Artifact 2 Terrorism, Discussion Board Question, Week 4, Homeland Security Fundamentals, SMGT 321

Part II List and fully explain TWO Introduction to Homeland Security salient points from the assigned reading chapter. Salient Point #1, Chapter 6, p. 333: The terrorism threat knows no geographic, social or economic boundaries. Every citizen and every community is potentially at risk. In my opinion it is impossible to stop every terrorist incident. The department of Homeland Security is trying hard to prevent terrorist from striking again in the United States. Military intelligence reports terrorist plots continue to be thwarted by our security and intelligence agencies across the United States. What is Terrorism; it is defined as the use of force or violence against individuals or property for purposes of intimidation, coercion, or spreading fear in order to attain political, religious, or ideological goals (Haddow, Bullock, and Coppola, 2011, p 54). I bring the definition to light because nowhere in it does it specify who and where terrorist events will take place. That definition covers all geographic, social and economic areas of society. We are all subject to being targeted however it is normally because we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The death of 40 innocent people has the same effect on Americans as 4000 deaths when it is caused by terrorist. Terrorist groups both domestic and international are motivated to commit acts of violence to:

Produce widespread fear Obtain worldwide, national, or local recognition for their cause by attracting the attention of the media Harass, weaken, or embarrass government security forces so that the government overreacts and appears repressive Free prisoners Steal or extort money and equipment, especially weapons and ammunition vital to the operation of their group Destroy facilities or disrupt lines of communication in order to create doubt that the government can provide for and protect its citizens Discourage foreign investments, tourism, or assistance programs that can affect the target countrys economy and support of the government in power Manipulate government decisions, legislation, or other critical decisions Satisfy vengeance Turn the tide in a guerrilla war by forcing government security forces to concentrate their efforts in urban areas. This allows the terrorist group to establish itself among the local populace in rural areas http://www.terrorism-research.com/goals/

To minimize the potential threat to citizens and communities, the Department of Homeland Security provided the citizens of the United States with a recognizable five-color Homeland Security Advisory System code that broadcast information concerning the threat of possible or actual terrorist acts. The question is, how many people actually know what the colors mean or even care? There are citizens that care, approximately 50 thousand according to Bullock, Haddow, Cappola, and Yeletaysi (2009). From volunteering in the Red Cross and Salvation Army to being active first responders under Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Americans are better trained to understand the threat and actions to take during response and recovery efforts.

Haddow, G.D., Bullock, J.A., Coppola, D.P., Yeletaysi, S., (2009). Introduction to Homeland Security (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Haddow, G., Bullock, J., & Coppola, D. (2011). Introduction to emergency management. (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: A Butterworth-Heinemann Title. Terrorism research. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.terrorism-research.com/goals/