Countering the ISIS/ISIL Threat

Countering the ISIS/ISIL Threat
Throughout this course you have studied various terrorist groups and intelligence capability to counter the threats posed by these groups. For this project, review one of the following news websites to gain a thorough understanding of ISIS/ISIL terrorist group:
• ABC News. (2015, February 23) ISIS: Trail of terror (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fullpage/isis-trail-terror-isis-threat-us-25053190
• Al-Jazeera America. (n.d.). Iraq in turmoil (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://america.aljazeera.com/topics/topic/international-location/middle-east/iraq.html
• CBS News. (n.d.). The fight against ISIS (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://www.cbsnews.com/isis/
• CNN News (n.d.) ISIS (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/search/?text=ISIS
• Fox News (n.d.) ISIS (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/category/world/isis
Then, select two of the following Congressional Research Service Reports (Note Week 5 Readings). Read the Introductions and Summaries of each report.
• Archick, K., Belkin, P., Blanchard, C., Humud C., & Mix, D. (2015, April 27). European fighters in Syria and Iraq: Assessments, responses, and issues for the United States (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R44003.pdf
• Blanchard, C., Humud C., Katzman K., & Weed, M. (2015, June 11). The Islamic State: Crisis and U.S. policy. (Links to an external site.) Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: http://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/R43612.pdf
• Blanchard, C., Humud C., & Nikitin, M. (2015, July 2015). Armed conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. response (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33487.pdf
• Humud, C., Pirog, R., & Rosen, L. (2015, April 10).Islamic State financing and U.S. policy approaches (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R43980.pdf
Using the knowledge you have learned in this course evaluating various terrorist groups and the threat they pose, use the Intelligence Cycle (Note Week Two, readings and forums) to help demonstrate your understanding of the threat posed by ISIS to the America. Develop an intelligence request and provide recommendations to law enforcement agencies from the Department of Homeland Security on how to counter the ISIS/ISIL threat. Your Final Project must address the following:
1. Understanding the Threat. Summarize who ISIS/ISIL is and why ISIS/ISIL is a threat to America.
2. Intelligence Assets and Capability. Based on the threat, select three intelligence agencies to generate actionable intelligence on ISIS/ISIL. Describe the capabilities of the intelligence asset and the type of intelligence gathered by the intelligence agency. Finally, explain how the combination of the three intelligence assets will work together to provide a better understanding of the threat, the methods, and capabilities of ISIS/ISIL.
3. Develop a Request For Intelligence (RFI). Based on your analysis of the threat, voids in intelligence on the threat, and the available intelligence assets, develop a specific request for intelligence (RFI) from the appropriate intelligence agencies to identify future intelligence requirements.
4. DHS Recommendations to Law Enforcement Agencies. Provide a minimum of two recommendations from DHS to law enforcement agencies to adjust operations to counter the ISIS/ISIL threat to America.
The Final Project:
• Must be a minimum of eight double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a title page with the following:
o Title of paper
o Student’s name
o Course name and number
o Instructor’s name
o Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
• Must use at least five scholarly resources, including a minimum of two from the Ashford University Library.
• Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Comments from Customer

Countering the ISIS/ISIL Threat

HSM 433 Counter Terrorism & Intelligence Analysis

Instructor

March 9, 2020

Countering the ISIS/ISIL Threat

Thesis: For more successful counter-terrorism activities, the United States must find new ways of interacting with Internet recruiters, as well as target ISIS affiliates to weaken them.

Outline

• Introduction
• Historical background. The history of the creation of ISIS, the premise.
• The threat level of the ISIS threat for the USA and other countries of the world. The scope of the terrorist organization now.
• Intelligence Assets and Capability. Application of the work of specialized services, their cooperation, the inclusion of the analysis of intellectual intelligence and assets.
• Designing a Request for Intelligence.
• Recommendations for law enforcement agencies to adjust their current activities.
• Conclusion

Annotated Bibliography

ABC News. (2015, February 23) ISIS: Trail of terror (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fullpage/isis-trail-terror-isis-threat-us-25053190

The article contains necessary information about the origins and formation of ISIS. It includes an analysis of the reorganization and divergences in the views of the radical Islamists al-Qaeda and ISIS, their troops kill people, scoff at them, and capture them. Among the locals in Syria, they were always the main ones, kept everyone around in fear. The information also includes public executions of citizens of the USA, Great Britain, and Japan, journalists, and volunteers. The article helps to reveal the cause-effect relationship by tracking the origins of ISIS.

Aistrope, T. (2016). Social media and counterterrorism strategy. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 70(2), 121–138. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2015.1113230

The article reveals the problems of ISIS recruitment through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The author also offers his ways to combat online radicalization. Along with this, he analyzes the current programs of the US State Department, their advantages, as well as disadvantages. Special attention is paid to the activities of online applications and programs that undermine the actions of ISIS terrorists in social networks and the Internet as a whole. It will help formulate recommendations based on in-depth analysis.

Archick, K., Belkin, P., Blanchard, C., Humud C., & Mix, D. (2015, April 27). European fighters in Syria and Iraq: Assessments, responses, and issues for the United States (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R44003.pdf

The document includes data on the origin of ISIS terrorists. Together with this, the author discusses more thorough checks at the Visa Waiver Program. He analyzes the representatives of which countries and groups are more likely to get involved in the activities of terrorists. There is also information about Trump’s cooperation with European countries and associations such as the UN in the fight against terrorism.

Blanchard, C., Humud C., & Nikitin, M. (2015, July 2015). Armed conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. response (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33487.pdf

A thorough analysis of the preconditions of the armed conflict in Syria, the alignment of forces, stakeholders is part of this document. In addition to the goal of resolving the battle, the United States is interested in Enduring the defeat of ISIS and the withdrawal of Iran’s command forces. Weaknesses of the document are in the absence of due attention to Russian and Iranian interests supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad. In contrast, the strength of the report is continuously updated information. So, according to February 20, about 600 soldiers were involved in the mission against terrorists in Syria. The author also outlines the humanitarian problems of Syria.

Byman, D. (2016). ISIS Goes Global: Fight the Islamic State by Targeting Its Affiliates. Foreign Affairs, 95(2), 76-85. Retrieved March 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/43948181

Byman is investigating ISIS’s globalization trend. Based on the obtained data, he writes recommendations on the fight against a terrorist group. A double impact has facts about the weak point of the terrorist troops, and this is about their branches. The author also notes the problems of diverting attention from local diasporas, for example, Somalis, which take part in the planned forces. An important point is cooperation with other states to increase the maximum coverage of point strikes at branches. As part of the writing of this work about specific recommendations, this information is essential. It confirms one of the proposals, which speaks of targeted point strikes at branches, which will make the organization weaker.

References

ABC News. (2015, February 23) ISIS: Trail of terror (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fullpage/isis-trail-terror-isis-threat-us-25053190

Aistrope, T. (2016). Social media and counterterrorism strategy. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 70(2), 121–138. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2015.1113230

Archick, K., Belkin, P., Blanchard, C., Humud C., & Mix, D. (2015, April 27). European fighters in Syria and Iraq: Assessments, responses, and issues for the United States (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R44003.pdf

Blanchard, C., Humud C., & Nikitin, M. (2015, July 2015). Armed conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. response (Links to an external site.). Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Retrieved from: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33487.pdf

Byman, D. (2016). ISIS Goes Global: Fight the Islamic State by Targeting Its Affiliates. Foreign Affairs, 95(2), 76-85. Retrieved March 9, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/43948181

Discipline: HSM 433 Counter Terrorism & Intelligence Analysis