Defending Freedom: Understanding and Combating Terrorism

Approximately 80% of foiled terrorist plots within the past decade were the result of Suspicious Activity Reporting by private citizens and frontline Law Enforcement Officers. Since this demographic plays such a critical role in America’s efforts to combat terrorism, any improvement in their ability to understand, identify, and report suspicious activity will aid in the common defense of the nation. This book seeks to broaden the reader’s understanding of terrorism and the procedures used to combat it. The definition of terrorism is clarified, and distinguished from other terms – such as insurgencies, unconventional, asymmetric, or guerilla warfare, which are often inappropriately associated with terrorism. Terrorist Tactics and Terrorist Operations are covered to familiarize the reader with the steps involved in planning and conducting a terrorist attack, which may aid private citizens or frontline Law Enforcement Officers with identifying and reporting suspicious activities. This book will provide the reader with need-to-know information regarding terrorism and terrorist operations, and will aid the reader in understanding the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies that work together to defend freedom and combat terrorist threats. In this revised addition of the book, information has been compressed in order to provide the reader with the most critical information needed to understand terrorism, terrorist tactics and operations, and the procedures used to combat terrorism in the United States. The content is suitible for Law Enforcement Officers, Military Members, Academic Students, and Private Citizens.