Against terrorism, counties should focus on prevention, preparation

By Charles Taylor
Senior Staff Writer

Terrorism isn’t just an urban threat, and counties must be prepared for the possibility of attacks close to home - even in rural areas, said Dr. Boaz Ganor, an internationally recognized counterterrorism expert.

Photo by David Hathcox Dr. Boaz Ganor, a counter-terrorism expert, said counties are not immune to the threat of global jihad terrorism. He urged counties to work together, focusing on education, prevention and preparation.

Ganor is founder and executive director of the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel and was the featured speaker at the annual conference’s second general session on Aug. 7. Earlier that day, he conducted a workshop entitled The Counterterrorism Puzzle - The Threat of Global Jihad Terrorism and the Counterterrorism Challenge.

While the 9/11 attacks targeted major U.S. cities, Ganor said that non-urban areas should also be aware that often "attacks that occurred in big cities were planned in rural, distant places."

"If you talk about rural areas, one of the biggest problems that disturbs the good night’s sleep of decision makers worldwide - and in America in particular - is agricultural terrorism," he added. A form of bioterrorism, "agroterrorism" is the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing economic losses or undermining stability - or all three.

In addition to suicide attacks, all non-conventional forms of terrorism must be considered, including chemical, biological and radiological attacks.

"You have to anticipate and to analyze: Where are the potential threats in your county? Even in rural counties, they should be open-minded to the threat of terrorism," Ganor added.

Counties need to perform risk or threat analyses, identify potential targets and decide what level of security to give to potential targets, or what to do in the event of an emergency. They must also "educate the practitioners" - the medical community and first responders, and above all, share experiences with other jurisdictions that may have particular expertise.

It’s been nearly five years since 9/11, but Ganor said the question isn’t "if" but "when" there will be another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. And he added that the next wave of terrorism in this country won’t be imported; it will be "home-grown Islamic radical terrorism," similar to what was seen in last year’s London subway bombings.

Ganor said the world is not witnessing a religious war, but rather, a war against cultures: "the culture of Islamic radicalism against the rest of the world."

Ganor noted that all of the attacks since 9/11 have targeted Muslims deemed as sympathetic to the West - including in Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia Ñ who, like Americans, are viewed by radical Islamists as "infidels, as traitors."

The antidote to that type of terrorism, he said, is educating and interacting with the "99.9 percent" of Muslims, including those in this country, who want nothing to do with terrorism.

For counterterrorism to be successful, it must diminish one or both components of terrorism: motivation and operational capability, Ganor explained. Offensive attacks on terrorists’ operational capability can have a "boomerang effect" of strengthening their resolve to strike again.

To address this motivation, he called for creation of an international fund, "like the Marshall [Plan]," to subsidize a counter-motivation campaign in the Muslim world. It would provide money for "pragmatic, liberal education," and for social welfare programs and activities.

Education must also take place locally, Ganor advised. "The code [word] is cooperation no one can do this alone."

Counties should focus on prevention and preparation, in part through educating their residents and raising their awareness of possible threats. While this might heighten anxiety initially - at a time when the threat seems minimal - Ganor said, like giving a vaccination, there might be some initial fever, but in the long run, the immunization provides lasting protection.

"You have to work with your own local communities, hand in hand, in order to deal with the problem."