Terrorism is the deliberate violent criminal activity of one person or group of people, endangering the lives of innocent people in order to achieve the personal goals of the criminal. Silva et al. (2020) note that, more often, terrorists prefer to act alone rather than in groups. However, even single terrorists often build networks with other criminals to achieve their goals more effectively. In addition, terrorist networks provide the exchange of financial and human resources necessary to carry out a terrorist act. Therefore, in order to ensure everyone’s safety, it is necessary to collect evidence confirming that the organization no longer poses a threat.
The primary evidence that the terrorist network is no longer a threat is its loss of operational capacity. In the course of identifying a terrorist organization, information should be obtained about all members of the network, their locations, and funding. Mir (2018) argues that the first sign that terrorists are no longer a threat will be the abbreviation “the places where armed groups choose to live, operate from, and establish their base of operations” (p. 49). Terrorist activity requires a high level of training, so networks need locations for practical cooperation. Consequently, the cessation of the activities of existing bases and the absence of the emergence of new ones testify to effective counter-terrorism activities.
In addition, terrorism requires funding and the involvement of people with special knowledge, especially when it comes to massive terrorist attacks using explosives. Therefore, further proof that the terrorist network is no longer a viable threat is the absence of financial transactions on the organization’s accounts or its members and their families (Mir, 2018). Once a terrorist organization is identified, its accounts are blocked, making it impossible to finance its activities. However, in the future, all financial transactions that could theoretically be related to terrorist activities should be monitored and assessed for the presence of a threat.
Thus, after identifying a terrorist network, it is necessary to identify all its members and conduct a thorough collection and analysis of all information. The indicators that the organization does not pose a threat are the elimination of the bases of operations and the lack of funding in the accounts of the network and its members. Therefore, there is a need to track these factors even after the identification of a terrorist network and the identification of its participants.
References
Mir, A. (2018). What explains counterterrorism effectiveness? Evidence from the US drone war in Pakistan. International Security, 43(2), 45-83. Web.
Silva, J. R., Duran, C., Freilich, J. D., & Chermak, S. M. (2020). Addressing the Myths of Terrorism in America. International Criminal Justice Review, 30(3), 302–324. Web.