Terrorist's Impact on Emergency Management Planning

Introduction

Terrorism refers to the illegal use of violence to create fear and intimidate people. The violent acts target innocent civilians or other minor groups of the population. The primary purpose of targeting the public is to achieve a particular religious, political, or social objective ("Definition, History, and Types," n.d.). People who carry out acts of terror are known as terrorists. In most cases, they terrorize society as a group while others act alone. Regardless of the methods used by either category, terrorists have far-reaching impacts on society. By appealing to the human instinct of fear, they manage to wreak havoc across the globe. When terrorists attack a place, they throw it into disarray. They interrupt the usual way of life due to the extensive damage they cause. For instance, detonating explosives in public spaces necessitates emergency care for the affected. During terror attacks, the affected regions or populations require a lot of assistance. Terrorism can cripple society if an attack hinders the ability of emergency care providers to meet the needs of the people. In such a scenario, civilians suffer the most since they are helpless. The outcomes are far much worse in communities whereby members lack basic knowledge or training on how to respond to massive disasters. Depending on a variety of factors, the effective response of the emergency services providers determines ability to rescue victims and save lives. Thus, this paper will discuss the various impacts of terrorism on emergency management planning.

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Terrorist Organization

Al-Qaida

Terrorist organizations pose a significant threat to the security of citizens, a nation and region. Their activities negatively impact the welfare of communities due to the extreme level of violence of their attacks. Terror groups have threatened people around the world and disrupted peace. They have caused numerous deaths, damage to property, political instability, and inhibited economic growth and development. Members of terrorist organizations carry out specific attacks based on the primary objective and type of agenda that they seek to advance. State-sponsored terror groups will organize and conduct terror attacks on another state or government. On the other hand, rebellious organizations initiate attacks on their governments ("Definition, History, and Types," n.d.). The purpose of such groups is to influence or change the leadership structure and authority figures in power. Left and Right wing terrorists hold different political ideologies that drive them to fight each other. Another notable category of terror groups is religion-themed organizations that seek to advance specific religious views ("Definition, History, and Types," n.d.). Despite having varying objectives and approaches, terror organizations are a persistent cause for worry in the 21st century.

There are various terrorist groups. The US State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism is responsible for monitoring and identification of active terror groups across the world. The agency lists these groups to facilitate law enforcement efforts in the fight against terrorism ("Foreign Terrorist Organizations," n.d.). Some of the notorious organizations include al-Qaida (AQ), Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and the Taliban (Dudley, 2018). These organizations, alongside other smaller groups, are a menace to society. The groups perform their activities through the provision of material and financial support for combatants who advocate their agenda. Groups identified as terrorist organizations do not necessarily have to carry out terror attacks to qualify for listing by the bureau. Instead, the process also considers the role of specific actions such as active participation in planning and preparations for attacks by other units. Besides facilitation, other elements have the capacity as well as a motive for orchestrating attacks. Thus, their existence threatens security and peace across nations.

Formation

Al Qaida, formed in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, is a broad-based militant group. Based in Afghanistan, the organization operates a vast network of extremists through the Islamic world. While the group's founder begun an initiative of a joint effort aimed at resisting invasion, it evolved to become a unit for opposing what it termed as corrupt regimes and foreign presence in Islamic countries. Its members pledged an oath of allegiance to the founder and the group itself ("Inside the Terror Network," n.d.). Individuals developed a unique interpretation of Islam law based on an extremist perspective. For instance, they defined countries such as the US as infidels, using this skewed understanding of doctrines about their religion. Thus, they strongly opposed their activities and support for other nations categorically identified as Al Qaida's enemies (Mishal & Rosenthal, 2005). By declaring a holy war against the US, Al Qaida and other militant Islamist organizations sought to terrorize the country and its allies.

Funding

The terrorist organization has a global impact. The group is well financed by different individuals and organizations in order to sustain its command and control structure across the world. Carrying out the nature of undertakings and terrorist operations they run requires vast human, material and financial resources. While speculations about sources of money that funds terror activities are rife, these groups have designed devious ways of obtaining capital. At the inception of Al Qaida, Osama bin Laden supported the group ("Inside the Terror Network," n.d.). However, over the years, the unit has raised millions of dollars through unlawful inhumane acts like kidnapping and ransoming hostages. By targeting specific subpopulations, the militants leverage captive citizens for money from governments. Another significant source of income for terrorists is control over oil fields. Oil trade is one of the most profitable businesses in the energy industry. By establishing dominance in oil-rich regions, the groups set up operations that generate many profits used to fund their agenda. When the groups' process and export oil, they also obtain finances from various taxes imposed on businesses (Williams, 2015). Thus, money enables Al Qaida to operate around the world.

