Roles social media and the Internet play in helping to increase the terror threat within the United States;

Predominantly, social media and the internet fall under some of the technological advances that help in acquiring and dissemination of information. The internet is not only affordable and available but also convenient allowing people to access many social media networks. Some of the platforms increasingly used by terrorists include YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The main objective of using such sights is to facilitate recruitments and to spread their ideologies to innocent and clueless individuals. In the United States, social media and the internet have had a tremendous impact on increasing terror (HENNIGAN, 2018). For example, during the 9/11 attacks, the perpetrators of the attack used social media platforms to support their ideologies and to facilitate recruitments. The most terrifying thing about terrorism and social media is that they keep on changing their tactics. It is hard to predict when or where they will strike because they use coded messages and photos that on the face of it show no harm. Additionally, US extremists use social media platforms in the radicalization of other extremists as was the case in 2016.

how previous domestic terror attacks could lead to future terrorist attacks;

Foremost, terrorist attacks may seem random but the underlying fact is that they are not. Most of them happen to target a particular political group or to achieve a political end. The underlying question, however, is whether significant attacks such as the September eleven attacks lead to future attacks. The answer to the said question is inconclusive as it may or may not lead to future attacks. Taking the United States previous attacks into account, it is notable that terrorist events occurred in clusters in the period between 1970 and 2002. Within that period, the attacks at the World Trade Center in 1993, Oklahoma City in 1995, the Khobar Towers in 1996, the USS Cole, and the attacks of September 11, 2001, occurred. After the said attacks, the distributions of the events became statistically unsystematic (HENNIGAN, 2018). The attacks previously mentioned were triggered by different situations and events which were political, economic or religious. The patterns of subsequent attacks changed and as such it is difficult to conclude that significant attacks lead to future attacks.

The effect that homeland security and intelligence efforts have had on terrorism since the events of September 11, 2001;

Primarily, the 9/11 attacks shocked the conscience of the United States and its entire citizenry. However, the United States, through its agencies such as the FBI and the Homeland Security has come made efforts to ensure the events do not repeat themselves. Since the 9/11 attacks, the Department of the Homeland Security in conjunction with other federal government agencies have worked intending to mitigate and defend against forceful terrorization, minimizing risks, and maximizing the aptitude to react and recover from attacks and disasters of all kinds. One of the efforts includes building a homeland security enterprise which contains a nationwide suspicious activity reporting initiative (Homeland Security Departments, 2018). Secondly, the DHS precludes terrorist travel and additionally, it facilitates passenger screening. Having passenger information is significant because it enables the officers to determine travellers that are a risk to public safety and those that are likely to conduct terrorist activities. Additionally, there is the visa security program created to identify potential terrorists and criminal threats among others.

Future trends and patterns that may help shape homeland security programs going forward;

The first step in helping shape the homeland security programs going forward is technological advancements. As mentioned earlier, terrorists do a rather good job in utilizing social media and internet platforms that enable them to radicalize innocent and clueless people and train them to become terrorists. Firstly, Cybersecurity and Technology Changes will give homeland security an upper hand. With technology that detects cyber threats, it is possible to catch the terror groups that are recruiting terrorists before they occasion the actual terror on civilians. Technological advancements such as DNA help the homeland security to determine whether individual crime sprees such as serial killing and robbery have any connection with a potential terror attack. Additionally, there is border protection; with this method, homeland security can guard the United States borders to ensure no hostilities enter the country. Importantly, the government should include in its budget funds that will cater for the operations of the homeland security. Essentially, the homeland security will be at its toes working in anticipation of future attacks but to preclude them before they occur.

Roles of U.S. government agencies and corresponding policies and legislation in driving contemporary American homeland security.

There are approximately five departments in the homeland securities each of which have different responsibilities. In consolidation, they have the mandate of protecting the citizens against terrorist threats. In this regard, all persons all-inclusive of families and communities, first responders, the private sector, state and local governments, as well as the Department are supposed to contribute. Secondly, the departments ensure no violation of both immigration and national laws (Homeland Security Department, 2018). In this regard, everything that enters the United States has to do so through legal means to limit any possible loophole that may open the borders to terrorists. Lastly, the mission of the homeland security is to ensure border security, an initiative that is meant to preclude people from crossing the American border either to sell drugs or smuggle weapons as those are some of the things that lead to terrorism.

References

HENNIGAN, W. (2018, October 30). How Big a Role Does Social Media Play in Homegrown Terrorism? Times, pp. 1-9.

Homeland Security Department. (2018). The Department’s Five Responsibilities. Homeland Security, 1-10.

Homeland Security Departments. (2018). Preventing Terrorism and Enhancing Security. Homeland Security, 1-19.

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