Criminology concepts and applications

¶ … psychological process that leads to terrorism. The author achieves this through using a metaphor that narrows down a staircase that leads to the act of terrorism at the top of a building. This staircase usually leads to higher and higher floors, one remaining on a particular floor is dependent on doors, and spaces, which the person imagines, are going to open to them on that particular floor. This staircase of terrorism has a ground floor and five higher floors. A particular psychological process characterizes the behavior in each of the floor. The ground floor is occupied by majority of the people here what matters most are fairness and just treatment perceptions. People then climb to the first floor and they try out different floors in search of solutions to their perceived unjust treatment. The second floor is where the individuals have misplaced aggressions that influence their terrorist acts. Those who develop readiness to the physically displaced aggression and actively seek out opportunities then climb more steps. The third floor is all about moral engagement. Terrorist organizations come up due to parallel world that has parallel morality, which justifies this struggle to achieve the ideal society they have in mind through all means. After climbing to the fourth floor and one has entered the secret world there is minimal opportunity to leave the terrorist organization. The fifth step is whereby terrorists act and sidestep inhibitory mechanisms. In the final section of the article, the author highlights four policy recommendations that come from this staircase metaphor. These are prevention has to come first, there should be support contextualized democracy through procedural justice, there should be education against categorical us-Versus them thinking and finally the promotion of interobjectivity and justice ( Fathali, 2009).

In order to come up with policies that are more effective to combat terrorists, terrorism must be well understood and the dynamism and ever changing faces of terror with the accompanying reasons well-known. Therefore, the article helps us understand the psychological process that leads to terrorism. Having gone through each steps of the staircase one is able to understand the mind of an individual at each of the stages. This assists in assessing a suspected terrorist when caught and finding out what level they are in. With this knowledge, it is possible to prevent the person from climbing further into the staircase. At the same time it also helps in coming up with policies with understanding of how terrorists think hence prevent more people from being recruited.

The United States government has a classification system where information the government considers as sensitive and requires protection is placed away from the public. This includes terrorism information. However, there is the Freedom of Information act is a law giving one the right to access information from federal government. This Act has made it possible for the government to exempt some classified, terrorism related information from release to the public. The government uses several methods to exempt this classified information such as issuing alerts on a probable terrorist attack plan, giving out information on a suspected terrorist or terrorist group for anyone that might have information to present to the government to assist in their apprehension.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is a federal law in the United States that prescribes procedures for the electronic and physical surveillance as well as the collection of foreign intelligence information between foreign powers and agents of those foreign powers, which includes both American citizens and permanent residents, who are terrorism suspects. General provisions of FISA establish procedures for the authorization of electronic surveillance, the use of pen registers, trap, and trace devices, conducting physical searches and business records for purposes of gathering foreign intelligence. I support use of extraordinary rendition by the government against foreign individuals suspected of acts of terrorism against the United States because they are not U.S. citizens hence not supported by law. Secondly, this can help deter any foreign terrorist who intends to carry out terrorism activity with the United States.

The statute regarding a material witness permits the government under circumstances that are not limited to detain people who will be required as witnesses' in future judicial proceedings and they cannot be relied upon to appear for those proceedings. Enemy combatant are subject to capture and detention but they are also subject to be tried and punished by military tribunal acts that render their belligerency unlawful. This means that they have a right to a due process and the ability of challenging their enemy combatant status before an impartial authority. On the other hand, an alien who is engaged in an activity, which endangered the security of United States, have to be detained for several days before any charges against them are brought forward. Immigration detention and removal policies apply to the investigation of terrorist activity since they help in getting a hold of suspected terrorist. These suspects can help in giving useful information on terrorist groups and lead to arrests of other terrorists.

Unlawful combatants normally qualify for some protection under the Fourth Geneva convection while the Geneva Convention does not cover the enemy combatants. Therefore, the enemy combatants are subject to prosecution for charges of international terrorism. Civilian prosecution of terrorism and supporters of terrorism are different. Civilian prosecution of terrorists involves civilians taking action against terrorists while supporters of terrorism are civilians who support terrorism activities. The exposure of classified information risks civilians taking law into the own hands and prosecuting the terrorists. The military commission has frameworks in place that are specifically meant to execute the terrorist cases as opposed to civil or federal court. Furthermore, the military commission has more experience in dealing with terrorist related cases unlike the federal or civilian courts.