Sleeper cell
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Attacks on the West have been conducted through two different types of terrorist organizations: the sleeper cell and the hit squad. The term "sleeper cell" means different things to different people, and is used to reference a variety of threats. Sleeper cells are groups of terrorists who are already in place and ready to act, as opposed to hit squads which are infiltrated into the target country shortly before an attack. Sleeper cells are trained and ready to carry out attacks at a designated time and place. According to some, the teams assembled in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam were classic al-Qaeda sleeper cells. Sleeper cells are loosely organized, and blend into communities easier through legitimate employment [1].
A sleeper cell is a cell of sleeper agents that belong to a large national or terrorist organization. The cell "sleeps" (lies dormant) inside a population until it is commanded to or decides to act.
Sleeper cells have risk assessment levels ranging from Low to Urgent and may or may not act on its own, collectively as a hive mind, or under instruction and when directed. Direction can be at a local, regional, national or international level.
Low Risk cells would be disorganized, untrained, unsupported, disaffected individuals with no special skills, no special knowledge, no access and no training but some open source information collection and discussion interests that might lead to collective action. Appropriate surveillance might include data mining and filters.
Medium Risk cells would be semi-organized, paramilitary or military trained, peer supported, disaffected or criminal groups or gangs with some special skills, some special knowledge, some ability to gain access, some training and some covert source collection abilities plus a history of protesting or demonstrating against presumed grievances and/or, vandalism and/or petty crime which may have resulted in some prison gang contact with radical or extremist ideologies. Appropriate surveillance might include data mining and behavioural analysis.
High Risk cells would be organized, military trained, funded and supported, ideological groups with special skills, special knowledge, opportunistic access, training, covert source collection abilities plus no history of protesting or demonstrating against presumed grievances. Appropriate surveillance might include total information awareness, communications and control surveillance and disruption, covert observation and pre-emptive strike preparedness.
Urgent Risk cells would be self actualizing, covert military, well funded and supported, non ideological groups with a wide range of special skills, special knowledge, virtually unlimited inside access, elite training, sophisticated covert source collection abilities including counter surveillance skills, plus no history, or record of presence. An appropriate level of surveillance is impossible.
Given the secretive nature of sleeper cells, exact classification into the above classifications is not always simple; a single group may fall into more than one of the risk assessment levels at the same time.
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