Description
Intro:
You have learned previously in the program that having a solid strategy can make a significant difference in the quality of your work in the homeland security and law enforcement arena. The nature of the work, with its ever-changing situations, priorities, and persons of interest, make it almost impossible to operate effectively without some sort of strategy guide your efforts.
That is why the intelligence cycle exists. Although it doesn’t always fit perfectly in every situation, it does provide a general guideline for organizing an investigative or intelligence-gathering strategy. Remember that the steps of the intelligence cycle, according to Mark Lowenthal, are: (1) planning, direction, and requirements, (2) collection, (3) processing and exploitation, (4) analysis and production, (5) dissemination, (6) consumption*, and (7) feedback*. (*Lowenthal added the last two as additional steps to be considered).
The goal of the Module 3 assignment is to develop a loose strategy to address the scenario situation, incorporating the intelligence cycle. You will be required to pay close attention to the details laid out in the scenario, and to also use critical thinking to make judgments about what steps to take.
The scenario has several hints about what avenues you can take to develop your strategy. While you will generate much of your content from the scenario, you are expected to conduct open source research and flesh out a meaningful strategy based on that research.
Enter “The Pack”
The FBI Detroit Field Office advised FBIHQ that it initiated a preliminary civil rights investigation after the Detroit Police Department advised of a series of acts of vandalism on the Islamic Center of Detroit, the Masjid As-Sunnah, and Baitul Islam mosques. The vandalism included the breaking of windows and spray painting of graffiti on the buildings. The graffiti included Nazi swastikas, and the numbers “14” and “88.” Other offensive statements, such as “terrorist go home”, were also spray-painted on the buildings. The Detroit Police Department further advised it has had issues in the past with an anti-immigrant, white supremacist group known as “The Pack”, which was suspected of committing similar crimes in the city.
The Michigan Fusion Center advised that The Pack operates a white supremacist website; the group recently posted its condemnation of the truck attack in Denver and called for the white community to rise against the Islamic immigrants that are “ruining this nation”. The purported leader of The Pack is William “Billy” Payne. Payne has an extensive criminal record and is currently imprisoned in the United States Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois, where he is serving a 20-year sentence for the armed robbery of a Brinks armored truck. Payne is still considered to be the leader of The Pack, and his writings and comments are regularly published on its website. The Pack is calling for a major protest targeting the Islamic communities of Michigan. It is being reported that The Pack is petitioning the City of Ann Arbor for a parade permit for September 11.
Watch the News
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Click hereLinks to an external site. to download the transcript for the video posted above.
Instructions for assignment–
Produce a situation report communicating the pertinent information from this module to other stakeholders. Use the sample ATTACHED below to create your SITREP.
Sample SITREP
Current Situation as of [xxxx time and date]: Add the most important updates here. Minor details and opinion should not be noted here. Only the major developments in the situation should be included. This should be easy to read quickly. Use short, active sentences. Full sentences can be optional, if the entire section is formatted in bullets, such as:
First major development
Second major development
Third major development
Key piece of information that decision-makers should be aware of
Analysis: Add your assessment of the current status of the situation, taking into account the updated information that you just reported above. Be sure to put the new information into context. The goal of this section is to provide the reader with situational understanding (that is, a thorough view of the key issues, people, organizations, pressures, limitations, etc. that have a bearing on the situation; this is a step beyond situational awareness) to make informed decisions about the next steps. It is ideal to use bullets, such as:
Most important connection or piece of analysis
Second most important connection or piece of analysis
Other relevant connections and analysis
Recommended Actions: Add your top recommendations for next investigative or intelligence-collection steps. Make sure each is clearly tied to the information and analysis you provided above. Keep them short and direct. Use bullets. Anticipate what you think will develop next, or what connections you suspect, and provide recommended actions accordingly In the PLEASE NOTE— FOR THE Recommended Actions section of the SITREP you will answer the Strategy Assignment questions as they pertain to the scenario contained within the Module. Now that “The Pack” has entered the scene, your leadership is worried about the situation taking an unexpected turn. You have been asked to review all of the relevant cases across the field offices, and the current news, to determine if “The Pack” is a threat to Muslims within the United States. That is, should we take the group’s word at face value and prepare accordingly? Or do we need to do further evaluation of its capabilities and intentions?
Using the intelligence cycle, briefly articulate the strategy that you would take to answer your leadership’s question. You may list each step of the intelligence cycle and explain what you would do for each in the given scenario, or you may submit a thoroughly annotated image of the intelligence cycle. The choice is yours; just be sure that what you submit is clear to the instructor.Your content in the first step (planning, direction, and requirements) will articulate who is setting the intelligence requirements, what the key intelligence requirements are, who will need to be involved, who/what is your primary focus, short and longer-term objectives, and what your timeline is, among other relevant factors. Next, your content in the second step (collection) will articulate what you believe to be the -INTs that will serve you well, based on what you included in step 1. Next, your content for the third step (processing and exploitation) will explain the type of processing, exploitation, interpretation, etc. that you anticipate having to do, based on your collection.
Event Summary: This doesn’t change much unless there are key facts that have been corrected after being originally reported. That generally happens in the first few days/weeks of an investigation. So, be sure to correct any mistaken information when it comes up. This section gets pushed to the bottom of each SITREP and serves as a baseline of knowledge about the event.
