numbers of people that are highly likely to be either injured or killed.

The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) estimated over 2,000 sustained injuries in over 2,000 facilities each year. It is important to note that these figures are drawn within the U.S borders alone. The statistics could even be higher bearing in mind that the total number of chemical establishments in United States is continually growing.

Contrary to the expectation, most of these injuries are sustained when the chemicals are being transported, not just within the chemical plants themselves. Besides, the worst impact of industrial terrorism is felt on the performance of the economy over and above the mass causalities and injuries. Much of the export from U.S emanates from the chemical industry.

For instance, the year 2001 witnessed more than 80 billion dollars of exports from the chemical industry. This accounted for slightly over 10% of the total exports from United States. Besides, the industry employs more than one million workers at the local level while Research and Development consumes over 31 billion dollars on an annual basis.

It is against this background that any terror attacks on industrial chemical facilities can grossly jeopardize the economy and as such, it is considered to be a critical infrastructure. In any case, the ability to communicate risk as soon as they are noted is crucial since it marks an integral step of responding to risks as well as being strategically prepared.

The fact that strategic risk management has not been visibly put in place implies that some of the safety measures put in place may not be well received by the people and especially those employed in the industrial facilities targeted by terrorists (Chess, 2001).

To date, industrial facilities that are considered high risk to acts of terrorism are being safeguarded by the SARA Title III. According to this title, the task of reporting and communicating risk has been mandated to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For comminutes that are located within the proximity of facilities earmarked as high risk, local Emergency Planning Committees have been formed bridge the gap between the local governments and the grass-root level. One of the fundamental roles of this committee is to set up procedures and measures for manufacturing emergencies.

Additionally, the committee also serves as an open forum where concerned groups or individuals can air their concerns regarding the chemical industries located near them.

For instance, health and safety officials, industry representatives, government officials as well as individual residents can make use of this committee to deliberate on safety concern issues emanating from industrial establishments within their locality. Realistically speaking, it is vital step to take. The impact would even be larger if it were replicated in the at all levels of the government namely local, state and federal.

The American Chemistry Council has also been on the forefront towards implementing the initiatives set forward by the state and federal government. For example, there are SARA Title III requirements that must be met by chemical industrial plants. In order to meet these minimum requirements, the council is proactive in creating community advisory panels.

These panels provide a forum through which the community can dialogue on matters related to safety of industrial facilities within their areas of residence. Besides, the public health officials are also mandated to see into it that the manufacturing principles are not only safe enough for the exposed populations but also meet the optimum requirements for anti-terror attacks.

Furthermore, the Responsible Care Security Code was incepted after the 9/11 terror attacks. The code ensures that there is re-alignment between law enforcement and industry relationships. The protection of the high-risk chemical sites is also a top priority agenda under this code.

Furthermore, the chemical companies are required by law to safeguard information that may be lethal should they fall on perpetrators of terror alongside striving to improve the security of their environment (Linden, 2007). This requirement is contained in the Responsible Care Practitioners Site chapter.

Hence, both the individual companies and the industry at large are redirecting their efforts in developing components crucial to combat industrial terrorism. In order to achieve this, risk communication plans have been devised and implemented by many players especially those in the explosive toxic chemical industries.

Although such efforts are apparently appealing, there is lack of positive reporting on the impacts derived from these measures. For example, environmental information and how the same is communicated to citizens is still a matter of concern. There are mixed reactions on how both the councils and committees have been relaying the vital information to the highly vulnerable communities.

It is feared that although such community based organizations have existed for long, most residents seem not to be aware of their operations (Heath, Bradshaw & Lee, 2002). On the other hand, the intended functions of these organizations have been approved by slightly over 60% of residents.

Nonetheless, it is unanimously agreed that a communication structure that is fully functional is necessary so that uncertainties can be managed a lot easier. Industrial responsiveness is indeed paramount even as the integral role of risk management is being given due consideration by both the federal government and industry players.

Federal regulations

The Department of Homeland Security was created by the federal government in a bid to tame domestic security, this being one of the largest overhauls in security systems and structures ever experienced in a fifty-year period (Sloan, 2008).

The rationale behind this monumental task was to harness and consolidate the federal governments protective and anti-terror systems so as to ascertain that the process of deploying and coordinating security services is done in a more harmonious and effective way.

The emergency preparedness and response branch takes care of disaster preparedness at the domestic level alongside offering training and capacity building to First Responders. Furthermore, this division accelerates the process of recovering from acts of terror and disasters.

In fact, the key role of the directorate is to ensure that there is a high level of disaster preparedness among various teams charged with emergency response. This would be of great importance to industrial terrorism setting where mass causalities are highly likely in the event of terror attack.

Hence, an emergency response plan is one of the many strategies employed by this division to cater for hazards and attacks. Under this division are FBIs National Domestic Preparedness Office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Moreover, a national crisis management system is part and parcel of the distinguishing tasks of this wing. In order to achieve this, it coordinates the working of emergency response teams using some public safety organizations located at the local and state governments.

The science and technology division specifically deals with technology behind technological advances in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) that are often used attacking industrial chemical facilities. Hence, all catastrophic acts of terrorism applying either biological or chemical warfare are under the control of this wing of DHS.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 also mandates the science and technology division to set up a national emergency strategy teams at all levels of the government (Sloan, 2008). For example, the local and state governments should be well equipped with response teams that are well versed with both the management and disaster recovery skills following nuclear attacks, radiological or chemical terrorism.

The overall aim is to synchronize the various response plans to improve efficiency. Further, the development of diagnostics antidotes, antibodies and vaccines is under this division. Better still, the Act provides plenty of room for devising countermeasures that can be instrumental in minimizing the threats of WMD attacks.

Data collection and analysis is under the docket of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Division. The data to be analyzed are obtained from relevant federal agencies like Departments Drug Enforcement Agency and National Security Agency. The Homeland Security Act 2002 also established two main units under this division. These are the Critical Infrastructure Protection as well as the Threat Analysis and Warning.

As a core duty, the division ensures that all data gathered and analyzed before the September 11 attacks are not only accurate but also relevant in the actual security operation. Hence, information has been centralized by this wing of the homeland security.

The given information is assessed in terms of the potential threats to national security. Additionally, relevant response actions are conveyed to the right teams spread across the federal government.

Disparate intelligence information is compiled by the Threat Analysis and Warning wing of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The level of vulnerability of the nation in terms of catastrophes caused by either man or natural factors is also assessed.

The security information at the domestic level is evaluated by the Critical Infrastructure Protection. In particular, the internal security components of the nation are analyzed by this division of the Homeland security. While the roles of the division are far reaching, the individual officials deployed at this branch are mandated to come up with sound policies that can assist in protecting targets labeled as high risk.

Apart from the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 outlined above, this grand piece of legislation also stipulates that explosives should not be possessed beyond certain restrictions.

Further, the Act also permits training of pilots on how to defend their crew just in case they are exposed to danger of airborne terror attack. It goes further stating that airport screening can only be done by either U.S nationals or citizens. The U.S immigrants are excluded under this provision.

Although the Act has addressed myriad of security concern issues on terrorism, there are latent weaknesses that cannot be ignored if the department is to fully safeguard the growing threats to industrial terrorism. For instance, the creation of Operation TIPS is strictly forbidden in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

According to critics, this controversial security organ would have transformed the Department of Homeland Security into a swift intelligence agency with the power and ability to efficiently handle and manages homeland security in totality including industrial terrorism.

Nonetheless, the main point of concern by the American Liberties Union is that the integration of such legislation into the countrys constitution would grossly jeopardize civil liberties protection. According to the proposals contained in the TIPS provisions, the Liberties Union argue that it will be impossible to grant citizens and other American nationals the right to privacy as granted in the constitution.

The fact that the Department of Homeland Security has express right over controlling infrastructure, a director at ACLU, Laura Murphy, maintained that the department was given superfluous powers over vital infrastructure thereby limiting the public from conducting any significant scrutiny (Sloan, 2008).

According to the provisions in the Act, certain infrastructure information may not be availed to the public especially if the government presumes it unfit for purposes of national security. Indeed, one of the apparent weaknesses in the Act is the fact that any disclosure of the critical infrastructure information by a government official may lead to heavy imposition of criminal offence on the offender.

Hence, whistle blowers on certain matters directly affecting the American public may as well be branded criminals since they will have contravened this law. The online privacy of individuals is also undermined at great length by this piece of legislation. The Center for Democracy and Technology argue that the Cyber Security Enhancement Act is a real setback to personal online privacy (Sloan, 2008).

According to the provisions in this Act, the government has the right, through telecom companies, to access and retrieve personal online data such as internet transactions and emails. The governments rationale behind this legal provision is that accessing such personal information is pertinent especially in the event that national security is at risk.

For telecommunication companies, they have been quite reluctant to avail personal information unless there are court warrants to do so. Cyber criminals like those who hack computers may be sentenced to life imprisonment as a maximum charge.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also permitted by this law to access and utilize intelligence materials courtesy of the office of TIA. William Safire, a New York Times columnist dismissed this legislative arrangement as Big Brotherism. At the same time, TIA was also limited by the Congress. The appropriations bill of the Congress also witnessed a heavily cut down of the TIA budget.

In yet another separate but related developments about the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the indemnification provision has equally sparked widespread protests. This provision has it that class-action law suits filed by citizens against individual or corporate contractors are restricted up to some level.

Although the provision does not favor individual citizens and American nationals interested in lodging their complaints against public health menace caused by contractors, the government argues that companies which manufacture lethal vaccines necessary in biological or chemical warfare should be given some incentives to continue with the tedious task of production.

This, according to the government, will shield them from high liability overheads. Worse still, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that led to the inception of the Department of Homeland Security has faced equally tough criticism from city mayors who lament that the Act failed to provide money to cities to fight terrorism (CNN Politics, 2002).

In recap, it is pertinent to reiterate that the chemical industry is highly visible in the eyes of terrorists and is equally potentially dangerous upon attack by terrorists. It is therefore necessary for the federal government to reinforce anti-terror planning and strategies. Emphatically, It is also worth to note that there are certain pieces of critical industrial information that may be instrumental in terrorist planning.

However, rather than creating a cowed community, risky information should be utilized in such a way that it empowers the community. In spite of the growing concerns on industrial terrorism, the security status in the transportation sector is equally important since terrorists are well known to target industrial chemicals on transit.

References

Chess, C. (2001). Organizational theory and the stages of risk communication. Risk Analysis, 21(1), 179-188.

CNN Politics (2003). Bush signs homeland security bill. Web.

Heath, R. L., Bradshaw, J., & Lee, J. (2002). Community relationship building: Local leadership in the risk communication infrastructure. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14, 17-353.

Kosal, E.M. (2006). Terrorism Targeting Industrial Chemical Facilities: Strategic Motivations and the Implications for U.S. Security. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 29, 719751.

Linden, V.E. (2007). Focus on Terrorism, Volume 9 New York: Nova Science Publishing Inc.

Perrow, C. (2007). The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial and Terrorist Disasters. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Sloan, E. (2008). Continental and homeland security: From Bush to Obama. International Journal, 64(1), 191-200.

Introduction: Financial Fraud in the UAE

The phenomenon of financial fraud is, unfortunately, one of the most common crimes committed in the environment of the global economy nowadays. Despite the promotion of consistent and regular audits, the requirement to file detailed reports, and other tools of supervision introduced into the designated area to execute complete control over the financial transactions, a range of organizations manage to commit financial fraud and evade the appropriate punishment, the UAE companies being no exception to this rule.

However, the fact that most of the money retrieved in the course of financially fraudulent actions are used as the resources for supporting terrorist organizations, in general, and ISIS, in particular, clearly is a shockingly unpleasant discovery that needs to be handled correspondingly.

Despite the numerous actions that the UAE government has undertaken to make the problem of terrorism funding via money laundering impossible, the issue is getting increasingly large because of the necessity to establish a stronger control over the subject matter at all levels from the state one to the level of local organizations management.

The accomplishment of the specified goal will require the cooperation between the state government and the representatives of the UAE organizations, as well as the coordination of the latters actions with the ones of the international agencies.

Money Laundering in the UAE

According to a recent report published by the IMF, the UAE has been facing serious problems as far as the issue regarding money laundering for their further use to support terrorists deserves to be mentioned. Much to the state authorities credit, new laws have been passed to prevent the problem from expanding and nip it in the bud, but, once having gained momentum in 2008, the problem has been growing since.

The issue is currently being addressed by the UAE government with the help of the Anti-Money-Laundering Act, which has been reinforced, and in which the regulations regarding the process of money transfer by the representatives of nationalist organizations should be restricted substantively:

A Cautionary Notice has been issued in the Arabic Press advising both Nationals and Residents to exercise prudence while transferring cash funds abroad or while receiving funds from abroad. The same notice is being prepared and will be released in the English Press.¹

The specified amendments made to the preexisting regulation point quite graphically to the fact that the state authorities are eager to address the current problem and block the process of illegal money transfer, therefore, preventing local organizations from funding terrorists.

The effects of the law mentioned above have been quite impressive, as the percentage of instances of the crime in question has dropped lately. Nevertheless, the battle against the specified problem continues due to a range of factors that make the UAE a target for fraudulent actions:

The UAE is a significant financial center in the Middle East region, as well as a leading trade and transportation hub. Due to its geographic location, the UAE is vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing. As well, many Canadian REs (such as MSBs) use the UAE as a hub for funds which are then distributed to other jurisdictions.²

As the recent report published by the United Nations and the data provided by the leader of the Central Bank of the UAE, Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, show, a range of organizations condone funding criminal organizations, mainly, the ones that are connected directly to terrorism, primarily, infamous ISIS³. Despite the attempts of the UAE to address the increasingly threatening issue of terrorist support through international money laundering, the threat is growing and, thus, needs to be handled.

The phenomenon of money laundering can also be explained by the factors that create the environment, in which the crime becomes possible to commit. On the one hand, the UAE market has been known for its resilience to strong economic shocks; on the other hand, the market is open to large-scale manipulations that have drastic effects on a range of its segments, especially the real estate segment, in general, and its residential segment, in particular.

Where the Money Goes: Financed Terrorism

Although personal financial gain is typically the basic driving force behind financial scams, some of the money laundering activities are based on a certain political agenda. Reports show that most of the illegal money raised with the help of money laundering in the UAE is used to support terrorist movements such as ISIS. The existing evidence indicates that, by fighting the finance-related fraudulent activities in the designated area, one addresses the issue of terrorism and restricts the financial resources thereof.

Hence, the struggle against the illegal disposition of financial resources in the UAE is likely to affect the current international political agenda in a very powerful manner by reducing the threat of terrorist attacks and limiting the opportunities for the proponents of the terrorist actions.

The execution of the strategies aimed at eradicating money laundering from the current political system not only improves the economic profile of the state but also leverages the political situation within the state, thus, providing more opportunities for fighting international criminals successfully and ridding the society of the threat of terrorism.

Combating Financial Fraud: What Can Be Done

While it is barely possible to control every instance of money laundering in the state, the fact that the money is used to support terrorist movements points to the need of introducing a significant change in the current supervision of the essential financial processes in the UAE.

This is the point at which the concept of the anti-money-laundering policy factors in. Anti-money laundering is a set of strategies aimed at preventing the crime in question and penalizing those who have committed it; therefore, as its definition suggests, it should embrace every single financial, economic, and political opportunity that can be used against the crimes related to financial fraudulence.

The tools that are typically used to transfer the money acquired in the course of fraudulent actions to terrorist organizations are strikingly numerous. As recent studies show, the approaches in question include the latest technological developments along with the ones that have been in existence for a couple of decades, such as WAP.

