Counter-Terrorism Program
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism: This seminar focuses on the philosophical, political, and religious roots of terrorist activity and discusses the national, regional, and global effects of past and recent acts of terrorism. Unique threats from suicide bombers, weapons of mass destruction, narco-terrorism, cyber-terrorism, genomic terrorism, and agro-terrorism are also addressed. Students completing the course will gain a substantive understanding of terrorism and counterterrorism principles, will be able to articulate past, present, and future national and international responses to (and defenses against) terrorism, and will be better prepared to work in an interagency, multicultural counter-terrorism environment. The seminar may also cover psychological operations and terrorism, as well as cyber risk threats and counter-threats.
Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism: This module explores the specific threat of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons and terrorism. Students are introduced to key terms, shown how new forms of terrorism affect the post-9/11 security environment, and how weapons of mass destruction (WMD) could give terrorists short-term, asymmetric attack advantages over conventional military forces. Participants address important strategic and policy debates, review characteristics of different types of WMD, and analyze case studies that link theory to practice. In addition, students review past and present international responses to CBRN proliferation, assess future WMD threats, and identify best practices and lessons learned to create future strategies.
Homeland Security and Terrorism: This seminar addresses the problems and solutions of maintaining openness and freedom in American society while at the same time providing protection against future terrorist incidents. Students discuss relevant issues ranging from the changing relationships and responsibilities of government, industry, and private citizens to strategies for minimizing tensions between establishing defensive measures and the financial and societal costs of those matters. This course may also cover aspects of public-private partnerships in critical infrastructure protection and comparative case studies of foreign homeland defense programs.
Transnational Crime and its Links to Terrorism: The weak states in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Southeastern Europe are traversed by routes commonly used by both terrorists and organized criminal groups. The nexus among drug, human and weapons traffickers and terrorists both challenge and create opportunities for US and allied security forces. While these weak states are geographically far removed from the United States, the activities of terrorists and criminals working and moving through their boundaries have ramifications that extend to the United States and its allies. In short, they are transnational threats both in origin and scope of operation, making it imperative that U.S. officials lead the effort in fighting the transnational terror-crime that exists in these regions. This seminar will inform U.S. policymakers of the implications of the trans-regional terror-crime nexus, and help them create focused, flexible, and implementable measures to combat transnational crime and terror.
Human Security and Terrorism: Issues pertaining to human security—resource scarcity, environmental disasters, civil conflict, and refugee crises—are potential catalysts for the creation, or expansion of terrorist groups, which can initially offer a sense of security, community, and provision in dire situations but actually offer a dangerous, radicalized alternative to the conditions fostered by humanitarian crises. This seminar will include case studies of terrorist groups that have exploited or benefited from humanitarian crises, such as the Sri Lankan Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam; the Sudanese Janjaweed; the Lebanese Hizbollah; the Palestinian Hamas; various groups in Pakistan, Kashmir, and Indonesia (for example, the Pakistani Jamaat ul-Dawa, an affiliate of terrorist group Lakshkar-e Taiba); and al Qaeda and its affiliated movements in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The program also highlights current resource scarcity, conflict, and other human security situations that are unfolding and identifies policies to address these issues in order to predict and, hopefully, prevent terrorists from benefiting in these potentially dangerous situations.