Leveraging rural America in the fight against terrorism in America through the use of conservation districts

Download
Author
Eller, William L.
Date
2010-03Advisor
Simeral, Robert
Second Reader
Bellavita, Christopher
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A vast, untapped resource is available to the federal government and the Department of Homeland Security in the war on terror. The citizens that comprise rural America have long been ignored by the efforts to wage the war on terror, and have been told, along with their urban counterparts, that the government would wage the war on terror, not citizens. Homeland Security's message of vigilance in the war on terrorism and of prevention, mitigation, and recovery after terror events and natural disasters is not taking root in rural America because the communication methods are not effective. Terrorists are increasingly targeting rural America and using rural America for operational support and training. The special demographics, skills and abilities of rural Americans warrant further consideration by the Department of Homeland Security as a front on the war on terror. The findings and recommendations of this research advocate the creation of a domestic intelligence-gathering network, which utilizes the nation's 2,946 local conservation districts to interact with rural citizens. Conservation districts, as a unit of local government, occupy a unique place in their local communities due to their nonregulatory nature. As a result, they have a high degree of trust in their local communities. Conservation districts would forge a partnership with rural Americans and state fusion centers for information gathering purposes. Intelligence analysts would analyze that information at the state fusion center and use it to support the war on terror. In this way, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. intelligence community could leverage rural America as a force multiplier.
Description
CHDS State/Local
Rights
Copyright is reserved by the copyright owner.Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Homeland Security Affairs Journal, Volume II - 2006: Issue 1, April
Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate SchoolCenter for Homeland Defense and Security, 2006-04);April 2006. Welcome to the third edition of Homeland Security Affairs. Our Spring 2006 issue features articles about intelligence and homeland security, the demarcations between homeland defense and security, and ideas ... -
Homeland Security Affairs Journal, Volume II - 2006: Issue 3, October
Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate SchoolCenter for Homeland Defense and Security, 2006-10);October 2006. Welcome to Volume 2, Issue Three of Homeland Security Affairs. This issue is dedicated to the memory of Lacy Suiter. I believe Lacy would be embarrassed by the idea of dedicating an issue of anything to him. ... -
Homeland Security Affairs Journal, Volume III - 2007: Issue 1, February
Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate SchoolCenter for Homeland Defense and Security, 2007-02);February 2007. The articles in this issue of Homeland Security Affairs demonstrate the arc of homeland security studies – from how we think about and address terrorism to how we communicate with one another when dealing ...