A parliamentary Democracy for U.S

Introduction:  The current American governance cannot be defined as democratic. The current democracy supports a monarchical system where the president is not really elected by the majority and yet he has all the power. America needs a parliamentary system of governance.

Paragraph 1

• Definition of the parliamentary system of government
• Explanation of why parliamentary system is more effective as compared to the current system

Paragraph 2

• Discussion of some of advantages of the parliamentary government for U.S

Paragraph 3

• Discussion of some of the disadvantages of a parliamentary government for U.S

Conclusion

The U.S being a diverse society needs a parliamentary system of government to help deal with some of the major political issues that the country is currently facing.

Geopolitics of North Korea

North Korea is a country that directly borders China and Russia, and also secondarily borders United States. This geopolitical position of the Korean peninsula gives the North Korean regime, a hardly ever perceived chance to incite and even extort the superpowers in order to confirm its security and also to mine economic benefits.

North Korea

North Korea can best be described as a rare country that is situated in a rare geopolitical condition. This is a country that is often branded as a Leninist, even with its ‘Juche’ philosophy that is branded by self-dependence (Haggard & Noland, 2017). The main goal of North Korea is complete liberation in all esteems including; diplomatically, military and economically. Their philosophy recommends very little contact with the rest of the world, because it is assumed that other countries may influence and try to utilize the North Korean people in a negative way (Schmid, 2018).

There is however, one major problem with this regime and that is, its adoption to the economy. Economic independence is something that is difficult in North Korea because the situations are impossible. The state does not have enough raw materials to help feed and realize the standard living for its people hence need for the outside world (Kim, 2014). Trading with the other countries is however tricky, and complicated with their Juche ideology. The foreign policy that have been put in place can best be described by the terms ‘fear’ and ‘distrust’,  and they are not helpful in establishing foreign trade relations. The strong belief of this ideology is that, other countries will never agree to a wholly sovereign North Korea; this ideology presumes that every regional influence will constantly try to control the people of North Korea (Haggard & Noland, 2017).

North Korea’s geopolitical imperatives

1. Rivalling superpowers
2. Nuclear weapons programme
3. International negotiations

Rivalling Superpowers

The North Korean regime is grounded on a philosophy that is destined to fail. First, there is the economic independence in a geographical region that is not suitable for this purpose. The second thing is devoting much power in preserving a massive military apparatus (Schmid, 2018). Endurance for this regime was only probable since it understood the power of its geopolitical situation; this has helped the state to acquire financial aid from international states. Ever since its establishment, North Korea has been located at the fault line stuck between opposing superpowers (Schmid, 2018). At the beginning, North Korea was situated between the communists at the northern margin, China and the Soviet Union and at the Sothern margin the capitalist United States through South Korea its close ally on the southern border. After the ideological split of China and Soviet Union; North Korea became tactically positioned in the middle of three superpowers. During the Cold War, North Korea was very skilful at playing the Leninist superpowers against each other as they both were willing to have North Korea as their supporter (Haggard & Noland, 2017). This allowed Pyongyang to acquire great economic funding from these two super powers. After the Cold War ended, Soviet Union withdrew its support and North Korea suffered a major economic crisis. Instead of pursuing economic reforms, the country chose to rely on foreign aid policy through international negotiations  aimed  at China, U.S and United States and this is what has helped to sustain North Korea this far.

Nuclear Weapons program and how it acts as a powerful tool for North Korea

The country also has a nuclear weapons programme, which is looked as the best tool to help keep all the foreign enemies away. The nuclear weapon programme helped North Korea to be taken serious by the international community, and this has helped the country to be dealt with as a state that is important among other unilateral powers. North Korea has always used the nuclear weapon programme as an instrument of blackmail in order to help it gain foreign aid (Kim, 2014). North Korean concessions on this course are exchanged with many concessions from the other foreign negotiators. It is these non-security goals that cause North Korea’s case to be unusual when it is compared to the other countries that have nuclear weaponries programmes. Most of these other countries always attempt to advance their nuclear weaponries in secrecy in order to avoid interference from outside. North Korea on the other hand openly acknowledges their endeavours in developing nuclear weapons, which helps to show how dangerous they are (Shah, 2018). North Korea always presumes to get more concessions from the global community and they get to be remunerated for each step they take on the issue and this includes even coming to the negotiation table. Normally, the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction is always kept in complete secrecy till the weapons are ready for use (Shah, 2018). North Korea however, because of its geological situation plays risky games that cannot be played by other regimes. There is no singe regime that is involved in the Korean peninsula, which is prepared to militarily act counter to North Korea as long as the provocations by North Korea are not seriously distressing them.

International Negotiations and how they are used to the advantage of North Korea

North Korea understands the global uncertainties of unsteadiness and chaos, it takes advantage of it by playing the unsteadiness card during the negotiations. This helps the country to gain more concessions from its counterparts. North Korea also uses the tactic of constantly slowing down all the intercession procedures by instigating problems about the facts and causing the negotiations to be as complicated as possible (Lee, 2014). This is one of the reasons why Pyongyang does not want to discuss about the nuclear program as an secluded subject, hence the constant inclusions of other themes such as energy deals, economic and security arrangements and South Korea and U.S relations among many others. Making the negotiation process complicated helps to slow down the process and also helps in sabotaging sections of it, a good example being the Banco Delta Asia affair. North Korea refused to proceed with the negotiations when their accounts in the bank were frozen by the U.S with accusations that they had been used for illegal activities. This was a small issue that could have been sorted without implicating the negotiations, but North Korea made a big deal out of it, causing the negotiations to be interrupted.

North Korea has over the years been successful in dealing with international community pressures. There has been pressure from the international community to end the nuclear power programme of Pyongyang, which has continuously been slowed down over the years. North Korea’s negotiation strategy has always been perceived as impolite and reluctant by the media in the Western regions, it is however imperative to acknowledge that this conduct is not destined to end the concession procedure (Watson, 2012). North Korea gains nothing from the ending of the negotiations, this country need these negotiations in order to get the foreign funds. Dragging the negotiations allows North Korea to continue receiving aids for natural disasters by the international community. North Korea is not likely to ever give up its nuclear weapons program, since this is its only power and leverage towards the international community (Campbell & Chi, 2016). Pyongyang is not illogical at all; it is only skilful in playing the game of global politics. When the leadership of North Korea discover that the destruction of the nuclear programme is the utmost gainful action, it will not hesitate in destroying it. These outcomes are however only known to very small group of people in Pyongyang.