In fact, the tendency to utilize digital tools and devices for laundering money and transferring it to the accounts of terrorist organizations can be viewed as the defining characteristics of the subject matter nowadays. Seeing that the report mentioned above points quite graphically to the existence of not only money laundering practices but also financing terrorism, the situation warrants the use of the anti-money laundering approach.

Measures to Be Taken

As it has been stressed above, the UAE state government has been taking exhaustive measures to address the problem outlined above, including the update of the 2004 Anti-Money-Laundering Act.

Although ISIS has emerged comparatively recently, and the phenomenon of political money laundering for the ISIS terrorist funding is a relatively new phenomenon, a range of tools, including e-devices and software, have been created to deter the related crimes. For instance, the IRIS anti-money-laundering software⁴ offers a strong opportunity for the identification of the wrongful financial transactions through performance monitoring and analysis.

On the governmental level, the subject matter is tackled with the help of the policy known as the five mutually reinforcing lines of effort⁵, as a recent report says. According to the official statement of the U.S. Government, the strategy under analysis was designed to counter ISIS by attacking several aspects of its operations.

In other words, a coherent strategy that will help identify the weaknesses of the current money laundering processes has to be designed so that these organizations could be deprived of an opportunity to carry out financial transactions.

At a smaller scale of handling the issue in question, the creation of a committee that will identify the instances of money laundering as the tool for supporting terrorist movements has been suggested by the UAE authorities. The Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) has been tackling the problems related to financial crimes and their possible link to the external political threats for quite a while with an impressive success, as the recent data shows quite graphically.

In particular, the department has contributed to passing the law that permitted a closer supervision of the target processes in the UAE business environment with the further possibility for reporting about the findings to the corresponding authorities. Therefore, it is recommended that additional tools for supervising the financial interactions between organizations should be included into the states framework of audits.⁶

Needless to say, the adoption and update of the corresponding laws that will prevent people from condoning terrorism and supporting it financially are going to play a huge part in the fight against the terrorism-based financial fraud. However, seeing that the issue has been gaining an increasingly large scale, the information regarding the subject matter has to be processed on an international level, which calls for cooperation with the FBI.

The latter, in fact, has developed a range of programs aimed at combating the phenomenon of money laundering as the source of terrorist organizations funding; for instance, the creation of financial intelligence units can be viewed as a primary example of resisting the threat of terrorism.

Essential Obstacles

It should be noted, though, that the specified measures have their disadvantages and, therefore, should be taken with a grain of salt as a powerful tool for improving the current political and financial situation in the UAE. When it comes to defining the weaknesses of these strategies, one must admit that they lack the technological strength.

Therefore, the introduction of new and improved technology along with the training program helping the participants to acquire the necessary IT skills is imperative to prevent and thwart the attacks of cybercriminals attempting at committing financial fraud.

Similarly, the interventions made at the governmental level and promoted by the United States as he tools to combat terrorism are rather tricky, though not impossible, to implement as the existing terrorist organizations (ISIS, Jahhat-al-Nusra, al-Quaeda, etc.) are funded with the help of different financial models; hence, each time, a unique approach toward cutting the terrorists way to accessing financial resources.

Also, the issue concerning the improving technological advances of the people and organizations contributing to the evolution of terrorism needs to be brought up as a serious obstacle to fighting the threat and promoting democracy to and safety for all members of the society.

While the improvement and further development of technology can be deemed as a fairly positive phenomenon, it can also be used for the purposes of concealing the instances of financial fraud and, therefore, making committing a crime easier and available to the supporters of the corresponding terrorist organizations.⁷

Avoiding the Roadblocks

Despite the admittedly complicated route that the current anti-terrorist and anti-money-laundering campaign leaders have to take to advance in their fight against terrorism, several tools have been created to address the increasingly hard task of identifying the illegal money flow and repress the crime.

Specifically, the task of stemming the flow of funds directed at the designated terrorist organizations such as the FININT (a specimen of actionable financial intelligence) organization has been created and proven to be rather efficient as far as the provision of international security is concerned.

As far as the technological development of the physical and legal persons liable for financial fraud in the UAE public and private sector is concerned, the problem can also be managed on several levels, i.e., the local and the governmental one. For instance, it is highly recommended that the use of digital currency should be tracked carefully and that the instances of its misuse should be reported correspondingly.

Indeed, according to the recently published data, the use of the so-called cryptocurrency affects the rates of peoples security significantly due to the numerous opportunities for money laundering that it opens: where there are opportunities to exchange real money for online money, there money laundering can also exist⁸.

It should be noted that there are no tools for tracking the use or exchange of cryptocurrency online at present, which makes the process of identifying the possibility of financial support of terrorists barely possible. Herein the need to promote the further evolution of the technology used by the governmental bodies so that the cryptocurrency transactions could be traced and analyzed correspondingly lies⁹.

Therefore, while made in the distant 2008, the findings of the IMF are still topical nowadays. Furthermore, the outcomes of the study have gained even greater significance after the numerous terrorist attacks made by the ISIS members and the development of the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Since the strategies adopted to address the threat of terrorism and eradicate the phenomenon have been failing miserably and the ongoing conflict in Syria has only been aggravating, it is essential that the problem of terrorism funding via money laundering tools should be managed.

Conclusion: Addressing the Issue

The fact that a range of residents and organizations of the UAE fund ISIS truly is a shocking discovery; however, by incorporating the global strategies of preventing the money flow from the UAE to the corresponding terrorist organizations with the process of monitoring suspicious activities on a local level, one is likely to create a sustainable alarm system that will permit a rapid and efficient response to the emergent threats of a terrorist attack.

It is doubtless that the problem needs to be managed on a governmental level so that large organizations could be screened for possible financial frauds and the use of money laundering techniques for funding terrorist organizations, ISIS being the primary one. Despite the numerous measures that have been adopted to avoid the further development of terrorist movements, the issue has only increased its scale.

Therefore, the IMF findings are still relevant in 2016; furthermore, the number of countries, where the members of the society along with local organizations support terrorist movements, has also increased significantly, which calls for the development of a more efficient remedy than the one proposed by the IMF.

It is expected that an enhanced control is likely to spawn a series of even more intricate tools for transferring organizational money illegally to ISIS and the related terrorist groups. Underestimating the opponent means creating a loophole for them to attack one in an unexpected and robust manner; therefore, it will be reasonable to assume that the organizations funding ISIS will seek the ways of avoiding the specified restrictions and providing financial support to the terrorist organization anyway.

However, the further advancement in identifying the tools that criminals use to support terrorist organizations will allow for locating a specific pattern and, thus, predict the change in the opponents strategy, therefore, leading to complete eradication of financial fraud as the tool of funding ISIS and the related organizations.

Works Cited

Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) 2010. Web.

Anti-Money Laundering  New Law 2016. Web.

IRIS 2016, IRIS Anti Money Laundering Software. Web.

Levitt, Mathew 2014, Terrorist financing and the Islamic State. Web.

Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Trends in FINTRAC Cases Disclosed Between 2007 and 2011 2012. Web.

Tracking the Financing of Terrorism 2016. Web.

Williamson, Cindy, Jason Vazquez, Jason Thomas, and Katherine Sagona-Stophel

2013, Technology in the Fight Against Money Laundering in the New Digital Currency Age. Web.

Footnotes

¹Anti-Money Laundering  New Law (2016).

²Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Trends in FINTRAC Cases Disclosed Between 2007 and 2011 (2012).

³Tracking the Financing of Terrorism (2016).

⁴ IRIS (2016), IRIS Anti Money Laundering Software.

⁵ Mathew Levitt (2014), Terrorist financing and the Islamic Stat.

⁶Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) (2010).

⁷Anti-Money Laundering  New Law (2016).

⁸ Cindy Williamson, Jason Vazquez, Jason Thomas, and Katherine Sagona-Stophel (2013), Technology in the Fight Against Money Laundering in the New Digital Currency Age.

⁹ Ibid.

Introduction

On September 11, 2001, devastating attacks on the United States by the Islamic extremist group called the Al Qaeda made the nation to come to grips with reality. Since these attacks were well planned, the historic occurrence triggered the need for the establishment of a more reinforced network of homeland security and consequence management in the country.

Consequently, the sorrowful event resulted in major policy changes that were aimed at enhancing organization and cooperative information sharing within the different government agencies in the country. Even though this effort is still progressing since the historic occurrence, the new system is a milestone improvement towards combating terrorist threats in the twenty first century. This paper demonstrates the concepts of homeland security and consequence management in the U.S.

When most people hear the word terrorism, it makes them to be afraid since they relate it to violent unacceptable behavior in the society. It is important to note that humankind has practiced different kinds of terrorism since the very beginning of recorded history. Despite being practiced for a long time, the term terrorism is still not easy to define. Nonetheless, the Department of Defense defines it as the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.¹ These violent activities have made many kingdoms to fall, rise, and others have ended up exerting undue authority on the less powerful kingdoms.

Currently, because of the prevalence of terrorist acts that has made the condition of this world to be unsteady, more leaders of the world are increasingly paying more attention to countering terrorism. This is for the reason that a simple terrorism incidence is able to lead to loss of close ties between two or more nations.

As an example, the Israelis and the Palestinians most of the time take part in endless fighting because of unresolved religious convictions and territorial conflicts. Terrorism is exhibited in the form of disagreements with neighboring countries, bombings of nations, kidnappings and hostage-takings, armed attacks and assassinations, arsons and firebombing, hijacking and skyjackings, bioterrorism, and cyber terrorism.

Current threats to the U.S. environment

After 9/11, global efforts to counter terrorism have been intensified. However, most countries of the world, including the U.S., are still at risk of getting attacks from emerging as well as evolving terrorist groups.² Despite the intensive efforts that have been aimed at interrupting and restraining al Qaedas ability of plotting an attack, the U.S. is still susceptible to attacks from this worldwide terror group.

This Islamic extremist terror group is driven by a never-ending strategic intention of causing major destruction to the U.S. and its citizens in different places around the world. As much as earlier military campaigns in the countries of Afghanistan and Iraq weakened the influence of the terror group, many of its top leaders, including Osama Bin Laden, are still at large.

Therefore, the possibility of them planning another attack on the U.S. is still high. Al Qaeda also collaborates with other dreaded terror groups around the world in order to carry out its mission. These include al Qaeda in Iraq and other Islamic extremist groups around the world.

In addition, other groups and individuals are also prepared to use terror in order to wreak havoc against the U.S. Among these is the Lebanese Hezbollah. This terror group is continuing to issue threats to U.S. citizens both locally as well as overseas. The country is also not immune to the development of small groups composed of home-based Islamic extremists.

These groups are especially dangerous since they consider the use of violence within the borders of the country as justifiable in defense of their rights. Other local terror groups consists of the white supremacist organizations and animal rights extremists.

It is also significant to note that the U.S. is also under the threat of the occurrence of natural disasters, which can lead to wanton destruction all over the country. Contagious diseases that occur naturally put the lives of Americans at risk. Not long ago, Americans had to deal with the effects of Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and H1N1 virus, which resulted in major economic and social disruptions around the country.

Natural catastrophes, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, are meteorological and geological dangers that the country sometimes has to deal with. Finally, the last category of threats includes disastrous accidents and other hazards. Industrial hazards as well as infrastructural failures fall into this category. The spillage of toxic chemicals such as the deepwater horizon oil spill that took place on April 20, 2010, and the collapse of buildings across the country pose a great danger to the citizens of U.S.

Major post 9/11 initiatives in homeland security

In the nineteenth century, the federal governments response to emergencies was unplanned and involved the use of the military. This was for the reason that there was no established institutionalized emergency relief program.

During World War I, the American army instituted an emergency relief program mainly as a military response action plan. From then on, different American leaders have continued to lay more emphasis on issues of homeland security in order to make the country as secure as possible from internal as well as external interference.

On November 25, 2002, the United States Department of Homeland Security was established with the clear objective of protecting the territory of the country from attacks due to terrorism as well as enacting suitable response strategies to manage the occurrence of natural catastrophes. In this regard, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is mandated to come up with appropriate initiatives of preparing, preventing, and managing the occurrence of domestic catastrophes, with special emphasis to acts of terrorism.

This major milestone improvement is considered as one of the integral government reorganization efforts in over five decades. As an umbrella term, homeland security came into the public limelight following the major American government restructuring in 2003, and it alludes to the security measures that are aimed at guarding the country from possible internal and external threats from the enemies of the great country.

Officially, it is defined as the concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce Americas vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur.³ The Federal Resource plan defines consequence management as the measures taken to protect public health and safety, restore essential government services, and provide emergency relief to governments, businesses, and individuals affected by the consequences of terrorism.⁴

The DHS, under the Presidents proposal, was established in order to consolidate the different response plans into one workable unit for consequence management. Its formation led to the integration of the separate federal government incident response plans to form what is now called the Federal Incident Management Plan.

This major initiative guarantees timely responsive action in case of an emergency. This is because the Department is endowed with the responsibility of bringing together all the response efforts. Another major initiative in post 9/11 entails the establishment of a national incident management system.

The DHS communicates with other departments within the U.S. government in order to come up with a comprehensive national consequence management strategy. This is made possible by the establishment of standards of common terms used that ensure there is smooth flow of vital information in case of a disaster. The common terms are designed such that they are scalable regardless of the magnitude of the catastrophe.⁵

Major counter-terrorism efforts after 9/11

A number of counter-terrorism efforts were intensified after the unfortunate events that took place on September 11.⁶ Counter-terrorism refers to the military or political initiatives, strategies, procedures, and other appropriate means established for the purpose of combating terrorism in the world.

These initiatives particularly became more practical after 9/11. To begin with, more emphasis has been put on identifying potential terrorists before they are able to carry out a planned attack. In most cases, after a terrorist act has occurred, it is made known to the public that the individual suspected of the crime had terrorist connections in the past.

This has usually raised questions why the person was left to live freely if he or she was having traceable terrorist connections in the past. When a potential terrorist is allowed to live freely, the possibility of him or her to plan for an attack is more likely. This is because the person will be at liberty to associate with his or her partners in crime so as to effectively arrange for an attack without much problems.

Currently, preventing terrorism strategies are aimed at establishing monitoring systems that have the ability of keeping track of individuals with suspected histories of terrorism, or probable connections to terror groups.⁷ In the United States, some departments within the government, such as the FBI have been endowed with this responsibility. The FBI monitors the movement and communication of potential terrorists who are on the list of suspected terrorists.

This strategy is beneficial since it can impair or do away with the possible communication between the potential terrorists and their accomplices. In this case, the activities of the suspect are simply monitored and he or she may be held on parole. Since the suspect is not considered a criminal, he or she is allowed to proceed living normally. Where the suspects live are most of the time searched thoroughly. This is meant to unlock any secrets of any plan to engage in terrorism in future.

Bioterrorism is one of the most dreaded types of terrorist acts since it is able to cause the loss of many innocent lives in a matter of minutes. All it takes is to have a terrorist having a little quantity of powdered anthrax or any other lethal chemical. The terrorist then accomplishes his or her mission by going to a busy place such as a football stadium to release the poisonous substance.

As the lethal substance spreads in the form of thin dust in the air, the outcome is catastrophic. The people around the place full of activity would inhale the toxic substance without knowing. This, if no timely appropriate response action is taken, can lead to massive loss of lives.

Countering such terrorist threats may be an uphill task. However, a number of preventive measures have been adopted that will make sure there is minimal loss of lives in case such a catastrophe takes place. In the United States, the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile is endowed with the responsibility of ensuring quick response to incidences of bioterrorism.

The program, managed jointly by DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services, augments the countrys pharmaceutical and vaccine stockpiles. To prevent mass casualty occurrence, the medical initiative has strategically positioned Push Packs across the country.

