Border Security and the Threat of Terrorism - Essay Example

Border Security and the Threat of Terrorism Introduction So important has the concept of border security become that it has come to share a very complex and integral relationship with the War on Terror and a strong bulwark against the constant threat of terror. The protection of airports, water or seaports and land borders are all incorporated in the protection of land borders. The relationship between border security and terrorism has come to be so closely associated with each other, that the federal government has been compelled to reevaluate and modify border security policies as a way of tackling the threat of human terrorism and the sneaking in and detonation of any weapon of mass destruction. Views that by effectively securing its borders, amerce will have effectively assuaged the threat of terrorism by a half is rife. This view is predicated on the knowledge that money laundering, illicit drug trade, illegal immigrants and trade in other contraband products crucially depend on border security lapses and are key to terrorist activities. Background of the Study Events that surrounded and defined September 11th, 2001 totally reshaped American foreign policies and security measures. By and by, the US government has become cognizant of the fact that strengthening its intelligence against terrorist threats would not in itself suffice. To America, for an attack of a high magnitude such as the September 11th 2001 to occur, there must have been security lapse in border security. The veracity of this observation is clearly seen in the fact that every one of the 19 September 11th terrorist hijackers had received temporary American tourist visas and had outmaneuvered the screening department. The gravity of the matter is also seen in the fact that the Canadian border which measures 4,855 km long, the Mexican border which measures 3,111 km long and the presence of other unsecured ports leave the US vulnerable. It is against this backdrop that, America created Homeland Security in 2002, while passing and ratifying other measures that would render the airports, seaports and land borders more secure. Methodology The data that has been used in investigation is both qualitative and quantitative. The need to use quantitative data is underscored by the fact that terrorism and border security are phenomena that can be analyzed in numeric and non-quantified manner. The reality that underpins terrorism can be expressed in quantities and may include: the number of victims and the funds that have been used in launching terrorist onslaughts and counterterrorism activities. On the other hand, the non-quantifiable aspects of border security and the national threat of terrorism may include; the ideological difference that bifurcates and sows discord between America and proponents if Islamist ideology and the value of human life which is too sacrosanct to allow quantification. On the other hand, this paper has factored the use of both primary and secondary data. Primary data involves information that has been compiled by authorities and responsible agencies, concerning terrorism. Conversely, secondary data, referring to data that has undergone analyses and interpretation have been used, in order to widen the scope of ideas and facts that define and characterize American border security and the threat of national security to terrorism. Literature Review Steinmetz1 observes that there are other experts and authorities such as Michael Chertoff (Homeland Security secretary) who see the issue of border security and the manner in which it can avert the threat of national security as a matter that must not go unabated. Chertoff for instance maintains that even with the measures that the US, through Homeland Security has put in place; there will always be attempts at evading the American border security by terrorists. Chertoff maintains that there would be desperate attempts at infiltrating terrorist operatives into the US mainland so as to stage terrorist onslaughts. One of the critical means that would be used as an artifice to the ends above would be to masquerade as asylum seekers, refugees and exploiting channels and mediums of foreign travel such as the visa waiver. The glaring fact about the visa waiver is that it allows as many as 34 countries to enter America without any visas. As quoted by Steinmetz2, the same Chertoff maintains that as increasingly restrictive European asylum and refugee programs get implemented, there is bound to be long waits at the immigration departments. This means that the US is bound to witness increasing number of Somalis, Iraqis and Sudanese getting therein, as they identify themselves as refugees, citing the need to get from the respective war-torn countries. The proposed limit of 12,000 African refugees by America is also likely to see many others trying to get into America illegally, with the offenders coming mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. All these above observations by Chertoff underline his claim that the US is likely to witness an increase of terrorists, inland, in the next 5 years3. On the other hand, authorities on terrorism and security maintain that the failure by the US to take its border security seriously is epitomized by the failure to totally guard the expansive Canadian and Mexican borders. This is in light of the fact that the borders continually accord terrorists with the chance to sneak into the US or to smuggle weapons of mass destruction thereto. The failure of securing border security is also seen to be grave, given that international terrorists are thinking of alternative means of delivering terrorist attacks through chemical and biological attacks. Similarly, the expanse that characterizes the Canadian and the Mexican border is seen to present the US with a bigger problem, since it has been being considered too wide to guard. The threat that emanates from border security is therefore a matter of failure and lack of seriousness about the difficulty in securing all the entry points to illegal goods and aliens. This is situation is aggravated further by the preponderance of coastal borderlines which measure as wide as thousands of miles, yet they remain inefficiently guarded. This not only makes it possible for potential terrorist to smuggle a WMD into America, but also provides the same with many entry points into the US. The American Congressional Research Service maintains