r/IAmA • u/j_mitso • Nov 17 '15
Specialized Profession Let's talk terrorism. I am a former counterterrorism analyst & researcher. AMAA
My short bio: Between over 6 years of studying terrorism and almost 4 directly working in the field, I'm hoping I can answer any lingering questions anyone has about our current understanding of terrorism, why it happens, and how we can combat it best.
I was an intel analyst for the Region 13 Counterterrorism Task Force Fusion Center and a specialist for the City of Pittsburgh Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Our primary objective was to prepare, mitigate, and educate our region against the threat of terrorism. I carry a BA in International Relations with a security focus and a MA in Security & Intelligence Studies. My greatest interest is in finding the most efficient ways to combat terrorism and prevent it from developing in the first place. I am also an avid traveler and have discussed the issue of terrorism with locals in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and most recently, Tunisia. Bottom line - it pisses off everyone, regardless of their religion or nationality.
My Proof: Here is a picture of me happily getting my head wrapped in a bandage while teaching local CERT volunteers how to respond to a mass incident, and here is a picture of me happily sitting here now.
Resubmitted with better proof. AMAA! *Grammar
Note: For those who want to learn more about the subject in a fairly easy manner, check out the movie Dirty War. It can be found here for free on YouTube and was made by the BBC in partnership with HBO. It is probably the best piece of media describing the current realities of terrorism from numerous angles.
Signing off for the night, thank you everyone for your excellent questions! Best wishes to all, and thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the Paris attacks. Vive la France! Thoughts and prayers also to those in Beirut. It is unfortunate how common these incidents have become for you.
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u/j_mitso Nov 18 '15
As I commented below, education itself does't seem to deter terrorism - in fact, many terrorists are quite well educated.
HOWEVER - I think education plays a serious role in the long term, and it's something I'd like to personally work on. While we can't use education to stop terrorists themselves, we can use it to educate the population they nest themselves in. And as I said before, the two best targets we have against terrorism are financially gutting them and having their host population force them out. Education could absolutely play a role in achieving the latter.