Knowledge is the most important tool in fighting terrorism, which is an increasingly grave threat to domestic and international societies. Terrorism knows no boundaries. It spans all kinds of religious, political and ideological causes, and targets a wide variety of victims in order to draw attention to the terrorists’ cause. Yet, government actions alone cannot bring an end to this devastating global trend.
The fight against terrorism requires a consistent effort by private citizens to prepare for and help prevent the next terrorist attack. Action taken today by citizens, families and business owners serve to enhance the resilience of our communities tomorrow.
The information provided here is designed to raise awareness, educate the public and encourage community involvement and activism.
Donate
The CELL is a non-profit (501c3), non-partisan organization founded in 2004. It is a subsidiary of the Mizel Museum and is funded through private donations.
Upon opening in the fall of 2008, The CELL will receive funding through visitor admissions fees. Yet, patron fees only assist to defray the cost of select expenditures.
The CELL requires on-going support from private citizens and businesses in order to continue its mission of educating the public about the grave threat of terrorism, encouraging community members to actively enhance their level of disaster preparedness, and remembering and paying tribute to those whose lives have been changed forever by an act of terrorism.
For more information about making a charitable donation, please contact Kay Edwards, Director of Visitor Services, at (303) 844-4000 or via email at info@thecell.org.
Fight Against Terrorism
How-to Guide
Research Your Investments & Charitable Contributions
Terrorists can find financial support through state sponsors, individuals and even through charities and businesses, some of which are set up as legitimate fronts for illegitimate terrorist activity.
For example, Iran provides an estimated $100 million annually to Hezbollah. And, the Islamic Africa Relief Agency operated in Missouri as a Sudanese charity, when it in fact provided funds to al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Hamas.
Since an Executive Order was signed in September 2001, the U.S. has frozen more than $300 million in assets of individuals and groups that provide support to terrorist organizations on the lists maintained by the U.S. government.
The following government agencies and organizations provide detailed information to assist you in researching your investments and charitable contributions. In addition, you may want to check with your financial advisor to ensure your investment funds or charitable contributions are not inadvertently supporting terrorist organizations.
The United States Department of Treasury
The Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
The mission of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence is to marshal the Treasury Department’s policy, enforcement, regulatory, and intelligence functions in order to sever the lines of financial support to international terrorists organizations. This website provides the most up-to-date information on organizations illegally supporting terrorist activity, and government efforts to combat them.
Designation Lists and Financial Advisories
The United State’s Treasury provides a list of sanctioned countries, specially designated nationals (SDN) and a link to advisories produced by the Depart of Treasury’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
FinCEN provides up-to-date advisories, bulletins and fact sheets on various organizations and investments that are either suspected of illegally using funds to support terrorist activity and provides guidance for different financial sectors and institutions.
Protecting Charitable Organizations
This website provides unique information and resources for all stakeholders involved in supporting and running charitable organizations. Charities provide value services nationally and around the world. Here you will find strategies to help safeguard your charity and charitable contributions from potential financial abuse by terrorist organizations.
The United States Department of State
Office for the Coordinator of Counterterrorism
The Office for the Coordinator of Counterterrorism is designed to coordinate and support the development and implementation of all United States Government policies and programs aimed at countering terrorism overseas. This website provides helpful links about the financial sanctions placed on other governments and entities.
A list of countries determined by the Secretary of State that provide ongoing support for acts of international terrorism and have been designated as “State Sponsors of Terrorism” in United State’s law.
This website contains the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), the Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL) and Executive Order 13224. Together these three documents provide important information about the United State’s effort to crack down on terrorist supporting organizations and cut-off their ability to raise financial resources.
Daily News & Updates from the United States Department of State
You can subscribe to free news feeds that provide the most up-to-date information about countries and entities that support terrorism and sanctions designed to cut-off the flow of financial resources.
Interpret News Reports
Understanding the political, social and economic trends domestically and internationally is critical to staying informed about the global trend of terrorism. Self-education provides community members and business owners with an enhanced awareness of the potential hazards facing their community, their business and those in their supply chain and our country. Many government agencies and world-renowned think tanks provide free news feeds and critical analysis on the most pressing issues affecting local and global threats to our safety and security. In addition, these institutions offer solutions designed to increase your level of awareness, preparedness and resilience. The following government agencies, think tanks and international organizations provide daily updates and in-depth analyses about the political, social and economic issues most directly affecting the threat of terrorism and our ability to enhance local preparedness and resilience.
