By Christine June
Public Affairs Office
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (March 16, 2016) – Retired U.S. Marine Col. James Howcroft, course director of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies’ Program on Terrorism and Security Studies talks about the Intelligence Role in Combating Terrorism March 16.

“Good intelligence is a key factor in a successful strategy to combat terrorism,” Howcroft said. “Accurate and timely intelligence allows leaders and agencies to use their finite resources most effectively and efficiently against terrorist groups.”

Howcroft further explained that terrorist groups must recruit, communicate, acquire weapons, spread ideology, travel, raise money and collect target information.

“All of these actions provide opportunities to collect intelligence about them,” Howcroft said.

He added that there are a number of sources and opportunities to collect data on a group’s activities. Putting this data together to predict a group’s likely actions and identify opportunities for disruption or defeat requires fusion and analysis of the data and sharing the resulting intelligence across national agencies or international boundaries.

On completion of this unit, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role intelligence plays in national and international combating terrorism strategy.

• Identify ways intelligence agencies can cooperate internationally to combat terrorism more effectively.

• Recognize the range of challenges confronting intelligence agencies engaged in combating terrorism in a democracy.

Seventy-six participants from 46 countries started PTSS Feb. 24 and will graduate March 23.

This iteration of PTSS will mark more than 1,500 graduates from PTSS, which began at the Marshall Center in 2004.

Held twice a year, PTSS is a functionally focused program that draws in civilian, law enforcement, and military counterterrorism professionals from around the world and improves their capacity to counter terrorism's regional and transnational implications.

It aims to combat terrorism in all of its manifestations: nationally, regionally and globally.

The four-week course is designed for government officials, military officers and police administrators currently working in mid- and upper- level management positions of counterterrorism organizations throughout the world.

The curriculum consists of lectures, seminars, Munich Field Study Trip and case studies.

It is designed to highlight four objectives: Understand the Threat; Build Capacity; Build Network; and, Enable Transnational Cooperation.