Al-Qaeda and Terrorism: Global Threats and Controversies

As the world grapples with the aftermath of the killing of Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in a CIA drone strike, concerns are being raised about potential revenge attacks both in the US and abroad. The hit has sparked a heated debate over the efficacy, legality, and morality of extrajudicial killings of terrorist suspects.

Key Takeaways:

• The FBI-DHS bulletin warns of a possible revenge attack by Al-Qaeda against Americans overseas in response to the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki.
• Mary Ellen O'Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School, objects to the drone strike, calling it "extrajudicial killing" that is "no more efficacious, lawful, or moral than torture."
• Frank J. Cilluffo, a former assistant secretary of homeland security, assesses that the removal of Awlaki demonstrates 10 years of improved counterterrorism strategy and implementation using a mix of intelligence and special operations forces.
• The New York Times' Scott Shane and Thom Shankar stress the expanding role of drones in the terror conflict, which has been a key component of the Obama administration's counterterrorism strategy.
• The Associated Press quotes President Obama's advisor, Julie Pace, saying that the president's counterterrorism successes and high marks from the public on foreign policy may not help him hold the White House.
• Dick Cheney has called for the Obama administration to retract its criticism of Bush-era anti-terror policies, which has sparked controversy over the handling of national security and counterterrorism initiatives.
• A Boston grand jury has indicted a Massachusetts man accused of planning to bomb the US Capitol and the Pentagon using remote-controlled toy planes filled with plastic explosives.
• The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) 22 agencies are scattered in over 35 offices around the Washington area due to funds being held up for the construction of a new DHS headquarters.
• A bill in Congress could potentially allow DHS to lay roads and other access venues in areas of Glacier National Park currently managed as wilderness.
• The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has found more than 800 firearms in carry-on bags this year.
• The FBI's Technical Dive Team is an elite group of special agents tracking terrorism underwater.
• The NYPD Counterterrorism Unit is prepared to thwart an oncoming plane if it's deemed a threat.
• The Colorado Information Analysis Center, a fusion facility, processes pieces of information from police across the country to identify potential threats.
• The Nevada's Division of Emergency Management failed to keep a local anti-terror agency afloat, leaving the state vulnerable to potential threats.

Statistics:

• Over 800 firearms have been found in carry-on bags this year by TSA screeners.
• The number of people pointing handheld lasers at aircraft nearly doubled in 2010 compared to the previous year, according to the FBI.
• New fencing is being installed around major bridges on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway to deter terrorist attempts.
• The TSA has supplanted the IRS as the public's most-hated government agency, according to surveys.
• The FBI's Technical Dive Team is responsible for tracking terrorism underwater.

Sources:

• CQ Homeland Security (c)2011 Congressional Quarterly Inc. All Rights Reserved.
• ABC News, Jason Ryan and Pierre Thomas.
• CNN, Mary Ellen O'Connell.
• HSPI Commentary, Frank J. Cilluffo.
• The New York Times, Scott Shane and Thom Shankar.
• AP, Julie Pace.
• USA Today, David Jackson.
• Bloomberg, Don Jeffrey.
• The Los Angeles Times, Brian Bennett.
• The Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) Press, Chris Peterson.
• Aviation Week, David Esler.
• The Grand Rapids Press, The New York Times.
• CNN, The Washington Post.
• WTOP 103.5 FM, The Washington Times.
• CNN, Voice of America.
• AP, The Long War Journal.
• USA Today, Slate, FrontPage Magazine, Glossy News.