Free Daily Government News Feeds
The United States Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security provides daily email updates and RSS feeds to broadcast information about current emergency situations occurring around the country and important information impacting critical infrastructure protection.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation provides daily email updates and RSS feeds to broadcast breaking news, information about ongoing investigations into terrorist activity and updates for existing crime prevention programs and initiatives.
The United States Department of Treasury
The Department of Treasury provides daily email updates and RSS feeds to broadcast breaking news and ongoing efforts to curb the abuse of financial institutions by terrorist groups and other illicit organizations.
The United States Department of State
The Department of State provides daily email updates and RSS feeds to broadcast breaking news and updates about government efforts to counter terrorism overseas.
Think Tanks
The Lawson Terrorism Information Center
Run by the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), the Lawson Terrorism Information Center provides RSS feeds, academic research and analysis of the most pressing issues affecting the fight against terrorism, national and international conferences and access to the Stephen Sloan Collection of terrorism-related research.
Established in 1964, RAND is an international think tank designed to improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis of both domestic and international issues. It provides world-class analysis and information in the areas of national security, public safety, and terrorism and homeland security.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Organizations
The American Islamic Congress (AIC) is a non-religious civic initiative working to promote moderation, interfaith understanding, gender equality and peace. Founded after September 11, 2001, it runs numerous programs around the world to designed to challenge widely-held stereotypes and promote non-violence
The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) is a non-profit research group. For more than a decade, IPT has investigated the operations, funding, activities and front groups of Islamic terrorist and extremist groups in the United States and around the world. It has become a principal source of critical evidence to a wide variety of government offices and law enforcement agencies, as well as the U.S. Congress and numerous public policy forums.
National Homeland Defense Foundation
National Homeland Defense Foundation (NHDF) is a non-partisan, nonprofit forum and rallying point for our country’s response to the eminent presence of terrorism tactics, and preparing and responding to natural disasters around the country. NHDF conducts the nation’s leading public forum at an annual Symposium where experts in government, industry, academia and media converge to discuss, educate and share ideas to help secure our nation.
Become a Leader in Disaster Preparedness & Prevention
Disaster preparedness and prevention is a critical component in the fight against terrorism. Taking proactive steps today helps to ensure our communities’ are prepared for and able to quickly recover from a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. As private citizens and business owners, we all have a major role to play in the enhancement of our community and nation’s resilience.
Starting a neighborhood watch program, helping friends and family members develop an emergency supply kit, working with local first responders to promote your community’s emergency response plan and becoming involved in local organizations like the American Red Cross, Citizen Corps and the Community Emergency Response Team. These are all proactive measures you can take today to become a local leader in disaster preparedness and prevention.
Enhancing the level of preparedness in your home, business and community for a future terrorist attack or natural disaster is one of the most important steps you can take to increase local and national resilience. The following links provide detailed information about the many you can become a local leader in disaster preparedness and prevention.
Helpful Links
The American Red Cross recruits volunteers and trains community members to prepare for and respond to terrorist attacks or natural disasters. This website provides information on how to find your local Red Cross chapter and pursue volunteer opportunities.
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) Program
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
Citizen Corps
The Citizen Corps is a national program sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is a network of over 200 million U.S. citizens, organized into over 2,000 local councils, designed to train private citizens to prepare for a disaster relief and support local emergency response professionals in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP)
CEPP is a unique public-private partnership designed to strengthen the state of Colorado’s capacity to prevent, respond to and recovery from natural or human-caused disasters. It works to streamline the communication and planning process between private businesses and government agencies in order to enhance the state’s level of preparedness and resilience.
Neighborhood Watch Programs
Neighborhood Watch Programs are one of the oldest and most well-known crime prevention programs in United States history. Over the years, it has a more proactive, community-oriented endeavor bringing together local officials, law enforcement officers, emergency response professionals and private citizens. This website provides ways to search for an existing neighborhood watch program in your community and tips on how to start a new program.
Preparedness
A terrorist attack or natural disaster can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere.Planning for the unexpected and preparing for the worst are critical to the development of enhance community, business and personal resilience.Being an informed and prepared citizen will help to reduce your level of stress and provide you with some feeling of control during and after a catastrophic event. Our ability to prepare for and recover from an emergency plays a critical role in enhancing our nation’s resilience.
Terrorism and natural disasters know no boundaries.The information listed here will assist you in learning how to better prepare yourself, your family and your business.
