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Communications and Information Sharing Since 9/11, there have been various changes on how the federal government protects the United States. President George W. Bush and Congress were instrumental in passing various legislative acts to improve the efficiency of communication and information sharing in response to the September 11th attacks. Despite the steadfast initiatives to improving processes between agencies, there are still some challenges. Research shows that concepts of information sharing and preparedness between entities are “at times, conflicting” and the “government’s effort to create a trusted partnership and culture of information sharing among federal, state, and local agencies faces significant challenges” (Bean, 2009). Not only were operations an important factor in mitigating another terrorist attack on American soil, but the aftermath identified lessons learned, highlighting failed communications and information sharing processes. The Joint Inquiry of the House and Senate Intelligence Committee, which was responsible for the investigation of the 9/11 attacks “discovered significant problems in how intelligence agencies shared information among themselves and with entities that need information to protect the national against terrorist” (Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001, 2002, p. 355). Additionally, the committee emphasized “one of the most significant problems examined during the open hearings was the lack of information sharing between agencies,” referencing the multi-level security capability (Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001, 2002, p. 7). Even the 9/11 Commission, responsible for the 9/11 Commission Report, concluded its investigation stating the “biggest impediment to all source analysis to a greater likelihood of connecting the dots, is the human or systemic resistance to information sharing” (The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 2004, p. 592). Many of the deficiencies found in the investigations after the attacks were the inspiration for the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Before the inception of DHS, the Department of Defense’s primary role was to protect the United States from foreign adversaries, handling most tasks from overseas. There were agencies such as customs and border patrol to protect the nation within the nation’s natural boundaries, but September 11th showed America much more was needed to protect and defend the land: none other than our law enforcement.