terrorist organization

I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS FAIRLY SHORT NOTICE BUT, I STILL NEED IT BY THE DUE DATE. THANK YOU!

Select a terrorist organization likely to conduct a major and imminent attack within the United States
and complete an in-depth profile on the group you selected. This is the first portion of a three part
series of research papers that are employed over the course of this class with papers due in weeks 3, 6
and 8. This same terrorist group and the hypothetical attack you describe in this Midterm paper will also
be used for your following Progress and Final papers. In the next paper (progress assignment due in
week 6) you will describe how to collect and analyze on this terrorist group. In the final paper due in
week 8 you will describe how to stop the attack by making recommendations on how the Homeland
Security Enterprise can be better supported with domestic intelligence.

2. Terrorist Group Profile (Organizational Assessment):

For this midterm, write a 5-7 page research paper that provides a description of the organization's
ideology, goals & objectives, leadership, funding, and terrorist capabilities. Describe the groups' known
or suspected weapons/lethal agents and delivery methods, and the tactics, techniques and procedures
that they may use here in the homeland.

Make sure you pick either an international terrorist group from the Department of State list of foreign
terrorist organizations, or if you pick a domestic group make sure it is really a terrorist organization (not
just radicals). The Counter Extremist Project also has good details on Extremists Groups (but make sure
to pick a terrorist organization). For example, the KKK is not a terrorist group (or even illegal in fact),
they are a domestic hate group which has had members conduct violent acts and murder. For more on
that, see the FBI's definition for international terrorism and domestic terrorism (while either a domestic
or international group can work for these papers, overseas terrorist groups are the best ones to
facilitate your following research papers). This first Red Cell paper is only to set you up to be able to
research and write on how to conduct intelligence operations to protect the Homeland (the following
papers). So, a domestic terrorist group may make your progress and final papers harder to write if the
group is not sending terrorists from overseas.

3. Hypothetical Terrorist Attack:

In your paper describe in detail at least one major hypothetical terrorist attack on the U.S. Homeland by
this group — an event that could happen in the immediate future (an imminent attack). You do not need
advance permission from the instructor on which group you choose, but if you are considering a group
unlikely to attack the U.S, Homeland, then pick a different group that could potentially do so.

You can describe the full spectrum of capabilities the group has to conduct attacks on our Homeland in
your paper from a specific single site attack (an iconic building), to complex synchronized or multi-city
attacks, or even the use of WMDs. Describe only the terrorist capabilities and weapons that are relevant
to an attack on our homeland (for example it does not matter that ISIS had battle tanks and other major
weapons for this paper, only what they have that could be brought here to attack the US, or acquired
here). You need to explain what the impending terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland would look like
and how they would do it — such as attacking a specific sporting event or a certain target you select for
the organization. When it comes to picking a target(s) in one or multiple cities for your hypothetical
attack(s), you can use your imagination and try to think like a terrorist (big impact, well covered by
media, and fear spreading), or you can also considered the list of 31 DHS designated "High-Risk
Jurisdictions" to select from (page B-2).

Also, it needs to be a planned attack by a group or at least a cell from the group, it can NOT be a lone
wolf, nor can the attack be by a radicalized individual or citizens. While these homegrown attacks are
much more likely, these lone wolf or radicalized individuals attacking within the U.S do not allow you to
develop your future research papers on how to collect, analyze and then disrupt these attacks (the
topics of your progress and final papers).

In sum, you must describe a specific physical attack (not just a cyber attack) on a target or targets that
you assess the organization capable of conducting, and it must be an attack within the U.S. Homeland
and be conducted by a trained group or a cell of terrorists (not homegrown or cyber only attack). In
other words, if you pick al Qaeda or ISIS/ISIL then the attack cell needs to come from overseas like
happened on 9/11 or with the 2009 underwear bomber on coming into Detroit or the NY City subway
bombing plot, also in 2009 (a traditional terrorist cell that was trained overseas). Tell us how it was
planned, surveyed, how they got in the U.S., how many there are in the attack cell, etc. If you are
stumped on what they could target specifically, then I suggest this article Soft Targets are Easy Terror
Targets.

Conducting a successful major terrorist attack is complicated operation involving a lot of planning,
resourcing, reconnaissance, and rehearsals. Most groups use the terrorist attack cycle and include

separate teams or cells for each of the following functions: support and logistics, weapons and bomb-
making, reconnaissance and scout teams, as well as the attack cell itself. In your paper consider how
your selected organization will use the terrorist attack cycle (see the below STRATFOR video for more)
and make sure to specify exactly how many terrorists are in this attack cell. Also specify how they will do
the scouting and reconnaissance, how will logistical and other support be secured, in what manner will
practice runs and rehearsals take place, and exactly how will the attack unfold – so you need to specify
how exactly they will attack and what exact location or target will they attack in one specific city (or
multiple simultaneous attacks within one or more cities).

So, for your Red Cell papers, have your selected terrorist group use a cell of at least 3 personnel in the
attack cell and use an attack model. Some example terrorist attack models include Tokyo sarin gas
attack 1995, or the London subway/bus bombings of 2005. You could also describe a complex attack
using multiple teams like happened in Mumbai India in 2008, the West Gate Mall Kenya in 2013, the
Paris attack in 2015 (to name a few). But an attack by a single individual is NOT what we are looking for
since a lone actor (an inspired/radicalized individual) is not an attack by a terrorist cell (so no
homegrown only attacks). Make sure to explain exactly how many terrorists are in the attack cells; who
did the scouting/reconnaissance; who is providing logistical and other support, how they infiltrated into
the US, etc.

You may find this 3 minute STRATFOR Video on the terrorist attack cycle useful.

For more details see this 6 page appendix A on the Terrorist Planning Cycle in the Military Guide to
Terrorism in the Twenty First Century (page 121).

Technical Requirements:
Your paper must be at a minimum of 5-7 pages (the Title and Reference pages do not count towards the
minimum limit).
Scholarly and credible references should be used. A good rule of thumb is at least 2 scholarly sources
per page of content.
Type in Times New Roman, 12 point and double space.
Students will follow the current APA Style as the sole citation and reference style used in written work
submitted as part of coursework.
Points will be deducted for the use of Wikipedia or encyclopedic type sources. It is highly advised to
utilize books, peer-reviewed journals, articles, archived documents, etc.
All submissions will be graded using the attached rubric.