Reflection: Reflect on this week’s developments. What have you learned about the practice of intelligence? What challenged you most?
Unformatted Attachment Preview
TOP SECRET//SI//NOFORN
(For Education Purposes Only)
Situational Intelligence Report
Federal Bureau of Investigation
FBIHQ Counterterrorism Division
30 January 2021
SIR Number: SIR-00001
(U//FOUO) Terrorist Attack on Christkindl Market
SOURCE: (U//FOUO) FBIHQ IA ****
(U//FOUO) Current Situation:
(U) On November 28th, at approximately 8:00 p.m. local time, a Ryder Truck drove through
barricades and into a crowd at the Christkindl Market in Denver’s downtown’s Skyline Park,
according to witnesses of the attack. Denver police chief, Robert White, reported police officers
stopped the truck by shooting at vehicle. City officials stated nine people were pronounced dead
at the scene and dozens injured. Victims were transported to Rose Medical Center.
(U//FOUO) The driver of the vehicle was identified through a fingerprint match via CJIS, as
Mohamed Lahouaeij Bouhlel (BOUHLEL). According to media reports, BOUHLEL was in
serious condition at to Rose Medical Center. BOUHLEL’s biographic information from
Colorado DMV records and records checks are as follows:
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(U) Name: Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel
(U) DOB: 04/01/1992
(U) POB: Tunisia
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(U) Address: 268 Bent Avenue, Las Animas, CO
(U) Phone: (719) 384-0347
(U) Race: White
(U) Height: 5’7
(U) Weight: 152 lbs.
(U) Hair: Black
(U) Eyes: Brown
(U) Citizenship: Tunisia
(U) Arrests: Credit Card Fraud; 06/06/2016; New Mexico; pending
Assault; 09/11/2011; Detroit, MI; suspended sentence
(U) Other: NCIC revealed no active wants or warrants
(U) According to media reports, another suspect was seen exiting the vehicle, their identity and
whereabouts are unknown at this time. Media reports stated witnesses at the scene described the
passenger of the truck as a female dressed in a red overcoat and was seen running eastbound.
(U//FOUO) FBI conducted a search warrant at BOUHLEL’s residence, and seized digital
devices, large amounts of household chemicals, a handgun, ammunition, and documents. Bills
and receipts seized at the scene also identified Aisha Bouhlel and Naijbullah Zazi.
(U//FOUO) Computer Analysis Response Team examined a laptop assessed to belong to
BOUHLEL and discovered he researched instructions and videos on how to make explosives,
conducted multiple searches to purchase hydroxide and peroxide, viewed previous terrorist
vehicle attacks and terrorist propaganda. BOUHLEL had over 110 emails with Anwar al-Awlaki
with the subject line a “wedding.” Currently, the iPhone seized during the search warrant is
locked and inaccessible.
(U) According to media reports, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is unconfirmed
at this time.
(U//FOUO) Analysis:
(TS//SI//NOFORN) ABOUHLEL was very likely recruited, instructed and logistically supported
by Anwar al-Awklaki to conduct the vehicle attack at the Christkindl Market in Denver,
Colorado on behalf of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
(TS//SI//NOFORN) BOUHLEL’s frequent contact with known ISIS leader, Anwar al-Awlaki,
demonstrates BOUHLEL was likely radicalized and recruited by ISIS to conduct the attack in the
United States. BOUHLEL’s emails with al-Awlaki collaborates Israeli intelligence sources that
indicate Islamic terrorist often used the term “wedding” to refer to a suicide attack.
(TS//SI//NOFORN) It is likely BOUHLEL was sent to the United States to conduct the attack as
CIA Intelligence Estimates specify that ISIS is probably exploring a variety of means for
infiltrating operatives into the West, including refugee flows, smuggling routes, and legitimate
methods of travel.
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(For Education Purposes Only)
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(U//FOUO) Recommended Actions:
(U//FOUO) The FBI, along with state and local investigators should use the current leads to
identify BOUHLEL’s motivation, target selection, and ideology. Other intelligence gaps include
identifying any pre-attack surveillance, state-side and overseas logistical networks, and potential
follow-on planned attacks. Recommended investigative actions are as follows:
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(U) Interview suspect upon medical clearance to identify and locate second suspect.
(U//LES) Locate and interview Aisha Bouhlel and Naijbullah Zazi to confirm/deny the
individuals as accomplices or witnesses.
(U) Review cell phone contacts and content if/when phone is unlocked.
(U) Review the content of BOUHLEL’s emails with AL-AWLAKI to determine
radicalization, motivation, recruitment and/or logistical support.
(U) Identify business or personal CCTV for video footage before, during and after the
attack.
(U) Review BOUHLEL’s visa information and travel to the United States.
(U) Interview local businesses/residents in the area of the attack to identify any unusual
events, individuals, or other activity.
(U) Interview BOUHLEL’s neighbors to identify any unusual events, activity or other
individuals in the household.
(U//FOUO) Reflection
(U//FOUO) This assignment is a good way to understand fact, opinion and assumption. It is also
important to understand media biases or emotional delivery of the event in order to provide
objective intelligence. This was an important assignment in order to shift through what is
important to the case and what is not. For the case manager, every fact and piece of evidence is
crucial, but for executive management, it may be a small piece of unnecessary information that
will deter from what is important.
TOP SECRET//SI//NOFORN
(For Education Purposes Only)
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