These have approximately six thousand tons of medical supplies, which can be conveyed to the scene of an incident in less than twelve hours. In case of biological warfare, the populace may be frightened at the invisible, odorless, and tasteless menace; therefore, a race against time to provide the victims with appropriate medication is beneficial in such a scenario.

The United States has sufficient preventive measures against incidences of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear detonation. To ensure that this preventive measure is realized, DHS usually undertakes certification process on a yearly basis.

The certification process is aimed at authenticating the ability of the state and local first respondents timely response to emergencies. Moreover, the Environment Protection Agency functions to disinfect the affected area in case of an attack and gives beneficial information to public health authorities when determining if the affected area is out of danger.

The economy of the United States relies on the appropriate use of digital information. The reliance on computer networks to provide fast connectivity has evolved a new form of terrorism called cyber terrorism. This form of terrorism gives terrorists the ability to fulfill their missions with minimal or no risk to themselves and to disrupt or destroy networks and computers, with destructive results. Consequently, government or business-related operations are usually impaired because of these fraudulent deals.

Cyber terrorists most of the time target the internet since it is what makes most of the worlds digital infrastructure. In the aftermath of 9/11 attacks, several security experts are increasingly getting worried about the safety of the digital information assets in the U.S. Following the attacks, many hacking groups have been established.

Many of them usually take part in pro-U.S. and anti-U.S. cyber activities. These are mostly fought through web defacements. Therefore, the U.S. has enacted measures through developing strong vision and leadership aimed at transforming technology and polices in order to keep its digital infrastructure as safe as possible.

In this century, acts of terrorism are increasingly being revealed in new forms. Therefore, an effective counter-terrorism strategy that the U.S. has embraced is by having a specialized team with adequate training on appropriate techniques of fighting against kidnappings and hostage-takings.

As much as kidnapping is a difficult operation for terrorists to be successful in achieving, if successful, it can make the authorities to make compromising decisions in order to yield to the demands of the terrorists. Hostage taking takes place when terrorists seizure a facility taking hostages with them as human shields in order to provoke a confrontation with the authorities and attract media attention.

That is why the specialized team should be able to go into any place the hostages might be held to attempt carrying out a rescue mission. These include buildings, airplanes, or wherever the hostages might be held.

Since 9/11, every regime in the U.S. has been involved in efforts of averting the emergence of violent Islamic radicalization in the country since most terrorists usually arise from such groups.

Engaging key communities as partners in the fight against terrorism, identifying and countering the possible sources of Islamic radicalization, improving the ability of the governmental agencies to address radicalization issues, and enhancing the citizens understanding of radicalization, is applied to achieve this initiative. In addition, the U.S. is also involved in consultation efforts to limit too much use of military force in parts of the world that are prone to the emergence of such Islamic radical groups.

Throughout the history of terrorism, the use of nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) have not been very much common. These dangerous weapons are able to cause widespread destruction. In this century, some countries are taking part in arms races with their enemies to acquire WMD.

This is because they view the acquisition of these weapons as a main restraint of attack by their neighbors who are usually ever ready for war. However, it is important to note that the increased development of WMD equally increases the possibility of their acquisition by terrorists.⁸ This is because unstable countries may lack the ability to protect their stores of WMD from accidental losses, illegal retailing, or burglary.

In addition, terrorists can also acquire these destructive weapons through secret independent research teams or by employing experienced people to develop for them these weapons. This calls for sufficient investment that is of essence in the efforts of enhancing the capability of sharing the sensitive information regarding the use of WMD.

The tragic events of 9/11 made the U.S. to realize that terrorist organizations are able to acquire and use WMD. In the aftermath of the attacks, some terror groups, such as al Qaeda, with radical ideologies, have demonstrated their interest of acquiring WMD to undertake mass casualty attacks in order to obtain worldwide recognition for their cause.

They consider the use of such weapons to be their religious obligation; thus, they have attempted to gain access to them in a number of occasions.⁹ The stakes involved in the propagation and illicit use of WMD has made the United States military to use forceful means to thwart their illegal use; for example, the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq in 2003 was aimed at achieving this objective. ¹⁰

The movement of terrorists around the planet is closely monitored. As a strategy in the global War on Terror, measures have been put that are aimed at detecting, interrupting, and interdicting the unauthorized movements of terrorists and dangerous weapons from one part of the world to the other.

Most nations have improved their border security in order to prevent terrorists from exploiting legal entry points into the nations. Presently, every migrant entering the United States has to undergo a thorough check up in order to validate his or her adequacy of entering the nation. However, these strict border security efforts are not enough since the territory of the country is vast. Thus, to prevent illegal entry into the country through illicit pathways, the government has adopted the Secure Border Initiative.

This has been achieved through establishing a well-integrated system of individuals, machinery, and strategic communication systems aimed at easier identification and detection of illegal entries into the country. Moreover, scientific investigations are currently being carried out in order to develop next-generation technologies for close monitoring of the movement of terrorists around the globe.

The need to establish strict gun control measures was fuelled in the aftermath of 9/11. This counter-terrorism strategy limits the access of terrorist groups to dangerous weapons. Ultimately, the number of terrorist incidents will be lowered significantly. One way of achieving this is by having a considerable waiting period at gun shops. This is because potential terrorists or their accomplices may go into a gun show separately and purchase dangerous weapons to be used for producing widespread fear in innocent people.

In some places of the world, a close tie exists between ones religion and politics; therefore, in such places, one is deemed a hero when he or she sacrifices his or her life on a suicide mission.¹¹ This notion has escalated the number of suicide terrorist attacks in the world in this century, especially in hostile places such as the Middle East region and Somalia. For U.S. citizens travelling to such hostile areas, prevention is usually done by increasing their awareness of the threats that awaits them.

The U.S. government provides information to Americans regarding the activity of terrorist organizations in such areas. These include, but not limited to, the local populaces attitude towards Americans, and the areas potential for violence.

Furthermore, Americans are advised to keep off from potentially dangerous destinations, maintain alertness, stay from suspicious looking individuals, acquaint themselves with emergency first aid equipment, use every means possible to avoid being identified as Americans, and promptly inform the authorities in case of any strange occurrence.

The infamous September 11 disaster was achieved by the use of civilian airplanes as assault vehicles to wreak havoc to the U.S. Such a happening has no precedent in the history of the airline industry. No one had ever imagined that terrorists could be able to hijack an airplane and use it to carry out an attack.

Following this strange occurrence, the confidence of several individuals concerning air travel was shaken. Some people even cancelled their trips to popular tourism destinations and others avoided places full of activity such as theme parks and big cities. Therefore, to prevent such disruption of life, major initiatives have been implemented.

These include, but not limited to, proper screening of all travelers, checking if the travelers are eligible to travel by reviewing their history, and questioning travelers who seem to be suspicious. Through these strategies, the airline industry is able to thwart the efforts of the terrorists use of airplanes as means of wreaking havoc in the world.

Consequence management

Despite the superb prevention and mitigation efforts that can be done in the War on Terror, terrorist attacks are sometimes inevitable. Therefore, the U.S. government has developed measures that are aimed at alleviating the effects of this disaster in case it takes place. Establishment of enhanced notification, alert, and warning systems, which are totally reliable, effective, and flexible are some strategies that the government has adopted to realize this.

Moreover, pre-incident alert and warning systems have been designed such that they are able to convey vital security information to Americans to any place they might be within the country. This warning system is also able to give situational updates and appropriate directions of movement to Americans even after an incident has taken place.

In the aftermath of September 11, the expectations of Americans concerning the federal governments incident management plans has increased considerably, especially in a situation in which a domestic crisis of national significance has taken place. In such circumstances, the citizens expect it to accomplish its obligations, make minimal mistakes, and be both virtually omniscient and omnipotent.

Because of this endless public examination, the governments consequence management plans have been intensified to avoid the mistakes that were done in pre 9/11. One of these improvements in consequence management entails appropriate passage of information from one place to another. As was evident during 9/11 attacks, communication breakdown usually take place in case of a terrorist attack and the public most of the time thirst for information.

As much as only few individuals can feel the physical impacts of the disaster, the rest of the people may be afraid of being the next victims. This is what causes the thirst for information. Therefore, the public expects the government to provide them with the vital information that is needed in such times.

In effective management of a complex national emergency, the statements of the president and those of high-ranked government officials are carefully calculated to avoid possible deaths and loss of public confidence. In most situations, it has been observed that the initial reports are not true. In addition, the public usually demand for information much faster than the officials of the government are able to give.

Because of these facts, most of the consequence management that is practiced in the United States in the first hours of a disaster is aimed at providing the President together with some high-ranked government officials with accurate information.

This is because they are usually on the spot in situations whereby emergencies of national significance have taken place and, more so, they are expected by the public to deliver correct information when making a nationwide address on the issue in the first news cycle after an emergency.

In a situation in which a nuclear weapon has exploded in a city in the United States, measures have been put in place to ensure that as many lives as possible are saved through immediate evacuation of the affected individuals.

Because of the immense effects of the detonation, such as thermal radiation and nuclear radiation, not so much can be done to save the lives of those within the immediate vicinity of the blast. Nonetheless, protection of people in such circumstances can be achieved by moving them to another place before they get into direct contact with the dangerous radioactive materials.

The U.S. army played a vital role in the countrys response to September 11 attacks. That is why the government has launched plans to enable the military to assist civil authorities in case of an emergency. The military have been mandated to give technical assistance to law enforcement authorities, assist in restoration of law and order, and lend specialized equipment as initiatives in consequence management.

To increase the chances of saving more lives in case of a terrorist attack, DHS is involved in efforts of planning and expanding volunteers called Citizen Corps. The volunteers are effectively trained and equipped with essential skills of detecting possible terrorist incidences and responding accordingly to prevent further damages from taking place.

The increased terrorist threat on the U.S. has made the federal government to offer more funding targeted at training more first responders. However, since the countrys program for training first responders is increasingly being strained, the government is involved in efforts of developing a national training and evaluation program aimed at meeting the growing demand.¹²

Conclusion

Since the turn of the century, terrorist threats against the U.S. have escalated to unprecedented levels. Amidst these hard times, the great nation has responded with courage and now it is safer, stronger, and even more prepared to face the issues that threaten its very principles of democracy.

Nonetheless, since the country is safer, but not completely safe, a significant number of challenges are still lying ahead. That is why the American government has implemented several strategies aimed at ensuring that the lifestyle of the residents proceeds normally without undue interruption.

Because of the fact that the country is not immune to terrorist attacks and several terrorist organizations have shown relentless determination to cause havoc in the country, it is prepared to protect its critical resources as well as promptly act in response to emergencies that take place on its soil.

Bibliography

Bartholomees, Boone. National Security Policy and strategy. Washington: Department of National Security and Strategy, 2008.

Biddle, Stephen D. American Grand Strategy after 9/11: An assessment, Strategic Studies Institute, 2005. Web.

Bullock, Jane A. and others. Introduction to homeland security. Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006.

Bunn, Elaine.Preemptive action: what, how, and to what effect? Strategic forum 1, no. 200 (2003), 1-7. Web.

Bush, George W.Overview of Americas National Strategy for Homeland Security. National Strategy for Homeland Security, 2007. Web.

Miskel, James F. Disaster response and homeland security: what works, what doesnt. Westport: Praeger Security International, 2006.

Purpura, Philip.Security and loss prevention: an introduction. Burlington, MA: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008.

Schultz, George P. An Essential War-ousting Saddam was the only option. The Wall Street Journal. 1997.

The Department of Homeland Security. United States Department of Homeland Security handbook. Washington: International Business publications, 2006.

The White House. The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, Global Security, 2002. Web.

United States Marine Corps. Individuals Guide for Understanding and Surviving Terrorism. New York: Cosimo Publications, 2007.

Yarger, Harry R. Strategic theory for the 21^st century: The little Book on the Big Strategy, Strategic Studies Institute, 2006. Web.

Footnotes

1. United States Marine Corps. Individuals Guide for Understanding and Surviving Terrorism (New York: Cosimo Publications, 2007), 1.
2. Stephen D. Biddle. American Grand Strategy after 9/11: An assessment, Strategic Studies Institute, 2005.
3. George W. Bush, Overview of Americas National Strategy for Homeland Security. National Strategy for Homeland Security, 2007.
4. Jane A. Bullock and others. Introduction to homeland security, (Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006), 613.
5. The Department of Homeland Security. United States Department of Homeland Security handbook. (Washington: International Business publications, 2006), 41-42.
6. Boone Bartholomees. National Security Policy and strategy. (Washington: Department of National Security and Strategy, 2008), 99-112.
7. Elaine Bunn, Preemptive action: what, how, and to what effect? Strategic forum 1, no. 200 (2003), 1-7 .
8. The White House. The National Security Strategy of the United States of America, Global Security, 2002.
9. George P. Schultz, An Essential War-ousting Saddam was the only option. The Wall Street Journal. 1997.
10. Harry R. Yarger. Strategic theory for the 21^st century: The little Book on the Big Strategy, Strategic Studies Institute, 2006.
11. James F. Miskel, Disaster response and homeland security: what works, what doesnt (Westport: Praeger Security International, 2006), 44.
12. Philip Purpura, Security and loss prevention: an introduction. (Burlington, MA : Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann, 2008), 480.

Overview

Incorrect assumption in alleviating the threat posed by industrial terrorism is the main setback in the fight against acts of terror that target industrial chemical establishments. In the past, much of the effort had been directed towards responding to disasters caused by terrorism with minimal consideration of protective measures that can be put in place.

Although the September 11, 2001 incidence did not target chemical plants but real human life, first responders have made significant progress strengthening capabilities needed to defend the nation against the threat of WMD (Kosal, 2006). The DHS national guidelines developed and implemented nationwide have provided a durable framework for multi-agency coordination and cooperation.

This is important because terrorist attacks or major disasters often are beyond what a single jurisdiction can respond to effectively. However, whether levels of preparedness are adequate at all levels of government may prove difficult to assess. Many emergency response and management professionals believe that the nation is better prepared than it was prior to 11th September 2001, but still has plenty of room for improvement.

For example, priority missions identified in Homeland Security Strategic Plans have associated capabilities taken from the DHS Target Capabilities List. Each capability must reach target levels of performance if an adequate level of preparedness is to be achieved. It is clear that the emergency response community benefits from national standards that allow response entities to coordinate more effectively than before.

However, to reiterate, is this level of preparedness where it needs to be? If not, what are the shortfalls and how should they be addressed? The biggest challenge for achieving an appropriate level of preparedness nationwide remains the need for continued strengthening of multi-agency capabilities.

Multi-agency preparedness, in terms of multi-agency capabilities achieving target levels of performance, is critical for safeguarding the country. This paper offers a succinct overview of industrial terrorism with cross reference to regulatory measures in place and some of the loopholes that need to be sealed in fully addressing the menace.

Incidents

It is highly possible that close to 2.4 million people may either sustain serious injuries or be killed altogether in the event that a terrorist attack is directed in a heavy industrial plant establishment with several employees (Perrow, 2007). Secondly, it also worth to note that substantial quantities of industrial chemicals emanating from over 15,000 chemical plants are transported, stored and produced.

It is against this background that a worst vase release was determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1996 and established the fact that over 100 of the identified chemical facilities had the potential of jeopardizing over one million lives located near the plants.

Further, it is also estimated that between100, 000 and 1,000,000 people are currently at risk of the chemical facilities should they turn to be targets of industrial terrorists. Indeed, these are staggering numbers that authorities cannot merely develop policy documents without implementing the proposals.

While politics has played a significant role in aggravating industrial terrorism, the international terrorist groups targeting industrial chemical plants has been uniquely identified as a thorn in the flesh in domestic security platform. It is an urgent threat to the security of people, whether viewed in terms of loss in life or destruction of property.

