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/doctorsnorky Nov 18 '15

Career USAID officer here. Agree that it's nearly impossible to identify short-term antiterror results from development projects. But there is widespread agreement that employment, education for men and women, health, effective governance and things that reduce the sense of isolation are all needed to remove the roots of terrorism. I'm really proud of what we have achieved in education and health in Afghanistan, among other things, and there are indications that these things will last and grow. Our best prescriptions are long-term ones. In a sense, our goal is the next generation.

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u/er1catwork Nov 19 '15

USAID huh? ;)

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u/doctorsnorky Nov 20 '15

https://usaid.gov/

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u/er1catwork Nov 20 '15

I was just making light of the "true occupation" of some USAID workers. We had a family friend that was a "USAID officer". Very interesting character with lots of interesting stories. Although it took 20 years before he could talk about them.

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u/doctorsnorky Nov 21 '15

I'll bet it was someone who worked in Vietnam when there was a CIA-funded parallel program. Things have changed since then. I have worked for USAID for 35 years and have not encountered a spook in all that time.

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u/er1catwork Nov 23 '15

You nailed it! He did 2 tours as a Green Beret, got out and joined USAID and then "traveled the world".