MARIELY NORRIS
IR-6635-XTIA 11/T1
THIRD ESSAY: 14 OCTOBER 2011

9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS IMPACT ON US NATIONAL SECURITY

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
US Government changes since 9/11 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Intelligence Reform The USA Patriot Act National Defense Programs
Conclusion
References

INTRODUCTION Ten years have passed since the United States was attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001. The event was a crucial moment in U.S. history. After it was discovered that the attacks were delivered by Al-Qaeda, the information sparked intense debate in the political world. Former President George W. Bush decided to pass a large amount of U.S. legislation to strengthen U.S. National Security. The impact of 9/11 is clearly visible in the policies adopted by the United States government in the wake of the disaster. On October 7, 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks. On March 20, 2003, the Iraq War began. Many people feel that the changes put forth by the U.S. government have benefited the livelihood of Americans. This might be true as the United States has not experienced a major terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. Other people feel that the spending has hurt the United States economy, pushing America into a series of economic downfalls.

US GOVERNMENT CHANGES SINCE 9/11
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 is an Act of Congress that amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The update makes it illegal to intentionally engage in electronic surveillance under the appearance of an official government act. The act prohibits any person from illegally intercepting, disclosing, using or divulging phone calls or electronic communications. It prohibits the individual states from investigating, sanctioning, or requiring disclosure by large telecoms and protects them from lawsuits. The act requires the government to keep records on surveillance for a period of 10 years. It increased the time for warrantless surveillance from 48 hours to 7 days. It requires government agencies to cease warranted surveillance of a targeted American if they enter the United States. The new provisions to the surveillance act are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2012. The amendment to the FISA prohibits the government from invoking war powers or other authorities to supersede surveillance rules in the future. The changes have been criticized as they have granted immunity to the telecoms. This created an immediate roadblock for a number of lawsuits intended to expose the alleged abuses of power and illegal activities of the federal government since and before the September 11th attacks. The changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the government to conduct surveillance of any person for up to one week without a warrant, increased from the previous 48 hours, as long as the FISA court is notified at the time such surveillance begins. Intelligence Reform The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 is a 236-page Act of Congress, signed by President George W. Bush that broadly affects U.S. federal terrorism laws. The act is composed of several separate titles with varying subject issues. It established both the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. The Director of National Intelligence is the person serving as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security. The Director of National Intelligence serves as the head of the sixteen-member U.S. Intelligence Community. Establishment of the DNI position was recommended in the report given by the 9/11 Commission investigating the September 11 attacks. The report, which was released on July 22, 2004, identified major intelligence failures that questioned how well the Intelligence Community protected U.S. national and homeland security interests against attacks by foreign terrorists. The new law requires the CIA Director to report his agency’s activities to the DNI. In particular, the law left the United States Department of Defense in charge of the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The Joint Intelligence Community Council was appointed as an executive oversight body to the Intelligence Community. The Act established the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as an independent agency to assist the DNI. The budget for the ODNI and the Intelligence Community equal 43.5 billion.
The USA Patriot Act The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. It was in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th. The act greatly reduced restrictions that were placed on law enforcement agencies and gave them the ability to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records. It eased restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States and expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions. The Patriot Act expanded the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the powers can be applied. Since its passage, several legal challenges have been brought against the act, and Federal courts have ruled that a number of provisions are unconstitutional. Opponents have criticized the sections that authorize the indefinite detentions of immigrants, searches through which law enforcement officers search a home or business without the owner’s or the occupant’s permission or knowledge, and the expanded use of National Security Letters, which allows the FBI to search telephone, e-mail, and financial records without a court order. Opponents of the Patriot Act have been quite vocal in asserting that it was passed opportunistically after the September 11 attacks, believing there was little public debate over the issue. Legal action has been taken in Nova Scotia to protect the province from the act’s data collecting methods. On May 26, 2011, President Barack Obama signed a four-year extension of three key provisions in the Patriot Act.
National Defense Programs
The Washington Post has released a series of articles that examine the incredible growth of the United States National Security since September 11, 2001. Some 1,271 U.S. government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence. They are located in about 10,000 different locations across the United States. In the Department of Defense, where more than two-thirds of the intelligence programs reside, only a handful of senior officials, called Super Users, have the ability to know about all the department’s activities. In 2010, the current U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that he has begun mapping out a five-year plan because the levels of spending since 9/11 are not sustainable, “with these deficits, we’re going to hit the wall”.

CONCLUSION Terrorism is a tactic used by individuals and organizations to kill and destroy. Our efforts should be directed at those individuals and organizations. Calling this struggle a war accurately describes the use of American and allied armed forces to find and destroy terrorist groups and their allies in the field, notably in Afghanistan. The language of war also evokes the mobilization for a national effort. Yet the strategy should be balanced. The long-term success of our national strategy demands the use of all elements of national power: diplomacy, intelligence, covert action, law enforcement, economic policy, foreign aid, public diplomacy, and homeland defense. If we favor one tool while neglecting others, we leave ourselves vulnerable and weaken our national effort. Certainly the strategy should include offensive operations to counter terrorism. Terrorists should no longer find safe haven where their organizations can grow and flourish. America's strategy should be a coalition strategy, which includes Muslim nations as partners in its development and implementation. Our strategy should include defenses because they are not perfect. But risks must be calculated; hard choices must be made about allocating resources. Responsibilities for America's defense should be clearly defined. Planning does make a difference, identifying where a little money might have a large effect. Defenses also complicate the plans of attackers, increasing their risks of discovery and failure. Finally, the nation must prepare to deal with attacks that are not stopped.
REFERENCES
* Snow, Donald M.; National Security for a New Era. Fourth Edition. Pearson Educational Inc. 2007. Chapter 9. pp. 211-240. * “Effects of September 11th Attacks”, Population Representation of the Military Services, Chapter 8, available from http://prhome.defense.gov/MPP/ACCESSION%20POLICY/poprep2001/chapter8/chapter8.htm; accessed 10 October, 2011. * “2001-2011: In the shadow of 9/11”, France 24: International News 24/7, available from http://www.france24.com/en/20110906-chronology-decade-2001-2011-september-11-war-on-terror; accessed 10 October 2011.