Unfortunately, the relative efforts to improve the status of domestic security have not seriously embarked on setting up robust measures against safeguarding industrial plants. The chemical plants remain as potential points of accidents yet to be caused by terrorist.

Owing to this precariously dangling scenario, there are interest groups that have incessantly pressured Washington to institute safety measures. On the same note, the chemical industries themselves are fighting hard to see into it that the federal government put up measures that will protect them against organized international terrorism.

Even after the September 11 attacks and the subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), critics continue to assert that security measures adopted by the Homeland Security Act f 2002 on industrial chemicals are quite weak.

The Act does not fully take into account the growing technological trends in industrial terrorism. Most chemical plants do not have any robust security structure since the federal standards in place are relatively weak.

Critical infrastructure

Why then are the chemical industries considered to be critical infrastructure? It is definite that employees in chemical industries are at a higher risk exposure due to threats of industrial terrorism. It is also evident that the worst-case scenarios present staggering numbers of people that are highly likely to be either injured or killed.

The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) estimated over 2,000 sustained injuries in over 2,000 facilities each year. It is important to note that these figures are drawn within the U.S borders alone. The statistics could even be higher bearing in mind that the total number of chemical establishments in United States is continually growing.

Contrary to the expectation, most of these injuries are sustained when the chemicals are being transported, not just within the chemical plants themselves. Besides, the worst impact of industrial terrorism is felt on the performance of the economy over and above the mass causalities and injuries. Much of the export from U.S emanates from the chemical industry.

For instance, the year 2001 witnessed more than 80 billion dollars of exports from the chemical industry. This accounted for slightly over 10% of the total exports from United States. Besides, the industry employs more than one million workers at the local level while Research and Development consumes over 31 billion dollars on an annual basis.

It is against this background that any terror attacks on industrial chemical facilities can grossly jeopardize the economy and as such, it is considered to be a critical infrastructure. In any case, the ability to communicate risk as soon as they are noted is crucial since it marks an integral step of responding to risks as well as being strategically prepared.

The fact that strategic risk management has not been visibly put in place implies that some of the safety measures put in place may not be well received by the people and especially those employed in the industrial facilities targeted by terrorists (Chess, 2001).

To date, industrial facilities that are considered high risk to acts of terrorism are being safeguarded by the SARA Title III. According to this title, the task of reporting and communicating risk has been mandated to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

For comminutes that are located within the proximity of facilities earmarked as high risk, local Emergency Planning Committees have been formed bridge the gap between the local governments and the grass-root level. One of the fundamental roles of this committee is to set up procedures and measures for manufacturing emergencies.

Additionally, the committee also serves as an open forum where concerned groups or individuals can air their concerns regarding the chemical industries located near them.

For instance, health and safety officials, industry representatives, government officials as well as individual residents can make use of this committee to deliberate on safety concern issues emanating from industrial establishments within their locality. Realistically speaking, it is vital step to take. The impact would even be larger if it were replicated in the at all levels of the government namely local, state and federal.

The American Chemistry Council has also been on the forefront towards implementing the initiatives set forward by the state and federal government. For example, there are SARA Title III requirements that must be met by chemical industrial plants. In order to meet these minimum requirements, the council is proactive in creating community advisory panels.

These panels provide a forum through which the community can dialogue on matters related to safety of industrial facilities within their areas of residence. Besides, the public health officials are also mandated to see into it that the manufacturing principles are not only safe enough for the exposed populations but also meet the optimum requirements for anti-terror attacks.

Furthermore, the Responsible Care Security Code was incepted after the 9/11 terror attacks. The code ensures that there is re-alignment between law enforcement and industry relationships. The protection of the high-risk chemical sites is also a top priority agenda under this code.

Furthermore, the chemical companies are required by law to safeguard information that may be lethal should they fall on perpetrators of terror alongside striving to improve the security of their environment (Linden, 2007). This requirement is contained in the Responsible Care Practitioners Site chapter.

Hence, both the individual companies and the industry at large are redirecting their efforts in developing components crucial to combat industrial terrorism. In order to achieve this, risk communication plans have been devised and implemented by many players especially those in the explosive toxic chemical industries.

Although such efforts are apparently appealing, there is lack of positive reporting on the impacts derived from these measures. For example, environmental information and how the same is communicated to citizens is still a matter of concern. There are mixed reactions on how both the councils and committees have been relaying the vital information to the highly vulnerable communities.

It is feared that although such community based organizations have existed for long, most residents seem not to be aware of their operations (Heath, Bradshaw & Lee, 2002). On the other hand, the intended functions of these organizations have been approved by slightly over 60% of residents.

Nonetheless, it is unanimously agreed that a communication structure that is fully functional is necessary so that uncertainties can be managed a lot easier. Industrial responsiveness is indeed paramount even as the integral role of risk management is being given due consideration by both the federal government and industry players.

Federal regulations

The Department of Homeland Security was created by the federal government in a bid to tame domestic security, this being one of the largest overhauls in security systems and structures ever experienced in a fifty-year period (Sloan, 2008).

The rationale behind this monumental task was to harness and consolidate the federal governments protective and anti-terror systems so as to ascertain that the process of deploying and coordinating security services is done in a more harmonious and effective way.

The emergency preparedness and response branch takes care of disaster preparedness at the domestic level alongside offering training and capacity building to First Responders. Furthermore, this division accelerates the process of recovering from acts of terror and disasters.

In fact, the key role of the directorate is to ensure that there is a high level of disaster preparedness among various teams charged with emergency response. This would be of great importance to industrial terrorism setting where mass causalities are highly likely in the event of terror attack.

Hence, an emergency response plan is one of the many strategies employed by this division to cater for hazards and attacks. Under this division are FBIs National Domestic Preparedness Office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Moreover, a national crisis management system is part and parcel of the distinguishing tasks of this wing. In order to achieve this, it coordinates the working of emergency response teams using some public safety organizations located at the local and state governments.

The science and technology division specifically deals with technology behind technological advances in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) that are often used attacking industrial chemical facilities. Hence, all catastrophic acts of terrorism applying either biological or chemical warfare are under the control of this wing of DHS.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 also mandates the science and technology division to set up a national emergency strategy teams at all levels of the government (Sloan, 2008). For example, the local and state governments should be well equipped with response teams that are well versed with both the management and disaster recovery skills following nuclear attacks, radiological or chemical terrorism.

The overall aim is to synchronize the various response plans to improve efficiency. Further, the development of diagnostics antidotes, antibodies and vaccines is under this division. Better still, the Act provides plenty of room for devising countermeasures that can be instrumental in minimizing the threats of WMD attacks.

Data collection and analysis is under the docket of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Division. The data to be analyzed are obtained from relevant federal agencies like Departments Drug Enforcement Agency and National Security Agency. The Homeland Security Act 2002 also established two main units under this division. These are the Critical Infrastructure Protection as well as the Threat Analysis and Warning.

As a core duty, the division ensures that all data gathered and analyzed before the September 11 attacks are not only accurate but also relevant in the actual security operation. Hence, information has been centralized by this wing of the homeland security.

The given information is assessed in terms of the potential threats to national security. Additionally, relevant response actions are conveyed to the right teams spread across the federal government.

Disparate intelligence information is compiled by the Threat Analysis and Warning wing of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The level of vulnerability of the nation in terms of catastrophes caused by either man or natural factors is also assessed.

The security information at the domestic level is evaluated by the Critical Infrastructure Protection. In particular, the internal security components of the nation are analyzed by this division of the Homeland security. While the roles of the division are far reaching, the individual officials deployed at this branch are mandated to come up with sound policies that can assist in protecting targets labeled as high risk.

Apart from the provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 outlined above, this grand piece of legislation also stipulates that explosives should not be possessed beyond certain restrictions.

Further, the Act also permits training of pilots on how to defend their crew just in case they are exposed to danger of airborne terror attack. It goes further stating that airport screening can only be done by either U.S nationals or citizens. The U.S immigrants are excluded under this provision.

Although the Act has addressed myriad of security concern issues on terrorism, there are latent weaknesses that cannot be ignored if the department is to fully safeguard the growing threats to industrial terrorism. For instance, the creation of Operation TIPS is strictly forbidden in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

According to critics, this controversial security organ would have transformed the Department of Homeland Security into a swift intelligence agency with the power and ability to efficiently handle and manages homeland security in totality including industrial terrorism.

Nonetheless, the main point of concern by the American Liberties Union is that the integration of such legislation into the countrys constitution would grossly jeopardize civil liberties protection. According to the proposals contained in the TIPS provisions, the Liberties Union argue that it will be impossible to grant citizens and other American nationals the right to privacy as granted in the constitution.

The fact that the Department of Homeland Security has express right over controlling infrastructure, a director at ACLU, Laura Murphy, maintained that the department was given superfluous powers over vital infrastructure thereby limiting the public from conducting any significant scrutiny (Sloan, 2008).

According to the provisions in the Act, certain infrastructure information may not be availed to the public especially if the government presumes it unfit for purposes of national security. Indeed, one of the apparent weaknesses in the Act is the fact that any disclosure of the critical infrastructure information by a government official may lead to heavy imposition of criminal offence on the offender.

Hence, whistle blowers on certain matters directly affecting the American public may as well be branded criminals since they will have contravened this law. The online privacy of individuals is also undermined at great length by this piece of legislation. The Center for Democracy and Technology argue that the Cyber Security Enhancement Act is a real setback to personal online privacy (Sloan, 2008).

According to the provisions in this Act, the government has the right, through telecom companies, to access and retrieve personal online data such as internet transactions and emails. The governments rationale behind this legal provision is that accessing such personal information is pertinent especially in the event that national security is at risk.

For telecommunication companies, they have been quite reluctant to avail personal information unless there are court warrants to do so. Cyber criminals like those who hack computers may be sentenced to life imprisonment as a maximum charge.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also permitted by this law to access and utilize intelligence materials courtesy of the office of TIA. William Safire, a New York Times columnist dismissed this legislative arrangement as Big Brotherism. At the same time, TIA was also limited by the Congress. The appropriations bill of the Congress also witnessed a heavily cut down of the TIA budget.

In yet another separate but related developments about the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the indemnification provision has equally sparked widespread protests. This provision has it that class-action law suits filed by citizens against individual or corporate contractors are restricted up to some level.

Although the provision does not favor individual citizens and American nationals interested in lodging their complaints against public health menace caused by contractors, the government argues that companies which manufacture lethal vaccines necessary in biological or chemical warfare should be given some incentives to continue with the tedious task of production.

This, according to the government, will shield them from high liability overheads. Worse still, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that led to the inception of the Department of Homeland Security has faced equally tough criticism from city mayors who lament that the Act failed to provide money to cities to fight terrorism (CNN Politics, 2002).

In recap, it is pertinent to reiterate that the chemical industry is highly visible in the eyes of terrorists and is equally potentially dangerous upon attack by terrorists. It is therefore necessary for the federal government to reinforce anti-terror planning and strategies. Emphatically, It is also worth to note that there are certain pieces of critical industrial information that may be instrumental in terrorist planning.

However, rather than creating a cowed community, risky information should be utilized in such a way that it empowers the community. In spite of the growing concerns on industrial terrorism, the security status in the transportation sector is equally important since terrorists are well known to target industrial chemicals on transit.

References

Chess, C. (2001). Organizational theory and the stages of risk communication. Risk Analysis, 21(1), 179-188.

CNN Politics (2003). Bush signs homeland security bill. Web.

Heath, R. L., Bradshaw, J., & Lee, J. (2002). Community relationship building: Local leadership in the risk communication infrastructure. Journal of Public Relations Research, 14, 17-353.

Kosal, E.M. (2006). Terrorism Targeting Industrial Chemical Facilities: Strategic Motivations and the Implications for U.S. Security. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 29, 719751.

Linden, V.E. (2007). Focus on Terrorism, Volume 9 New York: Nova Science Publishing Inc.

Perrow, C. (2007). The Next Catastrophe: Reducing Our Vulnerabilities to Natural, Industrial and Terrorist Disasters. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Sloan, E. (2008). Continental and homeland security: From Bush to Obama. International Journal, 64(1), 191-200.

Introduction: Financial Fraud in the UAE

The phenomenon of financial fraud is, unfortunately, one of the most common crimes committed in the environment of the global economy nowadays. Despite the promotion of consistent and regular audits, the requirement to file detailed reports, and other tools of supervision introduced into the designated area to execute complete control over the financial transactions, a range of organizations manage to commit financial fraud and evade the appropriate punishment, the UAE companies being no exception to this rule.

However, the fact that most of the money retrieved in the course of financially fraudulent actions are used as the resources for supporting terrorist organizations, in general, and ISIS, in particular, clearly is a shockingly unpleasant discovery that needs to be handled correspondingly.

Despite the numerous actions that the UAE government has undertaken to make the problem of terrorism funding via money laundering impossible, the issue is getting increasingly large because of the necessity to establish a stronger control over the subject matter at all levels from the state one to the level of local organizations management.

The accomplishment of the specified goal will require the cooperation between the state government and the representatives of the UAE organizations, as well as the coordination of the latters actions with the ones of the international agencies.

Money Laundering in the UAE

According to a recent report published by the IMF, the UAE has been facing serious problems as far as the issue regarding money laundering for their further use to support terrorists deserves to be mentioned. Much to the state authorities credit, new laws have been passed to prevent the problem from expanding and nip it in the bud, but, once having gained momentum in 2008, the problem has been growing since.

The issue is currently being addressed by the UAE government with the help of the Anti-Money-Laundering Act, which has been reinforced, and in which the regulations regarding the process of money transfer by the representatives of nationalist organizations should be restricted substantively:

A Cautionary Notice has been issued in the Arabic Press advising both Nationals and Residents to exercise prudence while transferring cash funds abroad or while receiving funds from abroad. The same notice is being prepared and will be released in the English Press.¹

The specified amendments made to the preexisting regulation point quite graphically to the fact that the state authorities are eager to address the current problem and block the process of illegal money transfer, therefore, preventing local organizations from funding terrorists.

The effects of the law mentioned above have been quite impressive, as the percentage of instances of the crime in question has dropped lately. Nevertheless, the battle against the specified problem continues due to a range of factors that make the UAE a target for fraudulent actions:

The UAE is a significant financial center in the Middle East region, as well as a leading trade and transportation hub. Due to its geographic location, the UAE is vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing. As well, many Canadian REs (such as MSBs) use the UAE as a hub for funds which are then distributed to other jurisdictions.²

As the recent report published by the United Nations and the data provided by the leader of the Central Bank of the UAE, Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, show, a range of organizations condone funding criminal organizations, mainly, the ones that are connected directly to terrorism, primarily, infamous ISIS³. Despite the attempts of the UAE to address the increasingly threatening issue of terrorist support through international money laundering, the threat is growing and, thus, needs to be handled.

The phenomenon of money laundering can also be explained by the factors that create the environment, in which the crime becomes possible to commit. On the one hand, the UAE market has been known for its resilience to strong economic shocks; on the other hand, the market is open to large-scale manipulations that have drastic effects on a range of its segments, especially the real estate segment, in general, and its residential segment, in particular.

Where the Money Goes: Financed Terrorism

Although personal financial gain is typically the basic driving force behind financial scams, some of the money laundering activities are based on a certain political agenda. Reports show that most of the illegal money raised with the help of money laundering in the UAE is used to support terrorist movements such as ISIS. The existing evidence indicates that, by fighting the finance-related fraudulent activities in the designated area, one addresses the issue of terrorism and restricts the financial resources thereof.

