United States measure to counter terrorism through the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC)

Mission
To combat terrorism at home and abroad by analyzing the threat, sharing information, and integrating all instruments of national power to ensure unity of effort.

Objective
--Create a Culture of Sharing Counterterrorism Knowledge and Expertise
*Discover, capture, share, and effectively exploit knowledge, expertise, and information within NCTC and across the counterterrorism community
*Develop integrated information technology systems that enable collaboration and information sharing within NCTC and across the counterterrorism community
*Establish policies, processes, and programs that encourage and reward collaboration, learning, and sharing.

Measures used

--One of NCTC’s measure used is through the 2010 Counterterrorism Calendar. The calendar has two versions which are the Online Multimedia Version and the Daily Planner Printable Version. The purpose of the NCTC’s Counterterrorism Calendar is to provide information on known terrorist groups, individual terrorists, and technical information on topics such as biological and chemical threats so that the general publis has the knowledge on how to deal with terrorist attack situations.

--Secondly, NCTC also uses The Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG) Intelligence Guide for First Responders as a measure to deal with terrorism. It is designed to assist state, local, tribal law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, and appropriate private sector personnel in accessing and understanding Federal counterterrorism, homeland security, and weapons of mass destruction intelligence reporting. Most of the information contained in the guide was compiled, derived, and adapted from existing Intelligence Community and open source references.

The ITACG consists of state, local, and tribal first responders and federal intelligence analysts from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) to enhance the sharing of federal counterterrorism, homeland security, and weapons of mass destruction information with state, local, and tribal consumers of intelligence.


Huang Wei Ling, 10S27
Country's measures to combat terrorism

Global Measures to Counter Terrorism

Global Measures to Counter Terrorism

I. Cutting down on Terrorism Funding

The September 11 terrorists apparently had enough money to make their preparations many months, if not years, in advance. Since, funding is a critical element in recruiting supporters and launching large-scale terrorist operations. Thus the need to dry up terrorist fundraising and money transfers.

The first shot in the war against terrorism was fired on September 24 when President Bush signed an executive order, freezing the assets of 27 terrorists, terrorist organizations, and terrorist financiers associated with al-Qaida and blocks U.S. transactions with such persons or entities, including 39 additional names of persons and organizations known to conduct or financially support terrorism. In addition, the assets of all 22 of the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists are now subject to this blocking order. A previous Executive Order, in effect since 1995 and renewed each year since, includes such groups as Hizballah and HAMAS, as well as al-Qaida that represent a terrorist threat to the Middle East peace negotiations.

On September 28 the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1373, which is binding on all states under international law, obliging all member states to deny financing, support, and safe haven to terrorists. It will also expand information sharing among U.N. members to combat international terrorism. A Security Council follow-up mechanism has been set up to monitor compliance on a continuous basis.

This effort has already yielded results. The United States has frozen some $4 million and is reviewing many other accounts. Other nations are still seeking to identify terrorist assets that they have pledged to block. In all, 111 nations -- more than half the world -- have acted to choke off the oxygen of money for terrorists, and this is only the beginning.

Using tools like these urges other countries to tighten up their own laws and regulations to curb terrorist fundraising and money transfers. In addition, the administration is making ratification of the 12 U.N. conventions against terrorism a high priority. The conventions form a strong legal framework for fighting terrorism.

II. Utilizing Training Related Programmes

The State Department's Antiterrorism Training Assistance (ATA) program was set up in which foreign security and law enforcement officials is a pillar of this effort. The program not only provides training but also helps promote policies and improve contacts with foreign officials to achieve the counterterrorism goals. More than 20,000 officials have been trained from over 100 countries to date.

A Terrorist Interdiction Program (TIP) was also developed, which utilizes sophisticated computer data base systems and improved communications to help identify potential terrorists who try to cross international borders. This program will be most effective in countries that are major transportation hubs. The Department's contribution to the interagency counterterrorism research and development program, the Technical Support Working Group, also helps to make advances in explosives detection and other areas and bolster cooperative R&D efforts with other key allies.

An increase in awards for the "Rewards for Justice" program was also proposed, which pays up to $5 million for information that prevents a terrorist attack or results in the arrest of a terrorist. This important program saves lives and puts terrorists behind bars.

-Lim Cenyun Rachel, 10S27

Global Measures to Counter Terrorism

Global Initiative to combat nuclear terrorism drives forward

What is it about?

