Niday, J. (2008). The war against terror as war against the Constitution. Canadian Review of American Studies, 38(1), 101-117. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost) database.…
The September 11th terrorist hijackings and attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon caught the United States largely by surprise. Once the dust had settled, and the shock and horror of such an unprecedented event had waned, the American public began to ask questions. Names such as Osama bin Laden, countries such as Afghanistan, and organizations such as Al-Qaeda were brought into the public's consciousness for the first time. Through newspapers, talkback radio and television programs the nation asked why do they hate us so much?' Others, such as those in the government and public service, asked what could we have done to have prevented this?' It is these two burnings questions that Lawrence Wright attempts to answer in The Looming Tower. In his incredibly detailed account of the events leading up to 9/11, Wright narrates the development of Al-Qaeda and it's anti-American philosophy, as well as the efforts of various personalities of the US law enforcement bureaus who attempted to prevent these attacks from occurring. Wright concludes his book by placing the blame for 9/11 on the organizational structure of the law enforcement agencies in the US, as well as on certain individuals within the CIA. While Wright presents some highly persuasive and well researched arguments as to the causes of 9/11, his bias and one-sided approach to certain issues detracts from the readers overall understanding of these events.…
Since the successful attacks by planned by Osama Bin Laden, and carried out by Al Qaeda terrorists, the United States of America has implemented new strategies to thwart efforts by terrorist to achieve another successful attack on US soil. Along with the new Global War on Terrorism, came new laws, different executive orders, and the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security to combat terrorism and to strengthen the nation's national security. According to James Carafano and Jessica Zuckerman, “There is little doubt that the United States is safer than it was on September 10, 2001—at least 40 terror plots against the U.S. have been foiled since 9/11—but the war on terrorism is not yet won” (Carafano and Zuckerman 2011, par.2). After many successes, at least 40 foiled plots said by Carafano and Zuckerman, the United States has monitored and compiled a list of suspected terrorist organizations both foreign and domestic. However, the US has recently began to slow down their efforts in national security interest. Under the leadership of the Obama Administration, there have been many defense cuts, a refusal to secure US borders, and a foreign policy that has caused more instability in the Middle East than ever before. This has given rise to more hatred for the hegemonic United States government by Islamic extremists, and has left the United States susceptible to three major types of terrorist attacks that are likely to occur on American soil.…
It was just over fifteen years ago, when the United States (US) experienced one of the most horrific terrorists’ attacks ever carried out. The events of September 11th, 2001, saw two planes fly into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, one plane fly into the Pentagon, and another plane headed for the White House which was thwarted by the heroic efforts of the passengers on board. The events of this day brought the US to its knees, with massive loss of life, property, wealth, and sense of security. The US was crippled with fear, and President George W. Bush had to do something to show the US and the rest of the world that we would not allow terrorism to get the best of us. President Bush announced that…
On September the 11th, 2001, America felt its vulnerability - even to threats that gather on the other side of the earth. We resolved then, and we are resolved today, to confront every threat, from any source, that could bring sudden terror and suffering to America. (George W. Bush, 2002)…
September 11, 2001 changed America forever. The 9/11 cases challenged the government power and its relation to individual rights during times of war. Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization funded by Osama bin Laden targeted the American government in a series of deadly attacks on 9/11 that killed over 3000 people and injured scores of others. The United States declared an act of war against Terrorism and soon was heavily involved in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Similar to the Korematsu v. U.S. (1944) Supreme Court cases where Congress authorization forces the government to comply with an order. The 9/11 cases were no ordinary in nature but it was different from similar cases. One must understand the complexity of the cases and the course of action…
The 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States has become one of the most known disasters in history. Because of the horrible tragedies that happened on September 11, 2001, America has had some effects from it. From getting stopped more than usual in the airport, to having an Immigration system and also having an Act that allows the government to intrude in people’s lives. Security protocols, Immigration System, What in detail does the Patriot Act involve. Those three subjects will be discussed in detail in my essay. 9/11 will always be considered a turning point in the history of America. The events of that day will never be forgotten.…
The destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, has had a long-lasting impact on American domestic and foreign policy. For many years, the United States wasn’t officially engaged in any wars. Few of us had ever heard of al-Qaeda or Osama bin Laden, and ISIS didn’t even exist. The events of 9/11 had a significant effect on our society. The destruction of the twin towers graphically illustrated the dark side of globalization. Terrorists took advantage of a modern global society, the internet, open borders, and planes, to attack Americans at home. It sunk our economy into a massive deficit and engaged the U.S.A in a war in Afghanistan. The attacks on American soil were made to reduce support in the United States for the ‘offending’…