Hence, the struggle against the illegal disposition of financial resources in the UAE is likely to affect the current international political agenda in a very powerful manner by reducing the threat of terrorist attacks and limiting the opportunities for the proponents of the terrorist actions.

The execution of the strategies aimed at eradicating money laundering from the current political system not only improves the economic profile of the state but also leverages the political situation within the state, thus, providing more opportunities for fighting international criminals successfully and ridding the society of the threat of terrorism.

Combating Financial Fraud: What Can Be Done

While it is barely possible to control every instance of money laundering in the state, the fact that the money is used to support terrorist movements points to the need of introducing a significant change in the current supervision of the essential financial processes in the UAE.

This is the point at which the concept of the anti-money-laundering policy factors in. Anti-money laundering is a set of strategies aimed at preventing the crime in question and penalizing those who have committed it; therefore, as its definition suggests, it should embrace every single financial, economic, and political opportunity that can be used against the crimes related to financial fraudulence.

The tools that are typically used to transfer the money acquired in the course of fraudulent actions to terrorist organizations are strikingly numerous. As recent studies show, the approaches in question include the latest technological developments along with the ones that have been in existence for a couple of decades, such as WAP.

In fact, the tendency to utilize digital tools and devices for laundering money and transferring it to the accounts of terrorist organizations can be viewed as the defining characteristics of the subject matter nowadays. Seeing that the report mentioned above points quite graphically to the existence of not only money laundering practices but also financing terrorism, the situation warrants the use of the anti-money laundering approach.

Measures to Be Taken

As it has been stressed above, the UAE state government has been taking exhaustive measures to address the problem outlined above, including the update of the 2004 Anti-Money-Laundering Act.

Although ISIS has emerged comparatively recently, and the phenomenon of political money laundering for the ISIS terrorist funding is a relatively new phenomenon, a range of tools, including e-devices and software, have been created to deter the related crimes. For instance, the IRIS anti-money-laundering software⁴ offers a strong opportunity for the identification of the wrongful financial transactions through performance monitoring and analysis.

On the governmental level, the subject matter is tackled with the help of the policy known as the five mutually reinforcing lines of effort⁵, as a recent report says. According to the official statement of the U.S. Government, the strategy under analysis was designed to counter ISIS by attacking several aspects of its operations.

In other words, a coherent strategy that will help identify the weaknesses of the current money laundering processes has to be designed so that these organizations could be deprived of an opportunity to carry out financial transactions.

At a smaller scale of handling the issue in question, the creation of a committee that will identify the instances of money laundering as the tool for supporting terrorist movements has been suggested by the UAE authorities. The Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) has been tackling the problems related to financial crimes and their possible link to the external political threats for quite a while with an impressive success, as the recent data shows quite graphically.

In particular, the department has contributed to passing the law that permitted a closer supervision of the target processes in the UAE business environment with the further possibility for reporting about the findings to the corresponding authorities. Therefore, it is recommended that additional tools for supervising the financial interactions between organizations should be included into the states framework of audits.⁶

Needless to say, the adoption and update of the corresponding laws that will prevent people from condoning terrorism and supporting it financially are going to play a huge part in the fight against the terrorism-based financial fraud. However, seeing that the issue has been gaining an increasingly large scale, the information regarding the subject matter has to be processed on an international level, which calls for cooperation with the FBI.

The latter, in fact, has developed a range of programs aimed at combating the phenomenon of money laundering as the source of terrorist organizations funding; for instance, the creation of financial intelligence units can be viewed as a primary example of resisting the threat of terrorism.

Essential Obstacles

It should be noted, though, that the specified measures have their disadvantages and, therefore, should be taken with a grain of salt as a powerful tool for improving the current political and financial situation in the UAE. When it comes to defining the weaknesses of these strategies, one must admit that they lack the technological strength.

Therefore, the introduction of new and improved technology along with the training program helping the participants to acquire the necessary IT skills is imperative to prevent and thwart the attacks of cybercriminals attempting at committing financial fraud.

Similarly, the interventions made at the governmental level and promoted by the United States as he tools to combat terrorism are rather tricky, though not impossible, to implement as the existing terrorist organizations (ISIS, Jahhat-al-Nusra, al-Quaeda, etc.) are funded with the help of different financial models; hence, each time, a unique approach toward cutting the terrorists way to accessing financial resources.

Also, the issue concerning the improving technological advances of the people and organizations contributing to the evolution of terrorism needs to be brought up as a serious obstacle to fighting the threat and promoting democracy to and safety for all members of the society.

While the improvement and further development of technology can be deemed as a fairly positive phenomenon, it can also be used for the purposes of concealing the instances of financial fraud and, therefore, making committing a crime easier and available to the supporters of the corresponding terrorist organizations.⁷

Avoiding the Roadblocks

Despite the admittedly complicated route that the current anti-terrorist and anti-money-laundering campaign leaders have to take to advance in their fight against terrorism, several tools have been created to address the increasingly hard task of identifying the illegal money flow and repress the crime.

Specifically, the task of stemming the flow of funds directed at the designated terrorist organizations such as the FININT (a specimen of actionable financial intelligence) organization has been created and proven to be rather efficient as far as the provision of international security is concerned.

As far as the technological development of the physical and legal persons liable for financial fraud in the UAE public and private sector is concerned, the problem can also be managed on several levels, i.e., the local and the governmental one. For instance, it is highly recommended that the use of digital currency should be tracked carefully and that the instances of its misuse should be reported correspondingly.

Indeed, according to the recently published data, the use of the so-called cryptocurrency affects the rates of peoples security significantly due to the numerous opportunities for money laundering that it opens: where there are opportunities to exchange real money for online money, there money laundering can also exist⁸.

It should be noted that there are no tools for tracking the use or exchange of cryptocurrency online at present, which makes the process of identifying the possibility of financial support of terrorists barely possible. Herein the need to promote the further evolution of the technology used by the governmental bodies so that the cryptocurrency transactions could be traced and analyzed correspondingly lies⁹.

Therefore, while made in the distant 2008, the findings of the IMF are still topical nowadays. Furthermore, the outcomes of the study have gained even greater significance after the numerous terrorist attacks made by the ISIS members and the development of the ongoing conflict in Syria.

Since the strategies adopted to address the threat of terrorism and eradicate the phenomenon have been failing miserably and the ongoing conflict in Syria has only been aggravating, it is essential that the problem of terrorism funding via money laundering tools should be managed.

Conclusion: Addressing the Issue

The fact that a range of residents and organizations of the UAE fund ISIS truly is a shocking discovery; however, by incorporating the global strategies of preventing the money flow from the UAE to the corresponding terrorist organizations with the process of monitoring suspicious activities on a local level, one is likely to create a sustainable alarm system that will permit a rapid and efficient response to the emergent threats of a terrorist attack.

It is doubtless that the problem needs to be managed on a governmental level so that large organizations could be screened for possible financial frauds and the use of money laundering techniques for funding terrorist organizations, ISIS being the primary one. Despite the numerous measures that have been adopted to avoid the further development of terrorist movements, the issue has only increased its scale.

Therefore, the IMF findings are still relevant in 2016; furthermore, the number of countries, where the members of the society along with local organizations support terrorist movements, has also increased significantly, which calls for the development of a more efficient remedy than the one proposed by the IMF.

It is expected that an enhanced control is likely to spawn a series of even more intricate tools for transferring organizational money illegally to ISIS and the related terrorist groups. Underestimating the opponent means creating a loophole for them to attack one in an unexpected and robust manner; therefore, it will be reasonable to assume that the organizations funding ISIS will seek the ways of avoiding the specified restrictions and providing financial support to the terrorist organization anyway.

However, the further advancement in identifying the tools that criminals use to support terrorist organizations will allow for locating a specific pattern and, thus, predict the change in the opponents strategy, therefore, leading to complete eradication of financial fraud as the tool of funding ISIS and the related organizations.

Works Cited

Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) 2010. Web.

Anti-Money Laundering  New Law 2016. Web.

IRIS 2016, IRIS Anti Money Laundering Software. Web.

Levitt, Mathew 2014, Terrorist financing and the Islamic State. Web.

Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Trends in FINTRAC Cases Disclosed Between 2007 and 2011 2012. Web.

Tracking the Financing of Terrorism 2016. Web.

Williamson, Cindy, Jason Vazquez, Jason Thomas, and Katherine Sagona-Stophel

2013, Technology in the Fight Against Money Laundering in the New Digital Currency Age. Web.

Footnotes

¹Anti-Money Laundering  New Law (2016).

²Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Trends in FINTRAC Cases Disclosed Between 2007 and 2011 (2012).

³Tracking the Financing of Terrorism (2016).

⁴ IRIS (2016), IRIS Anti Money Laundering Software.

⁵ Mathew Levitt (2014), Terrorist financing and the Islamic Stat.

⁶Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) (2010).

⁷Anti-Money Laundering  New Law (2016).

⁸ Cindy Williamson, Jason Vazquez, Jason Thomas, and Katherine Sagona-Stophel (2013), Technology in the Fight Against Money Laundering in the New Digital Currency Age.

⁹ Ibid.

Introduction

This valuation of the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism government of the United Arab Emirates is founded on the forty endorsements and the nine special commendations on extremist supporting of the monetary action task force, and was organized by means of the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of the terrorism calculation procedure, as it was rationalized in February 2007.

The valuation group has taken into consideration all the supplies that were delivered by the established order, the material that was attained on location for the duration of their assignment from February 28 to March 15, and other various demonstrable data that was delivered by the established order afterward. For the duration of the assignment, the calculation group encountered with the spokespersons and legislatures of every pertinent administration organization and the private segment.

The valuation was directed by a group of evaluators collected from the workers of the International Monetary Fund and two specialists performing under the management of the International Monetary Fund. The assessment group was made up of Joy K. Smallwood (LEG, team leader); Matthew Byrne, Marlene Manuel (LEG); Richard Chalmers (expert under LEG supervision, Financial Services Authority, United Kingdom); and Antoine Mandour (expert under LEG supervision, Special Investigation Commission, Lebanon) (International Monetary Fund 2).

The evaluators provided a review for the recognized outline, the pertinent Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism commandments, procedures, strategies and other supplies, and the controlling and other arrangements in position in order to discourage and penalize currency laundering and the supporting of extremism in the framework of the financial organizations and chosen non-fiscal industries and occupations. Moreover, the evaluators inspected the measurements, application, and efficiency of all these organizations as well.

This essay delivers a summary of the findings of the research on the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism procedures in position in the United Arab Emirates on the duration of the assignment or shortly from then on. The report defines and examines those procedures, establishes the stages of acquiescence of the United Arab Emirates with the forty endorsements and the nine special commendations of the Financial Action Task Force, and delivers advice on how the particular features of the structure can be reinforced.

Moreover, the research was created by the International Monetary Fund as a fragment of the Financial Sector Assessment Program of the United Arab Emirates and the valuation procedures of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force and the Financial Action Task Force (Hamrani par. 2). Furthermore, the report was likewise offered to the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force and Financial Action Task Force and accepted by these administrations at their corresponding session assemblies that were conducted on the course of the next year.

A fundamental authorized outline for fighting money laundering and extremist sponsoring is in position in the United Arab Emirates; nevertheless, the report has stated that the given outline requires additional reinforcement in a vast amount of extents. The anti-money laundering regulation requires to be modified in order to enlarge the variety of established crimes and to deliver superior influences for the fiscal intelligence division. Moreover, the financial intelligence unit has a duty to upsurge its own recruitment for the reason that it might function as an independent division, rather than be dependent on the incomes of the Central Banks Management Subdivision and various other controlling organizations.

The lawful outline for the monetary segment defensive procedures in the internal subdivision offers a rudimentary basis; however, for the most part, it precedes the amendment of the Financial Action Task Force Endorsements thirteen years ago, which have recently enforced much more comprehensive requirements. Despite the fact that the dominant financial institution has taken numerous managerial procedures in order to reinforce the administration in the interior of the internal subdivision, these necessitate a more compact foundation in the permissible and controlling agenda, particularly with admiration to the customer due diligence and the responsibilities connected to it.

The command that is applied to monetary organizations functioning in the framework of the Dubai International Financial Centre has an overall tendency to be comparatively adjacent to the principles of the Financial Action Task Force.

The distrustful communications recording organization transports a minor amount of information that can be predictable in the interior of a fiscal marketplace of the size and nature of that within the United Arab Emirates, and superior precision is obligatory towards the foundation on which the organizations are probable to report the connections assumed to be connected to either currency laundering or extremist sponsoring.

The establishments have taken optimistic resourcefulness in order to discourse the subject matter of Hawala suppliers and have brought together an intended arrangement of registering and reportage. The dominant financial institution is set gradually to validate its inaccurate management for this segment, which is to be received.

The rudimentary anti-money laundering lawmaking has an impact on several of the designated non-financial businesses and professions segments; nonetheless, no exact client due to carefulness or the responsibilities linked to it have been protracted to the given units, and there appears to be no anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism supervisory agenda in the interior of the internal subdivision. At the time of the onsite visit, Dubai International Financial Center Authority (DIFCA) had drafted regulations for DNFBPs. Measures taken within the various free zones vary substantially (International Monetary Fund 4).

Legitimate Schemes and Correlated Established Procedures

The United Arab Emirates has outlawed money laundering in Federal Law and the sponsoring of radicalism in Decree by Federal Law on the course of the last decade. Despite the fact that money laundering is outlawed, it is not completely forbidden, according to the Financial Action Task Force Endorsements. The established felonies in the money laundering commandment have to be protracted in order to reveal every severe violation and, at least, the fourteen out of the twenty elected classes of felonies in the forty endorsements and the nine special commendations of the Financial Action Task Force not covered at the present moment.

The radical supporting felony appears to be in agreement with the intercontinental necessities of the International Resolution on the Overpowering of the Sponsoring of Extremism; however, it does not comprise the supporting of a separate extremist except for the cases if there is an inspection of an extremist performance, which is an obligation under the Financial Action Task Force regulation.

The Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit is correspondingly recognized under the anti-money laundering regulation to complete the fiscal intelligence constituent utilities. While the Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit have commenced an excessive contract of outreach, for the most part in the investment subdivision, it requests to endure that outreach within the framework of other subdivisions, predominantly the safeties and merchandises segment.

Moreover, it ought to assign more assets in order to completely examine the Suspicious Transaction Reports that it obtains. In addition, lawmaking exploit is required in order to explain the authorities and duties of the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Lately established regulations connected to the repossession of incomes of delinquency seem to be complete and practical; nonetheless, the lawmaking alteration and consciousness-increasing are obligatory in other extents. General resourcing and recruitment in regulation implementation do not give the idea of presenting a noteworthy apprehension. On the other hand, the range of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism attentiveness in the framework of all permissible and regulation implementation segments need to be taken under consideration. The improved expansion of the precise economic intelligence apparatuses and Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism proficiency in law implementation, imposts, and the magistrates are obligatory as well.

Precautionary Procedures: Fiscal Organizations

The monetary sector in the framework of the United Arab Emirates is separated between the establishments that are functioning in the interior of the internal marketplace and those that are approved to establish their commerce in the Dubai Intercontinental Economic Center, the solitary economic allowed precinct until now produced in the United Arab Emirates.

Despite the fact that the centralized regulations on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism could be related correspondingly to the internal segment and within the Dubai International Financial Center, the accountability for distributing applying guidelines, and the supervision acquiescence, falls to the particular controlling established order.

In the circumstance of the internal segment, this includes the dominant financial institution (for financial institutions, currency changers, and economics corporations), the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (safeties advisers), and the department of budget (assurance businesses); although there is a solitary controller, the Dubai Fiscal Facilities Authority, for all monetary facilities suppliers in the Dubai International Financial Center (International Monetary Fund and the World Bank 4).

