INTRODUCTION-
The destruction of United States has been the main target of various terrorist organizations. The terrorist activities involve attacks on different buildings, killing innocent people, creating an era of violence, etc. It is controlled by the Department of the United States through the formation of a strong counterterrorism and intelligence framework. These attacks can also be reduced to the minimum level by adopting various tools and techniques by the Department.
ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT-
The department of Homeland Security makes the framework flexible and legal. The capacity to tackle the different criminal cases comes from this department (Duyan, A., 2012). The dynamic nature of the department allows the existing system to adopt the latest and advanced technologies available for reducing the crime rate in the homeland country. The budget is prepared by the department due to the requirement of more officers, resources, training, programs, etc. It is the primary duty of the department to respond immediately to any attack, such an emergency situation needs certain extra facilities and resources. The department ensures that the investigation process is prosecuted in an effective way. The suspects of the attack are severely punished and not left free. Actions are taken by this department in order to adopt the new policies and techniques to combat the threats prevailing over the United States. While securing the country from all kinds of attacks, it makes sure that the civil liberties of the citizens are not destroyed. The threats are reduced in such a way that the Americans feel safe and free from the terrorism activities
ITS SPECIFIC FUNCTION-
The work of counterterrorism must be executed appropriately so that the citizens feel safe in their country. The department of homeland security analyses the budgets and resources involved in performing the task of investigating the criminals of the nation. In some cases, the department needs to invest more than expected due to the need for advanced technologies required to solve it. In addition, the information obtained by the department of homeland security is not to be exposed to any other agencies or departments, it should not be shared. The department aims to make the United States safe and protected. It works and collaborates with both the public and private sectors to identify the tools which can combat the threats of attacks over the country (Tengs, T. O., M. E. Adams, J. S. Pliskin, D. G. Safran, J. E. Siegel, M. C. Weinstein, J. D. Graham, 1995). The required funds for training the police officers in technical assistance and the latest technologies are provided to the management for responding to these threats.
TOOLS THAT CAN BE USED-
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – This is a vehicle that is controlled through the use of remote control and there is no pilot for operating it. Legal permission from the Government of the country needs to be taken before operating this drone. These vehicles are provided to the department by the United States government to conduct counterterrorism and intelligence activities (Kaiman, Jonathan, and Justin McCurry, 2014). The officers must make use of these vehicles to protect themselves while investigating the crimes. The terrorists can be killed with the help of this vehicle without causing any loss to the innocent people of the home country. It has been noticed that the targets of the police officers are killed at a very high rate through these drones. It further makes the terrorist organisation unable to carry out their harmful activities. The fight against crimes and terrorism can be won by making use of this effective tool.
Supercomputers – Supercomputers such as Harvest, Watson, etc. is available for the department of homeland security to keep records of the important data and information regarding the terrorist attacks. The problems faced by the country in analysing the threats and the culprits behind these threats are solved with the availability of these supercomputers. This advanced technology enables the officers to share important information with the other agencies and departments. The necessary steps to be taken can be decided after determining all the aspects of the criminal case. It reduces the efforts and wastage of time involved in the investigation procedure conducted by the authorised departments. Internet facilities provided by supercomputers also enhance the chances of catching the terrorist organization through discussions and sending emails. It is through supercomputers that the communication system between the departments and agencies can be effective and strong.