Geopolitics of North Korea and the states involved

Geopolitical position is a very important tool for North Korea in the foreign policy of the Pyongyang administration. This is because all the countries that are earnestly involved in the Korean peninsula have their particular definite motives to try and avoid martial war with the North Koreans. One of the countries that is suffering greatly is South Korea, where all the peninsula aggressions are normally targeted being considered the U.S vassal state (Lee, 2014). It is assumed that South Korea is forcing a reunification of Korea under the Western dogma. The nuclear weapons of Pyongyang are most specially directed at South Korea and the U.S. North Korea often threatens to destroy Seoul, the capital city of South Korea which is only 60 kilometres from the border (Campbell & Chi, 2016). South Korea, which has been focusing on steadiness and economic growth is not interested in war and will try to prevent it at all cost and this is what has led to its substantial growth and prosperity. The U.S cannot act militarily without the consent of its ally South Korea, mostly because its people are not openly targeted by North Korean conduct (Watson, 2012). The U.S hence prefers to give in to the demands of North Korea rather than become regimentally intricate in geopolitical hotspot that could intensify major matters with the other superpowers. Russia plays an insignificant role on the Korean peninsula; it has better commercial links with South Korea and Japan than with North Korea (Campbell & Chi, 2016). Russia hence has minute consideration for the pressure seeking administration and the only reasons it supports North Korea in the diplomatic negotiations is because it dislikes America. Russia also worries about the chaos that may rise after the collapse of the Pyongyang triggering refugees to go to Russia (Watson, 2012). It is this same fear of chaos that causes China to continue to support the North Korean administration. Though the Chinese leaders dislike the North Korean provocations, they do not consider them enough to end their strategic partnership. Commotion and unsteadiness in North Korea may negatively affect the whole area, which is focused on economic development and steadiness.

Conclusion

North Korea is playing a dangerous game that very few states would attempt. By irritating other states including the superpowers, the command has been able to attract economic assistance that they require for survival. The country has been able to use the extorting policy to their advantage because of their geopolitical situation where they are surrounded by rivalling superpowers. All the countries that surround North Korea are all focused on economic development and steadiness and so none of them is willing to get into conflicts with North Korea. It is interesting to see how North Korea, despite being one of the deprived nations in the world has been able to influence and intimidate some of the most wealthy nations like China and the U.S. This has only been made possible because of its geopolitical situation; other countries with comparable GDP would never be able or even allowed to have the same behaviour. North Korean leaders understand the advantage of their positions and their fully utilize it to their advantage by using tension seeking behaviours to force concessions. The on-going international pressure on North Korea to constrain its nuclear program is important and it should continue. This helps in limiting global illicit actions and immense abuse of human rights. What the international community hopes is that the rulers in North Korea will come to understand that their policies will not work forever, and that they have the capacity to advance economically and also in the global status by introducing some economic modifications. The North Korean command should be pushed in the right and most favourite course by all the states that are involved in the geopolitical hotspot, which will hopefully lead to steady political growth for the country.

References

Campbell, C., & Chi, Z. (2016). Kim’s Last Laugh. TIME Magazine, 188(12), 28–31.

Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=118137363&site=ehost-live

Haggard, S., & Noland, M. (2017). Hard Target : Sanctions, Inducements, and the Case of

North Korea. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1519317&site=ehost-live

Kim, H. (2014). Stifled Growth and Added Suffering. Critical Asian Studies, 46(1), 91–112.

            https://doi.org/10.1080/14672715.2014.863579

Lee, S.-O. (2014). The Production of Territory in North Korea: ‘Security First, Economy

            Next.’ Geopolitics, 19(1), 206–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/14650045.2013.847432

Schmid, A. (2018). Historicizing North Korea: State Socialism, Population Mobility, and

Cold War Historiography. American Historical Review, 123(2), 439–462. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhy001

Shah, T. (2018). North Korea in focus: reconfiguring the defence paradigm. International

            Affairs, 94(5), 1159–1166. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiy019

Watson, I. (2012). Cultural Identity and Securitising the Korean Peninsula: Transformations

in the South Korean Security Narrative. Geopolitics, 17(3), 429–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/14650045.2011.578269

Case Study 2: Domestic Terrorist Attacks CRJ 440

1993 World Trade Center Bombing

The World Trade Centre Bombing occurred on February 23, 1993.  The terrorist group responsible for the bombing were members of the radical Islamic fundamentalists (Caram, 2001). They targeted the B-2 level, which was reserved for public parking. Their motive was to destroy both the North Tower and South Tower, and kill 250, 000 people. However, they did not achieve their intended goals since one tower did not fall; instead, only six people died, $300 property damage, and 1,000 injuries (Caram, 2001). The terrorists used urea nitrate bomb which exploded in the parking garage and caused 200-foot by 100-foot crater. The Diplomatic Security Force (DSS) worked with the FBI, the New York City police, among other agencies in conducting the investigation. They identified the Middle Eastern radicals and arrested them (Caram, 2001). Note that the terrorists had a destructive ambition and the FBI reported that the fundamentalists had terrorist links.  For example, in the 1980s, the fundamentalists in Afghanistan received support from the United States (Caram, 2001). The Soviet combatant forces left Afghanistan in 1989, and Afghan mujahideen who fought together with Islamic fundamentalist formed one group.

  The operators of the Worth Trade Centre reported that the country was unprepared.  Before the attack, the Joint Terror Task Force gave a warning that there would be potential bombing in New York (Caram, 2001). However, there were management reluctances, and the emergency agencies did not initiate plans to prevent the attack. Following the attack, there were security changes in that the Office of Special Planning (OSP) was established. Prior to the establishment, the police commanders developed an emergency response plans, but they lacked the manpower to identify the threats. The police commanders also lacked the vulnerability study program and training and equipment (Caram, 2001).Thus, the OSP was a regional office that was responsible for regional issues, including developing strategy and police and advising the Secretary of defense. The CCTV systems were installed, and the cameras could detect close-up images. Since the attack, the United State has employed traditional offensive methods to fight terrorism. They include law enforcement action, diplomacy, and military option, among others (Caram, 2001). Today, the U.S is better prepared since the FBI has employed effective measures. The Congress as well the Executive Branch work together with the intelligence and law enforcement to protect the U.S terrorist threats.

 There are various lessons learned from the World Trade Centre bombing. First, the loosely affiliated group pose a significant threat to national security. The groups do not depend on state sponsors such as Iran or Sudan, but they have freedom of operation (Ciment, 2015).   The second lesson is that terrorist group use the advanced technology for operational planning and to fulfill their destructive ambition. Third, the emergency responders and service agencies must come up with appropriate strategies to respond to terrorist threats (Ciment, 2015). They should also offer training to the staffs before the occurrence of the disaster. Another important lesson is that the prevention of terrorist attack requires the federal, state, and local agencies to work together to improve the response capabilities (Ciment, 2015). The FBI should extend its investigative efforts to detect the chemical, biological, and nuclear weapon in the terrorist communities.

References

 Ciment James. (2015). World Terrorism: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient

Times to the Post-9/11 Era: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence from Ancient Times to

the Post-9/11 Era. Routledge

Caram, P. (2001). The 1993 World Trade Center bombing: Foresight and warning. London:

Janus.

How Saddam Hussein contaminated water aquifers in Kuwait

Introduction

The conflict that ensued during the gulf war saw the destruction of millions of barrels of crude oil, a significant number of which was destroyed in ways that had far reaching consequences on the environment. In an attempt to stop the United States from landing in Kuwait, the Iraqi forces, under Saddam Hussein’s leadership, dumped oil into the Persian Gulf to make the beach inaccessible. They also set about 732 oil wells on fire, decisions that had far reaching consequences for the environment especially because the oil continued to spill into the gulf months after the Iraqis had left. Although the actions taken by the Iraqis was mostly motivated by political reasons, the far reaching consequences that followed make Saddam Hussein responsible for the contamination of the Kuwait water quantifier as most of it resulted from the pollution caused by his battle strategy. His actions had far-reaching consequences mainly due to the severity of the oil spill and combustion; the consequences of the war; and the challenges involved in reconstructing Kuwait that made environmental sustainability less significant compared to other sectors that needed to be prioritized.

