The lost civilian CT body

THIS is an obituary for the National Counter Terrorism Authority, once conceived as a civilian counterterrorism body that combined policymaking, coordination among law-enforcement agencies, and data collection and processing. Since its inception in December 2008, and even after gaining legal cover under the Nacta Act, 2013, it has struggled to fully realise its role and mandate, while facing resistance from LEAs reluctant to coordinate with a police-led body. Appointing a senior military officer as its national coordinator was not the first deviation from the Nacta Act. A bigger departure…