9/11 Cons

[Title] Osama bin Laden declared in 1998 that “it is the duty of all Muslims to kill United States citizens, civilians and military, and their allies everywhere” (Nakaya 60). The subsequent attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the failed attempt to destroy The White House on September 11, 2001 forever changed the lives of United States citizens. The United States continues waging a battle against various Muslim extremist leaders who have intentions to establish a Muslim caliphate with a mission of eliminating all inapposite views to the Muslim religion. In the pre-9/11 era, the security of the United States was little more than a fleeting thought to most Americans. According to America's Battle Against Terrorism, the United

A new wave of terrorists, named Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, have grown to be well over the size of Al-Qaeda. In an article, 60 Terrorist Plots Since 9/11: Continued Lessons in Domestic Counterterrorism, ISIS is reported to be increasingly popular in social media, which leads to the influence of extremism in the United States. The article states, “Most disturbingly, an increasing number of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks are originating within America’s borders. The rise of homegrown extremism is the next front in the fight against terrorism and should be taken seriously by the Administration”. This significance is crucial to understanding the mass spread of terrorism, and understanding that the United States has roots of terrorism sprouting from the soil. For example, the Boston Marathon bombing was conducted by two United States citizens in an attempt to accomplish mass casualty (Zuckerman, Bucci, and Carafano). According to an article by a CNN author, the security officials in Boston at that time were able to respond quickly in correspondence with local authority to apprehend the suspects. Shortly after the detonation of both bombs, the men had fled the scene knowing that authorities were hot on their heels. Within hours, the Federal Bureau of Investigation had released images of the two men to the public (Botelho). Already, the response by authorities in the Boston Marathon bombing was proving to be better organized compared to the response of authorities during the 9/11 attacks. Effective communication, fast response, and unrivaled determination gave police the upper hand. Botelho wrote, “Tamerlan Tsarnaev dies after the gunfight, while his brother eludes authorities...When the suspect is found, he has visible injuries including apparent gunshot wounds to his head, neck, and legs” (Botelho). Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains in the custody of authorities