Found a good "Vigilance" link? Let Us Know!
Being Vigilant... How to do so From the Forum of
we'renotafraid.com. A collection of forum messages on what it means to "Be
Vigilant."
Terror Is War by John L. Perry; Thursday August 21, 2003: Terrorist
attacks aren’t some ephemeral gray area short of war, shocking but endurable
inconveniences along an un-traveled road map to a stress-free Happy Ever
After. If not outright acts of barbaric war, then what were every last one
of the terrorist assaults in recent years?
Office of Homeland Security
First we must think like a terrorist- Terrorist begin their planning phase
after becoming motivated, attempting to fulfill ideological, personal gain,
hate, fear, security, power & ego enhancement needs. Once motivated by one
or more of these needs, several mission oriented questions will be
considered...
OVC Handbook for Coping After Terrorism: A Guide to Healing and Recovery
The information in this handbook is intended to help you understand your
reactions to an act of terrorism or mass violence. It is not intended to be
a substitute for the role of professionals with expertise in counseling
trauma victims.
A couple of Government FAQ's:
General Urges Vigilance, Resolve in Terror
War Fight
Before It Makes the Headlines - Effective Threat Detection ...
Since the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, law enforcement and
security professionals have been inundated with bulletins, directives and
warnings urging increased vigilance and heightened awareness. Unfortunately,
there has been little put forth regarding exactly what it is that those on
the front lines of the war on terrorism should be vigilant for and aware of.
Spotting Terrorists
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft has told Americans be alert in the
aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and report anything
suspicious to law enforcement agencies, with a "heightened sense of
awareness. Once we've won this war or terrorism," says Ashcroft "you can go
back to muddling through life half-awake."
The War On Terror: Vigilance The issue that seems to
escape so many Americans, is it is just not possible, given the size of our
country for any branch of law enforcement to do this alone. We all have a
vested interest in being proactively vigilant. Both online and in our
physical world. We must be partners in this guarding of our country.
The Counter-Terrorism Page
Since 1995 The Counter-Terrorism Page has been a resource to those studying
Terrorism. Our approach is to be free from hyperbole and hype, and focused
on presenting the tools and information that is sought by professionals and
academics. Unaffiliated with any government or NGO, we attempt to provide a
balanced resource. The only objective is to provide an environment that
stimulates a spirited, thoughtful, and balanced context to examine
terrorism. Not to point out the virtues or failings of any individual or
group.
USA Patriot Act 2001
The US Congress adopted the USA Patriot Act in October 2001 to provide
"appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism." Critics of
the Act argue that it seriously threatens civil liberties and freedoms in
the US.
European Arrest Warrant (EAW) The EU has substituted current
extradition law within the EU member states with the EAW to facilitate the
arrest of terrorists and other criminals. However, the extensive application
of the EAW to a very wide area of crimes raises fears that the law will
threaten civil liberties.
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 In the aftermath of
September 11, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair declared he would stand "shoulder
to shoulder" with US President George W. Bush in the "war against
terrorism." The UK parliament passed the "Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security
Act 2001" (ATCSA) to increase authorities' powers to protect UK citizens
from terrorist attacks. Yet, like the US Patriot Act, ATCSA poses serious
threats to civil liberty rights.
US Code on Terrorism While the US government has declared its
intention to defeat terrorism, it is essential to understand how it defines
terrorism and what kind of penalties is sought under the US Code. Under
Title 18: Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Part 1: Crimes, and Chapter 113B
of the US Code has a whole section dedicated to “Terrorism.”
Opposing views:
"Our Indian Wars Are Not Over Yet" (January
19, 2006) Former US State
Department official John Brown views the US war on terror as a continuation
or “replication" of the Indian wars. Brown compares the arguments seeking to
justify the wars, the struggle between the “civilized world” and the
“primitive enemy” and the establishment of US businesses in the occupied
areas after each war. He warns that if history repeats itself, Washington
will have more “savage wars ahead.” (TomDispatch)
US Policy of Abuse Undermines Rights Worldwide (January 18, 2006)
The 16th annual world report by Human Rights Watch argues that
Washington’s “use and defense of torture” in the war on terror has seriously
damaged global human rights. By defending inhumane interrogation techniques,
the Bush administration not only undermines human rights but also produces
“counterproductive” results. The report argues these techniques fuel
terrorist recruitment and decrease public support for Washington’s
counterterrorism efforts.
