OUR PICKSOpen-Source Intelligence | Better Approach to Terrorism Prevention | Secret Service’s Day of Reckoning Approaches, and more

Published 20 March 2023

·  Deconstructing the Bipartisan Consensus on the China Threat
Questions asked about the agenda, premises of the House Select Committee on China

·  Open-Source Intelligence is Indispensable for Countering Threats
What is OSINT and why is it so important in 2023?

·  Washington FBI Chief ‘Concerned All the Time’ About Terrorism, Spies and Crime
Unique nature of Washington, D.C. means there are multiple avenues that a terror attack might emerge from

·  Uproar in Stamford as White Supremacist Literature Blankets Neighborhoods
The Nationalist Social Club has many state and international chapters, but is now focusing on New England

·  UAE Teams Up with US Anti-Semitism Group to Combat Extremism and Promote Peace
The Manara Centre, based in Abu Dhabi, aims to counter extremist ideologies

·  Building a Better Approach to Terrorism Prevention
There has been a shift over the past several years from a focus on international terrorism to domestic terrorism

·  The Imperative to Better Protect Our Elected Representatives in a Changing Threat Landscape
Elected and non-elected public officials are increasingly subject to personal risk from members of the public

·  The Secret Service’s Day of Reckoning Approaches
For the U.S. Secret Service, Trump’s legal problems are an opportunity for a course correction

Deconstructing the Bipartisan Consensus on the China Threat  (Paul Heer, National Interest)
Bipartisan consensus—on the scope of the threat—needs to be reconsidered because the wrong diagnosis could yield the wrong, or even dangerous, prescriptions.

Open-Source Intelligence is Indispensable for Countering Threats  (Eric Mandel and Sarit Zehavi, National Interest)
When most people hear the word intelligence in a political context, they immediately think of clandestine sources, spies, and secret meetings. Intelligence services still rely on human source intelligence (HUMINT) and intercepted communications (SIGINT). However, in the twenty-first century, open-source intelligence (OSINT) has become indispensable for understanding your adversaries and is often the primary and most valuable source of actionable intelligence. According to a detailed article highlighting the power of OSINT in the Wall Street Journal, “80% of what a U.S. president or military commander needs to know comes from OSINT.”
What then is OSINT, and why is it so important in 2023?

Washington FBI Chief ‘Concerned All the Time’ About Terrorism, Spies and Crime  (J. J. Green, WTOP News)
‘I”t means we need to be perfect 100% of the time. They need to be perfect only once,’ said Hans-Jakob Schindler, Sr. Director of the Counter Extremism Project, in an interview. Schindler said terror groups are essentially waiting for the right opportunity to attack western countries. ‘They recognize that we have all the technology, that we have the military might, and great intelligence agencies,’ Schindler said. ‘They also understand that we have very evolved and complex societies and economies.’ But most importantly, he said, ‘They also know we can’t predict when they will attack.’ Sundberg draws praise from international counterterrorism officials for his caution and concern, because of a dangerous geyser of arrogance bubbling up in the global jihadist community. For terrorism organizations, ‘the last 24 months were glorious,’ said Schindler emphatically.

Uproar in Stamford as White Supremacist Literature Blankets Neighborhoods  (Angela Carella, CT Examiner)
The NSC is a loose network of small chapters acting under their own rules, according to the Counter Extremism Project, a non-partisan international policy group that combats extremist threats. NSC is also known as NSC-131; the 131 is alphanumeric code for a-c-a, or anti-communist action, according to the Counter Extremism Project. The flyers found in Springdale, Pepper Ridge and High Ridge refer to New England 131, likely a chapter of NSC-131. ‘The flyers are in plastic bags so they won’t be destroyed if it rains. The rocks are in there so the bags don’t fly away,’ Sobel said. ‘In other places in Connecticut we’ve seen oatmeal in the bags instead of rocks. People are taking time to make sure you get their message.’ It’s a tactic designed to intimidate with little risk that the perpetrators will get caught, Sobel said.

UAE Teams Up with US Anti-Semitism Group to Combat Extremism and Promote Peace  (Shireena Al Nowais, National News)
The UAE has launched a center for coexistence to counter extremist ideologies and promote peace and tolerance across the region. The Manara Centre, based in Abu Dhabi, aims to help lay the groundwork for a future where all are treated equally, regardless of faith or ethnicity. It has been established in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group based in the US. The organization will work with universities in the Middle East and South-East Asia to further its goals, with education programs to be introduced in August. Ten universities are due to introduce scholarships as part of the academic scheme.

Building a Better Approach to Terrorism Prevention  (Kristyn Kelly Shapiro and Fouad Pervez, HSToday)
Prioritizing investment into assessing and building protective factors to improve community resilience can yield significant mission benefits.

The Imperative to Better Protect Our Elected Representatives in a Changing Threat Landscape  (Paul Maguire, HSToday)
Commercial technology-enabled duty of care is an approach that enhances the ability to mitigate risks on a large scale over a wide

The Secret Service’s Day of Reckoning Approaches  (Juliette Kayyem, The Atlantic)
An indictment of former President Donald Trump would offer the agency a chance to restore its tarnished reputation.