Background

            When the Iraqi, Led by Saddam, anticipated an invasion from the US, they decided to engage in one of the biggest cases of environmental terrorism as one of their battle strategies. To achieve their goal, they spilled oil from a refinery; two oil terminals; a tank field; and eight oil tankers (Barber, 2018). They also sought to make access to Kuwait through the coastline difficult by digging trenches along the beaches and filling them with oil. For a duration of three months, oil continued to flow into the gulf from barrels spilled by the Iraqis (Barber, 2018). The oil that accumulated in the gulf led to the emergence of oil lakes and oil that was contaminated by the huge amount of crude oil spilled. More pollution was cause by runoff water as it carried contaminants that settled on the surface of the soil from the oil spillage and burnt crude oil and resulted to the ground water becoming contaminated with Hydrocarbon.

            Saddam Hussein’s final act of war during the gulf war involved the use of oil to make the region inaccessible to the invaders. The oil spilled during these time posed major risks to the survival of those left as it had the potential to contaminate the ground water resources that provided water to residents in Kuwait (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). Areas that had usable ground water in Kuwait were more at risk of being contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons because the water existed in very shallow depths. Being a semi-arid region, water was a rather scarce commodity in Kuwait and the residents mostly relied on sea water made usable by water desalination plants. During the period of the Gulf war, the region relied on two major aquifers that provided usable water to the region which was sourced from the underflow originating in Saudi Arabia and also precipitation.

            The scarcity of water combined with the large region covered by the oil after the actions by the Iraqis greatly threatened the sustainability of the environment. The harmful products resulting from oil combustion covered over 1722 kilometers, which is roughly 10 percent of Kuwait’s total area. (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003) The consequences were further intensified by the 300 oil lakes that formed as a result of the oil spilled and although some of the oil was recovered and exported for use, majority of the oil was left contaminating the soil and water in the aquifer as recovering it was deemed uneconomic.

Challenges faced

• Oil spill

The pollution of the environment that resulted to the contamination of the Kuwait water aquifer originated from the Iraqis use of crude oil as a weapon. Under Saddam’s leadership, the Iraqis spilled millions of barrels of oil which stretched to about 1500 kilometers along the gulf’s coastline (Akber et al, 2008). The effects of the oils spilled were intensified by the wells that were burnt for 9 months consecutively, causing air temperatures to drop by 10 degrees C to the point where only partial light from the sun reached the earth’s surface. During the war, over 80 ships were destroyed and sunk into the Gulf, emptying their content into the water, most of which was oil and ammunitions that further polluted the water (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). In the end, the Kuwait water aquifers in North Kuwait were contaminated, a man made oil trench stretching over 4.7 kilometers was created and the balance for the regions desert eco system was destroyed (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003).

Effects of the war

Fighting in Saddam’s war also led to the dumping of more than 50,000 cubic meters of raw sewage on a daily basis after the sewage treatment plan in Kuwait was destroyed (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). He also imposed economic sanctions that made it difficult to control the effects of the Gulf war and the damage it caused to the environment. During the war most of the resources were allocated towards increasing the chances for success. When the war was over, the damages caused also meant that environmental preservation did not get the attention it deserved as more pressing matters needed to be attended to (Barber, 2018). The severe consequences resulting from the war meant that the pollution would continue until issues of pressing concern were resolved before trying to undo the damage that had be caused by the oil spill and combustion.

• Challenges involved in recovery.

The extent of the oil spillage and combustion further meant that the pollution would continue to worsen even after the Iraqis had left. Eight years after the Gulf War, more than ten million cubic meters of the soil in Kuwait was still contaminated following the actions undertaken by Saddam and his men (UNNC, n.d). The extent of the destruction was so severe that, despite all actions to reduce water pollution in the region, two fifths of the fresh water reserves in Kuwait still remain contaminated even today. Most of the oil spilled by Saddam’s men during the Gulf War made its way south down the coastline while the rest settled in Abu Ali Island. Any attempts to prevent the pollution caused were hindered by the conditions that existed in Kuwait during and after the war as well as the reconstruction that was undertaken to restore the region to its former state (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). Rather than taking action to prevent further pollution, those responsible for cleaning up after Saddam’s environmental act of terrorism had to wait until enough resources were allocated to aid in recovering the oil spilled and finding ways to reduce pollution.

The delayed action meant that the oil spilled of to a larger area. The oil spilled in water also spread, affecting the marine life and also the Kuwait water aquifer as it was replenished by the same water source that the oil was deposited in (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). A year after Saddam had lost the Gulf war, his actions were still causing negative repercussions as oil was still spilling out and contaminating the coastal sediments. Even after most of the oil floating on the surface of water reservoirs had been recovered, smaller bits of oil continued to slip into the water source and caused further pollution.

Repercussions

            Saddam Hussein was responsible for the contamination of the Kuwait Water Aquifer during the Gulf War between Kuwait and Iraq because the pollution caused by the actions undertaken by his soldiers made its way to the water reservoirs, polluting the water in it as well as the sources that replenished the aquifers (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). The aquifers were contaminated by the different forms of pollution that the Iraqis triggered before leaving Kuwait. Some of the hydrocarbon pollutants made their way into the aquifers when the crude oil deposited in the pits and lakes infiltrated into the reservoirs. The oil mixed with the water reserved in the aquifers, polluting and this made it unusable to the regions inhabitants.  

            The extent of the pollution was further intensified by the runoff water from rainfall that was infused with the hydrocarbon pollutants on the soil surface which then slipped into the water reservoirs (Tutton, 2010). Regardless of where the oil was spilled or burnt, the rain water carried the oil along with the hydrocarbon pollutants and deposited them into the different water reservoirs such as the aquifers in North Kuwait. Other than rain water, the water that was used to extinguish the oil fires also infiltrated into the reservoirs since it was responsible for replenishing the aquifers. This combined with the oil leakage from the oil casings that were damaged intensified the extent of the pollution.

Current situation

            Although the Brackish water fields in Kuwait have been cleared of any hydrocarbon pollution, a lot of effort is still needed to get rid of the pollution caused by Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War. The fresh water accumulated in the Umm Al-Aish region and the Ruaudhatain depression in the South Eastern part of Kuwait are both contaminated with hydrocarbon and the oil that was deposited in the sea water (McLaren & Wilmore, 2003). The pollution continues to make most of the regions unsafe especially because the low levels of PAH recorded in some parts that were polluted does not necessarily mean that the ground water is free from the hydrocarbon pollutants especially because of the biochemical activities that take place in the region as well as the high ambient temperatures.

