Terrorist Group Profile and Homeland Security Policy Paper

The term paper consists of two parts.
Part 1 – select a domestic or international terrorist organization that
threatens the U.S. homeland and complete a profile of that organization. The
group profile should be approximately 50 percent of the final paper and must
include a discussion of the group’s ideology, targeting, tactics, capability,
and overall goals, analysis of attacks, and any statements or propaganda
released by the group. Make sure you have enough information on the group to
address all these factors and how it affects the US homeland.
A foreign terrorist group for this
project must be on the official list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs)
maintained by the U.S. Department of State. In the case of domestic terrorist
groups, there is no sanctioned list from which to choose, but the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has made significant arrests from several groups
that would fit the description of a domestic terrorist group. The FBI also
names many other groups in congressional testimony. Materials presented in the
first module, as well as recent news and congressional testimony, are good
sources of information on how to identify domestic groups for this project.
Part 2 – use the group profile to conduct an analysis of one or more U.S.
homeland security policies studied in module 2, to assess the ability of the
policy or policies to counter the threat posed by the group profiled. This
analysis should begin with an introduction and explanation of the policy,
followed by an analysis addressing the breadth of the information(from part 1)
gathered on that terrorist group. The policy you analyze should be consistent
with the group; for example, if you choose a domestic terrorist group, it would
be improper to analyze the Secure Border Initiative and its ability to counter
a domestic threat, because the members of the group are already within the
nation’s borders. If you find the policy deficient, make specific
recommendations for policy change to counter the threat. If you deem the policy
sufficient to counter the threat, explain the rationale for your conclusion.
Your finished project, including
both elements of the paper, should be approximately 12 to 14 double-spaced
pages, not including the cover or reference pages but including the abstract,
submitted as one document. Make sure you present an introduction and a
conclusion tying together both aspects of the paper. Follow the guidelines in
either Course Content or in the conference. You must post your selection in
this conference. The paper is due at the end of week 8 and must be submitted in
your Assignments folder. Review the late policy above.