(MENAFN- Daily Outlook Afghanistan) Increasing importanceof network and data
In addition, the eventof 9/11 has enhanced the importance of Social Network Analysis (SNA). The basisof social network analysis is that individual nodes, depending on the type ofnetwork can be people, event etc, are connected by complex yet understandablerelationships that form networks. These networks are ubiquitous, with anunderlying order and simple laws. Networks form the structural basis of manynatural events, organisations and social processes. Terrorist organisations arewell–suited to study using social network analysis, as they consist of networksof individuals, that span countries, continents, and economic status, and formaround specific ideology. Terrorist organisations are different fromhierarchical, state–sponsored appointments in characteristics such asleadership and organisational structure. At the juncture social networkanalysis can provide important information on the unique characteristics ofterrorist organisations, ranging from issues of network recruitment, networkevolution, and the diffusion of radical ideas. After the attack social networkexpert in academia, the government, and even mainstream media including theWashington Post and the Dallas Morning News began to look explicitly at the useof network methodology in understanding and countering terrorism.
It is also to mentionhere that data collection is difficult for any network analysis becauseterrorist organisations do not provide information on their members, and thegovernment rarely allows researchers to use their intelligence data. One suchsocial network analysis was published in 2004, namely Understanding TerrorNetworks by Mare Sageman. Using public sources, Sageman collected biographicsof 172 Islamic terrorist operatives affiliated with the global Salafi Jihad,the violent revivalist Islamic movement led by Al-Qaeda. He used social networkanalysis specifically on Al-Qaeda operatives since 1998. This analysis yieldsfour large terrorist clusters. The first cluster resides in the Pakistan–Afghanborder and consists of the central staff of Al-Qaeda and the global SalafistJihad movement. The second cluster is a group of operatives located in coreArab states such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, and Kuwait. The third clusteris known as the Maghreb Arabs who, although they come from North Africannations, currently reside in France and England. The final cluster is centeredin Indonesia and Malaysia and is affiliated with Jemaah Islamiyah. However forthe same work and purpose the federal government had used link analysis which KarlVan Meter describes of two types–the village survey method and trafficanalysis. The village survey method is used to understand family and communityrelationships while traffic analysis emphasises the study of the externalcharacteristics of communication in order to get information about theorganisation of the communication system. Thus, the large social networkanalysis can be used to understand terrorist networks, inform US homelandsecurity policy, and form the basis of a more effective counter–measure to netwar.
US always movedunanimously on terror
As the nationalinterests need to clearly take precedence over political partisanship, inAmerica's hour of crisis both–the Republicans and the Democrats stood unitedand speaking in one voice. After September 11, 2001, a new world emerged thatwas harder, fiercer, less tolerant and more assertive. In that kind of situation a totally differentapproach to counter terrorism is needed. It was a case of doing what has beendone before but doing more of it and doing it more effectively. Now at theheart of countering terrorism is the intelligence and the events of September11 which have also focussed attention on intelligence work as never before. TheUS has imposed new border controls along with other anti terror measures. Itbegan to take the fingerprint of those who come to the country and has giventhe FBI investigative powers which were previously unacceptable–for example,the power to monitor suspected terrorists without prior evidence of criminal activityand rolling back restrictions imposed decades ago to curb anti–communisthysteria. Now it became more a acceptable for the government to take morepowers to detain or deport those suspected of plotting terrorism in othercountries. Before the incident there was greater concern about the quality ofthe evidence and the nature of the regime alleging terrorist involvement. Buton the other hand it is also necessary, especially in countries like the USA tobalance the citizens' right to live their lives in freedom with minimuminterference with their privacy from the security agencies, against theirresponsibility to protect their citizens from harm.
MENAFN1608201901750000ID1098891369
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.