...1. According to the 9/11 Commission Report (Chapter 11 – Foresight and Hindsight) “the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management.” Choose one of these categories and discuss how the U.S. government failed and what can be done in the future to avoid a similar failure. Although I feel that all of these categories can apply in some way or another, the category I choose to develop my question on is the failure of the management- both operational and institutional. From reading Chapter 11 Foresight and Hindsight in the 9/11 Commission Report, we can see how the management missed numerous opportunities in upsetting the 9/11 plot. According to the Commission’s Report the reasoning behind this is because “Information was not shared, sometimes inadvertently or because of legal misunderstandings. Analysis was not pooled. Effective operations were not launched. Often the handoffs of information were lost across the divide separating the foreign and domestic agencies of the government.” (The 9/11 Commission Report-Pg. 353) Al Qaeda adapted to the failure of our management operations to gain entrance into the United States. Presented in the chapter is an illustration of how operational management failed in protecting our homeland with the case of Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Salem and their trip to Kuala Lumpur. In brief summary, here are the operational opportunities that the United States missed in this case: “1. January 2000: The...
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...Understanding the World after 9-11 Even though we still have Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp there are those who feel that we should close it down and stop the torture for example degrading the person lack of sleep or lack of food and even though it was effective at times to get information out of prisoners by using such techniques though after September 11, 2001 and the media getting pictures of how we was treating these prisoners we had to change, some to the good others are not so good because a prisoner may tell you what you want to hear and it may not be the truth. Then there is still the public inquiring about the prisoners where would we have to transfer them? This scares those who live near a prison, many are terrorist so what should we do? Clean up and make Alcatraz Island also known as the Rock and put them there? From what we have learned that place is no better. Until there is peace throughout all the lands and countries there will and must be safeguards not just for us but for those who are suicide bombers and other terrorist. When someone threatened U.S. interests and safety, the government started thinking up ways to protect the citizens of our beautiful country. This is where the USA Patriot Act came from. The USA Patriot Act was signed into law by former President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001, just a little over a month after the attacks. It is an acronym that stands for, Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required...
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...In the wake of the horrendous terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States Congress, under pressure from U.S. citizens to do more to protect the country from further attack, passed the Patriot Act on October 26, 2001. In effect, the act changed many U.S. laws concerning the legal authority of law enforcement entities and the lengths to which those entities could go to investigate potential terrorist activities. Another result of the act was to expand the definition of terrorism to include acts of domestic terrorism and or extremism. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report “The Domestic Terrorist Threat: Background and Issues for Congress, dated May 15, 2012, states that in “statutory terms, a domestic terrorist engages in terrorist activity that occurs in the homeland.” This definition appears quite broad; to add context, the CRS report further states that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) not only views domestic terrorism solely as an act carried out on U.S. soil, but acts that are carried out by groups or persons that “lack foreign direction.” Unlike the U.S. State Department’s public list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, “The federal government does not generate an official and public list of domestic terrorist organizations or individuals.” As explained by the CRS report, the creation of such a list could subject the federal government to lawsuits from groups and individuals claiming infringement of their civil rights. The lack...
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...and how this policies and changes help build a stronger defense against them. The implementation of local enforcement agencies and the community in the fight to deter terrorist attacks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency or (FEMA) and how organizational bureaucracy hindered cooperation and communication among local and federal agencies. This paper will address what measures have been and can be taken in the future to improve inter-agency cooperation and communication. Table of Content Terrorism and Homeland Security: The Impacts on Preventative Measures Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………2 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..4 Terrorism and the creation of the DHS………................................................................................4 USA PATRIOT ACT……………………………………………………………………………...5 Appropriate roles of agencies and community………………………………………………….5-6 Preventative plans…………………………………………………………………………………6 Community Emergency Response………………………………………………………………...6 FEMA……………………………………………………………………………………………..7 National Response Plan…………………………………………………………………………...7 Interagency cooperation………………………………………………………………………...7-8 Development of information sharing system…………………………………………………...…8 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….10 References……………………………………………………………………………………11-12 Appendix A: Al-Qaeda…………………………………………………………………………..13 Appendix B: French Revolutionary War………………………………………………………..14 Terrorism and...
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...As the world evolves, history is inevitably evolving along with it. World events have a profound way of making their mark in the history books for many years to come. Over the course of the past several years many things have occurred such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the landing of the Rosetta mission on a comet. These are events that have changed the way we view the only world we have ever known. These are events that will go down in history. September 11, 2001 is a date in history that will never be forgotten. This day started out as a normal day and turned into a historical and tragic day within hours. Our nation was not prepared. The 9/11 Commission Report described the United States as a nation transformed (“National Report” 1)....