            Furthermore, there is still residual oil that sank to the bottom of the sea and could cause more pollution in future. Although most of the oil was recovered using various methods, one of which involved evaporating or dissolving the oil to separate it from water, there are remnants of the oil that remained in the water sources (Tutton, 2010). The existence of heavier oil factions meant that some of the oil could not be dissolved or evaporated and the oil ended up sinking into the coastal sediments. In the occurrence of an erosive action by the currents that move along the coast, the oil trapped in the sand could be released and cause more contamination of the water reservoirs, including those that have already been cleared of all contaminants.

             There is also the possibility that the pollution fumes could spread to the fresh water that has accumulated in the northern parts of Kuwait, causing even more damage despite the long duration of time that has passed since the oil was spilled (Tutton, 2010). If no corrective action is taken, the pollution plumes could accumulate over time and make their way through the prevalent hydraulic gradient and end up in the north east region of Kuwait. If such an outcome was to happen, the hydrocarbon pollutants could spread further north and cause more pollution, increasing the extent of Saddam’s reach.

Conclusion

            The actions that Saddam Hussein and his army engaged in during the gulf war and the time right before the end of the war led to pollution of the water, soil, air and environment in Kuwait. The oil spilled and combined with the reservoirs and oil tanks burnt led to a lot of oil being dumped in water bodies and also on land. Though naturally occurring phenomena such as runoff water from the rain pushed the oil and hydrocarbon pollutants into the water sources including the Kuwait water aquifer. The decision to use oil as a weapon to slow down the enemy’s progress also caused great destruction to the environment not just during the war but also in the years that followed. The difficulty in recovering the oil meant that more pollution took place and the contamination in the aquifer increased in intensity as time progressed. Although the oil spills and combustion came to an end shortly after the Iraqis left, the consequences and impact that the actions had on the water aquifer in Kuwait were as a result of Saddam Hussein’s involvement in the Gulf War. Although his actions were intended to help him win the war, it does not take away from the impact his decisions had on the environment and therefore have him accountable for the contamination of the water aquifers in Kuwait.

References

Akber A, Awadi A, Mukhopadhyay A, and Quinn M, (2008) “Ground water contamination in      Kuwait resulting from the 1991 Gulf War: A preliminary assessment” Research Gate,       DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6592.2008.00195.x

Barber N, (2018) “1991 Gulf War oil spill” Stanford University, retrieved from,             http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2018/ph240/barber1/

McLaren D and Willmore I, (2003) “The environmental damage of war in Iraq” The Guardian,    retrieved from, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jan/19/iraq5

Tutton M, (2010) “Lessons learnt from the largest oil spill in history” CNN

United Nations Compensation Commission, (n.d) “State of Kuwait” retrieved from,             https://uncc.ch/state-kuwait

Black September and Controversial Counterterrorism Policies and Tactics

The intended goals of the Black September group was to cause high-scale attacks against Jordanian and Israeli.  It is worth saying that the Black September group achieved its intended goals in that they murdered Jordan's prime minister on November 1971 (Katz, 2004). On May 1972, four terrorists from the group hijacked an Airline jet and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners. The group also attempted to murder other Jordanian politicians such as King Hussesign and Zaid al-Rifai. The group effectiveness or the capability of the group to accomplish the objectives was that the group was tied to Fatah and the latter gave the group support and security. Another tactic was that the group by involving innocent citizens in terrorism outside the Middle East (Katz, 2004).  They conveyed the message of terrorist tactics and the ideal tool to terrorist using mass media such as CNN.

 In analyzing the Munich Olympic attacks, the law enforcement and counterterrorism organizations learned the Munich Olympics attack occurred due to lack of international cooperation and poor security measures (Katz, 2004). For example, the Munich Olympics required public and private security personnel and high-tech security equipment. However, it was learned that there were no security checks and therefore, the pack became the prime target.  The security officials lacked enough preparation and therefore it was difficult for the respondents to offer an immediate response (Katz, 2004). Law enforcement and counterterrorist organizations learned that it is important to deploy adequate international security forces to combat threats and increase security. Law enforcement and limitary organizations established hostage-rescue units that could provide aggressive action against terrorist attacks.

 From the terrorists' perspective, I believe that the Munich terrorist attack was highly successful. This is because; the attack received intense media attention. Terrorists accomplished media victory and the group was able to proclaim the Palestinian resistance movement (Katz, 2004). Note that journalists, radio personnel, commentators, and television technicians recorded and disseminated the news to the whole world. Thus, terrorist believed that the public learned the Palestinian tragedy and therefore the media coverage made them achieve success.

The key reason as to why I believe counterterrorism policies are controversial is because the policies must address enhanced interrogation,  detention of suspects,  secret surveillance,  racial profiling,  data mining, and prosecuting terrorists (Furubo et al, 2013).  Focusing on these controversial counterpoise tactics, my viewpoint toward the policies is that all tactics are effective in detecting terrorist activities. I agree with their use in that all provide effective security at the individual level.  Each agency has a central role to play in disrupting the terrorists' networks.

Israel uses controversial counterterrorism tactics such as;

Bulldozing- the policy was implemented when Israel encountered suicide bombings. The argument for this policy is that the act would destroy the suicide bombers and as a result, the act would deter terrorism.  However, critics argue that the government wanted the grounds to be cleared so that it can build security fences to separate Israel from Palestine (White, 2014).  My position on this tactic is that bulldozing is not effective and it is immoral since many Palestinian residential became homeless and children were separated from their mothers. Besides, bulldozing does not deter crime but rather the act violates international laws.

Invading Lebanon.  Israel punished Lebanon as a strategy of disrupting Hezbollah operations.  The argument for the tactic is that Israel attacked Hezbollah but critics argue that the policies have caused mass killing of Lebanese and destruction of infrastructure (White, 2014).  My position to this tactic is that it is not effective since Hezbollah is politically secure and he has a strong governed. Therefore, Israel may not have the ability to threaten Lebanon. 

Selective assassination-Israel is using this policy to deter terrorism.  For example, opposition leaders such as Abu Jihad was killed. The critics argue that the policy might expand the conflict and some political leaders and human rights groups perceive it as a ‘gangster murders' (White, 2014).  Supporters argue that the policy is transparent since it passes through legal review and it has reduced terrorism. My position is that it is morally wrong and it violates international law.

References

Katz, S. M. (2004). Jerusalem or death: Palestinian terrorism. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner

Publications.

Furubo Jan-Eric., Rist C. Ray, & Speer Sandra. (2013). Evaluation and Turbulent Times:

Reflections on a Discipline in Disarray. Transaction Publishers

White, J. R. (2014). Terrorism and homeland security. Cengage Learning,

State Sponsors of Terrorism-North Korea

In 2017, President Trump elected North Korea to support the act of international terrorism. The key reason as to why North Korea was designated was as a result of incidents such as Kim Jong-man was assassinated in February 2017 at Lumpur International Airport (Manyin et al, 2017). Another reason is that North Korea also wanted to possess nuclear weapons and in 2014, North Korea encountered cyberattack. North Korea plays a significant role in improving relationships with the U.S and providing economic benefits.  North Korea sponsors terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

 The major reason as to why North Korea sponsors Hezbollah and Hamas is that it is a foreign government chosen to offer support to international terrorism.  Some violence is politically motivated and is carried out by non-combatant civilians. Thus, the major purpose of the North Korean government is to aid terrorists in planning, training, logistics, provide them with material support, financial assistance, among other types of assistance (Manyin et al, 2017).  In specific, North Korea provides Hezbollah and Hamas with arms, advice and guidance, and conventional weapons.  If Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist group would stop receiving support from North Korea, they would dissolve.  Note that North Korea makes the group more durable by providing weapons and guidance. For example, Hezbollah was involved in a terrorist attack in Israel and North Koreas provided advice as well as material support such as rockets to the group (Manyin et al, 2017).  The Israel attack was caused by the Christians in Israel who wanted to destroy Hezbollah so that they may take a position in Lebanon. North Korea supported the group during the attack and as a result, the state sponsor benefited from strong relationships with the U.S which led to economic development and higher gross domestic product in terms of a nuclear weapon.

