Introduction
Terrorism has an enormous dependence on surprise. As a result, a terror attack has the massive potential of causing damages to an unprepared, as well as, unwitting target. It, therefore, follows that America through its agencies such as NCTC must take appropriate measures to avoid surprise attacks as the September eleventh one. For purposes of securing its homeland, setting up intelligence, as well as, warning systems which can detect terrorist activities before their manifestation has been instrumental towards curtailing the attacks in the United States. In essence, the discussion below will center on NCTC and ways of mitigating the terror threats in relation to the case study that has been presented.
The NCTC derives its powers mainly from the Unlawful Activities Act that was promulgated into the law in 1967. It forms part of the larger intelligence bureau being headed by a director who reports to the Home Secretary. The functions of NCTC comprise of executing counter-terror operations, collecting, collating and the dissemination of data based on terrorism. In addition, it maintains a database for the terrorists, as well as, their associates together with their families. (Fas.org, 2016) NCTC has been enormously empowered and given the necessary resources to assist it in the analysis of intelligence that are shared by other agencies and thus only pick what it deems suitable for conducting its activities.
Besides, NCTC can perform searches, as well as, arrests in its formulation of the effective responses toward terror threats. The NCTC has a functional duty not only in dealing with intelligence integration but also strategic planning. For effective functioning within the UCIC, this agency shares the terror-related information on a nationwide basis. This ensures that different stakeholders are included in the fight against terrorism. Such include the law enforcement officials, anonymous tipsters and also entities in the private sector. Essentially, this enables the identification of terrorist patterns and criminal operations by the agency, and it can, therefore, formulate appropriate ways of stopping their attacks.
How NCTC integrates the threat report
NCTC has an enormous role to play in the integration of the threat report into USIC and consequently up draw on intelligence resources. This is entirely possible through the enablement of the terrorists-threat related information and its analysis for purposes of ensuring that the product of threat is expeditiously, as well as, appropriately disseminated. NCTC will thus provide a comprehensive picture of the threat at hand. The agency consequently shares the information with other relevant related institutions that all fight against a common course of terrorism. The above activities would prevent future similar occurrences as the September 2001 attacks and also bring the terrorists to justice.
Process of planning and coordinating joint operations
NCTC integrates each source of information so as to have a clearer view of the enemy which in this case is the terrorist. Notably, the integration of the sources’ analysis informs and also shapes the strategies for the collection of more information. On the first account, agencies having the lead responsibility for fighting terrorism constructs their interagency principles and task forces for purposes of getting the corporation. For instance, the Counterterrorist Center recruits liaison officials for every agency that participates in mitigating terrorism. The FBI is also involved in this coordination of activities when appropriate measures are required.
There is also the aspect of joint planning of operations between the entities involved in fighting the vice. This is maximally achieved through the coordination from the white house. Therefore, to plan and coordinate the threat at hand, NCTC will have to adhere to the lines of operational authority that are stipulated in its executive. It is through this means that proper ways of dealing ways of dealing with the threat will be found.
Law enforcement partners that NCTC can coordinate and partner with
NCTC continually requires partners for the coordination and planning of the efforts geared towards the mitigation of terrorist attacks. In their collaboration, they enormously add value to their personal missions. Most significant institutions here encompass the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Department of Homeland Security, National Infrastructure Protection Centre (NIPC) and the National Commission on Terrorism. Collaboratively, the partners leverage their combined analytic, as well as, investigative capacities in safeguarding its homeland and preventing criminal and also terrorist activities. Also, they aid in sharing of the intelligence thereby assisting the NCTC through the provision of information which has been extensively gathered through their combination of knowledge and expertise.
The role of NCTC in leading a strategic analysis
NCTC has significant roles to play in leading strategic analyzes, pooling all the sources of intelligence and the development of assessment, as well as, warnings. The agency achieves all these through the production of a focused analysis on particular issues of terrorism that are primary for the mitigation of threats such as the one mentioned above. Notably, the roles as stipulated above enable the prevention of terrorist attacks and consequent protection of the American interests and its people. Strategic analysis ensures that the society is kept away from those who can cause harm to it as mentioned by Geiger (2009). The recognition of the value, as well as, essence of cooperation in intelligence machinery, is extremely significant for the achievement of the desired results.
The NCTC also has a fundamental role to play in the development of assessment and provision of warnings on a timely basis. Threat assessment would assist in the mitigation of possible attacks that have been planned by terrorists. This concept provides a focal point for accruing information that if put to use by the terror groups, would be detrimental not only to the America people but also the entire world. It is here that provision of early warnings would come handy. Through this, necessary steps towards ensuring that the threat is mitigated would be undertaken. Notably, pooling of all intelligence sources makes NCTC have a comprehensive mission on terrorist protectionism in the state.
How NCTC utilizes information
The information that has been collected by NCTC enables it to provide warning and also prevent future terrorist attacks on the American state. Inclusive, as well as, comprehensive analysis of the information permits the government in taking appropriate protective action thereby warning its public and other sectors. Notably, defensive action extensively reduces potential threats of an attack by prompting the relevant quarters to implement broadly incident and also security management plans. Besides, the information lays defensive measures that would work in deterring the plans of the terrorists.
Also significant here is that the information collected permits the citizens, as well as, entities to take adequate measures so as to meet the security threats. Such actions that would be undertaken by the NCTC comprises an upgrade to the level of safety in any area that has been affected, activation of emergency plans, increasing the awareness of citizens concerning particular terrorist activities and also dispatching local and the state law enforcement officials in a way of mitigating the prevalence of the terrorism crime. In conclusion, the above article has adequately presented the concept of terrorism through the articulation of roles of NCTC in combating the prevalent vice presently in the society.
References
Geiger, H. (2009). Fusion Centers Get New Privacy Orders via DHS Grants | Center for Democracy & Technology. Cdt.org. Retrieved 8 January 2016, from https://cdt.org/blog/fusion-centers-get-new-privacy-orders-via-dhs-grants/
Fas.org. (2016). Countering the Changing Threat of International Terrorism. Retrieved 8 January 2016, from http://fas.org/irp/threat/commission.html