that the fact that American borders present a formidable threat to America is further underscored by the aforementioned situation, which presents terrorists with an array of methods with which to detonate the WMD. According to Dory4, the Government and Accountability Department (GAD) on the other hand has shown elaborately that if the ports and borders are porous enough to allow the smuggling in of drugs and other contraband products in small boats and commercial ships, then the feasibility and possibility of an imminent attack is confirmed. Similarly, GAD maintains that the preponderance of cargoes that enter the US annually stands at over 45 million containers that measure above 20 feet and thus, heavily confirms the vulnerability of the threat of terrorist attacks. Nonetheless, scholars such as Stefanick5 hold a contrary opinion that the main risks that characterize American borders, especially; the much talked about America-Mexican border is only a potential threat, not an actual one. While majority of Americans are supportive of the steps that have been taken to protect American borders, liberal brands of politics have always repudiated the new security measures. For instance, Anderson6 maintains that ever since the inception of the American No Fly List came out, the number of the people therein has exponentially grown. To add credence to the claim, Anderson7 maintains that while the primordial list started only with 16 people, the same list presently has over one million entrants. He postulates that such a development is likely to undercut America’s trade, tourism and international relations. To further bolster the claim, he cites the featuring of foreign dignitaries and the President of Bolivia in the list. There are others who observe that the format of the No Fly List presently reveals the failure to continually edit and update the database. The veracity behind this claim is exemplified in the fact that not only does the list still support 14 of the names of the individuals who carried out the September 11th 2001 attacks, but the same also gives incorrect positive signals. These incorrect positive signals refer to the inability of the List to distinguish people who share similar names from those who had initially been flagged before, as suspected or potential terrorists. The gravity of this shortcoming is illustrated by the fact that even underage children, American congressmen such as Kennedy Ted and even renowned American patriots have not been spared the agony of mistaken profiling by the list. Conversely, reports tabled by the TSA revealed that given names of wanted and most dangerous criminals were not being supported in the list8. Findings It is true that the three American borders are mainly too porous to guarantee the US security. Apart from the information that has been divulged above, GAO for instance deliberated that in 2010 alone; the Customs and Border Protection seized 41 million US dollars, while over 27 billion US dollars are known to pass through the American-Mexican border. At the same time, the understaffing that is readily noticeable at the port furthers part of this inefficiency at the port. GAO still further pointed out the manner in which inundating workload, demoralization of employees; poor training, high employee turnover, and even poor infrastructure have continually characterized the state of the American ports. This situation clearly undermines the control, clearing and monitoring of the traffic. The above unfortunate state of affair is a culmination of significant, systematic and gradual misallocation of the much needed resources away from necessary security measures that would foster security screening in southbound and northbound ports, towards anti-unauthorized immigration measures. The compounding of security personnel at the patrolling points is a trend that America has perennially stuck itself to, though it is the bane of effective patrolling of the port. Recommendations Dealing with the issue of the American border security must also take the scope of proper legislation, if America is to strengthen its national security effectively. Primarily, new and stricter legislation should start with redefining America’s immigration rules and at the airport. The need to start with the airport is underscored by the fact that airports are the key entry points to any country: over 90 million annually enter America via airports. Legislative pieces should be made to the effect that not anyone who tries to get into the US illegally and is caught should be accorded another chance at entering America, lawfully. Immediately an anomaly is detected at the airports, and the traveler is turned down from entering America, information should be relayed to the traveler’s country of origin by Homeland Security Department to enable surveillance and covert investigation. The traveler’s home country is then to relay the same information to other countries that the traveler would like to visit. This move may nevertheless require international cooperation and the solicitation of United Nation’s input since Arabic and Islamic countries are likely to oppose such a policy. The necessity of the above recommendation is underscored by Raed al-Banna’s incident. In 2003, Raed al-Banna tried to reenter America through the airport after a botched attempt at passing through American borders illegally. Although the young Jordanian had a valid visa and passport, the screening system of Homeland Security Department designated him for further searches. Having been denied access into the US at the O’Hare Airport, Chicago and being sent back Jordan; al Banna would in 2005 drive a car bomb into a crowd full of Iraqi police recruits, and thereby killing instantly, 135 people, in Iraq. Although, one may argue that, it is Iraq that sustained heavy casualty firsthand, the Banna’s incidence shows the resolve with which jihadists are intent on wreaking terrorist onslaughts. With the porosity of the American border, it is a fact that such resolve and determination is likely to cost America a lot. It is also important that the US also remains consistent with the increase of funding from the Federal Government which had started from 2001 and became temporarily suspended in 2006. The funding was supposed to be channeled towards the securing of port security and was supposed to be increased by 700%. It is only by increasing the amount of funds being disbursed that the depth of the defense activities