Where were you on 11 September 2001 when a major event occurred that changed the lives of Americans forever? Al-Qaida carried out the most devastating terrorist attack in U.S. history by commandeering the hijacking of four commercial airliners to use as guided missiles. Some called this domestic attack the second Pearl Harbor. Many innocent lives were lost in the air and on the ground. Never before had America experienced such a major terrorist event within its borders. The 9/11 Commission was formed to examine all aspects of the events, but with the specific goal of identifying the failings of the federal government that enabled al-Qaida to carry out the attacks.

Its final report highlighted numerous systemic failings at all levels of government, many of which have since been corrected – largely through the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the distribution of responsibilities and missions of its resident agencies. The Homeland Security Act (HSA) gave the U.S. government vastly increased powers to detect and defeat terrorist groups, both domestic and foreign, giving further powers to DHS and its resident agencies.

Required:

What were the lessons learned from this attack? Be specific, give examples and cite your sources. Briefly comment on interagency planning and interagency cooperation. Briefly summarize the major roles and responsibilities of each DHS resident agency regarding counterterrorism and preventing the next major terrorist attack against the homeland.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Foundations of Homeland Security To begin with the attack against the United States of America on September 2001 adversely influenced the lives of the American general public especially through forfei... View the full answer