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...definition is that terrorism is an illegal act that affects an audience further than the direct victim. The tactic of terrorists is to perform acts of bloodshed that draw interest of the government, population and the world at large. Terrorists prepare their attack to get the largest publicity, selecting targets that signify what they resist. The success of a terror attack lies, not on the attack, but in the government’s or public’s response to the act (Larry, 2011). There are three views of terrorism; the victim’s, the terrorist’s and the public. The expression “one person’s terrorist is another person’s” freedom fighter’ is perspective terrorists would embrace. Terrorists do not regard themselves as wicked. They consider themselves as fighters, fighting for what they trust in, by any means possible. Victims of terrorist acts view the terrorists as evil with no consideration to human existence. The public’s perspective is the most unbalanced because people view terrorism acts differently. Terrorism is an essential part of mental warfare and requires to be opposed vigorously (Weisburd, 2009). Law makers, scholars and security experts have defined different forms of terrorism. These forms of terrorism vary according to the attack means the attacker uses (for instance biological) or by what they are opposing (eco-terrorism). State terrorism; states can be terrorists. States can use force without pronouncing war to terrorize nationals and attain a political mission. States take part...
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...9/11 I chose the events of 9/11 for my research paper because there has not been any other even in U.S. history that has changed America as much as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Not even when Japan attack Pearl Harbor had such an attack on the U.S. changed the way we live or the way we see things. Yes the attack on Pearl Harbor sent the U.S. to war but the 9/11 attacks have not only changed our thinking but also implemented a new system to alert Americans when there could be another attack on U.S. soil. There has been so much talk on the events of 9/11 from it being another country to it being the work of the government to hide information to wanting to start a war. Which it did, American forces invaded Afghanistan to search for Osama Bin Laden. The thought that someone could hijack commercial airliners (Boeing 767s) and use them to attack high rises, not only high rises but U.S. landmarks and also the Pentagon which houses the military headquarters in the United States. There were four airliners hijacked that day with three of them hitting their marks and the fourth one crashing in a Pennsylvania field. The attacks are the worst terrorist attacks to ever happen on U.S. soil, resulting in more than 3,000 people were killed due to the attacks on New York and Washington D.C. After the first plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center on the 80th floor, it trapped hundreds of people above the fiery inferno and they started evacuating the north tower. Within...
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...coercion. Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts that are intended to create fear and are perpetrated for a religious, political or, ideological goal; to deliberately target or disregard the safety of civilians. In the years following the September 11, 2001, attacks in America, terrorist incidents on the United States soil has totaled 33; more than 190 incidents in other countries like the United Kingdom. Countries like Israel report numbers in the thousands (National Counterterrorism Center, 2011). This paper will discuss the reasons as to why terrorism activity is higher in certain areas of the world. The paper will also discuss the relationship between different attacks, and if laws and procedures could prevent future attacks. The way terrorism affects the lives of America, and finally, I will discuss how terrorism has changed and influenced The Unites States’ priorities. Terrorism has existed as long as mankind. Today terrorism is systematic; it has evolved with the growth of resources and technology. These changes and the development in the world have added efficiency to the success of terrorists; however, the national security deficiencies can be credited for the majority of these attacks. Different countries have different procedures laws to deal with national security issues. This is one reason there are heavier activity in different areas of the world. Terroristic activity is often higher in certain areas of the world because those areas most likely...
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...U.S. Department of Homeland Security Chris Cabral National American University Abstract The primary mission of the Homeland Security Act is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimize damage and assist in recovery for terrorist attacks that occur in the United States. The U.S Department of Homeland Security was established after the 9/11 attacks to counter terrorist activities against the United States. Homeland security is officially defined by the National Strategy for Homeland Security as "a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur”. The major objective of the Patriot Act is “to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools" by dramatically reducing restrictions pertaining to law enforcement requests to search telephone records, e-mail communication, and health records. The Patriot Act allows for the emergency disclosure of electronic communications to protect life and broadens the definition of terrorism to include acts of domestic terrorism. Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the Patriot Act allows the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or a designee of the director to apply for an order requiring the "production of any tangible things (including...
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...On September 11, 2001, 2977 people lost their lives during the plane hijackings and the attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia. This single incident led to major changes in the United States in both domestic and foreign policy. These changes have led to an ever-changing role for the US in the global arena. Following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States has been in the position of being the primary military and economic ‘superpower’. Foreign policy was focused on the possible threats of long-range missile attacks by North Korea directly or upon our European allies by Iran. Domestic policy was more economic in nature focusing on developing markets and free trade agreements, such as NAFTA, with emerging foreign markets in developing countries such as Mexico, China, and India. Unfortunately, this has led to a loss of 20% global market share for the US as outsourcing jobs and sometimes entire companies to these countries has become a more prevalent practice. Since the 9/11 attacks, the focus has been on fighting a war against terrorism beginning with the bombings in Afghanistan 26 days after 9/11 in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 (nymag.com, 2014). In a speech to the joint houses of Congress on September 20, 2001, President Bush stated, “We will direct every resource at our command ... to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terror network. ... We will pursue nations that...