A public statement that shows the relationship between North Korea and Hezbollah and Hamas was stated by Israel foreign minister. He said that North Korea transported arms such as rockers to Iran though the cargo plane was seized (Reuters, 2019).  However, the North Korean sponsorship to Hezbollah and Hamas has improved the economic situation in both countries.

 References

Manyin, M. E., Chanlett-Avery, E., Rennack, D. E., Rinehart, I. E., & Rollins, J. (2015). North Korea: Back

on the State Sponsors of Terrorism Lists?. Congressional Research Service.

Reuters (2019). Israel says seized North Korean arms were for Hamas, Hezbollah. Retrieved from:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-korea-north/israel-says-seized-north-korean-arms-

were-for-hamas-hezbollah-idUSTRE64B18520100512

Home Security System Invention by Marie Brittan

Marie Van Brittan was a black woman that designed the first home security system that is commonly used today. Marie was born in the year 1922 and died at the age of 76; she was married to Albert Brown who was an electrician and with whom she had two children (Boyd, 26). As a nurse, Marie did not work within 9 am to 5 pm schedules which meant that she could be out in the streets during odd hours of the night. Other times she would be home during odd hours of the day when her husband was out working which made her uneasy given the high crime rates in her neighbourhood at the time (Boyd, 26).

The police were a bit biased and they did not effectively respond to crime emergency reports in Queens, New York City given that it was a black neighbourhood (Piper, 1). This made Marie feel vulnerable and hence the idea to create a security system that could help her feel safe in her own neighbourhood. Marie and her husband came up with a plan to create a security system for their home that would help Marie to feel safe while at home alone. One particular safety issue that greatly bothered Marie was the issue of answering the door blindly without knowing who was on the other side (Piper, 1). So she wanted a system that would give her a chance to see who her visitors were before she opened the door for them. The two hence came up with a security system that included a two way communication and surveillance system.

Marie’s Original Home security design

(US3482037A - Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance)

 The system comprised of three peep holes on the door, a camera, monitors, an alarm button and a two way microphone which allowed her to communicate with her visitors on the door (Boyd, 26). The three peep holes were situated on the front door of her home at different height levels. The highest placed hole allowed the camera to view the tall people, the middle one was for the middle height people and the bottom one for children (Buck et al., 1). The camera was placed on the opposite side of the door, the camera was attached in such a way that it could slide up and down which allowed for Marie to see through each of the peep holes. After picking up the image of the person at the door, the images would be reflected to a monitor that could be placed in any part of the house that she was at allowing her to see who was at the door (Buck et al., 1). The system also had a voice component that enabled Marie to communicate with the people that were outside her door. This allowed her to identify if it was intruder or one of her friends before answering the door. If the visitor was an intruder, she could press on the alarm button which sounded a signal to the nearest security firm or the neighbourhood security guard that made immediate response (Piper, 1). If it the person at the door was a friend, Marie would push another button that automatically unlocked the door, allowing the visitor to come into her home.

The invention by Marie is one that greatly changed issues of security in the society at the time. This was a unique invention during the mid-1960s which required the Browns to apply for a patent that was approved in the year 1969 (Buck et al., 1). There was no much competition in their invention because the only other inventions that they referenced in their invention journey was the invention of the television in the year 1939, an identification system in 1959 and a remotely operated control of the scanning systems that was approved in June of the year 1966 (Buck et al., 1). This was hence the fourth invention in the technology world which came to later be referenced by more than thirteen other inventions the most recent one being in the year 2013.

 The closed circuit system invented by Marie is one that has influenced most of the modern security systems that have adopted features such as monitoring of security using video footages, remote controlled door lock, alarm buttons that are triggered by push of buttons, immediate messaging to law enforcement agency and security suppliers and a two way voice system. Marie’s invention at the time became commonly adopted by small trades, single family housing, small offices, and even apartments that saw it an effective security system. This is a very interesting invention given that it was motivated by actual problems that people go through in their lives. Most of the criminal activities that happen in homes come about as a result of people opening their doors to strangers or just a breaking when one is not around.

A home security system is something that is greatly adopted by most people in the society to help deal with the issue of burglary (Vigne et al., 1). Even though the security systems that are used today are more developed, they were all been motivated by Marie’s invention. The technology used is still the same given that it uses the same features, including a camera system that is installed in the preferred places, where the images are recorded and then reflected on monitors. The internet has also greatly help to advance the security system technology such that people can now install the security cameras in their homes, and they can use a mobile app in their phones to access the camera footage from their homes any time they want and from anywhere (Vigne et al., 1). This is a system that has been adopted in almost every business to help keep of burglars who prefer to stay away from places that have security cameras.

This same security system commonly known as CCTV surveillance that has also been adopted by most government agencies to help in dealing with cases of insecurity, corruption and any issues of discrimination in public services (Vigne et al., 1). Almost every public facility has security cameras that help record everything happening which has greatly helped in reducing injustices in these facilities. Marie’s invention has basically helped change the society for the better, though her invention was meant for home security and it was not greatly appreciated at the time. Advancement in technology today has helped in effecting Marie’s invention, making it more efficient and much easier to use in any situation.

This invention greatly helped bring to light the issue of gender equality showing that women just like men are all capable. During the 1960s, women were not really perceived to be inventors because this was looked at as a complicated venture that could only be handled by men (Cunningham et al., 546). Women took up careers like nursing that related to matters of taking care of other people, women were basically looked at as care givers and not inventors (Cunningham et al., 546). Marie as a woman, most especially a black woman found it very challenging to sell an idea, most especially one that touched on matters of invention an area that was looked at as male suited. This is one of the reasons why she had to work with her husband Brown to help push the whole security system idea approved.

Her husband is the one who received her patent, further helping to illustrate the issue of gender equality. The society at this time did not believe in women making decisions on their own without a man by their side (Cunningham et al., 550). For a woman to be recognized in the society she needed the support of a man and this is further illustrated with how New York Times reported the story of Marie. In the news report, the name of her husband, Albert appeared first followed by her name and a quote illustrating that the new system gave women a chance to stay in the house alone without fear (Buck et al., 1). This invention should have been used as a platform to help motivate and applaud women, most especially black women who were struggling to fit in the racist and also male dominated society during that time. The society did not recognize and actually appreciate the invention of Marie as another inventor. They used this invention to degrade women even further by showing that even if they are intelligent, they still come second after men.

