Abstract
A series of four terrorist suicide attacks on September 11, 2001 used the highjacking for airplanes to crash into the Twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, and an attempt to impact in Washington, DC. The 9/11 Commission was created on November 27, 2002 at the request of President George W. Bush in direct response to the attack. The 9/11 Commission presented its report on July 22, 2004; it is officially called “the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The United States Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003 stemming from a reorganization of a number of government agencies (Wikipedia 2014).
The United States Constitution has been called “The Greatest Homeland Security Document”. However, questions ask if the privileges legally granted Homeland Security intrude on the rights of American citizens.
When the destruction from 9/11 in the United States was determined and the number of lives lost calculated, government officials realized there was a critical lack of necessary organization and manpower needed. To address the possibility of future attacks by terrorists, the United States Department of Homeland Security was created. In addition, the 9/11 Commission issued a report meant to guide Homeland Security in the accomplishment of its responsibilities.
What is Homeland Security?
The term “homeland security” is frequently used for the state of a country’s safety from terrorist activity and other threats. For the purpose of this discussion, it will refer to the government department designated for the prevention of these attacks. It is important, however, to realize that there are agencies that work in the area of homeland security that are not part of that department, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (DHS.gov 2014). In addition, activities of Homeland Security promote other non-terrorist threats to the United States such as immigration control at the country’s borders. Maintenance of cybersecurity protecting networks from electronic invasion, and provision of risk assessment at biological facilities are only a few of these.
Difficulties with Preventing 9/11 Attacks
9/11 Commission Recommendations
There are 41 recommendations to increase security in the United States in the 9/11 Commission Report (Grumet 2014). Some of the recommendations are vague to enable translation into unexpected events, while others are very specific. One recommendation addresses keeping terrorists aware of America’s awareness of their activities. Several create alliances with countries fighting the same group of terrorists. Counter-terrorist attack actions promote strong economic policies and granting opportunities for people to improve their lifestyle in addition to the apprehension of prosecution of terrorist leaders. Establishing screening procedures are essential at airports, nuclear plants, and other locations tempting for terrorist planning. The use of biometric passports would expedite passengers through checkout points which making it more difficult for terrorists to enter or leave the country. The recommendations refer to regulation of the department. Others discuss emergency response, replacement of the position of Director of the CIA and restructure of the organization, insufficient Congressional evaluation, and coordination of cooperation between agencies.
Homeland Security as a Discipline
Since its inception, the Department of Homeland Security has specific goals and regulations set. The scope of the responsibilities of the Department has broadened with changing political crises and advances in technology. In some cases, it shares activity with other agencies. This requires increased communication, which was addressed in the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Criticism of government agencies following the 9/11 attacks encouraged more transparency within the organization, while still meeting certain requirements for secrecy in order to perform specific tasks.
For this reason, Homeland Security as a discipline is complicated. Supervision by Congress and constant evaluation of systems creates an on-going challenge. However, strict adherence to regulations appears to be evident.
In light of Homeland Security’s perceived importance to America and requirements for advanced training, it is represented in the field of academics. A certificate or degree in Homeland Security is attainable in 477 colleges and universities in this country (Center for Homeland Defense and Security 2014). The recruitment of graduates allows Homeland Security to maintain the standards of its discipline.
Importance to State and Local Public Service Agencies
In the event of any crisis relating to homeland security, agencies located within the jurisdiction of local or state public service work with the Department of Homeland Security for resolution. The importance of the Department in these situations is the ability to access resources and manpower not previously available. In addition, Homeland Security uses plans and the ability to prioritize within the plans for more efficiency. State and local public service agencies give improved community service from the alliance.
Homeland Security a Threat to the Constitution?
Opponents of Homeland Security believe the created of the Department resulted in loss of civil liberties (Larouchepub.com 2014). For instance, prisoners captured with a military force are not treated in a way conforming to the Geneva Conventions. The Department grants them a status that, in the opinion of some Americans, violates their Constitutional rights.
Conclusion
The Constitution of the United States defines the right of the citizens of this country. Opponents of the Department of Homeland Security adhere to the belief these rights are endangered. With advances in technology and communication, Steps are necessary to protect America against terrorist and other threats aggressively. But the government understands the public eye of Americans serves to evaluate and check, if necessary, actions threatening their rights.
Perhaps the most important message contained in the 9/11 Commission Report is that the United States, as a world leader, must demonstrate morality, humane treatment of people, obey the law, and show generosity to global partners.
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References
9-11commission.gov, (2014). National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United
States. Retrieved 6 December 2014, from http://www.9-
11commission.gov/report/911Report_Exec.htm
Archives.gov, (2014). Transcript of the Constitution of the United States - Official Text. Retrieved 6
December 2014, from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
DHS.gov. (2014). Homeland Security. Retrieved 6 December 2014, from http://www.dhs.gov/
Grumet.net. (2014). 9-11 Commission Report Recommendations. Retrieved 6 December 2014,
Larouchepub.com. (2014). 'Homeland Security' Threatens Constitution. Retrieved 6 December
2014, from http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2002/2929hmland_sec.html
Security, C. (2014). Center for Homeland Defense & Security. Chds.us. Retrieved 6 December
2014, from http://www.chds.us/?partners/institutions
Wikipedia. (2014). Homeland security. Retrieved 6 December 2014, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_security
