As a counterterrorism specialist, the first things you must know are who the terrorist are, and what their plans are. This is a critical first step in defeating terrorist. However, having confiscated the Al Qaeda training manual from an apartment of a suspected terrorist and then having that fact made public world wide must have sent the group into a regrouping of their techniques for secrecy. The first thing I would think from this manual being compromised and it being public that it was compromised is that the manual, although useful, has been compromised and it is likely not much use to the counterterrorist organization. Surely the manual would be useful for a period of time, maybe a year or more before the organization can regroup and retrain their operatives for a new standard operating procedure manual to be fabricated and updated to include more current technology and tactics.
One of the major implications for counterterrorism that is revealed in the manual is the level of secrecy in the organization.
Organisation
Flag of "Chechen Republic of Ichkeria" with the ad...
The cover of the Manchester manual -- “The Manch...Having been compartmentalized into small cells where one cell doesn't know anything about other cells. The members are not permitted to discuss with their families their involvement in the organization nor are they to recognize each other outside of the secret meetings. With the level of secrecy in the organization and the ethnic identities normally present in the organization it would make it very difficult to infiltrate the organization.
One thing that I found to be strange is the mandate on a brother being free of illness (Al Qaeda, Translated 2000, 48). If I am not mistaken, the leader of Al Qaeda is reported to suffer from kidney problems. Although not confirmed, this shows a weakness in the organization because the standards do not apply to all of the members...