Enhancing U S Partnerships In Countering Transnational Terrorism

Enhancing U.S. partnerships in countering transnational terrorism.

Women can make a unique and valuable contribution to countering terrorism and violent extremism. Their participation in the wider fight against terrorism and violent extremism is essential. This is why NATO continues to encourage its allies and partners to engage more systematically on the nexus between gender and counter terrorism. This book presents edited contributions presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) Enhancing Women’s Roles in International Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Efforts, held in Madrid, Spain, from 19 – 21 March 2018, organized by Hedayah and the Fundación para el Análisis y los Estudios Sociales (FAES). The workshop was aimed at building on existing good practice and recommendations from the fields of countering violent extremism (CVE) and women, peace and security (WPS), recognizing that while many women facilitate acts of terrorism, willingly support terrorist groups and perform terrorist acts, they can also play a key role in preventing the violent extremism. The fight against terrorism requires a whole-society approach in which women’s participation is essential. Contributors to this volume explore the extent to which terrorism and violent extremism are gendered activities. They also discuss the importance of women’s social and political participation in helping to counter acts of terror and violence. Evidence-based research is used to identify how women can be empowered to enhance the fight against terrorism, and to identify opportunities for substantive, meaningful roles across a wide spectrum of counter terrorism activities. Given current and emerging threats, the book focuses in particular on NATO countries & partners in the Middle East and North Africa, and will be of particular interest to all those involved with security and gender issues.

"According to the 9/11 Commission, constraining the mobility of terrorists is one of the most effective weapons in fighting terrorism.This report (1) describes key gaps the U.S. government has identified in foreign countries' capacity to prevent terrorist travel overseas, (2) evaluates how U.S. capacity-building efforts address those gaps, and (3) assesses the extent to which the U.S. government is measuring progress in its efforts to close those gaps.To identify the key gaps, GAO reviewed governmentwide assessments of vulnerabilities in the international travel system. GAO reviewed the strategies and documentation of U.S. agencies funding and/or implementing foreign capacity-building efforts to prevent terrorist travel overseas, including those of the Departments of State (State)-which coordinates U.S. efforts overseas-Defense (DOD), Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). GAO also interviewed officials from the National Security Staff, of the National Security Council (NSC), which oversees counterterrorism policy. GAO met with these agencies and conducted field work in Kenya, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand. GAO recommends that (1) State develop a mechanism to improve coordination of various agencies' efforts to provide fraudulent travel document training to foreign partners, and (2) NSC develop a mechanism to measure, track, and report on overall progress toward the goal..."

"Together we must affirm that domestic terrorism has no place in our society." -President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism (June 2021) National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism (June 2021) conveys the Biden Administration's view of domestic terrorism and strategy on how to deal with it. What is domestic terrorism? As defined by this report, it is based on a range of violent ideological motivations, including racial bigotry and anti-government feeling, and it can take several forms, from lone actors and small groups to violent militias.

"Published in cooperation with NATO Emerging Security Challenges Division"--T.p.

Vulnerabilities abound in U.S. society. The openness and efficiency of our key infrastructures â€" transportation, information and telecommunications systems, health systems, the electric power grid, emergency response units, food and water supplies, and others â€" make them susceptible to terrorist attacks. Making the Nation Safer discusses technical approaches to mitigating these vulnerabilities. A broad range of topics are covered in this book, including: Nuclear and radiological threats, such as improvised nuclear devices and "dirty bombs;" Bioterrorism, medical research, agricultural systems and public health; Toxic chemicals and explosive materials; Information technology, such as communications systems, data management, cyber attacks, and identification and authentication systems; Energy systems, such as the electrical power grid and oil and natural gas systems; Transportation systems; Cities and fixed infrastructures, such as buildings, emergency operations centers, and tunnels; The response of people to terrorism, such as how quality of life and morale of the population can be a target of terrorists and how people respond to terrorist attacks; and Linked infrastructures, i.e. the vulnerabilities that result from the interdependencies of key systems. In each of these areas, there are recommendations on how to immediately apply existing knowledge and technology to make the nation safer and on starting research and development programs that could produce innovations that will strengthen key systems and protect us against future threats. The book also discusses issues affecting the government's ability to carry out the necessary science and engineering programs and the important role of industry, universities, and states, counties, and cities in homeland security efforts. A long term commitment to homeland security is necessary to make the nation safer, and this book lays out a roadmap of how science and engineering can assist in countering terrorism.

DoD's combatant commands, such as U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), play key roles in interagency collaboration. Both aim to build partner nation capacity and perform humanitarian assistance, while standing ready to perform military operations. SOUTHCOM supports U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the Americas and Caribbean in disrupting illicit trafficking and narco-terrorism. As DoD's newest command, AFRICOM works with U.S. diplomacy and development agencies on activities such as maritime security and pandemic response efforts. This testimony provides observations from ongoing work on U.S. counter-piracy efforts by focusing on 3 key areas essential for interagency collaboration.