The main Anti-Money Laundering act appoints rather insufficiently by means of customer due diligence responsibility on economic organizations. Particular concerns are incorporated just in the implement expressed by the administrative forces, and these differ obviously in deepness and excellence, developing (inside the internal segment) in a vast amount of regions where the demands do not adhere to the values of the Financial Action Task Force.

These contain the classification of favorable holding, the behavior of current payable alertness, and the request for improved actions for high-risk clients. Additionally, no demands have been enforced with honor to publicly-disclosed people and columnist banking. On the other hand, the Dubai Financial Services Authority has involved widespread requirements inside its guideline that correlate sharply to the Financial Action Task Force Endorsements.

Even though the task states that the regulations do not equal the Financial Action Task Force description of rule and control, and that, accordingly, regulations are not applicable to the legal rank necessary under the model of the Financial Action Task Force. Given the present deviation of the accurate duty appointed on various branches of the economic segment in the United Arab Emirates, there would be a huge profit in the powers choosing a more corresponding way to the progress of potential rules.

Recording conditions are generally sent throughout a variety of regulations and rules, even if there are several breaches in the client ID papers necessary to be kept by the internal care and coverage areas. The current requirements under the central bank regulations relating to wire transfers are very general and fall well short of the FATF requirements in terms of the procedures for verification of identity and the transmission of originator information (International Monetary Fund 7). The Dubai Financial Services Authority has circulated regulations that usually counterpart the principles of the Financial Action Task Force.

The doubtful activity coverage administration on the subject of money laundering has been active in the internal segment for quite a long time but requires clearness in respect of the precise base on which papers should be ordered. The rules of the dominant financial institution are applied differently to strange and doubtful affairs, and there is no sign of whether organizations are supposed to implement an abstract or detached check to doubt.

In addition, there appears to be an ostensible difference in the description of the money laundering felony among the principal commandment and the principles, such that it seems to be indistinct what the possibility of the reportage should be in connection to the established felonies. The principles dispensed for the internal safeties and coverage segments denote merely to the reportage of uncommon dealings, and the overall measures in these subdivisions are far less advanced than for the investment subdivision.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority regulations have a way more broad plan than for the internal segments, calling organizations for informing about actions where there is information, doubt, or rational facts to think that someone is a part of a money-laundering scheme. These matters seem to be a part of building discrete diversity in the essence and value of coverage by particular organizations, and, in general, the degree of coverage appears to be small relative to the amount and essence of the economic marketplaces.

In the internal segment, the coverage of worries of extremist sponsoring has only been expended to organizations question to the administration of the main financial institution, but it is not included in rule and instruction. Inside the Dubai International Financial Center, the Dubai Financial Services Authority initially required to cope with the matter by changing the meaning of money laundering to count in extremist sponsoring, but has chosen to alter its regulation to grant clearly for law-creating capability with regard to extremist sponsoring.

The rudimentary organizations and influence supplies for the internal investment subdivision go some way in the direction of the convention with the principles of the Financial Action Task Force, but those for the safeties and coverage subdivisions decrease well diminutively. In general, the dominant financial institution deliberates that the general superiority of the banks Anti-Money Laundering schemes and influences has enhanced expressively on the course of recent years.

Nonetheless, they admit that up to this day, their residues the area for development in a lot of organizations. The identical valuation is not conceivable with reverence to securities and coverage, where the examinations sequencers are far not as much advanced. The necessities covering organizations in the framework of the Dubai International Financial Center are widespread and, founded upon the inspection exertion implemented by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, are being applied in an efficient manner, even despite the fact that the capacity of commerce at the present moment that is being commenced within the Dubai International Financial Center is comparatively minor.

While some of the regulatory powers of the central bank are specified very generally within the law, they provide a reasonable basis for fulfilling the Banks responsibilities in a flexible manner, although there would be a distinct benefit informally documenting the central banks regulatory expectations where they exceed those encompassed within the regulations (International Monetary Fund 7).

The measures connected to the management and guidelines of the internal confidences and coverage marketplaces are far less advanced, with the coverage segment not being substantial to any current Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism amenability observing until now. There appears to be a restricted variety of official authorizations obtainable to the internal supervisors, but the dominant financial institution, specifically, has tried to resort to a number of overall controls in order to bring the organizations into amenability.

Nonetheless, there continues to be an absence of indication with reference to how these are applied explicitly for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism matters. The construction influences and measures of the Dubai Financial Services Authority are in general coordinated with intercontinental values, even despite the fact that it is primary existences inside a marketplace that continues to be comparatively rather minor in terms of commercial sizes.

The dominant financial institution has acquired a sturdy power all over the world in speaking to the unceremonious transmittal subdivision, also referred to as hawaladars. The method internally has been to establish a charitable recording procedure, on the foundation that this will reassure the hawaladars to transfer nearer to the official subdivision. The registrants are expected to provide the essential information to the dominant financial institution on all their payments and, in cases where it is suitable, to organize their suspicious transaction reports.

On the other hand, taking into consideration the charitable essence of this assembly, the dominant financial institution possesses no authorized right to implement the examinations or to consent the hawaladars for nonfulfillment of its necessities. Despite the fact that the charitable registering procedure offers a confident and constructive beginning, the scheme requires to be formal, founded on the appropriate permissible influences for the dominant financial institution.

Despite the fact that there appears to be an indication of the preparedness of the internal governing established order to collaborate with internal and external corresponding items, their prevailing regulations are soundless towards the instruments and protections that are essential for ensuring the operative and correct argument towards the personal material. The establishment of such permissible entrances would be a significant progression.

These exist with respect to the DFSA, which has entered into a number of bilateral Memorandum of Understanding, and is also a signatory to the International Organization of Securities Commissioners Multilateral MOU (International Monetary Fund 8). While the establishments are certain that most Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions are seized by the necessities of the Anti-Money Laundering commandment, there are just about no precise necessities in position in connection to any groups of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions in either the internal segment or the profitable free precincts, among which about thirty have been generated all the way through the United Arab Emirates.

Without a doubt, a lot of the Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions are not conscious that they appear to be subject to the requirements of the Anti-Money Laundering commandment.

Works Cited

Hamrani, Khalid 2014, UAE Enhances Battle against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism. Web.

International Monetary Fund 2008, United Arab Emirates: Detailed Assessment Report on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. Web.

International Monetary Fund and the World Bank 2003, Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. Web.

Acts of terrorism pose an immense threat to the security of any nation. In most cases, terrorism is a weapon used by errant individuals or groups against the mainstream authorities. Unlike other forms of terrorism, domestic terrorism entails terrorism against fellow citizens, in a given nation. A more outright definition of domestic terrorism is that it is the unlawful use of force or violence committed by a group of two or more individuals against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives (Bohn 45). Under the provisions of the US PATRIOT act, acts of domestic terrorism entail dangerous acts that pose a threat to human life and amount to a violation of various criminal laws of the US and/or of any other state within the US. Such acts include acts intended to coerce the public, engineered to intimidate or influence certain policies within the government of the United States, as well as those intended to influence the behavior of the government; for instance, acts of assassination, kidnappings, and even mass destruction. All these acts amount to domestic terrorism and they must occur within the territorial boundaries of the U.S to pass for domestic terrorism. Therefore, based on the study of trends of domestic terrorism, this paper seeks to predict the challenges associated with domestic terrorism in the coming years. It also discusses the forms of the profiling that have been used to combat international terrorism.

Unlike its allies, the United States has not experienced immense threats to its domestic security, until recently. Essentially, as Laqueur notes, The United States moved into the 21st century as a preeminent global power in a period of tremendous flux within societies, amongst nations, and across states and regions (7). Indeed, typical examples of domestic terrorism such as the 1910 Los Angeles bombings, the 1920 Wall Street bombings, the 1927 Bath, Michigan bombings, the Unabomber attack, and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings among others, exemplify the trends in which domestic terrorism takes place. Through consideration of the modern age nature of terrorism, all these examples refocus the US sense of its security within its borders. However, acts of terrorism, within the US borders, get sophisticated as times go by. In this context, it is therefore apparent that, by considering the trends of domestic terrorism, it is likely that the measures to curtail them will indeed encounter a myriad of challenges.

As a way of prediction, strategies to deal with domestic terrorism are likely to be hampered by the fact that, the methodologies of execution of terrorist acts are not static, but evolving. What this means is that the strategies likely to be deployed in the future to curb domestic terrorism are arguably formulated with the current perception of methodologies of execution of terrorist acts. In fact, the process of planning and execution of terrorist acts is normally concealed from the public eye (Muraskin and Roberts 67). Additionally, the trends of domestic terrorism make it apparent that terrorists look for innovative methods of executing their intentions, which would escape the surveillance of the security enforcers. It is until after the acts are executed, often after having infringed suffering to the public, that strategies to prevent the occurrence of terrorism acts executed by similar methodology are taken. The challenge of strategies to curb domestic terrorism in the future rests in the appreciation of the argument that the future domestic terrorist attacks are likely to take new formats, which are widely unknown in the present so specific and appropriate strategies to prevent their execution can be engineered in the present.

Some forms of violence, which evolve into acts of domestic terrorism, as defined by the US PATRIOT act, are indeed highly unpredictable in terms of when they would occur so that strategies can be formulated to confront the challenge before occurring. As a way of example, security of self-identity has emerged to constitute a crucial debate in the enormous number of settings. Despite the fact that it is not necessary to accept the argument that the global clash of cultures may surface as mechanisms of emergence of new forms of domestic terrorism, cultural identity perceptions incredibly shape the relationships existing amongst varying regions and societies living in the era of post-cold war. The challenges in the formulation of future ways of handling domestic terrorism, consequently, face challenges especially in the context of the argument that violent reactions can arise when identities are under siege, sometimes in the form of terrorism (Bohn 69). This argument makes sense even more in considering typical world examples of probabilities of the ability of different cultural identities to truncate into some new formats of domestic terrorism. Such examples include identity wars experienced in Kashmir and the Kurdish region in the southern part of Turkey and the Uighur region of southern china amongst other places in the world. Chances also exist that, in the future, reactions against cultural assimilations may emerge and take a form of cultural imperialism. While it is widely uncertain whether such an incident would occur, in case of its occurrence, it is anticipated that such a reaction might amount to a breach of the situations likely to amount to domestic terrorism, as postulated by PATRIOT act provisions. In the words of Laqueur, the criticism of the emergence of cultural imperialism is aimed at the United States with its overwhelming role as a purveyor of international tastes and information (43). Thinking from this line, this trend has a net repercussion of hiking attempts to expose various institutions that are engaged in all sorts of interactive activities (bureaucracies of the European Union, communication and entertainment firms of the US, and even regional organizations) to probabilities of exposure to domestic terrorism.

In the US, various forms of profiling have been used to combat international terrorism. Terrorism profiling is based on the principles of ethical intelligence on red flags or alternatively warning signs of terrorism attacks coupled with past patterns characteristic of known behaviors and attack scenarios. In the effort to carry out terrorism profiling, the information garnered from captured and killed terrorists play pivotal roles. Indeed, substantive intelligence is the heart of a magnificent terrorist profiling strategy, as it eliminates noise from the cloud of noises and signals. Indicators and warnings act as subtle sources of information for legitimate intelligence, which in turn serves as an essential tool in the formulation of strategies for various forms of racial profiling. Indicators are discrete events or a series of events that are most suspicious, and warnings are indicators which reach a critical mass and signal, and the imminent threat looms (Khalsa 41). Arguably, when indicators end up being patterned and sequential, they constitute precursor events resembling patterns termed as modus operandi in criminology. Terrorism profiling extends beyond combining warnings and indicators while attempting to access threats to include estimation of imminent threats. However, as Khalsa reckons, terrorist profiling runs the risk of being biased because it is willing to add non-behavioral, merely-suspicious factors: race, religion, ethnic origin, and political affiliation (69). One of the forms of terrorism profiling that attracts concerns of biasness is racial profiling.

Perhaps by considering the September 11 attacks, racial terrorist profiling is not only widely acceptable but also necessary. All the males linked to plotting the attacks were of Arab origin. In fact, proponents of racial profiling contend that the attacks that saw many people lose their lives that resulted in plunging the American economy into turmoil could have been avoided simply by permitting the law enforcers and security personnel in the American airlines to conduct an intensive search to all clients based on ethnicity and nationality. This argument implies that the American government may fail to fight international terrorism proactively from the dimension of racial neutrality. The fight against international terrorism would fail, as a result, to yield fruits without the incorporation of perspectives of race, nationality and region among other forms of profiling. Racial, nationality and religious profiling represent what can be termed as some of the most fearsome forms of institutionalized discrimination that is converse to what the American constitution advocates (Muraskin and Roberts 19). Nevertheless, it is still also relevant to question whether it is still necessary to subject all American people entering hotels, airlines, and even leading institutions to the same magnitudes of scrutiny while only a small group fits in the suspicious group category: a group having the highest probability of being linked to terrorism.

Conclusively, terrorism acts pose an enormous threat to the national security of any nation. Compared to many other forms of terrorism, this paper held that domestic terrorism is an execution made by a nations people against their fellow citizens. Upon considering the trends of domestic terrorism, the paper predicts that future strategies to handle domestic terrorism are likely to be subjected to an immense number of challenges largely instigated by the unpredictability of the methods of execution of terrorist acts within any nations territorial boundaries.

Works Cited

Bohn, Michael. The Achille Lauro Hijacking: Lessons in the Politics and Prejudice of Terrorism. New Jersey: Brasseys Inc, 2004. Print.

Khalsa, Stephen. Forecasting Terrorism: Indicators and Proven Analytic Techniques. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. Print.

Laqueur, Walter. Once More with Feeling. Journal of Contemporary History 3.1(1996): 547. Print.

Muraskin, Roslyn, and Albert Roberts. Visions for Change: Crime and Justice in the Twenty-First Century. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008. Print.

Terrorism is an act whereby an individual or any form of organization uses force or intimidation threats for political purposes. Terrorism poses a great danger to any countrys security and it is the responsibility of any government to provide security to its citizens. Security is of paramount importance if a country is to have a peaceful and harmonious economic development.

Terrorism can take up various forms, which according to the united states task force on disorders and terrorism include the following: state terrorism, limited political terrorism, civil disorder, political terrorism, quasi terrorism and non-political terrorism. However, these are not the only forms of terrorism. Many scholars have been able to come up with different forms of terrorism.

Security in any country will guarantee foreign investors as well as local investors security for their property hence, leading to increase in investment. Terrorism has become a world security threat and dealing with it has also proved to be a hectic and daunting task. Terrorism is a bad act and demeans the fundamental right of human beings to life. Terrorism can be either domestic terrorism or coming from foreign countries. The United States has been one of the most targeted countries by terrorists and various leaders have had various mechanisms put in place to counteract the terrorists activities and those supporting terrorists activities.

This paper will critically analyze Jefferson verses Hamiltonian forms of national security and the impact on modern American and the protection from terrorism.

Thomas Jefferson role in drafting national security policies

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743 and died on July 4, 1826 at the age of 83 years. He studied law at the William and Mary College. He was the third president of the United States of America in the period between 1801 and 1809. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom in the year 1777 as well as the author of the famous United States Declaration of independence in the year 1776. He succeeded Patrick Henry as the governor of California in the year 1779. In 1819, Thomas Jefferson is credited with the founding of the University of Virginia in the year 1810.

Before being elected as the third president of the United States of America, Jefferson had held some key positions in the government. He represented the Virginia state while serving in the continental congress. He later became the governor of the Virginia state before becoming the United States minister to France. Thomas Jefferson was the first United States secretary of states in the year 1790  1793. During his tenure as the president of the United States of America, He set forth to explore the west which led him to acquiring the Louisiana Territory form France in the year 1803. Thomas Jefferson allowed slavery and slave trade in the Louisiana Territory which later was to be a source of a major crisis. Thomas Jefferson served as the president of the United States of America for two terms before retiring. Jefferson is largely remembered through his policies and the Jeffersonian democracy, which he always advocated for.

