On September 11, 2001, the whole world was in shock following the terrorist bombings that hit the USA. Before the attacks, the USA had always been referred to as "the world's powerhouse." The name was given to it following its advanced military and other law enforcement technologies that it had in providing security to its people. However, the 9/11 attacks tainted an appalling image on just how the USA was vulnerable top attacks from hostile nations. As such, the Department of Homeland was amongst the first reforms the country made so that it could ensure no other such incident hit the country. Nearly sixteen years after the attacks, the looming question that most people have kept on asking is whether the country has made any strides in terms of the security and safety of its people. Improvements to border patrol, the development of the Transportation Security Administration, and electronic surveillance automation all contribute to a more secure nation.
Before the 9/11 attacks, flying was fun for everyone. It was due to the fact that, there were minimal checks that were made before one boarded the plane. One could sprint just during the last minutes before the plane departs and get their luggage checked at the counter, run past the security and get to the departure gate. There was no need for one to pull out neither their driver's license nor photo ID. The only problem was when one was found carrying a weapon in their luggage which would call for some detention and even arrest in case there was no sufficient evidence to prove the weapon belonged to you. At the Billings, the employees who read magnetometers and check luggage s were contracted from private companies. However, things are quite different now whereby; professionally trained federal employees handle this work. About two months after the attacks, the Transport Security Administration was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (Air Safety Week, 2011). As such, all the screening responsibilities were taken away from the airline companies. The airport area has multiple screening sections including the passenger security section. There was an increase in the amount of luggage that is to be checked which was increased by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (Air Safety Week, 2011). An even tighter increase in security protocols was seen following a self-admitted member of al-Qaeda, Richard Reid who was found with a bomb in his shoe from a Paris to Miami flight on December 22, 2001. As such, removing of shoes is evident at the airports when carrying out bomb detection exercises (Air Safety Week, 2011). The presence of US Marshals in the cockpits and the flights was implemented.
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After the Cold War (1947-1992), a centralized approach to intelligence was used by the USA. An official intelligence agency was formed following the passage of the National Security Act of 1947. It established the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). All the military departments were put under one agency Department of Defense, and the National Security Council was a created. It was the role of the Director of Central Intelligence to ensure that intelligence was shared between the agencies. However, this method was marred by various challenges in terms of oversight concerns. After the post-cold war (1992-2001), the centralized intelligence platform was marred by challenges for it could not keep up with the changing paradigms revolving around security issues. However, after the 9/11 attacks, the USA has seen a tightening up of the intelligence sharing between the different security departments in the country. The different security departments such as the Federal Aviation Administration, The FBI and the CIA despite having similar terrorist names on their databases, they would still argue on who had the responsibility of exposing them to the entire public. As such, this brought about delays in submitting the names of which allows terrorists to get more time in implementing their attacks or change their strategies. The continued inability to "connect the dots" brought about the need to change the means through which information sharing was going to be done in the country. After the attacks, major organizational changes were seen, and they did not just boost the sharing of intelligence, but additionally resulted in the significant application of resources. The intelligence structure used is on made up of the development of state and local fusion centers. It is hierarchical in nature followed by vertical structures that continue to promote sharing of intelligence.
Before September 11, 2001, attacks on the USA, the borders especially the northern one did not receive a lot of attention. As such, the country saw a high influx of immigrants into the country. However, after the attacks, there was a need to come up with a better strategy that would see this immigration influx being sustained. It saw the formation of the US Customs and Border Protection Agency within the DHS in 2003 (Baumgartner, 2016). Other agencies that were created include the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The main duties of these bodies were to ensure that they collected information and screened people from various nationalities and shared this information with their respective and other countries. The number of Border Patrol agents has correspondingly increased from about 10,000 to about 21,000 in 2002 (Baumgartner, 2016). Their main mission is not just to prevent illegal immigrants from getting into the country but rather protect the nation from terrorist attacks. The agencies have likewise started using sophisticated technologies and other barriers to secure the border. It includes sensors and cameras that have been specifically set along the illegal immigrant trails so as to prevent them from entering the country.
Over the years since the USA gained independent and following protest in relation to civil liberties, the country has always observed ensuring that their entire citizens enjoy their freedom. However, after 9/11 attacks, the country has set up a lot of measures that aim to counter the terrorist attacks in the country. One of these actions that have been set up is the surveillance programs over its citizens. According to Deflem and McDonough, (2015), most of the USA citizens have always protested against the programs for they claim they are against their privacy rights. An example of such a program is the Total Information Awareness launched by the Defense Department. The aim of the program was to collect computerized data about American citizens and analyses it so that they can get any suspicious patterns that might link terrorists. The NSA has been known for gathering information from the USA citizens. The PATRIOT Act was as well enacted to make it possible for the law enforcement agencies to eavesdrop on the public through a broad range of technologies. These agencies use this information in ensuring that they remain a step ahead of the terrorists and catch them before they launch attacks on the country.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the USA was forced to undertake various changes with regards to different security departments and its security strategies. The first strategy that was implemented was the setting of a counter-terrorism agency, DHS, whose primary duty was to ensure the 9/11 attacks were the last of such an event occurring on the USA soil. The country has also come up with a better structure of information sharing between the various securities departments in the country. This has evolved from the centralized structure that was used for the period 1947-1992 to a more hierarchical one. The nation has similarly improved its air traveling and upgraded the security apparatus within the airports. It includes setting up agencies such as the Transport Security Administration which took over the security operations at the airports. The security personnel at the airports have correspondingly been replaced from the contracted private security guards to federal trained professional employees.
The border of the country has correspondingly been upgraded with the creation of the US Customs and Border Protection Agency that ensures no illegal immigrants are getting into the country. Another controversial improvement is the setting up of surveillance programs which have helped in preventing terrorism. On the other hand, there are assertions that the counterterrorism and surveillance actions unintentionally annex privacy, free speech, and other desecrations of civil liberties (Deflem and McDonough, 2015). However, one fact is that the USA is still not through with coming up with strategies that will continue to protect the citizens from terrorism. It is because, with technological advancements, the terrorist are also changing their attack methods which mean the current protection strategies might be outdated as time goes by.
References
“A decade of airport security transformation, remembering 9/11.” (2011). Air Safety Week, 25(36). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/888577980?accountid=8289.
Baumgarten, A. (2016, Sep 11). The border patrol transformed after 9/11. TCA Regional News Retrieved from https://search-proquestcom.ezproxy2.apus.edu/docview/1818167338?accountid=8289.
Burch, J. (2008). The Domestic Intelligence Gap: Progress since 9/11? Homeland Security Affairs , 4 .
Crews Jr, C. W. (2002). The Pentagon’s total information awareness project: Americans under the microscope. CATO Institute . Retrieved from https://www.cato.org/publications/techknowledge/pentagons-total-information-awareness-project-americans-under-microscope.
Deflem, M., & McDonough, S. (2015). The fear of counterterrorism: Surveillance and civil liberties since 9/11. Society, 52 (1), 70-79. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.apus.edu/10.1007/s12115-014-9855-1
Klug, T. A. (2010). The immigration and naturalization service (INS) and the making of a border-crossing culture on the US–Canada border, 1891–1941. American Review of Canadian Studies , 40 (3), 395-415.
Thorne, K., & Kouzmin, A. (2010). The USA PATRIOT Acts (et al.): Convergent legislation and oligarchic isomorphism in the “politics of fear” and state crime (s) against democracy (SCADs). American behavioral scientist, 53 (6), 885-920.