Satellites – The federal government must also provide the facility of satellites to the agencies so as to stay connected with the encrypted communication channels. The satellite system helps the agency in monitoring the terrorist activities on a larger scale (Betts, R. K., 2013). The places which can be attacked by the terrorist group can also be accessed through satellite connections. It becomes easy to track the criminals involved in the attack by using this system. The predictions of the remote sensing satellites regarding future attacks can reduce the rate of crimes to a very high extent. This is the most advanced tool of counterterrorism operations which can be utilised by the agencies of the intelligence framework
INTERACTION WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES-
The information acquired by the department of homeland security helps the Federal Bureau of Investigation in performing its functions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is provided with the funds as well as information required to investigate a particular criminal case. After receiving the information about the crime, it is the primary duty of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct its operations to enquire more about the activity and solve the case efficiently. The required funds for the investigation process and more officers to be hired can be raised from the department. The officers must be trained properly and technical assistance should be provided to them regarding the work to be executed. All the three agencies are connected to each other which makes it necessary for them to work together with co-operation and co-ordination. The threats prevailing in the United States can be minimised only if the agencies involved in the framework would perform the duties effectively (Casale, D., 2008). As the priority of the agencies is to prevent terrorist activities from the country, it has to work together with efficiency and support. There must be no communication gap between the three agencies. The communication network must be strong so that the actions to be taken can be discussed by the officers in charge as quickly as possible. Telephones, internet facilities such as emails, etc. are the mediums through which the agencies can stay connected to each other. The accomplishment of the mission depends highly upon the cooperation between the department and the agencies. In addition, the resources made available by the management officers must be allocated effectively so as to make sure that there are low risks involved in the process. Resources required for the adoption of tools and techniques must be cost-effective and less risky.
IMPLICATIONS MADE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REGARDING AVAILABLE TOOLS-
The department of justice declares that the tools and techniques adopted by the department of homeland security need to be more effective as well as strong. It is essential to modify the policies adopted by the Department of the United States in order to solve the criminal cases in a cost-effective and efficient manner (Robertson, Nic, Paul Cruickshank, and Jomana Karadsheh, 2012). The tools used must be utilised for reducing the terrorist and criminal activities performed on a large scale. These days, the increased rate of terrorism requires special attention by the Department of Homeland Security. Since the year 2009, around 2 dozen of American terrorists are arrested by the bureau of investigation through the adoption of various advanced tools available. The states, local as well as tribal communities have also come up to help the department with the resources and tools essential in order to combat the threats prevailing over the country. The police officers are to be made alert of the tactics and behaviour of the offenders in attacking the homeland. In the year 2011, a new tribal policy was introduced by the department in order to respond quickly to these threats. New technologies, new policies, programs, tools etc. must be analysed and identified to execute the work in a more effective way (Slovic, P., B Fischhoff, S. Lichtenstein, 1979). The availability of tools are limited and must be expanded through making use of sophisticated technologies.
SUGGESTION FOR COORDINATING WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS-
The resources available with the department must be distributed properly and effectively so that emergencies can be handled easily. It should be allocated in such a way that the counterterrorism and intelligence agencies would be able to manage all its functions in times of need. The decisions of the management regarding the funds to be raised and other resources must be fast and convenient so that there is no wastage of time involved. It reduces the risks and costs involved in making the resources available for the implementation of quick actions required to be taken for emergency conditions (Robertson, Nic, Paul Cruickshank, and Jomana Karadsheh, 2012). The different tools and techniques to be utilised to fight against the attacks and high investments must be available to meet any immediate circumstances by the authority.
REFERENCES-
- Betts, R. K. (2013). Enemies of Intelligence: Knowledge and Power in American National Security. Columbia University Press.
- Casale, D. (2008). EU Institutional and Legal Counter-terrorism. Defence Against Terrorism Review, 49- 78.
- Duyan, A. (2012). Analyzing Different Dimensions and New Threats in Defence Against Terrorism. IOS Press.
- Kaiman, Jonathan, and Justin McCurry. Japan and China step up drone race as tension builds over disputed islands. January 9, 2013. http://www.theguardian.com/ world/2013/jan/08/china-japan-drone-race (accessed June 20, 2014).
- Robertson, Nic, Paul Cruickshank, and Jomana Karadsheh. Libyan official: U.S. drones seeking jihadists in Libya. 06 12, 2012. http://security.blogs.cnn. com/2012/06/07/senior-libyan-official-u-s-deploying-drones-as-concerns-riseover-al-qaeda-in-eastern-libya/ (accessed 07 08, 2014).