Recruitment

Al Qaida recruits individuals to participate in spreading its agenda across the globe. It has a vast network of operatives, extremists, and supporters who play various roles in ensuring that the terrorists fulfill their missions. The organization has affiliate groups that assist in the selection and recruitment of potential militants. Since it lost its primary training base in Afghanistan, the leadership has adopted more clandestine methods of recruitment. For instance, the group uses centers of activities as a platform for recruiting new members to the cause. These include places such as mosques, universities, and charity events and organizations (Gerwehr & Daly, 2006). They identify and target potential recruits who share a radical jihadist perspective of the present day state of the world. By appealing to various aspects of rationale, recruiters target youths. For instance, they tune them to believe that fighting the holy war is a revolutionary act. Thus, through such an approach, the group has established a broad network of militants.

Emergency Management

Organizations Involved

Emergency management plays a significant role in responding to terror attacks. The effectiveness of response to such a crisis varies with the level of mitigation and preparedness put in place before the disaster. At this phase, the attack has happened. Another factor that determines response speed is the level of confusion, panic and chaos witnessed in the aftermath of a crisis. The disarray makes it challenging for emergency response to take place due to the fear and uncertainty that follows. It is essential for members of the public to act responsibly and prioritize their safety during this time ("The Four Phases of Emergency Management," n.d.). The primary objective is to save as many lives as possible while caring for the injured. Thus, individuals ought to prioritize the protection of self, one's family and other people, as well as animals. After contending with the immediate damage and losses incurred, the public has to move on with their life. Safety services provided by care providers after a terror attack goes beyond physical security. Thus, they seek to cushion society against possible future effects related to the crisis.

Coordination of emergency management activities occurs through various organizations. Agencies tasked with formulating and implementing strategic, operational, and tactical approaches of dealing with crises run the show when terrorists attack. In the US, terror threats and terrorism are a significant concern for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is the office responsible for public security, as well as disaster prevention and management. Part of the primary role of the DHS includes developing and coordinating a comprehensive national strategy to facilitate counterterrorism measures adopted at the federal, state, and local levels. The department facilitates service delivery during disasters through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA exists to ensure adequate preparation, prevention, response and recovery from catastrophes that disrupt society. Its primary purpose is to coordinate efforts by the government and other agencies to reduce the adverse outcomes during a crisis ("About the Agency," n.d.). Thus, through the DHS, FEMA ensures national preparedness and development of collaborative processes to facilitate effective management of response to terrorist incidents.

As an international humanitarian organization, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement play a significant role in emergency management. Branches such as the American Red Cross are a central force in the provision of essential goods and services required to satisfy basic human needs during crises. Besides, it is among the leading groups that provide first-line disaster response services during terror attacks ("Terrorism," 2001). Its goal to assist in efforts aimed at alleviating human suffering due to natural or human-made events that disrupt livelihoods and expose human beings to extreme adversities. It avails items such as food, shelter and medical care when people lack access. The organization consists of volunteers with varying levels of skills and professional qualifications. These professionals are vital when they work and coordinate their efforts with other first-responders to rescue and care for terror survivors. Apart from its participation in search, rescue and treatment activities, the branch contributes to mitigation efforts through the dissemination of information about the essence of preparedness. Thus, its preparatory activities and involvement in disaster response qualify it as one of the major organizations that help when terror attacks happen.

Preparing and Planning

Emergency management requires a strategic approach. Preparation for a terrorist attack calls for tactical planning to ensure that nations can deal with the adverse effects of terrorism. Emergency management planning refers to action plans developed in readiness for disasters that may occur in the future ("Emergency Response Plan," n.d.). The concept entails four crucial stages. The first stage involves enacting of mitigation measures. It entails undertaking activities whose primary role is to minimize the likelihood of occurrence of an impending calamity ("Phases of Emergency Management," n.d.). For instance, efforts to step up security at strategic facilities seek to mitigate terr...