Terrorism
Overview
An introductory look at the roots and evolution of terrorism as it affects homeland security today. Emphasis areas include: asymmetric threats in today’s world; history of modern terrorism; exploratory of major terrorist organizations; role of the media; terrorism tactics and counter-terrorism polices and strategies.
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Define and discuss the major elements of terrorism
- Discuss the evolution of terrorism from its historical roots into a primary asymmetrical warfare threat to modern society
- Discuss the basic beliefs of the Muslim faith, describe key themes in Islamic history and list the primary Islamic extremist groups and their objectives
- Compare and contrast non-state vs. state-sponsored terrorism and transnational vs. domestic terrorism
- Discuss the operational tactics, primary objectives (both tangible and psychological) and unconventional “weapons” of 21st century terrorists
- Relate the basic background and characteristics of to the concept of homeland security
- Describe the threats associated with terrorist use of 21st century weapons of mass effect
Hours to complete – 40
Course duration – 60 days
Schedule
| Week | Lessons & Activities |
| 1 | Introduction to Terrorism in the 21st Century |
| 2 | The Major Elements of Terrorism |
| 3 | Islamic Extremism |
| 4 | Transnational and Domestic Terrorism |
| 5 | Terrorist Operations |
| 6 | 21st Century Weapons: WMD and Cyber Terrorism |
Requirements
- Audio: sound card and speakers or headphones for listening
- Internet connection: Cable modem, DSL or better
- Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 or higher
- Internet browser: IE 7 or greater, Firefox 2 or greater
- Internet browser: set to accept cookies
- Pop-up blocker: must be disabled
- ONE of the following media players are required:
- Camtasia Player is a free multimedia player required for viewing video clips. You will need 300KB of free disk space to install this video player.
- Windows Media Player is a free media player. If you do not have have this software installed on your computer, please visit the Windows Media Player site to download the version appropriate for your operating system. (Mac version available)