Editing Counterterrorism (section)

== History ==
The first counterterrorism body to be formed was the Special Irish Branch of the [[Metropolitan Police]], later renamed the [[Special Branch (Metropolitan Police)|Special Branch]] after it expanded its scope beyond its original focus on [[Fenian]] terrorism. Various [[Law enforcement agency|law enforcement agencies]] established similar units in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1fqAZzIDlgYC|title=Dictionary of Policing|author=Tim Newburn, Peter Neyroud|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|page=262|isbn=9781134011551}}</ref>

The [[International Conference of Rome for the Social Defense Against Anarchists]] has been identified as the first international conference against terrorism.<ref name="t136">{{cite book | title=The Battle against Anarchist Terrorism | chapter=The first international conference on terrorism: Rome 1898 | publisher=Cambridge University Press | date=2013-12-05 | isbn=978-1-139-52412-4 | doi=10.1017/cbo9781139524124.008 | pages=131–184}}</ref>

The first tactical counterterrorism unit was [[GSG 9]] of the [[West German]] Federal Border Protection (''[[Bundesgrenzschutz]]''), which was later renamed the [[Federal Police (Germany)|Federal Police]] (''Bundespolizei'') in 2005. GSG 9 was formed shortly after and in response to the Olympic [[Munich massacre]] of 1972.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 September 1972 |title=Conception for the Establishment and Employment of a Border-Guard for Special Police Action (GSG9) |url=http://www.sapstf.org/pdf/1972%20GSG9%20Formation%20Document.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.sapstf.org/pdf/1972%20GSG9%20Formation%20Document.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |access-date=9 September 2017}}</ref>

Counterterrorist forces expanded with the perceived growing threat of terrorism in the late 20th century. After the [[September 11 attacks]], Western governments made counterterrorism efforts a priority. This included more extensive collaboration with foreign governments, shifting tactics involving [[red team]]s,<ref>{{cite journal
 | last1 = Shaffer
 | first1 = Ryan
 | title = Counter-Terrorism Intelligence, Policy and Theory Since 9/11
 | date = 2015
 | pages =368–375
 | volume = 27
 | issue = 2
 | doi=10.1080/09546553.2015.1006097
 | journal=Terrorism and Political Violence
 | s2cid = 145270348
 }}</ref> and preventive measures.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://icct.nl/publication/preventive-counter-terrorism-measures-and-non-discrimination-in-the-european-union-the-need-for-systematic-evaluation/ | title=Preventive Counter-Terrorism Measures and Non-Discrimination in the European Union: The Need for Systematic Evaluation | date= 2 July 2011 | publisher=The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague (ICCT) | access-date=6 September 2016}}</ref>

Although terrorist attacks affecting Western countries generally receive a disproportionately large share of media attention,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/which-countries-terrorist-attacks-are-ignored-by-the-u-s-media/|title=Which Countries' Terrorist Attacks Are Ignored By The U.S. Media?|date=2016|website=FiveThirtyEight}}</ref> most terrorism occurs in less developed countries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/regional-economist/fourth-quarter-2017/impact-terrorism-developing-countries|title=Trade and Terror: The Impact of Terrorism on Developing Countries|date=2017|website=Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis}}</ref> Government responses to terrorism, in some cases, tend to lead to substantial unintended consequences,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sexton|first1=Renard|last2=Wellhausen|first2=Rachel L.|last3=Findley|first3=Michael G.|title=How Government Reactions to Violence Worsen Social Welfare: Evidence from Peru|journal=American Journal of Political Science|language=en|issue=2|pages=353–367|doi=10.1111/ajps.12415|issn=1540-5907|year=2019|volume=63|s2cid=159341592}}</ref>{{Vague|date=August 2023|reason = What kind of  "unintended consequences"?}} such as what occurred in the above-mentioned Munich massacre.{{Explain|date=August 2023}}