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Examine counterterrorism measures among the world's nations
March 3, 2003
Web posted at: 3:02 AM EST (0802 GMT)
Overview: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man believed to be the key planner of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 -- and several al Qaeda attacks in the past five years -- was among three terrorism suspects arrested in a CIA-led operation early Saturday in a house outside the Pakistani capital. Officials are holding Mohammed outside of Pakistan.
After students read "Officials capture top al Qaeda operative" and watch the first segment of CNN Student News (the video can be accessed from CNNStudentNews.com) pose the following questions:
1. Who is Khalid Shaikh Mohammed? What is his role within al Qaeda? When and where was Mohammed arrested? To what incidents of terrorism is Mohammed allegedly linked? What factors have enabled Mohammed to elude authorities for so long? Why is Mohammed's arrest is significant? In your opinion, what messages does his arrest send to the families of September 11 victims and to al Qaeda?
2. Ask students: What role did the international community play in the arrest of Mohammed? Inform your class that President George W. Bush has said of the U.S.-led War on Terrorism, "We are supported by the collective will of the world." Ask students what the president means. Then have students conduct an informal survey of counterterrorism measures among the world's nations. Have each student select a country and conduct research to learn what terrorist groups exist in that country, if any, and what the country is doing to combat terrorism. Have students share their findings. What reasons might countries give for failure to support counterterrorism? Do students think any of these reasons are valid? Discuss.
Teachers: For additional resources and an activity on the global reach of the al Qaeda network, visit CNNstudentnews.com lesson plan "Examine the global reach of the al Qaeda network" (http://fyi.cnn.com/2002/fyi/lesson.plans/09/15/buffalo.discusson/).
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