The Role of Anti-Terrorist Coordination Centers in the Security Systems of Germany and Poland. A Comparative Analysis
The Role of Anti-Terrorist Coordination Centers in the Security Systems of Germany and Poland. A Comparative Analysis

Summary/Abstract: The attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001 redefined the counterterrorist perspective in Euro-Atlantic countries. Terrorism began to be seen as an existential challenge to the state and its citizens and led to new approaches to anti-terrorism in the USA, in the EU, and in individual EU member states. European counter-terrorist efforts were strengthened after the attacks in Madrid (2004) and London (2005). Cooperation between law enforcement and intelligence agencies was crucial to prevent and combat terrorism effectively. The key objective was an effective framework to coordinate the activities of the state’s analytical, intelligence and investigative institutions. The fragmentation of the security agencies proved ineffective in the face of the terrorist threat. This article seeks to show the role of anti-terrorist coordination centres in the domestic security architecture of two neighbouring European countries: Germany and Poland. Despite the different levels of terrorist threat they face and their different historical experience of terrorism, joint monitoring centres were created in Germany (2004 and 2012) and in Poland (2008). The authors examine if the development of the two German counter-terrorist coordination units: the Joint Counter-Terrorism Centre – GTAZ and the Joint Counter Extremism and Counter-Terrorism Centre – GETZ, and of the Counter Terrorist Centre – CAT of Poland’s Internal Security Agency, is an adequate response to modern terrorist threats.

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