The application of human intelligence in counterterrorism
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2009
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Abstract
After the attacks of 11 September 2001, a number of people began calling for an expansion of the human intelligence (HUMINT) resources of American security intelligence agencies. Few writers seem to have given much thought, however, to whether or not traditional methods of gathering intelligence via HUMINT would be effective against a group such as Al Qaeda, many of whose members are motivated in large part by religion. The aim of this work is to discuss whether traditional HUMINT practices of threatening and cajoling group members into passing information will be effective against Al Qaeda and its associated groups. This is done by studying historical case studies of effective HUMINT campaigns against terrorist groups sufficiently similar to Al Qaeda to allow comparison. This work will conclude that traditional HUMINT methodology will be sufficiently effective against Islamist terrorism to allow security intelligence agencies to undermine and apprehend these groups.
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Bibliography: p. 110-116
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Citation
Shepherd, R. (2009). The application of human intelligence in counterterrorism (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/2636