Assignment task:
Following the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in September 2001, President George W. Bush declared war on terrorism and put countries who harbor terrorists on notice that America would go after terrorists wherever they may be found (see President Bush's address to Congress). This series of events fundamentally changed how Americans and lawmakers conceptualized terrorism. Terrorism shifted from strictly a criminal justice issue to a military issue. Since then, America has taken a dual-pronged approach, using the military to counter terrorism overseas and law enforcement and Homeland Security apparatus to bring terrorists to justice. As a result, Homeland Security personnel find themselves connecting with various U.S. and international entities to deconflict work, share information, and share resources.
For this assignment, you will assume the role of an Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG). Your supervisor, the Special Agent in Charge of Headquarters Operations, is attending two meetings to help her decide where to commit a full-time Special Agent. The Agent will still be a Special Agent for DHS OIG, but they will be permanently assigned to either the FBI National Joint Terrorism Task Force or INTERPOL Washington, D.C.
The agent, whom you will supervise, will be a conduit for information back to your agency. They will also need to provide DHS OIG special agents with access to various databases and resources at either the FBI or INTERPOL. As the supervisor over the agent, you have been asked to provide a PowerPoint presentation to your supervisor covering several topics that will (A) demonstrate your knowledge of the issues involved and (B) help you and your supervisor understand the backdrop the issues and the bigger picture context related to terrorism and the international stage. This is particularly important because the agent chosen to work at either INTERPOL or the FBI will be heavily immersed in counterterrorism and international relations.
In your A Tale of Two Meetings PowerPoint:
- Describe the constitutional issues that must be addressed to "declare war on terrorism."
- Compare and contrast the counterterrorism policies of the European Union and the United Nations with the DHS Strategic Goal: Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats.
- Discuss whether Western society is stronger and more secure by having one consistent program or by having different programs with similarities and differences.
- Summarize the mission of the DHS OIG Office of Investigations.
- Explain the potential for a nexus between DHS OIG investigative activity and INTERPOL. Would joint activities between DHS OIG and INTERPOL be of any value to the two entities? If so, how would these joint activities add value?
- Explain the potential for a nexus between DHS OIG investigative activity and FBI JTTF. Would joint activities between DHS OIG and FBI JTTF be of any value to the two entities? If so, how would these joint activities add value?
- Determine which entity the Agent should be assigned to based on your final assessment.
The Tale of Two Meetings Assignment:
- Must not be submitted as a PDF file. Please use PowerPoint.
- Must be eight to nine slides in length (not including title and references slides) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center's APA Style.
- Must have at least 150 words of text in the notes section of each slide dedicated to a topic. The slides themselves will have only two or three short bullets. The notes section of the slides will have most of the discussion and narrative information. The bulleted information is intended to keep the audience's attention and serves as a reminder of what the presenter should be discussing.
- Must have attractive slides with appropriate images and formatting that would keep an audience's attention. Images must be appropriately cited.