You can also click here to order a preparedness emergency kit.
Prepare your Business
Has your company tasked and trained at least one of its employees to be an emergency response coordinator? Have you spoken with your superiors or co-workers about developing an office-wide emergency communications system? Do you and your colleagues maintain a personal disaster supply kit in your work place? If the answers to these questions are no, it is time to action!
Without proper planning and the creation of business continuity plans, most companies will struggle to survive a catastrophic event. The following information is designed to help you better stay informed of local emergency planning procedures, prepare engage your co-workers on in the response and recovery planning and generally protect your investments.
Run by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Ready Business is designed to small, medium and large companies with the necessary tools to train their personnel, establish emergency communication procedures, create business continuity plans and provide information about maintaining disaster supply kits.
Run by the American Red Cross, Prepare At Work provides comprehensive guidelines, recommendations and sample materials to assist you and your business increase its level of preparedness. It also provides information on contacting your local Red Cross office to schedule a work place training session or receive help in creating emergency supply kits.
The Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP)
CEPP is a unique public-private partnership designed to strengthen the state of Colorado’s capacity to prevent, respond to and recovery from natural or human-caused disasters. It works to streamline the communication and planning process between private businesses and government agencies in order to enhance the state’s level of preparedness and resilience.
Security for Business and Private Citizens
Run by the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), an internationally renowned think-tank, this website provides comprehensive information about the many ways businesses and citizens can prepare for a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
Business Executives for National Security (BENS)
BENS, a nationwide, non-partisan organization, is the primary channel through which senior business executives can help enhance the nation’s security. BENS actively promotes private-public partnerships for the purpose of enhancing the United States’ safety and security.
Prepare your Family
Do you have an emergency communications plan? Have you spoken to your children about fire safety? Do you know how to shut-off potentially dangerous utilities in your home? If the answer to these questions are no, its time to take action!
Preparing your family for a terrorist attack or a natural disaster is not easy. Here you will find basic information about assessing your family members’ individual needs, mapping your home and preparing an emergency plan, and developing a single point of contact should your family be in various locations at the time of catastrophic event.
Run by the United States Department of Homeland Security, this site is designed specifically to assist children and families create emergency plans, disaster supply kits and stay informed.
Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
A comprehensive guide published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on how to stay informed about local emergency response plans, identify hazards that affect your community, developing an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit, and procedures about evacuating and “sheltering in place.”
Building Community Resilience for Children and Families
This special report provides techniques to assist families and children in achieving a high level of preparedness. It supplies citizens with numerous action steps they can take today to enhance their family and community’s resilience. (The Terrorism and Disaster Center (TDC) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) published the report).
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters: What Community Members Can Do
Published by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), this website is specifically designed for parents, teachers and clergy. It provides insights into the types of trauma children and adolescents can suffer from a terrorist attack or natural disaster, and discusses many strategies to help them prepare for and recover from a catastrophic event.
FAQs: Public Alert Radios for Public Schools
Numerous federal agencies including the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education sponsored this website, which provides comprehensive information about public alert radios and the important role they can play in safeguarding our children by ensuring communication with emergency management professionals in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
Prepare Yourself
Are you prepared to respond and recovery from a terrorist attack or natural disaster? Do you have an emergency communications plan and supply kit? Have you identified the potential hazards to your home, family and business? If the answers to these questions are no, it is time to action!
Here you will find basic emergency supply checklists, information to assist you in developing emergency plans and additional resources on how to protect yourself in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
The following contains a basic emergency supply checklist and tips to help increase your level of preparedness:
- Download your emergency checklist at www.ready.gov
- 7 Things You Can Do Today to Prepare for Tomorrow – PDF
Run by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Ready America provides comprehensive information to help you raise your level of preparedness and stay informed.
Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
A comprehensive guide published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on how to stay informed about local emergency response plans, identify hazards that affect your community, developing an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit, and procedures about evacuating and “sheltering in place.”
Preparedness Today – What You Need To Do
An informational FAQ prepared by The American Red Cross and the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that answers common questions and provides guidance on how to prepare for a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
What You Can Do/Neighborhood Terrorism Prevention
Run by the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), an internationally renowned think-tank, this website provides comprehensive information about the many ways citizens and communities can prepare for a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
Personal Protection Measures Against the Terrorist Threat
Published by United States Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, this special report provides citizens with information about the threat of terrorism, proven security techniques and emergency planning measures you can take to raise your level of awareness and preparedness.