9/11 Strategic Goals

Terrorism and terrorist attacks are not incidental in nature. Media often portrays terrorist violence as thoughtless and random. However, attacks usually result from structured, calculated strategies; which are highly planned by terrorist. Terrorist groups require strategies during the planning of attacks. Terrorism is premeditated and the use of strategy provides an advantage to eliminate enemies in random styles. Additionally, target selections are made during the planning of these attacks. Some of these operations can take days to years in order to plan and carry out the attacks. Terrorist strategies and target selections is the decision-making which takes place during the planning stages of terrorist attacks. The authors intent
is to discuss the strategies and target selections used by terrorist thought to improve predictability of terrorism.
Terrorist prefer simple strategies which include strategic and tactical objectives.
Most terrorist operations are formed, designed, and executed with simple instructions. Strategic objectives are an important part of simple strategies. They include specific goals to achieve the long-term mission. A large amount of terrorist groups use nine strategic goals while planning for specific attacks. These nine strategic goals are as follows: intimidation, destruction, acquisition, extortion or demand, influence, overreaction, revenge and reciprocity, satisfaction, and survival. The main targets of persuasion are the enemy and the population that the terrorists hope to represent or control (Kydd & Walter, 2006)Click and drag to move. Their intentions are to have strength and enforce costs on those who defy them. Each strategy typically performs well under certain conditions. Next, tactical objectives include street-level goals of the actual terrorists operating the attack (Nance, 2014)Click and drag to move. These objectives are underlined in following four categories: action, demonstration, demands, and escape. Notably, the action displays terrorists are capable of carrying out the planned operation. Then, they demonstrate their power through media attention and individuals. Next, demands are made whether the act is successful or not. Finally, the escape plan can include getting away alive or losing one’s life in the
attack.
To achieve their long-term objectives, terrorists pursue a variety of strategies (Kydd & Walter, 2006)Click and drag to move‌. These include misdirection, deception, wave, and timeline strategies. Misdirection strategy leads law enforcement to believe the attack takes place in another location; ultimately, striking in another. Next, deception is concealing the true purpose of the execution. Then, wave strategies are effective by causing the appearance of possible attacks and/or events throughout large areas. Essentially, this causes law enforcement to be spread throughout large areas and not in one specified location. Finally, timeline strategies are planned and executed by the terrorists. Timeline strategies are developed in order to follow and carry out the plan and execute the attack. Even though these strategies and objectives are well planned and carefully implemented; no attack is perfect. Essentially, strategies and objectives attempt to make effective decisions through resources; while reducing a level of threat to the operation.
All things considered, target selections generally are never random.
Furthermore, terrorists require precise planning and preparation. Essentially, the target selection process is established by senior terrorist leadership, evaluated by field leadership, and terrorist intelligence cell completes collection of data and conducts recommendations. At the time of the target selection phase, terrorists examine and research possible targets. The extent of research varies on groups and the target selected. At first, there is a risk analysis that includes benefits, targets, and success measures; confirming the probability and likelihood of the attack. Then the target selections are categorized by hard and soft targets. A hard target is guarded or may have considerable security personnel; meaning the possibility of the terrorist attack risking interception of potential lethal force. A soft target is one with little or no military protection or security; hence, an easier option for a terrorist attack (Dugdale-Pointon, TDP, 2005)Click and drag to move‌. Furthermore, these selections are mission-specific with three objectives at hand; motive, opportunity, and means. First, the motive consists of can they do it? Next, the opportunity refers to the effectiveness of the strike. Finally, the means confirms if they have materials, manpower, secrecy, and the support to carry out the attack (Nance, 2014)Click and drag to
move‌.
Obtaining a brief understanding of why and how terrorists attacks succeed or fail is a considerable part of terrorist strategies and target selections. Discerning ways to make attacks less likely to succeed is a central goal of efforts ranging from homeland security to military engagement of terrorist groups (Jackson & Frelinger, 2009)Click and drag to move‌. The goal is for the terrorist to gain the maximum media attention for that attack. Having said that, their intent is to cause causalities on their specified target; therefore, generate maximum media coverage. Despite this, law enforcement and intelligence needs to take any measures to secure individuals and to calm public fears of the possibility of any future attacks. The true hope of preventing terrorist attacks lies in good intelligence and intercepting the terrorist cells before an attack takes place (Dugdale-Pointon, TDP, 2005)Click and drag to move‌. Most importantly, establishing operation framework successes and failures of how the attack was strategically designed and executed; provides essential tactical analysis in future attacks for our government.