1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910792449503321

Autore

Copeland Thomas E

Titolo

Fool me twice [[electronic resource] ] : intelligence failure and mass casualty terrorism / / Thomas E. Copeland

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Leiden ; ; Boston, : Martinus Nijhoff, c2007

ISBN

1-282-60197-0

9786612601972

90-474-4029-3

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (318 p.)

Collana

Nijhoff eBook titles 2007

Disciplina

363.325/163

Soggetti

Intelligence service - United States - Evaluation

Terrorism - Prevention

Bombings

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 275-288) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Preliminary Material / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 1. Introduction / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 2. February 26, 1993: The World Trade Center / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 3. April; 19, 1995: Oklahoma City / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 4. June 25, 1996: Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 5. August 7, 1998: U.S. Embassies In Kenya And Tanzania / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 6. September 11,2001: The Twin Towers / T.E. Copeland -- Chapter 7. Surprise, Again And Again / T.E. Copeland -- Appendix . Government-Imposed Restrictions On Fbi Domestic Terrorism Investigations / T.E. Copeland -- Bibliography / T.E. Copeland -- Index / T.E. Copeland.

Sommario/riassunto

This study evaluates whether surprise and intelligence failure leading to mass casualty terrorism are inevitable. It explores the extent to which four factors – failures of public policy leadership, analytical challenges, organizational obstacles, and the inherent problems of warning information – contribute to intelligence failure. The study applies existing theories of surprise and intelligence failure to case studies of five mass casualty terrorism incidents: World Trade Center 1993; Oklahoma City 1995; Khobar Towers 1996; East African Embassies 1998; and September 11, 2001. A structured, focused comparison of



the cases is made using a set of thirteen probing questions based on the factors above. The study concludes that while all four factors were influential, failures of public policy leadership contributed directly to surprise. Psychological bias and poor threat assessments prohibited policy makers from anticipating or preventing attacks. Policy makers mistakenly continued to use a law enforcement approach to handling terrorism, and failed to provide adequate funding, guidance, and oversight of the intelligence community. The study has implications for intelligence reform, information sharing, congressional oversight, and society’s expectations about the degree to which the intelligence community can predict or prevent surprise attacks.