Question: Prompt You are a government executive or high-ranking government official and have been tasked with giving a presentation to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security about the high threat risk of a specific terrorist group to the United States. The subcommittee is specifically interested in learning more about the designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations as determined by the U.S. Department of State‘s Bureau of Counterterrorism. The subcommittee would like to be briefed on both historical and current intelligence of the specific terrorist group, including the group's evolution and history of ideology. It would also like to be briefed on specifics of the group, including methods by which the group secures financing and recruits, and methods by which it selects and attacks specific targets. Finally, the committee would like to hear about the effectiveness of current legislation attempting to thwart the group's attacks, as well as some recommendations for more effectively combatting the group.
You will provide this information to the subcommittee in the form of a presentation, creating a visual using a platform of your choice, such as PowerPoint. Also, because verbal communication is important in inter-agency collaboration, you will narrate your presentation or provide speaker notes. Finally, be sure to include sources to support the claims and reporting in your presentation, as the subcommittee will want to ensure the information is backed by valid intelligence.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction: Provide context for your presentation, introducing the group you will be discussing, and why you are giving the presentation.
II. Group Background: To provide even more background to the audience, you will explain the history and evolution of the terrorist group, as well as its current motivations and trends.
A. Describe how the group was created, as well as its growth throughout the years to present day, providing specific examples. Consider how the group's leadership, size, and geographic placement have evolved.
B. Describe the evolution of the group's ideology from its creation to present day, providing specific examples. How have the group's ideals, goals, and beliefs changed, and why?
C. Describe the group's current motivations for committing acts of terror, and the evolution of its motivations. How have the group's motivations changed over time, perhaps in relation to religion or politics? Why does the group go to extremes to prove a point or gain attention?
D. Analyze the group's history and identify trends based on the group's motivations, growth, and ideology. Consider any trends relating to religion, politics, economy, or culture. How has the group's history informed these trends and motivations?
III. Methods: Here, you will explain to your audience how the terrorist group has managed to survive, speaking specifically about funding and recruitment. A. Describe how the group historically and currently obtains funding, providing specific examples of the evolution. What are its sources of funding?
B. Describe how the group historically and currently recruits new members, providing specific examples of the evolution. Is there a specific population that makes up the recruits?
C. Describe how the group historically and currently spreads its message and gains publicity, providing specific examples of the evolution. Does it use social media, publications, demonstrations, etc.?
D. Predict the group's growth potential through an analysis of funding, recruitment, and publicity tactics. If you predict it will grow, how may it gain recruits and money? If you predicted it will shrink, how may it lose recruits and funding? Justify your prediction.
IV. Target Selection and Strategies
A. Describe the group's historical and current methods of selecting targets and determine patterns present in the targets it selects. How does the group select its targets?
B. Describe the group's historical and current attack strategies and determine patterns present in the targets it selects. What strategies does the group use when committing terrorist acts?
V. Legislation
A. Describe historical and current legislation that has been created to curb terrorist threats, and identify specific legislation that relates to your specific group.
B. Evaluate the effectiveness of the legislation in place to curb terrorist acts for empowering law enforcement. Has the legislation provided leverage to security and law enforcement professionals? Are there specific tools that emerged that have assisted in countering terrorism? Provide specific examples in your answer.
C. Evaluate the effectiveness of the legislation in combatting terrorist acts by the specific group. Provide specific examples in your answer.
VI. Threat
A. Project future actions through an analysis of the group's historical and current methods of selecting targets and attack strategies. Based on your gathered intelligence, what are some likely targets for the terrorist group? B. Describe how great of an immediate threat the group is to the United States based on your research, supporting claims with sources. VII. Recommendations: Make recommendations to the subcommittee on how to better combat the group, based on all the intelligence you have gathered.
A. Make a recommendation for hindering the disbursement of the group's message and cutting off the group's funding and recruitment, based on your research. How might you put a stop to funding and recruitment? How will you stop the group's message?
B. Make a recommendation for improving critical infrastructure of high-value targets that would be of interest to the terrorist group, based on your research. What types of areas should be protected, and what level of protection should be in place?