The issue of Marie not getting the right recognition as the inventor of this security system could have affected her motivation to come up with other inventions or even advance this particular invention to make it more effective. I feel like this had some psychological effect on her, knowing that she was the one that came up with this idea, and helped to create the security system but ended up being side-lined as her husband got all the recognition all because he was a man and she was a woman. The invention by Marie unlike the other inventions at the time did not really generate any profits for her (Piper, 1). She did not to enjoy the fruits of her work, this is an idea that did not receive the recognition that it deserved, given the positive impacts that it has had on the society.

Marie’s life after this invention is not really known, there is really not much information about how she felt about her innovation. I would really love to know what she hoped to do with this security system other than just installing it in her home. As someone that invented one of the best systems in the world, this is a woman whose ideas, feelings and life after the innovation required being documented. If I was to conduct more research on Marie and her home security invention, I would like to know what Marie did after she received the patent and how she perceived the issue of gender inequality. I would also love to know if the issue of insecurity in her neighbourhood changed with her new invention and how the people around her perceived her  as a woman who had broken the gender roles set for her by the society after her invention.

Works Cited

“US3482037A - Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance.” Google Patents,

            Google, patents.google.com/patent/US3482037A/en.

Boyd, Herb. “CCTV Inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown.” New York Amsterdam News, vol.

110, no. 11, 14 Mar. 2019, p. 26. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=135670008&site=ehost-live.

Buck, Stephanie, and Stephanie Buck. “This African American Woman Invented Your Home

Security System.” Timeline, Timeline, 13 June 2017, timeline.com/marie-van-brittan-brown-b63b72c415f0.

Cunningham, James S., and Nadja Zalokar. “The Economic Progress of Black Women, 1940-

1980: Occupational Distribution a Nd Relative Wages.” ILR Review, vol. 45, no. 3, Apr. 1992, pp. 540–555. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/001979399204500309.

Piper. “Marie Van Brittan Brown: Founder of CCTV Home Security.” Piper, 8 Mar. 2017,

            getpiper.com/marie-van-brittan-brown-founder-of-cctv-home-security

Vigne, Nancy G. La. “How Surveillance Cameras Can Help Prevent and Solve Crime.”

Urban Institute, 23 Feb. 2018, www.urban.org/urban-wire/how-surveillance-cameras-can-help-prevent-and-solve-crime.

Terrorism and Radicalization

Terrorist groups derive financial support from legal sources and illegal sources. Legal sources include

• Donation- in the Islamic community, individuals have an obligatory contribution known as zakat. The purpose of Zakat is to support the poor but the money is used in illegal ways such as supporting terrorists (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2005). There are other thousands of charities where the organizations raise funds that are used to support illegal activities.
• Charitable organizations-organizations such as non-profit organizations raise funds and use it for terrorist purposes. The charitable organizations are established for the purpose of meeting the needs of needy people but recent research and studies have found that the organizations are connected with terrorist organizations and they support them in military operations (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2005).
• Ordinary businesses- terrorist operate legitimate businesses such as agriculture. They generate revenue from these businesses and use the profit to support terrorist activities.
• Investments- Terrorists invest in stocks, real estate, industries, honey shops, among other various businesses.

Illegal sources

• Drug trafficking- terrorist groups export illicit drugs such as heroin, opium, and cocaine across the world. The generated revenue supports terrorist activities.
• Kidnap and extortion- Terrorist groups take property by force and this cause financial loss to the affected parties. They use the funds and property to run a business that supports terrorist activities (Commonwealth Secretariat, 2005).
• Smuggling-terrorist groups use distribution networks to move goods from one country to another and the money is deposited in the banking system and transferred to different financial institutions.
• Cheque fraud-terrorists use unlawful checks to borrow funds
• Credit card fraud- terrorists use credit card details of another person such as billing address, security number, and holder's names to access cash and finance their illegal activities.
• Legitimate accounts-terrorists have different accounts in different banks and these deliver substantial value.
• Dormant accounts- terrorist use dormant accounts to borrow money and receive monies from aboard.

Tracking and stopping the sources of terrorism funding is important in that once the sources of funding are blocked, there will be a reduction in the threat of violence and the nations will have the ability to achieve their political and religious goals (Lutz J & Lutz B, 2013). Rather than tracking the terrorist groups, it is important to address the issue of money source and track down the financial transactions. Note that eliminating the sources of financial support will reduce the ability of the groups to conduct their activities. The governments, as well as the intelligence agencies, should join hands in identifying the groups such as charities and organization that channel funds and prohibit them from contributing to terrorists (Lutz J & Lutz B, 2013).  Tracking and stooping will make financial supporters become less committed and less supportive.

Paths and routes that individuals take as they decide to become terrorists are; first, individuals have personal desire to join terrorism, second, individuals make personal decision to remain on the group, and third, individuals make personal decisions to abandon terrorism (White, 2012). The major factors that influence individuals during the path to radicalization are individual factors, social factors, and psychological factors. Individuals factors mean that individual view and interpret the world differently and they do not rely on the views of society. They decide for themselves whether to participate in violent acts or not.  Social factors mean that individuals may form a group and develop social expression. The influence of other people has an impact on an individual. On psychological factors, individuals may be influenced by attitudes and beliefs to adopt certain radical views (White, 2012).

References

Commonwealth Secretariat. (2005). Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: A

Model of Best Practice for the Financial Sector, the Professions and Other Designated

Businesses. London: Commonwealth Secretariat Library.

Lutz James,. & Lutz Brenda. (2013). Global Terrorism. Routledge

White, J. R. (2012). Terrorism and homeland security. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage \         Learning.

Difficulties of Defining Terrorism

 Different governmental agencies and international agencies have different definitions of terrorism. The agencies employ different factors such as time period, location, among other subjective perspectives in trying to understand terrorism (Martin, 2008).  Example of definitions from agencies include;

• The U.S Department of Defense (DOD) - the DOD defines terrorism as a planned unlawful act of violence to attack the public and provoke a feeling of fear to the government so that their can meet their political and ideological goals (Martin, 2008).
• The U.S Code- a pre-planned unlawful act of using violence to provoke a feeling of fear to the citizens with the intention of influencing the governmental policy.
• The Federal Burial of Investigation (FBI) - unlawful use of violence to attack the public or the property with the intention of provoking a feeling of fear to both the citizens and the government, and thereafter, achieve political objectives (Martin, 2008).
• The U.S Department of State (DOS) - terrorism is a violent act where the terrorists attack the public and provoke a feeling of fear to both the public and the government with an aim of influencing the governmental policy (Ronczkowski, 2006).
• United Nations Security Council (UNSC) - terrorism is a criminal act against the civilian population with the aim of causing mass killing and provoke a feeling of fear in the civilian population, or the government and the make the meet their objectives (Ronczkowski, 2006).
• European Union- terrorism is a criminal act that causes serious damage so that the civilian population or the government can change their behaviors or behave in a certain way.

