Those paid to be analytical must simultaneously retain the ability to use abstraction for the highest amount of effectiveness in their career. Counter-terror analysts enjoin many facets of knowledge to coordinate an effort to stop acts of politically motivated mass murder, as well as innovate techniques. The need for structured creativity and imagination in such a complicated task is of high importance, considering most civilians could not begin to imagine the realm of possibilities regarding acts of terrorism.
Primary in the fight against international terror is the ability to analyze the potential for attacks on a given target. This can often be generalized, depending on the validity and reliability of sources, although threats can be specific as well. Targets typically include large infrastructure and other centers of socioeconomic activity that provide a substantial civilian population count at various times of day. Because of the broad range of locations that this spectrum encompasses, a counterterror analyst must consider any amount of varying places that may be on the list of a terrorist group for illegal activity. Included are nightclubs, cafes, government and embassy buildings, buses and other public transit, even hospital emergency rooms. Hence, demographic data must be collected on each place so that possible damage at its worst can be calculated as accurately as possible.
More to take into thought is to explore the realm of what will cause the most impact with the least amount of effort and manpower. With a single person, for example, a bomb strapped to his or her chest and detonated in just the right location can have an extremely devastating effect, with only one loss to the antagonizing side, but the potential for many casualties for those not associated with the murderous group. Analysts often have a very graphic mind, as they need to be able to envision the worst case scenario. Sometimes, if they lacked proper moral and ethical structure, they themselves could easily be effective terrorists because of their morbid mental capabilities.
Counterterror agents must have excellent research skills. They need to make connections on the inside of terror circles, which can be extremely dangerous if not done with proper finesse. Interrogation experience will also lead them to develop nontraditional ways of retrieving information from a source or suspect. They could utilize very unconventional manners in which to obtain this, sometimes breaking international law for the safety of the multitude. The necessity for this is stemmed from terrorism being “the deliberate and systematic assault on civilians to inspire fear.” (Netanyahu, Fighting Terrorism, 8)
Terrorist organizations have carried out a multitude and quite a variety of attacks, hence fulfilling the declaration made within the definition of terrorism by ex-Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu (who also fought in an elite anti-terror unit in his younger years). Take into account the amazing creative thought held by the Central Intelligence Agency employees who, before the fact, figured out that an attack upon large buildings via plane crash could eventually be a reality, which was indeed eventually carried out by terrorists operating under the umbrella Al-Qaeda network. Unfortunately, lack of imagination on the Israeli side resulted in the death of an infant, who was shot by a sniper while held tightly in her grandfather's arms. This act proved the importance of violent yet inventive thought processes in the mind of a counterterror analyst, so as to imitate that of a terrorist themselves.
To take pre-emptive, preventive measures, it is necessary to brainstorm these unfortunate and harmful ideas. If the possibility of a baby being directly spotted for termination by a hostile sniper was known beforehand, then a security fence or additional security camera could have been placed in the most dangerous locales. Regarding the internationally known threats towards mass transportation, discos and coffee shops, it is ideal worldwide to install advanced x-ray scanning machines and retain well-trained armed personnel at the entries to each business or transit station.
The position of a counterterror analyst demands an open-mind and broad spectrum of thought, as it is a strongly mandated occupation in the modern multinational global society. If terrorism is left to continue its offensive moves against lands where the people cry for democracy over tyranny it will not remain at the same pace, but develop into a more popular and widespread form of spreading fear amongst others to obtain inessential fascist political gains. Yet, despite terror seeming eternally inevitable, even unassailable, one must understand that it can indeed be vanquished with proper utilization of available resources.