During Jefferson tenure, the United States was in constant wrangles with Britain. Jefferson disliked Britain and had less confidence in Britain, stating it as a major threat to the United States of America. With his hated of other nations especially those nations from the west, he imposed stringent laws that disassociated America from doing trade with those countries. This had a detrimental and a retrogressive impact on the economy of the United States.

Jefferson is highly credited with the advent of Jefferson democracy, which was based on various values that had an impact on the United States National security. Initially, Jefferson ideologies were perceived to be of paramount impact but later on as some challenges emerged; they were seen as obsolete and detrimental to the countries security. For example, in 1812, the United States was faced with a problem of fighting the 1812 war with a weak government and a defense unit that was not able and was not willing to travel outside their country. Jefferson embargo on imports and exports created a weak economy that could not sustain itself and as a result, the government took some bonds during the 1812 war to fund the war.

Jefferson values and policies centered on the citizens of the United States of America. He believed in republicanism and that citizens had a duty to help the state resist aristocratic forms of governance. He believed that the bill of rights was the supreme law to be followed and that the constitution was just a smoke screen to perpetuate the British rule of governance. He argued that the central government was no sufficient and competent to be left with the noble duty of protecting the citizens and the security of the nation. Jefferson proposed that the citizens of America were supposed be given the freedom of speech and the press be given its freedom. In so doing, the country would achieve a state of democracy and freedom, which is a fundamental ingredient towards peace and stability.

Jefferson proposed that America has a duty of spreading the Empire of liberty to the rest of the world and avoid the entangling alliances. This ideology was not well received by other nations. It was perceived as an indirect rule by the United States simply because they were advancing tier ideologies and dogmas worldwide. This move by Jefferson could be seen as a loop hole for advancing terrorists attacks. Later, nations that did not agree to the concept of the Empire of liberty would later plan and advance terrorists attacks to the United States of America.

Jefferson also believed that a standing and permanent army and navy were to be avoided simply because they were dangerous in advancing wars with the other nations. The militia was adequate and competent enough to protect the nation. This Jefferson notion was disapproved in 1812 when the militia group was unwilling to travel outside their country and fight Britain. This was a security policy that compromised the attack of the United States by terrorists. For any nation to be secure, its defense forces must be ready to protect the country and be prepared. This preparedness involves both financial and material preparedness which Jefferson saw as being of less importance.

Jefferson advocated for a weak federal government and strong local government, since the local government would govern the local citizens in a manner that could be embraced by the locals. He argued that the federal government would create a powerful aristocratic rule in the United States. Jefferson largely disagreed with the federalists who were advocating for a federal form of government. This disagreement could have had an impact on the ratification of the constitution since Jefferson had some people who were supporting the Jefferson ideologies. Later, Jefferson adopted the federalists ideas and eventually accepted and supported the ratification of the constitution.

This move by Jefferson was largely criticized by his supporters who termed him as an inconsistent leader who could not firmly stick to his principles. But this move by Thomas Jefferson had an impact on the adoption of the national security policies proposed by the federalists like Alexander Hamilton. The criticism was therefore not well grounded. The support of the constitution by Thomas Jefferson meant that the United States was going to adopt the security policies as proposed by Alexander Hamilton.

Jefferson also believed in free education to all American citizens. He knew the value of education and what impact it was going to have on the implementation and adoption national policies. Literacy among the citizens would guarantee sound judgment. Where there is lack of literacy, judgment is likely to be compromised. As a result, many American people were enlightened and could now on their own make sound judgments on any issues presented to them that affected national policy. This was later reflected in the way the constitution was ratified and the manner the first amendment was received by the citizens.

Contribution of Alexander Hamilton on national policies

Alexander Hamilton was born in January 11, 1755 and died in July 12, 1804. He was an economist, soldier and a political analyst. He served in various departments in the United States government. He was the first united of states secretary of the treasury during his tenure as the secretary of state. Hamilton is credited with formulating the economic policies of the George Washington administration. Hamilton is also credited with creating strong trade ties with the Britain and the establishment of a tariff system and a banking system. Hamilton was a federalist and through his hard work, he was able to create a platform that enabled the United States gain its financial as well as democracy.

Alexander Hamilton was one of the delegates that drafted the United States constitution. In drafting the constitution, Hamilton proposed a system of governance where power was concentrated at the federal government while less power is invested in the states. Through his persuasive and impressive essays and speeches, Hamilton pushed for the ratification of the constitution, which faced with some opposition from the anti- federalists. It was however, ratified.

Alexander Hamilton knew that the future of the United States largely depended on industry and business. In order for the United States government to achieve this, it had to have a powerful economic system. But, at that time, the economy of the United States was in a mess. After the British rule, the United States had of problems to face. First, it was faced with a lot of debts to pay yet they had no means of revenue generating. The government did not have funds to start and fund some major projects as well as money to fund the defense. Hamilton later on introduced the taxation policy or measure which could help the government pay off some of the war bonds.

In so doing, Alexander Hamilton ensured that the United States gained the economic supremacy and dependence it needed. Hamilton tax policies could be seen as a major boost in dealing with terrorism indirectly. Hamilton had helped the United States develop a sound monetary policy system. With economic stability, the United States invested more in industries, military investments which later guaranteed security to the nation.

In drafting the constitution, Hamilton proposed an independent judicial system that is void of the other three governments. He was of the idea that the judiciary was the vulnerable and the dangerous arm of the government since it did not handle the sword or control the purse. He argued that for a stable and secure government, the judiciary should be independent and the appointment of the judicial officers should be void of arbitrary removal and monetary threats. This will eventually create judicial firmness and independence which will eventually ensure impartial administration of laws by the judicial system. Hamilton proposed that an independent judicial system will ensure public security and justice.

Hamilton proposed judicial review in most of the national court in order to establish judicial independence. For any act of parliament to be put into effect, it had to conform to the supreme law which was the constitution. The judiciary is the arm of the government mandated to implement and interpret the supreme law, hence the stress on judicial importance. Hamilton argued that the role of the judiciary was to guard and protects the constitution. He also argued and developed a model that explained how the courts have a role in fighting against terrorism.

Hamilton argued that for peace to prevail in the United States of America, the citizens were to be free from any form of government tyranny. The only way to achieve this was through the checks and balances between the three arms of the government. He further stressed the need of having an independent judiciary which was the arm mandated with protecting the constitution. Hamilton based his arguments on the fact that the loyal American Citizens who had remained needed to be safe from any form of terrorists attack from outside and any oppression from the government.

Hamilton was of the opinion that the so powerful national government which was referred to as the congress if not well checked and given some power restriction then, it will serve as the source of tyranny to the citizens as well as promote terrorist activities. In his federalist papers, Hamilton basically was concerned with how the judiciary would function independently and how the rule of the law which was the constitution would maintain and restrict the congress from misusing its powers. The congress also had the power to declare war and also notify other countries on the same. Hamilton argued that if this power is not controlled, the congress will misuse the power and declare war where war is not due. In so doing, the country would be in a state of insecurity due to imminent attacks from other foreign countries.

The first act of terrorism in the United States occurred in the year 1622, when the Powtahan Americans attacked the Jamestown, killing almost 33% of the inhabitants. Terrorism does not only originate from foreign countries but also it can originate from within the state. An example of organized terrorism group in the United States was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), which started in 1867 with the aim of being non-violent social organization. It later deviated from its fundamental principles and turned into a violent group, intimidating and harassing white supporters of the republican and black voters. In drafting the national security policies, Hamilton noted that in order to stop these organized terrorist groups, there was a need to have an independent judiciary that will foster and administer justice to the citizens.

Hamilton contributed a lot to the implementation of national security policies and their implementation when the constitution was ratified, created a platform in the fight against terrorism as well as creating stability and peace within the United States of America. Hamilton stressed on the need to have unity and understanding among the various states. This eventually will guarantee peace and stability among the different states and hence ensure proper administration of justice. He saw the dangers that would be associated with states that are not united. Hamilton also proposed the restriction of the executive interference in the defense force. He was of the opinion that, if the executive was given the mandate to interfere with the operation of the military, then some presidents would misuse their powers, which will eventually put the country in a vulnerable state of war. He proposed that the powers of raising the army to be vested in the legislature which had to be a popular body in the representation of the people and not the executive.

Differences between the two presidential administrations on national security

The two presidential administrations had a lot of impact on the national security policies of the United States of America. Alexander Hamilton strategy towards national security was the democratic approach. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson approach towards maintaining a secure policy approach was that of direct approach. Thomas Jefferson used power and an order to deal with issues that compromised the national security. This was more of autocratic approach to national security issues.

Alexander Hamilton and his federal supporters had the following contribution towards the democratic adoption of national policies. The federalists created the United States of America constitution that created a foundation of the current United States democracy and security policies. The federalists, under Alexander Hamilton, created and instituted the United States first financial house in order. They introduced the taxation system that helped the United States achieve the financial freedom they needed. Financial freedom is paramount if any country has to achieve global influence on security matters. These can be replicated in the current dealings of the United States of America approach towards fighting war on terrorists. For example, the war in Afghanistan was made possible because the country was financially stable hence; the federalists establishment of a financial house has helped the government over the years fight terrorism.

The federalists approach towards maintaining peace and stability was a democratic approach. The federalists resolved diplomatic issues with other countries like England, Spain and France. The federalists also resolved to postpone armed conflicts until that time when the nation was going to be stronger.

This federal approach to peace has been replicated by subsequent United States of America presidents. Presently, the United States has been able to employ diplomatic ties in its effort to fight terrorism and any other form of practices that can promote terrorism and piracy. For example, the British army and other nations helped the United States of America fight terrorist activities in the Middle East, like the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Under the federal system of administration, the federalists were being faced with the major problems of piracy in the Mediterranean region. At that point, the United States signed an agreement with the French government, such that the United States vessels were to be protected by the French government. Under Presidents Washington tenure, many of his administrators including him were of the opinion that the pirates be paid ransom instead of fighting them back. This move was largely opposed by Jefferson.

Alexander Hamiltons idea of creating a unified state had a large impact on the way domestic terrorism was dealt with in the United States. There was a reduction in organized groups of terrorism because of the idea that was proposed by Hamilton of creating a unified state. In this manner, there was peace among states and the various states did not see the need of involving in terrorists activities in order to advance their interests.

On the other hand, the Jefferson administration approach towards the national security policy was that of directly dealing with the elements that threatened national security. For example, in dealing with the piracy in the Mediterranean, he decided to directly fight the pirates and eventually succeeded in defeating some of them to some extent. Jefferson opposed the move to pay ransom to the pirates and at the same time, made and signed agreements with the countries that supported the United States fight against terrorism. This policy has always been replicated in the current dealing of the United States in fighting and defeating terrorism and terrorists activities.

The United States has always embraced and supported those countries that fight terrorist activities and at the same time cutting off ties with those countries that support terrorist activities. This is a vital step towards terrorism. There are many countries that fight terrorism in the world and US offer them support. At the same time, the US highly condemns those countries that support terrorism or engage in terrorism attacks.

Jefferson viewed terrorism not only as the attacks from external forces but also from internal forces within. This is due to probable conspiracy of people from within and from without the country. Terrorism could therefore spring from either internal or external sources. He argued that if federalists were to continue and impose their beliefs on the people of America, then it is going to create an autocratic form of government that will terrorize the citizens. He viewed a tyrannical government as a source of terrorism. He forgot that by imposing the Embargo on exports and imports, he too was terrorizing the citizens.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both the Jefferson and Hamilton policies have largely contributed to the current manner in which the United States fights terrorism. After the terrorist attacks in the United States, the United States declared a relentless fight against any form of terrorism activities¹⁵. The main aim of the national security is to destroy any terrorist activities within and outside the United States. As stipulated by Hamilton and Jefferson, self defense was the key towards having a peaceful nation. The current national security is based upon the same principles of fostering the self defense of the United States of America.

The national security policy stipulates that the United States of America will use its economic powers to help weak countries and fight terrorism. It also asserts that the United States will assert its legitimacy of the government to create strong partnerships with other nations. This idea originated from the federalists policies of Alexander Hamilton.

The national security policy also asserts that the fight against terrorism and any forms of terrorists activities is going to largely depend on the strength of the people of the United States. The policy also notes that the fight against terrorism is a fight for fundamental freedom of the people of the united states of the united of America. This idea was largely borrowed from the Jefferson principles and policies. Jefferson was of the opinion that the people of the United States of America had rights to freedom.

Both Jefferson and Hamilton contributed a lot towards the current United States national security policies. Hamilton is credited with the drafting of the constitution of the United States of America, which formed the basis for creating the national security policies. On the other hand, Jefferson ideas of creating a democratic government that respects the interests of the diverse state largely contributed to the reduction of domestic terrorism in the country. Also, Jefferson ideas and policies of directly fighting the terrorist formed a great basis in formulating the national security policy. For example, the United States will always pursue and finish all the terrorists groups that threaten the countries security. This idea was largely borrowed from the Jeffersonian democracy.

From the above illustrations, both Jefferson and Hamilton played a great role in drafting of the national security policy. The current United States security policy largely borrows from the Jeffersonian democracy and the Hamilton federalism. But, the Alexander Hamilton ideas seem to have carried the day because most of his ideas towards having a peaceful and democratic government were adopted into the constitution and various policies implemented.

Bibliography

Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. London: Penguin, 2004.

Harmon, Christopher. Terrorism today. London: Routledge, 2008.

Hayes, Kelly. The road to Monticello: the life and mind of Thomas Jefferson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Hoffman, Dustin. Inside terrorism. Columbia: Columbia university press, 2006.

Lodge, David. Alexander Hamilton. Montana: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Harmon, White, Douglas. Terrorism and Homeland Security. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2011.

Wright, Rob. One nation under debt: Hamilton, Jefferson, and the history of What we owe. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008.

Introduction

The Afghan wars an example of the United States led war against terror campaign. The United States together with its allies invaded Afghanistan after the attacks of September 11 with the objectives of destroying the Al-Qaeda organization, ousting the Taliban regime and establishing a democratic Afghan state (President Bush Releases National Strategy for Combating Terrorism).

Al-Qaeda, a group based in Afghanistan and operated in alliance with the then ruling Taliban regime, was identified as the one responsible for the attacks. The United States demanded the arrest of Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda leader, from the Taliban government but the latter would not do so without hard evidences (Vogt).

This started the military mobilization and attacks of the United States and its allies on October 7, 2001 (Wintour, Ahmed, Vulliamy and Taylor) until the Taliban regime was abolished and the democratic Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established. The United States should continue their military presence in Afghanistan because Taliban-led uprisings against the young democratic government continue to increase (nato.int).

Although the US war in Afghanistan has lasted a decade already and is still continues as we speak, the United States of America together with its allies should still persist because the Afghan government needs their help in stabilizing the young democratic regime of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan amidst threats of Taliban forces and also the presence of democratic powers also helps in the improvement of human rights conditions of country.

Pro: Argument in Continuing the War

After weeks of massive military bombing and fighting, the Taliban government was ousted from authority in Kabul and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a democratic regime, was established under the leadership of Hamid Karzai but it did not take long for Taliban forces to start turmoil by leading revolutionary campaigns against the democratic government (Gall).

Afghan civilians were the prominent targets of terrorist attacks in Taliban-led insurgent activities. The United Nations reported that about 85% of civilian casualties in Afghanistan were caused by Taliban groups (Michaels).

