". .  . While a lot of resources have gone into building intelligence and information sharing capability at the state and local level, there has been little investment made in educating executive-level leaders to direct and leverage that capability.  How should law enforcement leaders manage the activities of intelligence resources, evaluate analytical reports such as NYPD's offering on homegrown radicalization, and take practical actions based on analytical reporting?"

This is a preprint of an article submitted for publication in the Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence C (Taylor & Francis) in the Summer 2009 edition. The Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence is available online at http://www.informaworld.com. The published article can be found here.

 

". .  . ...al Qaeda [is] a stateless enemy, which consists of loosely affiliated networks, operates from remote areas, and achieves global reach through the tools of the Information Age. It is a threat that is unique to the 21st century, and therefore does not fit neatly into the systems we have constructed to deal with the threats of the last century (e.g., the Geneva Conventions and the U.S. criminal justice system). What, for example, do we do with individual members of al Qaeda who we detain on a global battlefield? Each of the models built in the 20th century-criminal trials and military tribunals-has its share of deficiencies, which are evident in the raucous political discourse surrounding Guantanamo Bay....As we continue to debate policy on Guantanamo detainees, we should be mindful of how we deal with other 21st century threats. For example, on our southern border, a future conflict with drug cartels is brewing. These stateless actors do not shy away from extreme violence, and it is not inconceivable that the problems that they will create will grow beyond the managing capacity of our criminal justice system. In considering how we will deal with the al Qaedas of the world, policymakers will do well to consider the lessons that [Andy] McCarthy learned [while prosecuting the Blind Sheikh]."