III

HLS 3303, Terrorism Response Operations 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

7. Examine lessons learned from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. 7.1 Explore the imperative for intelligence reform to address national security threats. 7.2 Assess the evolution and reevaluation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)

policies to mitigate future terrorist attacks. Required Unit Resources Chapter 4: The Development of Homeland Security In order to access the following resources, click the links below. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks. (2004). The 9/11 Commission report: Final report of the National

Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. https://9- 11commission.gov/report/911Report_Exec.pdf

Zegart, A. B. (2020). 9/11: Look back and learn. Hoover Digest: Research & Opinion on Public Policy, 20(1),

92–97. https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=asn&AN=141355024&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Unit Lesson The attacks of September 11, 2001, were horrific and resulted in many deaths and injuries. In this unit, we will examine the 9/11 attacks to see exactly what went wrong leading to this day and the lessons that were learned. What would cause individuals to initiate such hateful acts? As indicated, these attacks resulted in a great deal of deaths and injuries. These attacks occurred at the World Trade Center as well as the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A plane also crashed in Pennsylvania that did not hit its intended target. What would make individuals board planes, take over the aircrafts, and intentionally crash these aircrafts? These aircrafts had innocent passengers on them who also lost their lives. A lesson that was learned from these terrorist attacks is the need for better communication and coordination. When first responders arrived at these attacks, there were enormous difficulties with communication. Responding agencies were unable to respond to one another. For example, the fire department was unable to talk with and effectively communicate with the police department. What if the firefighters who were inside the World Trade Center noticed signs of a potential collapse of the building and were able to notify the police? This may have reduced the amount of causalities that occurred since the police could have stopped more first responders from entering the building. This is an inordinate example of the need to have modernized technology and communication efforts. The ability to have various agencies talk to one another is essential. This would subsequently facilitate and improve communication during a disaster incident. Could the attacks on 9/11 have been prevented? One form of prevention involves having the necessary intelligence in place so that these attacks could be discovered at the earliest stages possible. Having the appropriate officials working within these terrorist organizations to obtain information is relevant. Additionally, having partners and informants within other countries may be necessary as well. Having a coalition of partnerships is extremely necessary, and if such attacks are being planned, other partners may hear about it first.

UNIT III STUDY GUIDE Terrorist Attacks of 9/11

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Other than intelligence and building partnerships globally, what other measures may be taken to potentially stop or mitigate a potential terrorist attack? Preparedness and planning are other aspects that are essential in such situations. The ability to prepare and plan in advance as it relates to a potential attack is indispensable. In the preparedness stages, all applicable stakeholders should be involved. These stakeholders should include but not be limited to the federal, state, and local governments. Also, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and citizens should be involved in certain aspects of the preparedness and planning stages. Thus, it is important to realize that homeland security should be a function of all. These preparedness efforts should include constant communication, tabletop exercises, and routine evaluations. This type of proactive approach is beneficial in mitigating or preventing a potential terrorist attack. Due to the attacks of 9/11, the Office of Homeland Security was subsequently established. After such a horrific attack that caused a massive number of casualties, changes were necessary and inevitable. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has many agencies working together to protect the homeland. Moreover, therefore constant evaluation is important. Always looking at policies and practices and taking proactive measures is necessary. Additionally, due to the attacks of 9/11 Congress also initiated action (Oliver et al., 2021). The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act) was also established. The USA PATRIOT Act was a tool used by the appropriate authorities to pursue terrorists and to mitigate such terrorist attacks. The USA PATRIOT Act was intelligence focused, and it was at the foundation of defeating terrorist threats. However, there has been opposition to this legislation. Some individuals state that this law gives too much authority to law enforcement and that it may cross the line with people’s privacy. The main question that faces homeland security professionals is as follows: How much personal privacy must be given up to protect the safety of citizens? Due to these concerns and others, Congress allowed the USA PATRIOT Act to sunset in late 2015. It was replaced with a more constrained act called the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 (USA FREEDOM Act). This act was subsequently reauthorized in the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act of 2020. Established by executive order in 2005 and launched in 2006, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) modernized and integrated the nation’s alert and warning infrastructure. Included in this system was the creation of the color-coded warning system for alerts, known as the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). In this system, green represented the least severe threat, and red presented the most severe threat (Oliver et al., 2021). The purpose of this system was to keep the public informed about potential threats. However, there were critics to this system. The opposition believed that the system created an increase in unnecessary anxiety for the public. If the color-code system was raised, the public would be extremely concerned that an attack was imminent. Also, many times when the alert level was raised an attack did not occur, so some saw this system as ineffective. DHS created the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) in 2011 to replace the color-coded HSAS. The goal of NTAS was to communicate information more effectively about terrorist threats by providing timely, detailed information to the public, government agencies, first responders, airports and other transportation hubs, and the private sector. This system utilizes bulletins and alerts to alert stakeholders of credible information regarding terrorist activity. When warranted, the public and media are also alerted (DHS, n.d.). Now let’s take a look back and determine if there was a way to prevent this attack based on what we discussed. These terrorists obtained airline tickets and boarded four separate aircrafts. As stated previously, the appropriate intelligence and partnerships may have been essential at this stage. Were there measures in place to detect potential patterns of possible concerns? Also, we discussed the importance of building coalitions and partnerships with other countries. Communicating and sharing information within the intelligence community is warranted and essential. It would have been beneficial if these terrorists were monitored by the intelligence agencies at an early stage to prevent the attack. The next question that we should ask and examine is how we can be certain that significant progress has been made to improve the process and ensure that another horrific attack such as 9/11 does not occur again. As discussed, the Department of Homeland Security was created as well as a strong emphasis on improving communication. We have also learned and discussed the importance of partnerships in defeating this threat. Additionally, intelligence is extremely relevant in identifying potential terrorist attacks and mitigating these

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threats. It is prudent to constantly evaluate policies and procedures to ensure that resources are focused on the appropriate issues. As learned from 9/11, it is relevant to focus on potential threats and prepare accordingly.

References Oliver, W. M., Marion, N. E., & Hill, J. B. (2021). Introduction to homeland security: Policy, organization, and

administration (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284205213

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). NTAS frequently asked questions. https://www.dhs.gov/ntas-

frequently-asked-questions Suggested Unit Resources In order to access the following resources, click the links below. The following PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the material in this unit’s chapter reading. The PowerPoint and PDF versions are provided for your convenience. Chapter 4 PowerPoint Presentation (Chapter 4 PDF)