Bush Could Seize Absolute Control of US Government (January 13, 2006)
This Capitol Hill Blue article warns that the “absolute power” that
the US President George Bush seeks contradicts the system of checks and
balances. President Bush’s executive orders give him the authority to send
troops onto US streets and seize control of radio and television stations
without Congressional approval “in times of national emergency.” The article
questions if this “dictatorial power” could lead the “war time president” to
impose his will on US citizens.
Chinese Detainees Are Men Without a Country (August 24, 2005) The
US government still detains 15 Chinese Muslims in Guantanamo Bay even after
it decided in late 2003 that they would be released. Prison authorities
still treat these people as prisoners: they sometimes shackle them and
neglect to inform their relatives about their situation. In addition, the
government did not even notify these men for several months that they had
been acquitted. While the Bush administration uses the “wind-up power,” the
power that gives the government the time necessary to decide what to do with
detainees at the end of a conflict, these men pay a heavy price “by being in
Guantanamo for doing nothing wrong.” (Washington Post)
Jihad: Who's Joining, and Why? (August 3, 2005) This Christian
Science Monitor article reflects on the evolving nature of terror cells
in European cities following the July 2005 attacks in London. All the
bombers were longtime residents of Britain rather than illegal immigrants,
and the authors question if this indicates that the “global jihad” is
spreading to Europe or has already taken root in its communities. The
authors also suggest that even though mainstream Muslim clerics and Islamic
scholars in Britain have taken steps to combat terrorism, feelings of
isolation and disappointment in Western culture lead individuals to “radical
thinking.”
Tunnel Vision (July 21, 2005) US President George W. Bush needs
to re-think his winning theme of the “war on terror,” suggests Salon.
For Bush it is “always either the day after 9/11 or the day before the Iraq
invasion,” a dangerous mentality which has caused “barely managed chaos.”
The series of policy errors, misjudgments and distortions that have arisen
from the militarization of the fight against terrorists prove that the
administration must re-conceptualize. The London bombings should serve as
additional proof that we are not fighting a successful war “over there” to
avoid fighting terrorists “here,” but rather pursing a misguided policy
direction.
The Logic of Suicide Terrorism: It's the Occupation, Not the
Fundamentalism (July 18, 2005) This interview from the American
Conservative showcases expert Robert Pape’s detailed analysis of the
roots of suicide terrorism. His central finding is that, overwhelmingly,
“suicide-terrorist attacks are not driven by religion as much as they are by
a clear strategic objective: to compel [foreign occupiers] to withdraw
military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their
homeland.” A "demand-driven" phenomena, Pape notes that "the suicide
terrorists have been produced by the invasion" in Iraq and other countries.
Go on the Offensive Against Terror (July 13, 2005) In an
eye-opening example of imperial thinking, John Yoo proposes a new offensive
in the “war on terror.” Portraying al-Qaeda as a structured network, he
suggests an all-out US “war” to kill or assassinate its “hubs.” From
legislating to permit the US government to propagate a version of Islam
“compatible with democracy and markets,” thus convincing “users” to “switch
products,” to creating a “fake” alternative terrorist network to “confuse”
al-Qaeda. (Los Angeles Times)
Divide and Conquer (July 13, 2005) A continuation of the Bush
administration’s misguided “war on terror,” will only make terrorist attacks
like those in London more likely. The New Republic calls on the US to
reverse course, and suggests an alternative and proven strategy, based on
the traditional military and diplomatic principle of “divide and conquer.”
This more nuanced approach would narrow the definition of the actual enemy,
befriend potential enemies and resolve extraneous conflicts lending
justification to the attackers. It could transform the political environment
in which al-Qaeda thrives.
