1. Explain what policy objectives are usually pursued within a counterterrorism grand strategy? Provide suitable examples to illustrate your answer. To create an effective counterterrorism grand strategy, states and governments need to identify what the aim of terrorism upon their state is, the terrorist’s goals and ultimately what they aim to achieve with these acts. Without identifying these areas states can’t introduce and effective counterterrorism strategy. This essay will focus on the policy objectives of the Australian government with their counterterrorism strategy, predominantly the changes made over the last decade as a response to new international terrorism threats. This essay will also look at the United States Counterterrorism policies and their objectives, as they have made some of the most influential decisions regarding counterterrorism over the last decade.

In Australia the Criminal Code Act 1995 states that a terrorist act means an action or threat of action where the action causes certain defined forms of harm or interference and the action is done or the threat is made with advancing a political, religious or ideological cause. (Government, 2004) From this definition counterterrorism can be defined as the tactics, practices strategies and techniques used by governments and law enforcement to counteract terrorism acts.

States use a variety of goals and subsequently sub-goals that determine their counterterrorism policies. These can vary greatly depending on the state’s political situation. Some of these goals can include getting rid of terrorism and the motivations and causes for it, preventing attacks and minimising causalities and damages if they occur. (Ganor, 2005: Pgs 25,26) Australia’s main counterterrorism strategy lies in managing effectively the ‘threat assessment’ dilemma. (O'Neil, 2005: pg 390) Where if the government