Terror Risk Assessment and Counter-Terrorism Strategy Essay

Terror Risk Assessment and Counter-Terrorism Strategy - Essay Example A quick strategy that many governments adopt when confronting terror is one of deterrence. However, one academic’s discussion points out that deterrence is hardly an effective strategy, although it still is a crucial part of any comprehensive plan. Deterrence, in the case of Israel for example, requires extreme, â€Å"Draconian† measures for success and thus defies justice. Overall, the most effective form of deterrence may be an all-out assault on the leadership structure of a traditional terrorist organization, but little else can be done. (Radlauer) That said, the best counter-terror strategy is a readiness for a response after the movement of the attack begins, but before it can be effectively carried out. In a sense, this can be compared to structuring a vehicle to be durable and ensure the safety of its passengers in the case of an unavoidable accident.One of the most devastating possible terrorist attacks is the use of a biological weapon, as chemicals and diseas es are a threat to human life that can arrive undetected and cause massive loss of life from a small source. For potential terrorists, biological weapons present a method of destruction that requires a lower level of infiltration and effort with a high-yield result. A research fellow from the Center for Non-Proliferation Studies describes how the Israeli government’s counter-terror efforts in the realm of biological and chemical attacks present a model for the US government to follow when making policy.... Deterrence, in the case of Israel for example, requires extreme, â€Å"Draconian† measures for success and thus defies justice. Overall, the most effective form of deterrence may be an all-out assault on the leadership structure of a traditional terrorist organization, but little else can be done. (Radlauer) That said, the best counter-terror strategy is a readiness for response after the movement of the attack begins, but before it can be effectively carried out. In a sense, this can be compared to structuring a vehicle to be durable and ensure the safety of its passengers in the case of an unavoidable accident. One of the most devastating possible terrorist attacks is use of a biological weapon, as chemicals and diseases are a threat to human life that can arrive undetected and cause massive loss of life from a small source. For potential terrorists, biological weapons present a method of destruction that requires a lower level of infiltration and effort with a high-yield re sult. A research fellow from the Center for Non-Proliferation Studies describes how the Israeli government’s counter-terror efforts in the realm of biological and chemical attacks present a model for the US government to follow when making policy. He describes how the Israeli government provides a kit to all citizens, free of charge, consisting of a gas-mask and sterilization tools. This is part of an overall strategy that recommends keeping a â€Å"sealed body in a sealed room† during the event of a biological attack, and also recommends that citizens set the radio to a station playing only static while sleeping—this station is used by the government to broadcast warnings. However, these strategies may not be practical in the US, where society is not so