The-9-11-Commission-political-science-homework-help

The 9/11 Commission detailed its recommendations in a report. One of these recommendations that I think will have a great impact on national security is determining where financing for terrorist activities are coming from and working to disrupt these funds (9/11 Commission Report, 2004, 382). Being able to effectively track the sources of funds helps to understand terrorist networks, so they can be discovered and their sources of funds disrupted. There have been a small number of financial contributors that have been uncovered who are financing al Qaeda. When these sources are prevented from providing funds for terrorist activities, the amount of money available decreases. This increases the difficulty experienced by terrorist groups in raising new funds and moving their money. This recommendation has been implemented and there have been financial vulnerabilities within the United States financial system and many of these have been corrected. Other governments have not put into place the financial regulations that the United States has. Terrorists are creating in their methods of moving money and some groups do not rely on outside funds (9/11 Commission Report, 2004, 383). These groups raise their own funds through legitimate businesses or through low-level criminal activity. Since terrorists are capable of utilizing new technologies and are ever evolving, it is important that United States remain vigilant and continue and monitor the financing of terrorist activities.

In some ways, this recommendation has been successful. The Secret Service has expanded its Electronic Crimes Task Force (ECTF) (dhs.org, 2009, 7). This task force is designed to prevent, detect, and investigate electronic crimes, including potential terrorist attacks. This task force partners with state, local, and federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies in order to prevent terrorism. ICE has a lead role in topping bulk cash smuggling, by intercepting bulk cash at borders. This has led to hundreds of arrests and the seizure of more than $316 million. Investigations training into bulk cash violations has been conducted to improve efficiency. The Cornerstone Initiative has been developed to close the gaps with the U.S. financial, trade, and transportation sectors. More than $180 million has been seized as a result of over 600 trade based money laundering investigations.

One recommendation I think is less impactful is protecting individual privacy rights. In order to protect national security, agencies will need to share information about citizens (9/11 Commission Report, 2004, 394). The Patriot Act gave increased powers to the federal government. Immigration laws are also used to combat terrorism. Terrorists exploit the open society in the United States. In times of war, the United States increases governmental powers, and then these powers are reduced again once the war or threat has ended. The fight on terrorism is not one that is going to end, so it is important to protect personal and civil liberties. An enhanced system of checks and balances is needed to protect these liberties. The recommendation from the Commission is that the President determines what information can be shared by which agencies and under what conditions. This determination should take into consideration the protection of privacy. This recommendation was implemented through the extension of the Patriot Act. While there are still challenges with balancing civil liberties with the overall protection and security of the nation, there are ongoing changes being made to ensure that the balance is maintained to the greatest extend possible. The DHS Office of Civil Right and Civil Liberties and the Privacy Office aid in ensuring that civil rights are built into new security measures (dhs.gov, 2009, 15). This office provides training to intelligence analysts at the state and local levels. The Fusion Center Program ensures compliance with the Information Sharing Environment Protection Guidelines by participating in and providing training for the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group. The addition of these agencies to protect of the civil liberties of the citizens will ensure the balancing of liberties and security.

References:

Department of Homeland Security. (2009). Department of Homeland Security: Progress in implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/9-11-commission…

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. (2004). The 9/11 Commission Report. Retrieved from http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf

Respond by Day 5 Respond to the bold paragraph ABOVE by using one of the option below… in APA format with At least one reference…..

Ask a probing question.

Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.

Offer and support an opinion.

Validate an idea with your own experience.

Make a suggestion.

Expand on your colleague’s posting.

 

Do you need a similar assignment done for you from scratch? We have qualified writers to help you. We assure you an A+ quality paper that is free from plagiarism. Order now for an Amazing Discount!
Use Discount Code "Newclient" for a 15% Discount!

NB: We do not resell papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.