Final Writing Assignment - Essay Example

Final Writing Assignment: “Conversations with History” Final Writing Assignment: “Conversations with History” Discussion of Remark The video presented an interview with former CIA official and Head of the Osama Bin Laden unit, Dr. Michael Scheuer, conducted by Harry Kreisler, discussed diverse topics on US Foreign Policy and the Terrorist Threat. From among the topics discussed, one of the most striking remarks mentioned by Scheuer was while explaining the terrorist attack during September 11, 2011; he noted that only in America can America not defend itself.

The statement is so true as evidenced by the breach of terrorists over the American airspace undetected and resulted to the destruction of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, an institutional landmark of the country, that killed thousands of innocent people. Scheuer stated that Bin Laden believes that the foreign policy of American is an attack on Islam. Bin Laden, through his Al Qaeda group was pinpointed to be responsible for the 9/11 attack – precisely the group that was being governed by Scheuer.

Scheuer’s remarks are disturbing as they are validated and supported through his years of experience as an officer of the CIA. His contentions about Bin Laden as a threat to America at the time he was heading the unit was so pronounced and yet, according to him, there have been precisely 10 times when killing Bin Laden was possible but not ordered by then Presidents Clinton and Bush. As clearly identified, he noted that there were two opportunities to kill Bin Laden in May of 1998 through CIA resources and eight times in 1999 through US military aircraft but the President did not clearly order the attack.

Missing these opportunities paved the way for Bin Laden’s ability to prove that America can be attacked in their own soil without the need to immediately respond and identify the attackers. Although there were apparent suspicions that the Al Qaeda group was behind the 9/11 attack, it was not until later years, through Bin Laden’s claiming of responsibility, that the incident was finally attributed to them. Critique on the Remark These incidents thereby make one question the effectiveness of the foreign policy of the US, especially in terms of defending the American people.

It is true that Scheuer emphasized that America’s greatest threat is to face an enemy we can’t deter – where there are still possibilities of future attacks wherein American has nothing to respond against. I agree to his advise that there is a need to review, evaluate, reassess the contents of America’s foreign policy to determine which issues should America be involved in. The policy has attested that America is fully involved in the world, in global issues, in providing alliances or assistance for various purposes and reasons.

As mentioned by Scheuer, the first job is not to be citizens for the world but citizens of America. By involving ourselves in a wide variety of global issues, there has been a lax in national defense, in defending the very citizens of this nation. By looking outwards and supposedly guarding the perimeters and neighboring countries, America’s leaders have begun to refuse the use of military power when needed. As a result, the lives that were supposed to be protected were summarily lost through unexpected terrorist attacks that could and should have been prevented in this very soil.

Reference YouTube. Conversations with History – Michael Scheuer. Retrieved 31 May 2011.