Bugged by the Brits (July 11, 2005) Conservative media
personalities in the US were dramatically “unsettled” by the British
reaction to the London bombings. Instead of allowing their horrific
experience to be spun “into political gold for the conservative cause,” most
of those interviewed refused to echo their interviewers’ “pro-Bush pro-war
line,” or play along with fear and hysteria. Whether commentators or
victims, most preferred to engage in thoughtful discourse about the possible
motivations behind and solutions for such attacks. The Nation’s John
Nichols discusses these contradictory reactions, and reprints in full London
Mayor Ken Livingstone’s moving response to the assault on his city.
Bush Is Serving Up the Cold War Warmed Over (July 5, 2005) The
Los Angeles Times warns against the growing influence of the
“military-industrial complex” in Washington. The author claims that the “war
on terror,” like the Cold War before it, is motivated in part by a
“nonsensical” set of strategic ideas, but also by the “political capital
[and] pork-barrel defense contracts” which Washington policymakers and their
friends in the military-industrial world receive from a war without end.
On Suspicion of Not Being One of Us (April 2005) The intelligence
services are working hand in hand with industries who profit from war to
create a dangerous environment of paranoia. These “merchants of fear” have
filled the post-cold war “vacancy for a subversive global conspiracy” with a
new enemy, Islam. Their own obsessions and the desire to justify their
continued power have led to the framing of community tensions and other
social issues as security threats, and a pervasive climate of distrust. (Le
Monde Diplomatique)
Summit May Favor Tackling Causes of Terrorism Over Military Response
(March 7, 2005) At a global terrorism conference that coincides with
the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings, several world leaders
have come together to discuss the root causes of terrorism and possible
solutions. Panelists at the conference believe Europeans will likely agree
on a “‘soft’ power approach based on prevention” rather than US hard-line
unilateralism, further indicating the lack of global support for current US
policy on preemptive action and military intervention. (Associated Press)
US Terror War ‘Over-Reaction,’ Top Judge Says (January 17, 2005)
Richard Goldstone, first chief prosecutor at the International Criminal
Tribunals for former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, says the global “war on terror”
threatens international justice. He points to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo
prisoner abuse as reasons for more judicial oversight, and suggests UN
Security Council reform as a way of “protecting the rule of law.” (Toronto
Star)
Poverty, Disease, Environmental Decline Are True 'Axis of Evil' (January
12, 2005) The State of the World 2005 Report from the Worldwatch
Institute argues that the “war on terror” is diverting world’s attention
from more serious threats to global instability. Poverty, infectious disease
and environmental degradation create conditions in which extremism thrives
and new conflicts emerge. Dealing with these challenges requires preventive
engagement rather than use of brute military force.
Wanted: Ad Agency to Aid Global Battle on Terrorism (December 8, 2004)
The US Special Operations Command, which usually conducts its “antiterror”
missions out of the public eye, seeks a private company to conduct its
psychological operations and provide it with a new, “slick” image through
multilingual audio, video and printed materials and the internet. (St.
Petersburg Times)
'They Hate Our Policies, Not Our Freedom' (November 29, 2004) The
US Defense Department has released a “highly critical” Defense Science Board
report on US policies in the “war on terror,” Afghanistan and Iraq. The
report disparages the US for failing to practice “moderation and tolerance”
in its policies and to communicate intentions with the Muslim world. (Christian
Science Monitor)
The Making of the Terror Myth (October 15, 2004) This Guardian
article states that a general consensus between governments, security
services and the media has created a "terror myth," an imagined danger of
organized terrorism, maintained through a "jittery media-driven democracy."
Needed: A Global Strategy to Reduce, Not Increase, Terror (September 8,
2004) The writer suggests that the US change its policy in fighting
its “war against terror” by changing its approach of “feel-good revenge” to
one less aggressive. He goes on to claim that the US handles terrorism
similarly to a business, answering to the "demand" in the “marketplace of
disfigured human ideas, sentiments and perceptions - and suppliers.” (Daily
Star)
Al-Qaida Brand Name Ready for Franchise (September 1, 2004) This
article compares al Qaeda to a transnational business organization with a
“promising future as a brand name.” It gives several examples illustrating
that the terrorist organization’s reputation acts as self-recruiting
function for activist groups wishing to commit acts of violence in its name.
