Running head: ARTICLE REVIEW

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A risk Assessment of the FBI's counterterrorism efforts

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Introduction

The article draws attention to the issues of risk assessment of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation efforts in counterterrorism. The article is expository and uses data from external

sources and research. The data shows that agencies of counterterrorism usually identify the

potential sources of harm, and attempts to do something about it, instead of systematically

evaluating the likely magnitude of the damage that can be caused by the successful attack. The

article shows that without considering factors such as the risk of an attack occurring, and the

amount of risk reduction expected from counterterrorism attacks, it would be hard to evaluate

whether security procedures can reduce terrorism risks adequately.

Particularly, the article has laid out a simple back-of-the-envelope approach in the

evaluation of costs and benefits of spending in counterterrorism, which uses four variables. The

identified variables in the article include the effects of a successful terrorist attack, the likelihood

of a successful terrorist attack, the degree of security measures reducing the risk of attack, and

the cost involved in taking security measures (Mueller & Stewart, 2014). In illustrating the

approach, the author uses it to the FBI to establish if efforts of counterterrorism reduce terrorist

attacks sufficiently to justify the amount invested. The benefit of taking security measures

against terrorism is multiplicative with three considerations, which include the possibility of a

successful attack, the benefit of security measures, and the reduction of risks. Although the FBI

may not wholly prevent terrorist attacks, it has enhanced the ability to arrest terrorists, which is a

definite benefit to security.

The premise of the article is that the costs of security measures are equal to the benefits.

In evaluating the costs and benefits of security measures in counterterrorism, the article has

considered the effectiveness of the FBI in disrupting, deterring, or protecting people against

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terrorists’ attacks. With the provided information, one is left to interpret the true efficiency of the

FBI and other security agencies. However, the information provides figures that show high costs

involved in combating terrorism. According to the article, the FBI can justify the high cost by

dropping it up to 90 percent, but the complexity of the process leaves the variables up for further

interpretations (Mueller & Stewart, 2014). The only reason for the high cost is that the FBI deals

with all kinds of terrorist threats, and the ability to deploy the FBI in the security sector is

needed.

There have been technological advances over the years that have allowed the FBI and

other security agencies to combat any form of a terror attack and security threat. For instance, the

rise of social media usage by terror groups has enabled the FBI and HSL to access inside and

useful information that is used to combat terrorism. Video analysis was used to get evidence of

an attack in the Boston Marathon bombing, and the analysis was used to condense and compress

video footage of what happened. The technology allows for hourly footage to be compressed

down to where the attack took place (Mueller & Stewart, 2014). The other technology that is

applied by the FBI is the Geospatial-Intelligence that uses satellite images to give locations and

movements of terror groups. The information provided by the technology is relevant in

combating terror attacks by tracking coordinates of the terrorists, without placing harm of anyone

or compromising investigations.

Although the article addresses the issue of technological advancements in

counterterrorism, the author needed to have provided further details on possible facial

recognition and fingerprinting. The use of biometrics, security information can be referenced

through a central data center to make it easy to pinpoint civilians, terrorists, and wanted

criminals. Together with technology, the government has established missiles directed by

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satellites and energy weapons to enhance the operations of the security agencies (Mueller &

Stewart, 2014). In the coming years, the FBI will make further advancements in technology, such

as the use of nanotechnology, and non-lethal weapons. These advancements will make the FBI

combat high-level terror attacks and prevent frequent attacks.

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Reference

Mueller, J., & Stewart M. G. (2014, September). A risk Assessment of the FBI's counterterrorism

Efforts. The CIP Report, 13(2). Retrieved from https://cip.gmu.edu/past-issues-catalog/

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