Intelligence Services Essay Sample: Operational Plan for WMD Case

The referred case presents a suspect who seemingly has adequate information regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Intelligence gathering shows a suspect who has taken their time in the preparation of the WMD. The suspect has over time made a strategic development of the suspected WMD. He has adequate material after transferring more than 55-gallon drums of Ammonium Nitrate and thus approaching and countering the suspect must be fully cognizant of his preparedness and willingness to detonate the WMD any moment. An effective operational plan is thus essential in describing various activities to determine measures necessary to address the threat.

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From this point, therefore, it is necessary to address the terrorist threat with utmost intelligence offered by the undercover agents. Since the suspect is a great threat, suspiciously approaching him will only make him aware that he is being to believe haunted and could detonate the WMD hence causing mass destruction not just in the building where he resides but also to the security agencies facing it up with him (Kassirer, 2013). Thus, understanding the suspect's movements need to be done with urgency. This is, for instance, the time when he leaves his house for work and when he gets back. Secondly, after understanding his movement, we will require understanding the plan of the building where he lives. This is in the aspect whether the building has exit doors, whether there are emergency doors among other necessary information. Furthermore, this activity will cost the bureau $300,000 to pay these agents.

We will also need to understand whether the suspect lives alone or he has a custodian who may detonate the WMD in case he is away. After understanding all these requirements, we will now need to move with speed and decide on the necessary detonators. This may require the involvement of chemical and highly trained WMD specialists whose services will cost $350,000. Their advice will mainly address the magnitude of the chemical used and its ability to cause destruction. They will also come up with their preferred amount of the detonating material's amount. The timeframe in which these activities should be conducted should be strictly two weeks to ensure that the suspect does not become suspicious and act before the forces do. The time of entry in the suspect's house and his arrest should be concurrent, and therefore two parallel missions will be conducted hand in hand also to ensure that the suspect does not use a remote control to cause an explosion in the building.

Relevant Counterterrorist Activities

Countering terrorism is a hard duty that requires the observation of various factors that would pose a risk to the public. As such, we will first need to identify the patterns of movement of the suspect. It will help us in identifying whether the suspect is armed or has some exterior remote control of the WMD. We should, therefore, counter the suspect in a manner that does not place the public at risk. The basic counter-terrorism approach to use in this case is apprehending the suspect at work where he is least suspicious of apprehension (Burke, 2017). We will do this by using ununiformed undercover agents who will act like visitors in the factory where the suspect works.

While apprehending the suspect, another team termed as rescue team should be at the site of the building, evacuating all members of the public near and around the premise. The services of this team will require the bureau $250,000 which will act as the basic remuneration to them. This should be done at least an hour earlier before the apprehension of the suspect. It is necessary to evacuate members of the public since the suspect could have some remote control that he would use to activate the WMD in the process of his arrest. On the other side, the undercover agents should thoroughly frisk the suspect, giving him to time for any activity neither movements. They should in the process inform the detonating team of the arrest. From this point, the detonating team can move into the building and progress with their duty.

Resources and Tools

This mission will require conditioned communication resources such as phones costing $20,000 which will be connected to a protected network. This is to ensure that no information leaks to the suspect to make him aware of the investigations. Tactical resources required may involve a truck to transfer the WMD, a relevant detonation area, and specified detonators by the chosen team. The undercover agents and other members in the team will comprise twenty individuals who will be on the ground should also be well served with enough ammunition in case the suspect has a support team that would seek to overpower the team on the ground and explodes the WMD. There are various resources required in this case as shown in table 1 below.

Table 1

Additionally, the balance below illustrates the financial and human resources required for every activity and the entire operation of the presented case.

Bureau of Explosives and Weapons

Operational plan

Balance sheet

As at August 8th, 2014

Assets $ ('000) $ ('000)

Long-term Assets

Trucks 3,000

Phones 20

Short-term Assets

Chemical & WMD specialists 350

Undercover agents 300

Rescue team 250

Detonating team 200

Ammunitions 1,200

Cash 1, 350

Total assets 6,670

Liabilities

Accrued wages 1,220

Accounts payable 700

Total liabilities 1,920

Capital 4,750

Total liabilities and Capital 6,670

Legal Considerations

There are two legal considerations to put in place while dealing with this terrorist threat. One legal concern is that the United States signed a binding agreement that bars it from utilizing WMD. Thus, the WMD once acquired should be detonated with immediate effect. We will also be required to maintain ultimate informant protection. The legal scope of the operations, however, do not need a court warrant as they are responses to a terrorist pending and the moral obligation requires that we be reactive while handling terrorism (Rollins, 2010). Nonetheless, there will be legal considerations such as the use of bullets, respectable arrest and evacuation should be complete before the detonating team takes up the mission. The legal scope of the operation, therefore, demands that it be held with ultimate care where the suspect is not mishandled, the public is defended, and enough evidence is collected before the detonation of the WMD.

References

Burke, R. A. (2017). Counter-terrorism for emergency responders. CRC Press.

Kassirer, J. P. (2013). Weapons of mass destruction. JAMA internal medicine, 173(3), 182-183.

Rollins, J. (2010). International terrorism and transnational crime: Security threats, US policy, and considerations for Congress. DIANE Publishing.