WKS 535: Counterterrorism Tools & Resources
Salazar, 1 credit
This 12-hour, four-weekend course (two Fridays and two Saturdays) is designed to introduce participants to essential tools and resources the policy-maker uses to assess and report on global trends in international terrorism and to analyze the nature of the threat. It will address both the policy process and the role of statistical and other information, using the State Department's Country Reports on Terrorism and the National Counterterrorism Center's (NCTC) Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS) database as focal points for discussion, in addition to other official documents and information resources. The goal is to provide participants with a greater appreciation and understanding of the counterterrorism policy-maker's environment, the tools and resources available to the policy-maker, and the process that ultimately leads to informed decisions and strategic choices for dealing with international terrorism. The workshop will include three 3-hour classroom sessions, one 3-hour informal strategy-building exercise and a final desktop exercise administered by e-mail at the end of the semester, the results of which will be used for performance evaluation. Detailed syllabus and reading assignments will be distributed at the first session.