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October/November 2007                                                                                            Volume 13 - Number 1/2

Perspectives...

Perspective on Safety from Terror
By Kevin J Mahoney

Mainstream media stories regularly question whether the United States is doing enough to combat terrorism.  One of the great freedoms in this country is our right to question the Government, and this press coverage helps keep our elected officials on track.  In fairness, however, it is important to view our situation from the World perspective:
The National Counterterrorism Center Report on Terrorist Incidents- 2006 states that there were approximately 14,000 terrorist attacks world-wide in 2006.  Of that number, 7,350 occurred in Iraq or Afghanistan.  58,000 individuals worldwide were either killed or injured by terrorist attacks.   By comparison, the United States had five incidents of terrorism in 2006, with 9 injuries and no fatalities. These included attacks by the Animal Liberation Front, the Earth Liberation Front, a lone pro-life activist, an unknown and unsuccessful package bomber, and one disgruntled Muslim who injured nine people with his car in Chapel Hill North Carolina.  The definition of terrorism used to compile these statistics is found in 22 USC. § 2656f(d)(2) which defines terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents."

Given this perspective, it appears that our Country has been largely successful in deterring or defeating terrorist attacks on our soil.  We cannot eliminate this risk of terrorism entirely, and to attempt to do so would mean limiting most of the freedoms we pride ourselves in.  There are three major factors that contribute to our relative security at home:  The increased co-ordination of our national law enforcement and intelligence assets; a proactive approach of engaging overseas governments where terrorists can train and plan; and the determination of the American people to continue their way of life without being paralyzed by fear.

Prior to 9/11, sharing of information, threats, and intelligence between many of our Federal, State and Local Agencies was greatly hindered by parochialism and competition.  An example of cooperation that has developed since 9/11 is the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE).  Maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center, TIDE provides a centralized list of known or suspected terrorists for use and action by the combined intelligence and law enforcement community.  While no system is perfect, TIDE is an example of the benefits of combining our resources to meet the common goal of preventing attacks.

Another development in combating terrorism has been the effort to reduce potential training grounds for terrorists.  This involves a national focus on ungoverned territories—a traditional breeding ground for extremist and terrorists.   An example of this is the recent creation of Africa Command- a regional combatant command headquarters focused on assisting 53 African governments in promoting security and stability within their governments.  Promoting security in the ungoverned territories makes our country more secure by reducing the number of safe havens.

Possibly the most important success against terrorism, however, is the resilience and determination of the American people to maintain their way of life.  While tragic, loss of life is only a part of a terrorist’s goal.  The larger goal is to create fear and mistrust, to influence the way we live our lives.  Americans are more aware of risk now, and there is an increased level of alertness and preparation.  But instead of paralyzing the Nation with fear, the attacks of 9/11 made Americans even more determined to recognize and practice our freedoms.  

There are many vulnerabilities to terror in our country.  The borders are porous, the ports are vulnerable, and there will most certainly be more terrorist attacks.  But with an increased awareness of the risks and a resolve to live freely, I am comfortable in the belief that I live in the safest place on earth.