(Le Monde diplomatique)
The Clash Thesis: A Failing Ideology? (August 24, 2004) The
discourse of hate is an ongoing theme in the “war on terrorism.” More than a
motive it now comprises an ideology justifying all actions against entities
representing the ever-growing category of “terrorists.” The article claims
that this has created a new right for “great powers” “to convert phony wars
into real ones.” (Dissident Voice)
'The Lesser Evil': Fight Fire With Fire (July 25, 2004) Michael
Ignatieff believes that the use of pre-emptive war, assassination, limited
torture and indefinite detention without trial might be “the lesser evil” in
the fight against terrorism. In this review, Ronald Steel charges that
Ignatieff’s latest book lacks “any serious political analysis” of terrorism,
and ultimately amounts to “an elegantly packaged manual of national
self-justification.” (New York Times)
The Politics of Poverty, Aid in the New Cold
War (May 2004) Governments
that divert aid relief funds to anti-terrorism efforts exacerbate the
suffering of the world’s poorest people, argues Christian Aid. This
report points out that the US government diverted a US $2.2 billion aid
program for Afghanistan in 2004 to military projects and emergency relief.
G7 to Combat Terrorism with Airline Cash Inspections (April 27, 2004)
G7 officials are discussing ways to tackle cross-border cash movements as
part of the "war on terror." According to the Financial Action Task Force,
the proposal includes making international travelers file currency
declarations and X-ray scan for cash, as well as weapons at airports. Will
these attempts really help preventing terrorist attacks? (International
Relations and Security Network)
Terrorism in Historical Perspective (April 22, 2004) This
article seeks to explain the concept of terrorism during different periods
of time stretching back to the 20th century. The author argues that
terrorism is a global problem in cause and in impact; therefore,
understanding the background of terrorism is one of the important ways in
addressing this world security threat. (OpenDemocracy)
Banker Presses Aid for Poor to Fight Terror (April 22, 2004)
World Bank President James Wolfensohn highlights an increasing imbalance in
world governments’ spending, noting that governments spend $900 billion
annually on defense and only $56 billion on development assistance.
Wolfensohn argues that changing spending priorities focusing on development
of poor countries would help to defeat terrorism. (New York Times)
Why the Qaeda Threat Is Growing (March 17, 2004) As
Al-Qaeda becomes “brand-name terrorism,” many other groups commit themselves
loyally to bin Laden’s idea of “global jihad against the US and its allies.”
(Time Magazine)
“Terrorism”: A World Ensnared by a Word (February 18, 2004) The
author argues people often use and abuse the word “terrorism” by applying it
to “whatever they hate,” as a way of “avoiding rational thought and
discussion and, frequently, excusing their own illegal and immoral conduct.”
(International Herald Tribune)
The Non-Debate over Suicide Bombing (January 29, 2004) This
article argues that informed debate about suicide bombing is “long overdue.”
The author suggests the phenomenon warrants neither sympathy nor blanket
condemnation but a better understanding of the motivations of suicide
bombers. (Arab Media Watch)
Muddying the World's Conscience (January 9, 2004) The “war on
terror” reformulates many aspects of world politics and the international
NGO sector. In the US and elsewhere, ultra-conservative think tanks have
recently set up units to monitor and investigate the NGO sector. NGOs
operating in “war on terror” conflicts feel pressured to either act as
“sub-contractors for the superpower or pull out.” (Guardian)
Sheltering In Place:
Got your plastic sheeting & duct
tape? The above sites will tell you what to do with it. Actually, to a
greater or lesser extent, each of these sites provides much more info for
those caught in a bad situation with no place to go. The IDF site is, in my
opinion, the most extensive and provides the best info.
Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2012, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All
Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572