- Called for further development and broadening of the membership of the Global Initiative (GI) to Combat Nuclear Terrorism

- Invited “all EU member states to join the initiative” and “the EU institutions to join the initiative as observers

- Representatives from 38 countries (out of a total of 51 GI partner nations) attended that gathering, hosted by the government of Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh capital of Astana, while the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent observers

- They addressed implementation problems, and discussed how to further integrate the new partners into GI projects and agreed to sponsor almost 20 activities during the next two years as part of their revised work plan

Main priorities of activities:

- safeguarding nuclear material from terrorists

- improving the capabilities of participating nations to detect, search for, and prevent trafficking in such materials; promoting information sharing and law enforcement cooperation

- establishing appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks

- minimizing the use of highly enriched uranium and plutonium in civilian facilities and activities

- denying safe haven and financial resources to terrorists

- strengthening the GI participants’ response capabilities to minimize the impact of any nuclear terrorist attack

A success

- At a press conference following the gathering, Kislyak said: “The conference in Astana closed the books on developing and launching the Global Initiative as a multilateral interaction mechanism to combat international terrorism.”

- He ascribed his optimism to the fact that, “We have many collective plans. Many countries participating in the initiative have proposed taking various measures to fine-tune practical work in the area in order to deprive terrorists of every chance to use nuclear energy in criminal interests.”

- The Russian news agency ITAR-TASS cited an unnamed Russian Foreign Ministry official as saying that, “The permanently growing number of participants…proves the seriousness of the global community’s intention to fight nuclear terrorism and the readiness to prevent situations where nuclear materials and technologies may fall into terrorists’ hands.”

Who started GI?

- Presidents George W. Bush

- Vladimir Putin

When was GI introduced?

- July 2006

Who is involved?

- Government of Russia

- Government of United States

- Governments of other member states

What is GI?

- Initially it is designed to improve implementation and coordination of existing national and multinational programs aimed at countering nuclear trafficking while avoiding unnecessary duplication with these programs

- Membership in the initiative is open to any country or organization committed to combating the proliferation of nuclear materials and reducing the risks of nuclear terrorism

- Participation in any particular activity, or involvement in the GI as a whole, is voluntary

- Many governments have used their accession as an opportunity to affirm their commitment to combating nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and other threats to international security.

- -Most prominent of these existing activities the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540include those occurring under the auspices of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, , and the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction

- Strengthen their enforcement of existing nonproliferation agreements and to adopt additional measures to combat nuclear terrorism

- Ensure that law enforcement takes all possible measures to deny safe haven to terrorists seeking to acquire or use nuclear materials

- Strengthen our respective national legal frameworks to ensure the effective prosecution of, and the certainty of punishment for, terrorists and those who facilitate such acts

- Focuses on safeguarding civilian rather than military nuclear facilities, though some of its programs may have the ancillary benefit of enhancing the security of the latter

- Plan to work closely with private sector civilian nuclear power producers, as well as with the IAEA, and other multilateral institutions seeking to enhance the safety and security of nuclear materials

- Through the GI’s various activities, governments are to exchange technologies and best practices to enhance their ability to deter, detect, prevent, and respond to threats of nuclear terrorism

- -More than 50 countries joined the Global Initiative in its first year

What was the aim of GI?

- To improve the safety and security of nuclear materials within countries

- Protecting nuclear material, detecting illicit nuclear trafficking, interdicting and recovering diverted nuclear commodities, and responding to nuclear terrorist incidents

Examples

- In early May 2007, Japan hosted an Experts Seminar at which representatives of 15 countries discussed how to promote and assist efforts to sign, ratify, and implement conventions and protocols against terrorism.

- From June 11-15, 2007, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) hosted a conference on International Nuclear Terrorism Law Enforcement in Miami, Florida. This conference, the first of its kind, aimed to support several GI objectives, but most specifically the seventh item in the GI Statement of Principles, which was on improving the response, mitigation, and investigation capabilities available for countering nuclear terrorism.

Conclusion

Although the recent surge in GI membership could make it more difficult for the GI to achieve collective agreement on the source, magnitude, and appropriate response measures for WMD terrorist threats. In addition, the diversity of members could complicate efforts to ensure that activities under the GI make tailored contributions to each participating country’s unique security needs.

-Chan Jing Ting Fiona, 10S27

Terrorism in Singapore, Laju Incident

Incident

In 31 Jan 1974, terrorists comprising of two Japanese from the Japanese Red Army and two Arabs from the Popular Front for the liberation of Palestine attempted to disrupt the oil supply from Singapore to South Vietnam by blowing up the Shell Oil refinery. Their motives are to fight against imperialism and monopolistic oil companies, an act of solidarity with the revoultionay forces in Vietnam. Fortunately, their plans failed and the explosives does little damage to the oil tanks. To escape from their pursuers, they hijacked a ferryboat, "Laju" and held the crew members hostages. After several days of tense negotiations, both parties came to a conclusion. The terrorists agree to release their hostages in exchange for safety on a flight to Kuwait with a group of Singaporean 'guarantors'.

Significance

This incident serves as an important lesson for Singapore to be better prepared and vigilant for such terrorist attacks as it showed Singapore's vulnerability to terrorism.

10s27

Aaron Yap

Terrorism in Singapore and Region