such as surveillance at the airports by the Homeland Security Department can be bolstered. Similarly, it is only through additional funding that the activities and operations of the American Coast Guard, the American Customs and Border Protection, the Terminal Operator and the Port Authority can be integrated, rejuvenated and properly coordinated for surveillance that is more effective. The need for increased funding among these organs is seen in the fact that they heavily utilize gamma ray and X ray machines and other radiation detecting devices to operate radiation portal monitors that exceed 680, when screening cargo. The need to sustain the security forces and personnel, including the police dogs also further underscores the importance of increased funding. The need to make the operations of the airport efficient, effective and fast can also not be gainsaid, given the flurry of activities and heavy traveling that take place at the airport. Through adequate funding, Homeland Security can be furnished with more efficient and faster Automated Targeting System so as to enable accurate and speedy data mining programs. It is only by so doing that there can be accurate and faster ways of gathering pertinent information from airline companies. The details that are to be collected may include credit or debit card numbers, the traveler’s identity personal profile, and passport data. This is to make counterterrorist measures very easy, since the data collected may be checked against known terrorists. It is also important that the US makes amendments on its Transportation and Aviation Security Act as a way of strengthening the Transport Security Administration (TSA) which was initially meant at having airlines give the Department of Homeland Security information on all travelers that are American-bound. Apart from the need to have the amends making this observation to be mandatory for all airlines that travel to America, it is important to have the amendment fuse the operations of the TSA with that of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the FBI and Transport Security Systems. It is this integration of data vis-à-vis the operations of CIA, FBI, TSA and Homeland Security that can bring in a comprehensive list of Selectees, alongside a No Fly List. Conversely, some of the funds should be channeled towards the aiding of the Federal Air Marshals, as a branch of the TSA. Likewise, to ensure maximum security at the airport borders, the US should totally deploy full body scanners to function alongside metal detectors. This is bound to amplify the effectiveness of airline passengers. There is also a dire need for the security personnel at the ports to be retrained, relocated and spaced out. The evening out of the security personnel should space the team far enough from each other to allow for numerous checkpoints away from the border, while also remaining close enough to protect the same team from vulnerability. This measure would greatly help abate the danger that comes with many ports being suffocated by the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses. The reality of finances also comes to the fore, since the need for the US to go past expanding its existing ports and to begin to investing in new ports is long overdue. Despite the fact that many cite the border fence as being very costly since it would claim 2.4 billion US dollars and another 6.6 billion US dollars to build and maintain respectively, the gains that are likely to be received from the same exercise are worth considering. This money will have for instance helped render America more secure, should it be ploughed towards the aforementioned ends. In particular, inspections that are southbound will be critically instrumental for the inspection of money, illegal immigrants and guns at the ports. Before critics of such noble proposals make their rebuttals, it is important that they bring it into consideration, that for a long time, ports of entry have been an open and festering wound to America’s security. Thus, if there is an end to which the US should disburse its efforts and synergy, it is its border security. It is also important that the American No Fly List undergoes reediting and data cleansing. This is to the effect that details that are obsolete and extraneous should be deleted from the database. There is no need for having the 14 participants of 9/11 attacks since they are all deceased. It is also paramount that the American No Fly List is subjected to further reformatting. There is dire need to expand the entrants’ profile so that the rest of the citizenry are not confused with those who feature in the list. This step will nevertheless need that the No Fly List database is expanded so that information pertinent to the entrants is made comprehensive enough to avoid confusion of names. Conclusion So far, America has shown dexterity in the need to attenuate the threshold for terrorism by trying to make its border as secure as possible. However, it is expedient that America implements newer measures that have been discussed, so as to totally secure American borders and ports. It is by securing its ports that America will be able to expunge money laundering, illicit drugs, illegal immigrants and other contraband products, which all aid the perpetration of terrorist onslaughts. If there is anyone who would consider such precautionary measures as being too financially punctilious, such a person must remember that a nation’s security is inextricably integral to that country’s survival, investment and economic viability. Conversely, a country that cannot secure itself is one that only awaits the fullness of time before external enemies bring it into capitulation, just as was fate of the Roman Empire, which fell in 1452 after continual spates of attacks by the Vandals. Bibliography Anderson, Greg J. “North American Economic Integration and the Challenges Wrought by 9/11.” Journal of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, 3, No. 2 (2006): 1-30. Dory, Amanda J. “American Civil Security: The U.S. Public and Homeland Security.” Washington Quarterly, 27, No. 1(2004): 37-52. Stefanick, Lorna. “Transboundary Conservation: Security, Civil Society and Cross-Border Collaboration.” Journal of Borderlands Studies, 24, No. 2 (2009): 15-37. Steinmetz, Todd. “Mitigating the Exploitation of U.S. Borders by Jihadists and Criminal Organizations.” Journal of Strategic Security, 4, No. 3 (2011): 29-48. Read More