Question

How did the September 11 attacks transform America’s understanding of their security? What does the war on terrorism suggest about the tension between freedom and security as priorities of the United States?

Answer 1

After 9/11, almost the entire American national security architecture pivoted to focus on the dismantling of terrorist groups. Thanks of tighter visa restrictions and improved protection for commercial airlines and ports, it is now harder for terrorists to reach the country. Many have suggested that if agencies had more closely organized and exchanged intelligence, the U.S. intelligence community might have avoided 9/11. If the statement is right or wrong, numerous changes have been ongoing since 9/11 to ensure that the intelligence community does just that.

The GWOT brought the U.S. military from the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, costing trillions of dollars for the government. Since 9/11, nearly 2.5 million Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, many more than once. The military is overstretched after 16 years of war, particularly in specialized services such as special operation forces, which are being closely monitored by those operating against U.S. military objectives.

Those groups are changing, too. When we saw in Charlottesville , Virginia, Barcelona, and London, terrorists do not need access to aircraft or explosives of a military type, a large network, or a carefully planned damage plan. In the US, these forms of attacks are almost impossible to anticipate by American security agencies.

The threat of terrorism has long been blamed by politicians and the media almost exclusively on Islamic extremists, a failure which ignores the nature of the current threat. A new analysis found that right-wing extremists committed almost twice as many terrorist threats in the U.S. from 2008 through 2016 as did Islamic extremists. No attacks were committed on U.S. soil by nationals from the seven Muslim-majority countries targeted by President Donald Trump in travel bans between 1975 and 2015.

Preserving a balance between freedom and security means maintaining the equilibrium between governments that have their own priorities. This will impact all Americans. There are two key problems, wiretapping by the NSA and patriot act by the US. The US has to fight terrorism without compromising a citizen's basic duties. At the same time as drafting rules and regulations, advocates and decision makers must ensure protection and equality of all people. Maintaining secrecy is a basic tool for countering terrorism. USA required high military equipment for fighting terrorism, which also needs upgradation, new technologies and very important training. Leaders will be maintaining sound security measures for American citizens.

American freedom has often been sacrificed to provide its citizens with stability. Freedom and security required a compromise, but liberty should not be compromised to protect it. Cutting away and restricting all people's rights is basically what terrorism seeks, and it is important to maintain a balance.