Counter terrosism Dissertation question - struggling

Hi all, I've just started the module for my dissemination and I'm really struggling to think of a title. I'm interested in counter terrorism and what is going on in the world currently. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas or suggestions for a question - it would help me so much! I wish the module leader could set the questions :angry:

Tom

Reply 1

nick2491

Balancing individual human/civil rights against the need to protect those same humans from terrorism is always a good one?

Reply 2

RumpeIstiltskin

There's so many different aspects of counter terrorism law you need to think about what area of counter terrorism law you want to focus on and get an idea of the sort of things you want to mention before you come up with a title.

You could talk about what the definition of terrorism should be at an international level since a freedom fighter in one country would be a terrorist in another. You could discuss the theory of how law should respond to terrorism with the emergency powers vs business as usual approaches. You could focus on responses to terrorism and how the need to protect citizens should be balanced with the rights of others or suspected terrorists in light of things like surveillance, control orders, TPIMs etc or even extraordinary rendition. It's a really fascinating area and in addition to the ones I've already mentioned there's a huge range of debates which you could look into.

Reply 3

Tom Bramley

Thankyou for your replies.

Nick, I like the look of that title, my only problem is knowing whether there are enough sources available to back up my points?

Rumple, Thankyou for some ideas and yes, it is a really interesting subject, I just need to make sure i am able to get enough sources to make valid points :smile:

Reply 4

nick2491

Original post by Tom Bramley

Well, for sources, you could look at the RIPA legislation and how intrusive it is or isn't (NOT an exciting read, I'm afraid!). You could look in detail at how surveillance was used in investigations where successful prosecutions have happened, the 2006 transatlantic airliner plot, for example, and also where surveillance has failed - not so much the surveiliance itself, but the decisions based on risk and suspects apparent involvement where surveiliance has been discontinued. Some of the July 7th bombers figured on MI5's radar, but there's not enough surveillance teams to go cover everyone of interest.

For electronic surveillance/intrusion, read up on some of the clever things revealed by Edward Snowdon that the security services can do - like remotely activate your iphone/android device even if its switched off - the screen stays blank, but it will remotely transmit everything said in the same room. Theres all sorts of other clever ninjageek things that can be done that I can't remember them all.

The inherent problem with surveillance, electronic or physical, is that you're doing it because you don't know what that person is up to - you might have vague information that leads you to believe they MAY be up to something naughty, and a months intensive surveillance shows you they're an innocent lad who watches Jeremy Kyle all day and has a deep and meaningful relationship with his Xbox. But to get to the point where you're happy to remove him from your interest list, you have to be intrusive first.

Some of the little tykes have got surveillance aware too - the mainland based IRA used to meet in pubs a lot, a nice noisy background to have a quiet conversation in and frustrate microphones, but easy to put foot surveillance in. But our Islamic fundamentalist brethren are more likely to meet in places like mosques, cultural centres etc, where theres hundreds or even thousands of people coming in and out at prayer time, impossible for mosque members to notice one or two extra faces and almost impossible to put any police / MI5 officers in too, which pushes the emphasis back onto electronic surveillance. So the nature of the task is changing too.

Counter terrosism Dissertation question - struggling

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