Northeast Counterdrug Training Center

Middle Eastern Intelligence


This interactive adult-learning experience will familiarize attendees with the history of the Middle East and the culture of regional peoples with special focus in Islam as a religion and as a way of life. According to Pew Research Center, Muslims are projected to be the fastest-growing major religious group in coming decades. Acknowledging a general lack of awareness among security professionals; information and knowledge will enable law enforcement to develop strategies that bridge the gap between misunderstanding and beneficial engagement with the Middle East community. The course will provide knowledge and skills in order that attendees can effectively handle victims, witnesses, suspects, source operations, prosecution, corrections, probation & parole, analysis, and community liaison with persons from the Middle East. Additionally, this course explores the U.S. intelligence community, intelligence sharing environment, and mechanisms to defeat domestic and global terrorism. 

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the key geopolitical and national security challenges in the Middle East region
  2. Identify the key security issues for each of the nations covered in class
  3. Describe the key global security trends that affect the United States
  4. Identify key emerging domestic and global trends of terrorism
  5. Explain the Arab Spring
  6. Explain the origins of the Muslim Brotherhood
  7. Explain the key cultural elements of pre-Islamic history
  8. Explain the importance of the demise of the Ottoman Empire after WWI
  9. Explain the importance of British and French colonization on the Middle East today
  10. Discuss how independence from colonial rule in the late 1940's shaped today's Middle East
  11. Discuss the nature of tribalism and its shaping function of the Middle East today
  12. Explain how Raiding differs from War
  13. Explain the difference between a house, clan, tribe, and tribal confederation
  14. Compare and contrast tribal societies and tribal cultural norms with democracies
  15. Explain how the life of Mohammed shaped Islam
  16. Explain the history and differences between the Meccan and Medinan periods in the Quran
  17. Explain the significance in Islam of the date 622AD
  18. Discuss Oral Traditions as a way of passing information by word of mouth through the generations
  19. Discuss the political legacy of the Islamic Empires
  20. Identify the 3 holy books of Islam
  21. Describe the key difference between Sunni and Shia Islam
  22. Explain the definition of the Arabic words Dhimmitude, Jizya, Taqiyya, Kafir, and Ummah
  23. Explain how Shariah Law is derived from what three sources
  24. Compare and contrast Shariah Law with Talmudic and Biblical Law
  25. Discuss the concept of Jihad in Islam
  26. Discuss the five pillars of belief in Islam
  27. Discuss what Ramadan signifies for a Muslim
  28. Discuss the key elements of The Hajj
  29. Explain the importance of a name in the Arab culture
  30. Explain the key discriminators as it pertains to Arab naming conventions
  31. Identify what an "honorific" name is
  32. Identify the five general categories of Arabic naming conventions
  33. Discuss interview and interrogation strategies relating to Muslim militants
  34. Explain the "rapport based" approach to interview and interrogation
  35. Discuss Linear vs. Associative thinking and why it matters during interview and interrogation
  36. Discuss what makes Islam so appealing to prisoners in correctional facilities
  37. Discuss the key recommendations for preventing prison radicalization
  38. Explain the key alternative financing mechanisms used to earn, move, and store terrorist funding
  39. Explain the workings of a Hawala
  40. Explain how Narco-Terrorism profits satisfy two distinct objectives
  41. Identify the observable precursor activities of a terrorist attack
  42. Identify “Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators” as defined by The National Counterterrorism Center
  43. Explain what “see something – say something” means
  44. Identify the four types of insider threat employees
  45. Discuss personality risk factors that may lead to an insider threat
  46. Identify the types of Law Enforcement information that an adversary would find valuable
  47. Identify the steps of the intelligence cycle
  48. Define intelligence collection
  49. Define intelligence and analysis as it pertains to the street officer
  50. Discuss the formal Information Sharing Environment as developed by the U.S. intelligence community
  51. Compare and contrast racial profiling with behavior profiling
  52. Identify and explain the role of the Terrorist Screening Center
  53. Identify the 3 Terrorist Screening Center Handling Categories

Prerequisites: None

Course Length: 3 days / 24 hours

Who May Attend: Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, Corrections, Military (Intel only)



Wednesday, June 21, 2023 through Friday, June 23, 2023
9:00:00 AM through 4:00:00 PM
Live Online Webinar - 9 AM - 4 PM EST

Live Online Webinar - 9 AM - 4 PM EST


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