             Focusing on the comparison and contrast in the different definitions, the definition by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the definition by the Department of Defense are similar in that both agencies use a legalistic approach (Ronczkowski, 2006). In other words, both agencies agree that terrorists use violence, the act is illegal, they target the civilian population, cause devastating consequences, and they destabilize the governments. However, they differ in their definition, and the rationale for their differences is based upon their mission. For example, the FBI focus on the use of violence to attack the public and the government so that the terrorists can achieve their political or social goals (Martin, 2008). Using this definition, the major role of the FBI is to predict the threats and prevent them. Its mission is to protect the terrorist groups from attacking the U.S. On the other hand, the Department of Defense believes that terrorists plan to use violence to cause a threat to the public so that the government can develop a feeling of fear and meet the terrorists' goals (Martin, 2008).  Unlike the FBI, DOD protects the U.S by providing the nation with military forces such as the Army, Air Force and others that serve in the U.S and outside the U.S.  In general, the difference occurs in their defense activities.

One definition of terrorism that I believe defines terrorism accurately is the definition by the U.S Code.  According to the U.S Code, terrorism is a pre-meditated act to use violence against the civilian population with an intent of provoking a feeling of fear in the government to influence governmental policy.  I support this definition in that terrorist attack is not a mere attack but it is a planned act or in other words, terrorist engage in the operational planning process and their target the civilian population (noncombatant) to engage in war with the government (Martin, 2008).  However, one recommendation to the definition is that the U.S Code should add that terrorism is a federal crime and include it in the federal law.  This will help the U.S to impose the necessary penalty for terrorist activities.

 My personal definition of terrorism is that terrorism is illegal to use of force to attack the civilian population with political motives.  The key elements in my personal definition are an illegal force, political motives, and the civilian population.  These elements are important in that when addressing the issue of terrorism,   the responsible agency will understand that terrorism must have a motive such as to achieve a political objective, terrorists must target innocent people like the civilian population so that they can instill fear not only to the target but also to the government, and lastly, terrorists must use force or violence with an aim of causing mass killing and mass destruction (Martin, 2008).  These factors will help identify whether an act is a terrorist act or not.

References

Martin, G. (2008). Essentials of terrorism: Concepts and controversies (9781412953139). Sage

Pub.

 Ronczkowski R. Michael. (2006). Terrorism and Organized Hate Crime: Intelligence

Gathering, Analysis and Investigations, Second Edition. CRC Press

 Internal and External Stakeholders

After the September 1, 2001 attack, the federal government took official acts to prevent further attacks. The acts included creating a state of emergency, use of military force, use of antiterrorism task force, and developed homeland security (Sullivan et al, 2005).  The official act or the major step taken was that of developing an office of homeland security to prevent the acts of terrorism.  In 2002, the office of homeland security and its departments were established to prevent terrorism, reducing vulnerabilities, minimize the damages, and assist in recovery (Sullivan et al, 2005). The meet the objectives, the major stakeholders in the department of homeland security were;

Emergency Preparedness and Response- this is a stakeholder in DHS and its purpose is to provide financial support and power to the workforce so that they can be in a position to provide an immediate response to attacks (Sullivan et al, 2005).The department provides resources such as firefighters, medical personnel, training, and an effective communication system to ensure that all responder agencies provides response and recovery in an effective manner. 

 Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection- this is a stakeholder in the DHS and its purpose is to collect information from the intelligence-gathering agencies and conduct a timely and thorough analysis of information about terrorist groups. After conducting analysis, the department prevents threats and conveys intelligence to the state and local agencies so that they can maintain public safety (Sullivan et al, 2005). In addition to information analysis, the department partners with the state and local agencies to protect the infrastructure such as the energy, transportation, and telecommunications systems. They work together to identify and disrupt vulnerabilities that could cause damage to the critical infrastructure.

Border and Transportation Security-this is a stakeholder in the DHS and its purpose is to protect the national borders. The department conducts effective screening at the point of entry to prevent terrorists from entering the U.S.  The department has management system such as the Coast Guard and Transportation Security Agency whose role is to ensure that goods existing and entering the nation are legitimate (Sullivan et al, 2005).The division in this department uses various methods such as asking the visitors and international students to produce travel documentation to prevent the use of illegal documents. The agencies also employ nonintrusive inspection technologies to ensure effective screening.

Science and Technology- this is a stakeholder in the DHS and its purpose is to provide national program and technology that would help the agencies in early detection of terrorism. The department has a research and development center where workers with adequate skills and knowledge bring technological innovations for attacking terrorist (Sullivan et al, 2005).  For example, the department ensures that all the countermeasure techniques are tested to ensure that nations use effective techniques.

The stakeholders in the DHS have influenced the situation in a positive way in that all the stakeholders have strategic planning and they also cooperate in maintaining security. Note that preventing a terrorist attack is not an easy task but the corporation has enabled the stakeholders to share information, share the resources available, and assess vulnerabilities to enhance security capabilities (Sullivan et al, 2005). The stakeholders have a higher level of engagement and commitment and they act as the first responders. For example, the stakeholders responsible for border security has ensured the minimization of terrorist threats by restricting the entry of undocumented immigrants and illicit substances. The department of science and technology has ensured that the nation has the technological capability to respond to biological and chemical threats. The Emergency Preparedness and Response has also influenced the situation in a positive way in that it has enabled its subdivisions to provide immediate response and recovery to all hazards. Another important point is that today, all the departments of DHS are sharing information through the help from the office of intelligence and analysis. The departments understand future threats and utilize the available resources to prevent the threat from occurring. 

  To ensure that stakeholders bring sustainable solutions, I would consider the stakeholders who have the necessary information and knowledge and one who will bring positive outcomes. I would conduct stakeholder analysis and understand their importance and influence, their interest, as well as their strategic stakeholder plan (Burger, 2011). Stakeholder analysis will help select sensitive stakeholder and avoid the conflict. Before selecting the stakeholder, I would analyze the problem that needs to be worked out. Since there are several stakeholders, the next step is to choose the stakeholder who is affected by the problem (Burger, 2011). This will enable the stakeholder to successfully complete the work. I would also inform the stakeholder what I expect so that he or she can implement a positive insight into the decision process.

The stakeholder may provide great solutions but individuals may have different opinions toward the problem. However, to motivate the individuals to accept the solution, I would discuss the problem freely and openly with them. The purpose of discussing the problem is to foster collaboration, understand the goals, communicate about the problem, propose the new solutions, and allow them to contribute their concerns and ideas (Mulvey et al, 2013). After ensuring that they have gained confidence, I will let them know how the solution will increase efficiency.  

References

Sullivan, L. E., Rosen, M. S. S., Schulz, D. M. M., & Haberfeld, M. R. (2005). Encyclopedia of

law enforcement. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Mulvey, P., Kupersmith, K., & McGoey, K. (2013). Business analysis for dummies. Hoboken,

N.J: For Dummies.

Burger, J. (2011). Stakeholders and scientists: Achieving implementable solutions to energy and

environmental issues. New York: Springer.

