Terrorist Group Profile and Homeland Security Policy Term Paper

Terrorist Group Profile and Homeland Security Policy - Term Paper Example Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the United States under the Bush Administration launched an attack on the stronghold of the Taliban Militia in Afghanistan because they were harboring the Al-Qaeda who were found to have been the mastermind of the terrorist attacks that occurred on American soil in September 11, 2001 (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011). The United State’s invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 led to the defeat of the Taliban forces; and Al-Qaeda lost its primary training camps for would be terrorists. The destruction of the Al-Qaeda’s main training ground however did not prevent the group from making other numerous attacks against the United States, its personnel (civilian and military), and its allies from different parts of the world. The reason behind this is that Al-Qaeda has other cells or hidden bases in other countries that its members can use to communicate with the leaders of the group. Asi de from this, it has forged alliances with other extremist groups in the world, hence establishing its roots locally without the need for the leaders like Osama gin Laden to be personally present within a given place or country that is targeted for an attack (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011). Al-Qaeda’s Ideology The ideology of the Al-Qaeda group in the beginning is mainly based in the performance of the jihad, where all Muslims are called forth to destroy and kill American servicemen and civilians including their allies who are located in Muslim countries especially Saudi Arabia. Since Al-Qaeda considers the United States and its allies evil, it is their belief that they must find ways and means to make â€Å"jihad† or perform a struggles against the so called evil forces of the West... Terrorist Group Profile and Homeland Security Policy The policies that will be discussed here are solely based on the written directives and guidelines built by the National Homeland Security Department, which will serve as the basis on how the United States will make means and ways to counter potential terrorist attacks to keep the nation safe. The first part of this paper will talk about the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. The discussion will give enlightenment as to how the group evolved after the Afghan War. The group’s ideology, tactics, targets and capability will likewise be pointed out. The second part of the paper will talk about the National Homeland Security policies in relation to terrorism. The policies will initially be introduced and will be evaluated against the data or information gathered about Al-Qaeda in the conclusion. Compared to other terrorist groups, Al-Qaeda fares better in terms of member support that does not only stem from the countries of each leaders and strategists. It is a well-footed radical organization, which proved to be able to render massive destruction that does not only cripple the economy of a country but puts fear in the heart of its citizens. Although Al-Qaeda is currently considered to be quite unbreakable due in part to its cells in other countries worldwide, the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security’s policy on general aviation security and the policy on proper information sharing can hinder the repeat of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.