Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. Counter-terrorism is not specific to any one field or organization; rather, it involves entities from all levels of society. For instance, businesses have security plans and sometimes share commercial data with the government. Local police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel (often called "first responders") have plans for dealing with terrorist attack. Armies conduct combat operations against terrorists, often using special forces. Building a counter-terrorism plan involves all segments of a society or many government agencies.
Counter terrorist tactical units
Today, many of the western countries have special units, designated to handle terrorist threats. Besides various security agencies, there are elite tactical units whose role is to directly engage terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks. Such units perform both in preventive actions, hostage rescue and responding to on-going attacks.
These units are specially trained and equipped for CQB with emphasis on stealth and performing the mission with minimal casualties. The units include take-over force, snipers, EOD experts, dog operators and intelligence officers.
Examples for such units are the IsraeliSayeret Matkal (military) and YAMAM (civilian) ; the American SWAT teams ; the British SAS and the Austrian Cobra unit ; the German GSG-9.
The nation's primary agency for analyzing terrorist threats and planning counterterrorism operations at home and abroad is waiting for President Bush to name its director and settle whether that person will report directly to the president or go through Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte.
It also is to conduct "strategic operational planning" for counterterrorism operations at home and abroad "integrating all elements of national power." Carrying out the operational plans is left to the CIA, the FBI and Defense Department units, along with diplomats and Treasury Department officials where appropriate.
Since many of its employees are from the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, which has also sent personnel to help the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and Negroponte's office, there has been concern voiced by some within the agency that the CIA is being drained of experienced people.
Counterterrorism, which involves an array of activities that exceed the term "counterterrorism," includes effective use of diplomacy, law enforcement, financial controls, military power, and intelligence gathering, says Paul R. Pillar, a national intelligence officer for the Near East and South Asia with the National Intelligence Council.
Counterterrorism includes diplomacy designed to harmonize the efforts of foreign governments on the subject.
And all of these functions aimed at actively countering terrorist operations are in addition to the many defensive measures, taken by the private sector as well as by various levels of government, designed to protect against terrorist attacks.
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