Homeland Security - Terrorist Attacks as the Greatest Threat to the USA, Measures to Counter Terrorist Attacks - Essay Example

Terrorist Attacks as the Greatest Threat to USA Homeland Security Name Institution Date Introduction After 9/ 11 attacks, a frightened and horrified American public needed something more to be undertaken to protect the nation from terrorist attacks. In response to this overpowering opinion and to the immense sense of susceptibility demonstrated by the successful Al Qaeda attack against the US, the Bush administration rushed to establish a set of measures that would respond to public concerns and improve the ability of the nation to cope with terrorism. The agenda of measures and steps that followed were considered as a program for Homeland security, a program that was considered, at least firstly, as a key national policy. Terrorist attacks as the greatest threat to USA Homeland Security Terrorist attacks are the greatest threat to the USA homeland security. In spite of the international efforts in the aftermath 9/11 attacks that have interrupted terrorist attacks and restrained Al Qaeda’s capability to strike the Homed land, the US faces a constant and evolving terrorist threat, mainly from the vicious Isalmic terrorist cells and groups. Presently, the most dangerous ad serious manifestation of this hazard remains Al Qaeda, which is propelled by an undiminished strategic target to invade the homeland. Even though earlier endeavors in the war on terror robbed Al Qaeda of its safe refuge in Afghanistan and demeaned its network through killing or capturing majority of the people responsible for 9/11 attacks, the group has safeguarded its top leadership, refilled operational reserves, and revived a safe asylum in federally administered tribal areas of Pakistan, core capacities that would assist facilitate another invasion on the Homeland. Al-Qaeda is likely to continue enhancing its capability to attack America via increased cooperation with regional terrorist groups, especially al-Qaeda in Iraq, which is presently the group’s most capable and visible affiliate and the only known group to have expressed an aspiration to invade US. Additionally, although the United States have discovered only a few number of individuals in the nation who have ties with al-Qaeda senior leadership, the group is likely to increase its efforts to position operatives in the Homeland. The group also has the persistent aspiration for weapons of mass destruction, as it continues to attempt to attain and utilize biological, radiological, nuclear and chemical material (Homeland Security Council, 2007). In addition to the al-Qaeda, a horde of other individuals and groups also utilize violence and terror against the innocent in the pursuit of their goals and pose possible threats to the United States. These groups include Lebanese Hizballah, which has undertaken anti US attacks outside united States and, before the September 11 attacks, was liable for more deaths of Americans than any other terrorist group. Hizballah might increasingly consider invading the homeland if it recognizes US as posing a direct danger to the organization or Iran, which is its principal sponsor. The US is also not invulnerable to the surfacing of homegrown radicalization and vicious Islamic extremism in its borders. The prosecution and arrest inside the American soil of a minor number of vicious Islamic radical points to the probability that others in homeland might become adequately radicalized to view the utilization of violence in the US as justified. Whilst US constitutional protection of freedom of religion, the history of welcoming and incorporating immigrants, greater economic opportunities and equal opportunity defenses might assist to alleviate the threat, but drivers of radicalization are still in existence(Homeland Security Council, 2007). The proliferation of homegrown radicalized al-Qaeda followers within the US has put the country at a heightened hazard of terrorist attack. The terrorist attack facing the nation has significantly evolved in the last ten years and continues to evolve Miller (2003) argues that over the long run, if the sensitivity of terrorism remains high, concern or minimizing susceptibility to terrorism could have numerous extremely wide and socially significant effects. It could affect the manner in which buildings are designed and constructed. For instance, buildings that have positive pressure air handling schemes and superior air filtration will be considerably less susceptible to biological and chemical attacks. The 9/11 attacks have diminished the enthusiasm of several people for working and living in skyscrapers, and newspapers frequently report on transfer of businesses from Mahhattan, to North Carolina, New Hampshire or New Jersey. And concerns on susceptibility to terrorism could have main outcomes for the manner in which cities are developed in future, for ill or better terms of the livability and vitality of cities (Miller, 2003). Measures to Counter Terrorist Attacks Prevention of Violent Islamic Extremist Radicalization The threat of homegrown vicious extremism essentially transforms who is greatly often in the superior position to detect terrorist activity, investigate and respond. Local, tribal and state front line law enforcement officials are most probably to spot the initial sigs of terrorist activity. This has intense implications form how the department of homeland security goes about securing the nation against terrorist threat, and needs a novel form of security architecture that will complement the structure that the department already built in order to safeguard America from overseas threats. Over the last two years, Homeland Security has been diligently working to develop this novel architecture so as to safeguard against this evolving threat. The department is directly working together with the law enforcement and community based groups to counter vicious extremism at its source, utilizing majority of the similar strategies and techniques that have proven effective in fighting violence within American communities ( Wall Street Journal, 2011). Homeland security is also focused on attaining information and resources out of Washington D.C. and into hands of local and state law enforcement, so as to offer them with the tools they require to fight the threats that their communities face. Because local and state law enforcement are usually in a better position to notice the initial signs of a planned invasion, homeland security efforts should be interwoven in the work of the police that tribal, local and state officials do daily. According to Wall Street Journal, (2011), Homeland security should ensure that officers I every location clearly understands the behaviors, tactics and other indicators that can point to terrorist act. As a result, the department of homeland security is making expanding and improving the mechanisms of information sharing through which officials on the beat are informed on the threat picture and what are the implications for communities. DHS is executing this in alignment with vision of Congress and the president has established a robust environment of information sharing. These efforts involves offering training programs for local law enforcement to