Technology Influences

  The research has shown that the major challenge facing the department of homeland security is the failure to implement a national strategy (GAO, 2007).The national strategy is the ability of the office of the homeland security to use secure communications networks to increase the flow of information about terrorist and create a collaborative environment where state and local entities share information. However, the lack of successful information sharing has affected human capital planning and performance management.  The DHS is facing challenges in lack of collaboration since the human capital planning that could strengthen the talents, cultures, and capital planning is not effective (GAO, 2007). Lack of performance management has also hindered the DHS from implementing a national strategy. The main point is that networking and communication technology has contributed to the problem of failure to implement the national strategy. In the DHS, the sector of information technology was established to meet the mission of national security. The public and private sectors, and the government and the businesses collaborate with the internet to create a dynamic environment where they identify threats.  Initially, policymakers believed that information technology will improve national security through information sharing. However, the policymakers have not met the expectations in that the sector of information technology lack strategic planning to control the management functions (GAO, 2007). In general, failure to implement the national strategy has occurred due to lack of unified information technology. Lack of effective management in the information technology has affected the management and performance of other functions and as a result, the DHS has not been able to prevent terrorism.

 To solve these challenges and create a motivated workforce, and sustained management, it is important to create a secure information technology. In other words, information technology should be improved. The information technology will promote an evidence-based decision, increase accountability and quality improvement (GAO, 2007). Note that the 22 separate entities face challenges in meeting the DHS mission and the only solution to this challenge is to create a new IT system and improve the information and technology. The IT support needs to be improved and maintained and it should be implemented through creating the following components;

• IT strategic planning – the secretary of the homeland security need to embark on IT strategic planning such as creation IT goals to guide the agencies in their operations (GAO, 2004). The strategic plan should provide a roadmap that states the time frames, the staff resources, the future states, among other important plans
• Enterprise architecture- the DHS should define the organization's structure and operation so that the agencies can understand the future and current goals, and get motivated toward pursuing the goals (GAO, 2004). The enterprise architecture will also allow the IT sector to optimize mission performance.
• IT investment management- the DHS should improve IT investment management and create an effective management's structure to control investments (GAO, 2004). The IT investment should also align with the enterprise architecture to meet the human capital needs.

• System development- the DHS should improve the system development and improve the acquisition management to ensure effective process controls, and measuring performance.
• Information security management-the DHS has developed the security program, security policies, and procedures, but it should improve security management to secure the IT infrastructure.
• Information management- the DHS is facing a problem in managing the information in terms of collection, and circulation. The department should improve management, especially in privacy issues.
• IT human capital management-the DHS lack human capital data, and adequate IT staffing. The department should improve these areas to enable the agencies to meet the mission.
  

References

 United States Government Accountability Office. (GAO). (2004). Department of Homeland Security formidable information and technology management challenge requires institutional approach: report to congressional committees. DIANE Publishing

United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). (2007). Information Technology: DHS’s Human Capital Plan is Largely Consistent with Relevant Guidance, but Improvements and Implementation Steps Are Still Needed. Diane Publishing

Terrorism and the Media

Summarize the attack, the initial investigation, and the manhunt for the suspects.

 On April 15, 2013, the terrorists attacked the Boston Marathon and killed 3 viewers and injured many people. Two bombs exploded few yards from the end line and the first outburst occurred at 2:50 and the other occurred about 10 seconds later (Gates et al, 2014). Many official entrants and citizens had gathered to cheer. The police conducted an intense manhunt and arrested one suspect. Other two suspects were killed by the law enforcement during a shootout (Gates et al, 2014).

Describe the media coverage of these events, and assess the degree to which the media affected the public’s perception of the attack.

During the manhunt for the suspect, the media participated in the news coverage to provide the public with information. Most of the residents of Boston learned the news from the media. However, the authority was against the media in that the up-dates on police movements would allow the suspect to be aware of the in-progress manhunt (Holman et al, 2014). Thus, the authorities prevented the media from reporting inaccurate reports. It is important to note that the media negatively affected the public's perception in that there was a competition between the media and other cable networks and they all wanted to be the first reporters. There was a   confusion that led to an unfounded report or in other words a false report. For example, the CNN reported that the suspect was arrest yet no arrest had occurred at that time. After a day and a half, the news media reported an update that was derived from unofficial sources (Holman et al, 2014). For example, the news media reported that one of the victims from the Saudi national was a suspect. Besides, the media exaggerated and said that there were more explosive devices and also informed the public that 12 people were killed. In general, the media reported inaccurate reports and this affected the public in that they believed that the crime was immense (Holman et al, 2014).  The media watched very worst features and this made the public develop tension and psychological distress.

Media effect on the immediate emergency response at the scene of the bombing

 It is worth to note that the immediate emergency response was not influenced by the media coverage since physicians, were already on the site to offer medical services to runners (Gates et al, 2014).  In general, the medical and health department saved the life of many and offered first aid and later provided mental health counseling to the victim.

Media effect on the investigation of the incident

 It was not easy to conduct thorough investigations because the media did not cover all events to figure out what happened. The news media were moving fast to inform the public both true and false news. Note that the investigators relied on the false rumor in the news media and ignored the use of data collection (Holman et al, 2014). It is important to understand that the social media platforms reported different content and this affected the investigation in that the investigators did not know where to allocate resources and techniques to find the suspects.

Media effect on the manhunt for the suspects

The media hindered the manhunt for the suspects in that the CNN, the AP media, the New York Post, and the Boston Globe had competition since each wanted to the first reporter. As a result, they all reported inaccurate information (Holman et al, 2014). This affected the manhunt for the suspects in that the vigilante army arrested the wrong people.

Assess the importance of the media’s role as a force multiplier for terrorists.

The media is a force multiplier and it plays the role of portraying the terrorist groups. However, media does not have great importance in that terrorist benefits form the media coverage in that they feel important and their striking power is strengthened (White, 2012). There, media as a force multiplier is not important in that rather than preventing terrorism, it increases the crime. Note that terrorists want the message to spread all-over as they believe that the media convinces the public that the act was legitimate. Terrorists do not only focus on public attention but they also focus on recognition (White, 2012). Therefore, the spread of image and portrayal of images makes them gain victory and motivation to cause more terror.

Take a position on the debate between the public’s right to know versus operational security.

 On the debate, my position is that secrecy is essential for national security. For example, people have privacy and security rights such as the protection of personal information. Similarly, the information concerning national security needs to be protected. Even though government transparency is a good thing toward democracy, military secrets should not be made public to the people (Hobson, 2011). However, the military should consider some factors such as the enemy and the risk to determine the type of information to be disclosed and the information to be kept secret. Therefore, they should make their judgment to evaluate when to disclose information. The purpose of concealing some information is to protect themselves and their mission and the purpose of disclosing some information to the public is to allow them to make informed choices (Hobson, 2011).Therefore, the military should focus on promoting peace and stability in disclosing or concealing the information.

References

Hobson, S. (2011). Operations Security and the Public's Need to Know. Canadian Defence & Foreign

Affairs Institute.

White, J. R. (2012). Terrorism and homeland security. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Gates, J. D., Arabian, S., Biddinger, P., Blansfield, J., Burke, P., Chung, S., ... & Gupta, A. (2014). The initial

response to the Boston marathon bombing: lessons learned to prepare for the next

disaster. Annals of surgery, 260(6), 960.

Holman, E. A., Garfin, D. R., & Silver, R. C. (2014). Media’s role in broadcasting acute stress following the

Boston Marathon bombings. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(1), 93-98.