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...initiated his National Strategy for Homeland Security. In this he stated that the U.S. government has no more important mission than protecting the homeland from future terrorist attacks. The strategy called for preventing the entry of foreign terrorists into our country and using all legal means to identify; halt; and, where appropriate, prosecute or bring immigration or other civil charges against terrorists in the United States. Though this was an initiative and strategy that began with much thunder with the “terrorist storm” that was brought to our country on September 11, 2001…it faded and has lost much of its backing (Feingold, 2012). Analysis has indicated that the U.S. government has no specific written policy on the use of visa evocations as an antiterrorism tool and no written procedures to guide State in notifying the relevant agencies of visa revocations on terrorism grounds (Alden, 2008). State and INS have written procedures that guide some types of visa revocations; however, neither they nor the FBI have written internal procedures for notifying their appropriate personnel to take specific actions on visas revoked by the State Department. State and INS officials could articulate their informal policies and procedures for how and for what purpose their agencies have used the process to keep terrorists out of the United States, but neither they nor FBI officials had policies or procedures that covered investigating, locating, and taking appropriate action in cases...
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...communications in the high-rises. One button on the repeater system activation console in the North Tower was pressed at 8:54, though it is unclear by whom. As a result of this activation, communication became possible between FDNY portable radios on the repeater channel. In addition, the repeater’s master handset at the fire safety desk could hear communications made by FDNY portable radios on the repeater channel. The activation of transmission on the master handset required, however, that a second button be pressed. That second button was never activated on the morning of September 11 (THE 9/11 COMMISSION REPORT, page 297, Para 4).” The radios were not able to reach the repeater system and therefore the signals could not travel far. Without radio transmissions being able to reach those in charge, the firefighters were unaware of the situation and conditions they were entering in the North Tower on 9/11. Since September 11th, 2001, the Fire Department in New York City has greatly improved their overall radio communication systems. They “purchased Raytheon ACU-1000 interoperability gateways, which patch together radios operating on incompatible...
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...Preparedness of Raleigh Durham International Airport for a Terrorist Attack Daniel Hammer American Military University Spring 2011 Abstract This research paper will address the current security policies at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. The current security policies will be scrutinized and see if they are capable in deterring a terrorist attack. They will be compared and a number of fields, such as usefulness, cost effectiveness, and to foreign nations airport security policies, as well as other airports in America. Finally, the airport security policies will be checked for weak points and flaws that terrorists may utilize for an attack. Introduction to the Study America’s airports are a gateway in and out of the nation. Unfortunately, they are also a focus of terrorist attack. America’s airports have security measures in place to deter and stop terrorist attack, but are actually capable in doing so? Specifically, is Raleigh-Durham International Airport capable of withstanding a terrorist attack? How effective are the security measures in stopping a terrorist attack? Is the cost of the security measures reasonable? Are the security measures violating American rights? And, How effective are the security compared to both foreign nations, and to pre 9/11? These are the questions that will be addressed in this case study. Purpose of this Study ...
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...One word used by The New York Times to brief the whole scenario and that is “A Creepy Horror”. The attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon brought the nation to panic on 11th September 2001. Media illustrated the situation as “The buildings burn and fall as onlookers search for elusive safety” (The New York Times). Ever since the attacks of September 11, people around the globe are still in the quest of their safety; psychologically, socially, politically, and many other aspects of their lives. That attack did not only destroy the whole financial center but also the lives of the people around the world especially the Muslims. “The horror arrived in episodic bursts of chilling disbelief” (The New York Times). The first plane which crashed in the north tower of the World Trade Center was an American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 out of Boston for Los Angeles. Shortly after, the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, battered into south tower. It was also headed from Boston to Los Angeles. Third, an American Airlines Boeing 757, Flight 77, left from Washington bound for Los Angeles, but instead it struck the western part of the Pentagon, the military headquarters. Finally, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 flying from Newark to San Francisco, crashed near Pittsburgh, raising the possibility that its hijackers had futile in whatever their mission was. There was the merciless sight of bodies’ helplessly plummeting out, some of them in flames. “Finally, the...
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...Government. U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013-5050 USAWC CLASS OF 2009 The U.S. Army War College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202- 4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO...
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