Amnesty International pointed out that Taliban activities such as the murdering of teachers, kidnapping aid workers and setting fire on school buildings are considered war crimes. About 735 civilians were killed in 2006 alone by Taliban bombs carried out by suicide attackers or planted along roads (Taliban attack civilians to spread fear: Amnesty).

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIGRC) agrees with the Amnesty International in considering Taliban terrorism against Afghan civilian populations as war crimes while Islamic religious leaders condemned Taliban terrorist attacks referring to them as malpractices of Islamic ethics (AIHRC Calls Civilian Deaths War Crime). US military presence is highly significant in the stabilization of democracy in Afghanistan.

The growing number of insurgent activities of Taliban-led groups post as threats to the current democratic government which have inferior military strength compared to those of the Taliban. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistans military force is still very young in terms of military training and weaponry thus US forces help protect the democratic regime of the country by serving as its armed division against Taliban aggressions.

The continuous presence of the US army defends the young governments existence by protecting it from Taliban-led activities that may cost the fall out of the government. The intervention of the United States government greatly contributed to the new Afghan governments construction of democratic policies and structures which improved the countrys political, social and economic sectors such as in the flied of health, education, transportation, agriculture and construction.

With close association of Afghanistan to the United States, its government would greatly improve in its democratic process and friendship will be nourished thus improving its foreign policies and relations which may attract more aid and even investors once turmoil in the country is settled.

According to the Human Rights Watch, there have been multiple abuses and violations of human rights in Afghanistan with the resurgence of Taliban forces which threatens the safety and welfare of Afghan citizens (Incitement of Violence against Hazaras by Governor Niazi).

Human rights abuses and violations against women in Afghanistan were prominent during the Taliban regime from September 1996 until 2001 when the US attacked the country (Hayes, Brunner and Rowen).

In a report published by the United Nations, the Taliban government conducted about 15 regular massacres in 1996 to 2001 against civilians when they were trying to secure control over the northern and western parts of Afghanistan especially targeting people whose religious beliefs are that of Shia or people of Hazara ethic background (Afghanistan: Situation in, or around, Aqcha (Jawzjan province) including predominant tribal. Ethnic group and who is currently in control).

In 1998 when Mazar-i-Sharif was invaded and captured by the Taliban, about 4,000 civilians were executed and tortured with the help of Arab and Pakistani troops in the mass-killings of Afghan civilians where many were skinned (Afghanistan: Bush, Karzai, Musharraf Must Act Now to Stop Militant Abuses).

Another concern is the violation of Afghan women and girls human rights were the victims suffer from physical and sexual violence, discrimination in the society and little or no access to justice and education (Afghanistan: Bush, Karzai, Musharraf Must Act Now to Stop Militant Abuses).

According to UNICEF, about 80% of the female population lack contact to educational centers with only 10% of the population is literate. Afghan civilians were used by the Taliban as human shield in their conflicts with the US and NATO. In 2009 when NATO air strikes in Farah, around 150 civilians were forced into buildings to be targets. According to US Lieutenant Colonel Greg Julian on Talibans tactics, This was a deliberate plan by the Taliban to create a civilian casualty crisis.

These were not human shields; these were human sacrifices. We have intelligence that points to this (Gertz). Taliban power brings about human rights threats to civilians (Afghanistan: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices). The United States must continue to fight the war in Afghanistan to eradicate the growing Taliban power so that the current democratic government will persist.

With democratic background, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will be a supporter of human rights, serving for the people in looking after the civilians safety and well-being and with its alliance with democratic powers it will continue to promote human rights in the country of Afghanistan.

Con: Costs and Criticism

The war in Afghanistan was first initiated by President George Bush on the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks but it was continued by his successor President Barack Obama. In 2009 President Obama supported the war in that he announced to deploy an additional of 30,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan but he scheduled a withdraw date for the year 2014 considering the toll the war had brought about to the United States (Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases).

The cost of war has been a major factor of debate among the US congress. The US Defense Departments expenditure increased by 50% from $4.4 billion to $6.7 billion a month with troop strength also increasing from 44,000 to 84,000 and by 2011 it is expected to grow by 102,000, also operational costs in 2010 alone is almost as big as the spending from 2001 to 2006 combined at $93.8 billion and in 2011 the anticipated cost is expected to reach $468 billion in total (Cooper).

Cost of war including military operations, security, reconstruction, air, embassy costs and war veterans healthcare from 2001 to 2011 is estimated to reach $1.283 trillion. Studies show that if the military budget for 2012 would be approved, around $1.415 trillion will be spent on the war alone and if the number of men deployed will be decreased to 45,000 by 2015 until 2021, the total expenditure would amount to $1.8 trillion in the 20 years the US has fought in the war against terror on Afghanistan alone (Wihbey).

The cost of war is too much for the US economy. War debt from World War II has greatly affected the economy in that generations still continue to pay the bill. Also with the large amount of money used in funding war against terror complications arise with the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy.

Relating to the Vietnam War which resulted in the Great Inflation of the 19702 and early 1980s because defence and social program spending increased which put pressure for the demands of goods and services while monetary policy became accommodative, the current spending on the Afghan war must require monetary policy makers to carefully analyze such actions to avoid increasing inflation rates (Poole).

The initiation of the United States in invading Iraq in October 7, 2001 has been controversial because of the debate whether the attack on September 11 was considered a war against a state or that against an organization. Critics maintain that with open-ended goals of the United States on War on Terror may give way to perpetual war because such grey area may produce unending conflicts with terrorist groups arising indefinitely (Richissin).

Also the inefficiency and difficulty in defining War on Terror lead to criticisms from a number of experts on security, public figures such as politicians and diverse organizations which claimed that it is counterproductive because of its consolidation of conflict to the United States government, helped terrorist organizations recruit and for some believed that it increased the likelihood of the United States and its allies of being attacked for it had bread hatred towards them. RAND Corporation conducted a study on eradicating terrorist groups and found out that

by far the most effective strategy against religious groups has been the use of local police and intelligence services, which were responsible for the end of 73 percent of terrorist groups since 1968. The US military should generally resist being drawn into combat operations in Muslim countries where its presence is likely to increase terrorist recruitment and by moving away from military references would indicate that there was no battlefield solution to countering terrorism (Jones).

Conclusion

The declaration of war against terror by the United States of America and its allies in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks had given rise to mix feelings from the international system and the public alike. The question on whether the US should continue its presence in the Afghanistan soil remains a controversial debate in global politics especially since it has already been a decade since US military presence existed.

Critics claim that cost of war, given that the withdrawal of US troops is still unknown, is too much for the US economy as the spending continues to grow. Although a democratic government was successfully established in 2001 when the Taliban regime, which supported Bin Ladens Al-Qaeda, was ousted, still threats of Taliban-led attacks continue to take place making the young regime instable.

The US military is needed in Afghanistan because it provides security in protecting the Afghan citizens from terrorist attacks and helps stabilize the present government. To withdraw military troops when things are not as stable as it seems may defeat the whole purpose and efforts of US troops for the past years if it would only result to the re-establishment of the Taliban government.

Also critics argue that the US government should leave the Afghan conflict to be resolved by the local government because such involvement breeds hatred towards the United States and allies increasing probability of attacks and only promotes recruitment among terrorist but evaluating the strength and capabilities of the present democratic government it can be concluded that the latter is too weak compared to the enemy thus it would be likely for it to be defeated.

The continuous presence of US troops in Afghan soil may help stabilize the present government and promote the importance of human rights because during the previous regime it was found out that massive violations of torture, rape and discrimination occurred. US involvement in the war against terror in Afghanistan should continue to persist until the present government will be stabilize. By doing such, the United States and its allies are making the international system safe for everyone to live, promoting freedom and security.

Works Cited

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Afghanistan: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. State.gov. US Department of State, 25 Feb. 2004. Web..

Afghanistan: Situation in, or around, Aqcha (Jawzjan province) including predominant tribal. Ethnic group and who is currently in control. Unhcr.org. UNHCR, 2011. Web..

AIHRC Calls Civilian Deaths War Crime. Tolonews.com., 13 Jan. 2011. Web..

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Taliban attack civilians to spread fear: Amnesty. web.archieve.org.,19 April. 2007. Web..

Vogt, H. NATO kills ex-Gitmo detainee in Afghanistan. News.yahoo.com. Yahoo! Inc., 3 Sept. 2011. Web..

Wihbey, J. Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan and Anti- Terrorism Operations. Journalistresource.org. n.p., 3 May 2011. Web..

Wintour, P., Ahmed, K., Vulliamy, E., and Traynor, I. Its time for war, Bush and Blair tell Taliban. Guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Medial Limited, 7 Oct. 2001. Web..

The war against Iraq by the US has come under a lot of criticism because of the effects it has subjected to the Iraqis and US citizens. The war started on March 2003 during the reign of President George Bush. It is said that the war was planned in early 2002. The war erupted in the name of combating terrorism, but it later turned out that terrorism was just a hidden reason to waste tax payers money.

Prior to the war, there were allegations that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destructions. Consequently, Saddam Hussein was thought to be collaborating with Al Qaeda to stage terror attacks against US. The UN recommended that Iraq be investigated to find out whether these accusations were true, and indeed there was no evidence to support these accusations (Galbraith 34).

It seems there was bad relationship between Saddam Hussein and the then US president George W. Bush because no one expected him to rage war against Iraq after the UN had confirmed that there were no such weapons in Iraq.

It is certain that president Bush was completing the war that his father had started back in 1991. Besides, the action of the US and Britain to go against the will of UN revealed that the two countries are dominant over the body and one is left to wonder what would have happened if the violation was done by a third world country.

To the ordinary citizens of US, the war was not necessary because it was already costing them millions of money. In addition, there was nothing to be gained from the war apart from inflation because the government was directing most of its funds towards the war. In fact, the invasion made the situation in Iraq to worsen and most people felt that Iraq should have been left to solve its own domestic problems.

To the Americans, the war was unexpected, considering that the national debt has continued to rise to several trillions over the years and yet the money is not being put into good use.

Schell argues that the US war in Iraq caused many innocent people to die. It is not only the Iraqis who died, but also the US military officers (1). This outcome did not mean anything to President Bush because his main objective was to get rid of Saddam Hussein; in fact, the September eleventh attacks gave him a good reason to attack Iraq.

It is true that the people of Iraq were suffering because of the evils committed by their political leader, but even so no one should have died. Bushs administration thought that by removing Saddam from power they would solve the problems of Iraq.

The outcome was completely opposite because the ethnic communities started to fight each other in an unprecedented scale  women were raped along with their children. The fighting resulted in a humanitarian crisis because the health care providers were overwhelmed by the increased number of patients.

Initially, both the Sunni and the Shiite Muslims were attacking US military, but later on they started to fight amongst themselves. President Bush then requested the military to hang on for some time until the situation became calm. This was just an excuse of exercising control over Iraq. The outcomes of the war suggest that US had not prepared to handle the consequences that would follow after the attack. There was no need of starting a mission that could not be finished.

In this regard, the US should have considered using other approaches in solving the problems in Iraq. This is because the use of force led to destruction of infrastructure and private properties. It cost US a lot of money to rebuild the damaged facilities which was expressed by many as wastage of money that would have been put into good use.

This is because there are so many problems in the US and the citizens expected the government to give its own citizens the first priority instead of focusing on other peoples problems. For instance, by the time the invasion was taking place the rate of unemployment in the US was still high and the nine billion should have been used to help such people to start their own businesses, which in future would increase government revenue through tax collection.

From a legal perspective, the US had no right to attack Iraq and thus if the legal procedures were followed the US could be sued at the international court and a hefty fine would then be imposed. The invasion further interfered with economic activities such as the sale of oil products, which forms the back borne of Iraqs economy.

This in itself created an impression that the US oppresses developing nations and is selfish because it is only concerned about safeguarding its own interests. This attitude has destroyed the relationship between Islamic nations in the Middle East and the Americans. This is because the invasion was expressed as an attack against Muslims and the Americans too think that all Muslims are terrorists (Galbraith 20).

The attack on Iraq was therefore biased because terrorists are in many parts of the world and if indeed Bush was committed towards ending terrorism, he would have commissioned the apprehension of terrorists in other parts of the world.

Walter reckons that the idea of withdrawing military presence from Iraq should have been implemented earlier instead of waiting until when the situation has worsened (1). The American people do not deserve to face the economic hardships they experienced in the name of fighting terrorism because when they pay taxes to the government they expect that money to be incorporated into the states development projects.

In essence, were it not for the congress, the war on Iraq would not have ended. Prior to the invasion, the US was warned against carrying out the attack, but Bush and his allies chose to ignore that counsel. Most people blame the congress for not preventing the attack because Bush could not have proceeded without authority from the congress.

Bushs administration was certain that it could restructure Iraq once the invasion was over and they did not think that the cost could accumulate to several billions. Furthermore, they expected full backing from the citizens of Iraq, but this was not the case because the civilians became hostile to USs presence.

One thing that Bushs administration did not know is that even if the US is powerful it cannot assume the role of a global policeman, and doing so will cause it to fail in other essential areas. For instance, the rate of crime in US is still high and the government should have given such an issue the first priority because when terrorists prepare to launch attacks they collaborate with local criminals.

The war on terrorism would have been won if only the government would have considered preparing USs security agents to handle terror attacks. This would have cost less money compared to the huge amounts that was spent in Iraq. Likewise, as the US concentrated on Iraq, terrorist groups in other parts of the world were still executing their plans.

The US invasion on Iraq was meant to exhibit the abilities of the government in fighting terrorism, but contrary to the governments expectations, the invasion unveiled the incompetence of the US intelligence because all its allegations turned out to be lies. In addition, the invasion failed to bring democracy in Iraq because the continued invasion caused the Iraqis to be split along their ethnic lines.

Thus, the invasion on Iraq has tainted the USs integrity because in as much as it claimed its main objective was to bring democracy in Iraq by the year 2008, its focus had shifted to helping the Iraqis fight amongst themselves. This created an impression that US leads double standards because if the presence of US military was meant to restore peace it should have maintained a neutral stand without taking sides.

In light of this, the predecessors of President Bush, including Barrack Obama have a long way in restoring back the respect that was once accorded to the US. Bush was misguided into thinking that power is determined by military abilities. This is wrong because for the world to respect someone they consider how he/she make decisions and how he/she interacts with the rest of the world.

Actually, the first challenge that president Obama encountered entailed recalling the military from Iraq. The failure in Iraqs attack is owed to the politicking that was allowed to take center-stage because if Bushs administration would have analyzed the positive and the negative side, the government would have identified early indicators of failure and thus, take an affirmative action.

Perhaps, on May 2, 2011, Obama made a leap in the war against terror by announcing the killing of al-Quada leader, Osama bin Laden. However, such developments still raise questions on the possibility of succeeding in war against terror; it is apparent that people around the world, particularly the US are more threatened than before.

In conclusion, the government should consider removing the intelligence officers who misguided the government so that such a mistake does not recur again in future. It is recommended that the government should analyze criticisms because even though it is not what we want to hear it helps us to identify the faults in our decisions.

Therefore, the war on Iraq is not worth the money the US spends yearly. Future presidents should not be allowed to use their influence to solve their personal flaws with other people at the expense of their subjects. The US government should stay away from other countries affairs and let them solve their own problems because if it focuses on other countries problems when will it solve its own problems.

Works Cited

Galbraith, Peter. Unintended Consequences: How War in Iraq Strengthened Americas Enemies. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. Print.

Schell, Jonathan. Why we Must Leave Iraq. 23 Sept. 2004. Web.

Walter, Pincus. Violence in Iraq called increasingly complex. Washington Post.17 Nov. 2006. Web.