Homeland security was developed by the United States government to protect the country from external aggression, reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks and manage the damage that occurs in case of attacks. To this end, the government set up and reconstituted numerous agencies to aid in the fight against terrorism in the United States. The United States Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security constitute the most prominent departments under the United States law to champion the fight against any attacks by extremist groups. Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the United States’ military also have a role to play in homeland security. With the increasing cases of attacks and acts of aggression towards the United States, the government sought to strengthen the resolve to curb any attacks aimed at killing or maiming the citizens or destruction of government institutions and installations. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, it was apparent that stringent measures were needed to prevent attacks on American soil and protect the citizens of the country. This paper examines the duties; responsibility and intelligence methods used by the military, federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, as well as homeland security agencies in the fight against terrorism, with the aim of drawing similarities and differences.
In today’s society the word “terrorism” has gone global. We see this term on television, in magazines and even from other people speaking of it. In their essay “Controlling Irrational Fears After 9/11”, published in 2002, Clark R. Chapman and Alan W. Harris argue that the reaction of the American officials, people and the media after the attacks of 9/11 was completely irrational due to the simple fact of fear. Chapman and Harris jump right into dismembering the irrational argument, often experienced with relationships and our personal analysis. They express how this argument came about from the terrorist being able to succeed in “achieving one major goal, which was spreading fear” among the American people (Chapman & Harris, para.1). The supporters of the irrational reaction argument state that because “Americans unwittingly cooperated with the terrorist in achieving the major goal”, the result was a widespread of disrupted lives of the Americans and if this reaction had been more rational then there would have been “less disruption in the lives of our citizens” (Chapman & Harris, para. 1).
Bellavita, C. (2009). Changing homeland security: The year in review - 2008. Homeland Security Affairs, 5(1) Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fau.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1266212855?accountid=10902
In the olden days of the United States, the Mafias were the only thing to fear. But in the past few years, a new threat has rapidly evolved. This threat is terrorism. In order to understand the movement from organized crime to terrorism, it is necessary to investigate three key perspectives: How these terms are defined, how it was progressed through the years, and how it is controlled today.
Terrorism is not a new concept and although the treat has been highlighted by the events of September 11th, there has been a history of terrorism in America leading as far back as the establishment of the country. Although the proverb of “one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter” can be true on certain accounts, there is a distinction. The CIA uses a definition outlined by Title 22 Section 2656f(d) of the US Code, which states, "terrorism means premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents ” (2013). This definition has two important aspects, politically motivated violence and the targeting noncombatants. These two aspects address the motive and methods of a terrorist organization. Through the understanding of this definition it becomes clear that organizations like Al-Qaeda are ...
Being that the rate suicide terrorism has amplified globally and has taken many lives in the process it can be seen why this issue may be of significance. Furthermore this issue is of relevance because this method of resistance kills more than any other tactic (Ashworth, Clinton, Meirowitz, and Ramsay, 1). Therefore it can be seen as to why this issue is of such important. Many have speculated as to what exactly motivates such behavior. Robert Pape defines suicide terrorist as one who is willing to sacrifice his life as well as the lives of others in hopes to coerce his opponents. Experts , including Pape, have wondered what causes an individual to take such drastic measures. Others have also proposed possible solutions to this issue. It will be seen as to what those solutions are and the possible issues that these solutions may be comprised of.
The United States, like any large nation, experiences its fair share of domestic terrorism. Domestic terrorism comes in two forms, within the United States, secular terrorism and religious terrorism. The broader category of terrorism, of which secular and religious terrorism fall under, is defined as a violent act committed against defenseless civilians in order to incite change. The distinctive difference between secular and religious terrorism is the motivation to commit the act. Secular terrorist are motivated by ideology, that is separate from religion, and Religious terrorist are motivated by an interpretation of their religion. Because of these terrorist acts the United States is forced to take action, in order to prevent terrorist acts,
United States Department of State, Bureau of Counterterrorism. (2012). Foreign terrorist organizations. Retrieved from website: http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm
2,753 people died in the World Trade Center, 403 of which were NYFD, NYPD, and Port Authority personnel. This number could have been lower if the fire department and police department had worked together appropriately (Tracy, Thomas. “FDNY to Announce 32 More 9/11 Linked Deaths .” NY Daily News, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 7 Sept. 2017, www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fdny-announce-32-9-11-linked-deaths-anniversary-nears-article-1.3476104.) The police and fire departments were against each other since at least 1993, this led to them being unprepared during the event of 9/11 because of the lack of coordination. The 9/11 attacks were terrorist-caused, planes were hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a random field in Pennsylvania.
In response to the 9/11 attack, New York has worked to strengthen their infrastructures and make them resistant to terrorism. To date, New York State has received more than “$6 billion” in anti-terrorism money from Washington (Brill). “These funds have been allocated for critical infrastructure protection, counter-terrorism and law enforcement, cyber security, health emergency preparedness and other emergency services” (Ten Years after 9/11).
Additionally, early intervention for suspected terrorists must be enacted, for those that are suspected of having a motive and the means to commit acts of terrorism, intervention through involvement in community groups, mandatory therapy and rehabilitation must occur, as well an increase in surveillance over such individuals. Though the Canadian government’s mandate is to prioritize the protection of Canadian citizens, terrorism, by its very nature, is not a problem that can be solved by solely domestic efforts. Radical ideologies transcend borders and inspire acts of terror internationally, terrorist organizations are decentralized and can manifest themselves anywhere. Hence, Canada must also have a global anti-terrorism agenda, one that is multilaterally sanctioned by bodies of international governance, and that
There are many similarities and differences between the Cold War and the War on Terrorism, especially in a lot of the items you listed for us.
"Building Resilience Against Terrorism: Canada’s Counter-terrorism Strategy." Government of Canada, Public Safety Canada. Government of Canada, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
The country that we live in today isn’t the same that it always has been. Over the many years since the United States of America was founded there have been many changes. Some of those changes being good and some being bad. I believe that Domestic terrorism is a rising problem that needs to be addressed and taken care of immediately. Domestic terrorism is when someone from inside the country or region is attempting to do harm on their own country or region. I am choosing this topic because like many others I think that the U.S. is a great country and I don’t believe we should allow people to attack us and hurt others in our nation. I know that it is a rising problem based off of the constant stories in the news every day. I also know that it needs to be taken care of as fast as possible or else it will continue to grow until our country is taken down.
Iraqi forces joined with their Sunni tribesmen allies and held off an attack by ISIS on one of the cities in the Anbar area near Baghdad. This attack comes fairly soon after the Iraqi forces and their allies lost the city of Ramadi to ISIS earlier in the week. The ISIS troops were trying to take over and capture Khaldiya, a city between Ramadi and the town of Fallujah.