assist them recognize indicators of terrorist act , together with other partners at the department of justice on the international suspicious activity reporting initiative, which has developed a standardized scheme for reporting wary activity so that this information may be evaluated against national trends and also shared across jurisdiction. Homeland security is encouraging American citizens to alert law enforcement if they see or sense something that is potentially dangerous via the campaign dubbed “If You See Something, Say Something”. The form of vigilance that this campaign promotes has assisted to halt terrorist plots (Wall Street Journal, 2011). Denying Terrorist Enemies Entry to the Homeland In the modern age, politics and technology combine to allow huge international flows of products, ideas and people. It is almost certainly not possible to create filters at the border that will comprehensively and reliably spot potential terrorists out of the immense number of vacationers and visitors. Miller, (2003) notes that the US government has reported that five hundred million individuals cross to the American land annually. Finding one or a few dozes of threatening individuals out of five hundred million is not an easy task and the only exception may be cases in which recognized terrorists travel undisguised which is not likely to be common. Therefore screening systems and computerized databases are not very helpful in detecting unknown terrorists as long as they have the intelligence of avoiding drawing attention to themselves. Whilst there is no any reason to offer terrorists a free ride to the United States of America, there has been a high anticipation of eradicating terrorist threat through seizing them at the airport, which has bee made almost impossible by globalization (miller, 2003). Denying Terrorist Enemies to Move into the United States Denying out terrorist enemies the capability to move internationally, and especially across and within our borders, immensely hinders their effectiveness. Through preventing terrorist along with their implements of demolition fro entering the US, we will inhibit their capability to recognize and surveil probable targets, perform planning and launch an invasion within our homeland. The national homeland security council’s national strategy to fight terrorist travel, national strategy for aviation security and national strategy for maritime security are assisting in guiding efforts on fights ahinst terrorist attacks. Whilst homeland security have strengthened document and travel security, increased information sharing with their international and domestic partners, and improved screening of all cargo and visitors to the US, the principal terrorist enemies are determined to permeate operatives and attack American people on their soil (Homeland Security Council, 2007). Terrorists remain adaptive and exploit perceived weaknesses in the nation’s travel scheme and use illegal means to thwart transportation and border security. Homeland Security Council (2007) notes that the homeland security is determined to defeat terrorists’ efforts of infiltrating the Homeland whilst continuing to promote efficient and reliable flow of individuals, services and goods across borders that are fundamental to American openness as well as economic prosperity. This will be achieved through preventing terrorist exploitation of legal pathway into the homeland by continuing with the strengthening of the homeland security’s layered schemed of protection that begins abroad and continue across the borders, at ports, on railways and roadways ad in skies which is essential to preventing radicals and their weapons from entering the country via exploitation of legal pathways. In order to achieve this, homeland security should go on acting deliberately on numerous fronts. A vital constituent of screening migrants is travel document security since official documents are major enablers for screening all individuals at entry ports. In the face of resourceful terrorists, we should continue with the expansion of US-VISIT program’s biometric enrollment from two to ten fingerprints and use science and technology to enhance increasingly advanced multi-modal biometric identification capacities in the future that utilize face, iris or fingerprint data. Because terrorist can also use the international supply chains via which cargo enters the US to smuggle their equipments of terror, including weapons of mass destruction into the Homeland, homeland security will continue expanding the form of information they collect and cargo scanning, detection and screening systems and procedures at foreign ports (Homeland Security Council, 2007). Homeland Security Council (2007) notes that while numerous terrorists will continue to use legal channels to move weapons and personnel within and into the United States; others may try to infiltrate the maritime, land and air borders via foot, trail, aircraft or boat. Illegal entry of goods and people into the US is more worrying in regard to terrorist attacks. With its remote, long borders as well as lengthy coastlines, the US faces an enormous challenge in attempting to avert illegal border crossings. Serious efforts have been made over several years, in connections with illegal immigration and drug trafficking, to strengthen border patrols, and to make it more risky and difficult to enter the US in this manner. Whilst some progress appears to have been made along US- Mexico border, no one appears to think that defense of borders is anywhere new superior enough when analyzed in the context of terrorism threat. In order to interrupt utilization of illegal pathways into Homeland, Homeland Security will carry on with the implementation of an integrated scheme of technology, people and tactical infrastructure via the secure border initiative to spot, recognize, respond to and solve illegal entry efforts at United States land borders. Homeland security will also enhance and improve coordination of surveillance of general aviation and watercraft. It will jointly work with its neighbors and global partners to minimize the illegal travel networks utilized by narco-traffickers, human smugglers and transnational criminals who perform activities that foster continued exploitation of US borders (Homeland Security Council, 2007). Conclusion Terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda are the greatest threat to Homeland Security. This is because the country faces a persistent and violent terrorist attack from violent Muslim terrorist groups as well as cells. This terrorist group is likely to continue promoting the capacity to attack The United States through increased collaboration with regional terrorist groups; especially the Al Qaeda grouped based in Iraq. The nation is also vulnerable to the emergence of homegrown radicalization and violent Islamic extremism within its borders. References Miller, J. (2003). “Departing Security Official Issues Warning,” New York Times, February 2, 2003. Wall Street Journal (2011). DHS Warns of the greatest threat since 9/11: Homegrown Violent Extremism. February 9, 2011. Homeland Security Council. (2007). Overview of America’s National Strategy for Homeland Security. Washington DC. National Strategy for Homeland Security Read More