When the planes hit the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, America immersed in terror and shock that is still present today. Everyone was willing to give up their privacy in any means in order to attain just the least bit safer, or any other…
The terrorist attacks of 11th September 2001 and the interventional events of the ‘War on Terror’ that followed are among the most controversial in U.S. political and moral history. An abyss of opinions involving the U.S. government, American public, responsible terrorists, historians, human rights activists and notable heads of intelligence agencies and the criminal justice system amalgamate to create a labyrinth of varied perspectives towards both the presumed causes of 9/11 and whether the U.S. government’s War on Terror intervention was justified.…
During national disasters the public tends to rally-‘round-the-flag and their leaders (Glen), this was especially evident in the aftermath of the disastrous September, 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. After 9/11 the nation was distraught and the public was in need of some sought of reassurance. President Bush took that opportunity become the publics reassurance by using statements such as: “any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime,” and “Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists” (Kam and Kinder, 325). These statements appealed to many Americans sense of ethnocentrism, and consequently the President was able to shift policies and shift around priorities and policies, and take action with the majority of the publics’ approval (Kam and Kinder, 325). Not only did the disaster increase in President Bush, it also made President Bush the most liked President than any of his immediate predecessor at that point in Presidency (Kam and Kinder, 326). In subsequent of 9/11 it is evident that a horrible disaster became a great opportunity for a President to gain the liking and support of the people, through the fear and ethnocentrism of the citizens. This type of disaster turned opportunity for a leader is not unique to 9/11. Following the Pearl Harbor and the time hostages were seized in…
The United States of America has a priority on assuring its citizens have ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as proposed by its founding fathers. However, on September 11th, 2001, this idea was challenged by a paramilitary organization, Al-Qaeda who was based in Afghanistan. This group had nineteen of its members hijack four of American airplanes. Two planes hit the twin towers of the New York City World Trade Center. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon building in Virginia. The last plane flew into a Pennsylvania field. This tragedy cost thousand of innocent lives. America reacted by invading Afghanistan and Iraq as well as declaring a war on both nations. Nevertheless, these actions taken by the United States after the 9/11…
The date September 11, 2001 has changed the way in which the entire world started to perceive threats and their own security related to these threats. Concerning the security and approach of the U.S., the White House has published its new ‘National Security Strategy’ in 2002 setting a guideline for its eventual war on terrorism. This is the primary text that will be mainly dealt with in this writing because it is the official source showing U.S. plans of action. The 35 page long document alongside other issues mainly refers to the supremacy of the U.S. concerning its military power in which Bush’s policy of preemptive wars is justified as a necessity to fight terrorism. My argument in this paper is that when one analysis the U.S. national security plan after the attacks of September 11, the National Security Strategy is flawed, especially regarding certain points, first of all the threats are set too broadly in which it gives the U.S. the right to attack any state which is seen as a possible threat rather then mainly focusing on the most crucial terrorist groups alarming the USA such as al-Qai‘da. In addition to this the U.S. foreign policy in my opinion is one, which rather than solving the problem of terrorism will create more enemies and in addition increase the vulnerability of America itself because of the wrong type of actions taken in the military sense and the high level of involvement in regions with Islamic character.…
In turn, Bush argues that the defensive capabilities of the US need to be transformed. He argues that while the US should remain the world’s strongest military, they also need to invest resources into Homeland Security as well as their intelligence services so that they can better predict and foil terror attacks. The most important element of the Bush doctrine, however, is his belief that “the best defence is a good offense”, and that the practice of pre-emptive attacks is crucial to American success. But, given that many terrorists are stateless, this raises the question of how do you attack an intricate global network. To this, Bush’s answer is that any state that works with these groups will be deemed an enemy of the US, and a potential target of the US military. Because of the potential damage of WMDs, and a large number of unstable countries possessing these, Bush fears that it is quite plausible for a terrorist cell to obtain a WMD and use it against the US. Thus, according to Bush’s strategy, the invasion of Iraq was not only justified, but also integral to the protection of the…
In the turn of the 20th century, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States was the most powerful nation; it prospered economically, militarily, and politically. With this increase in power came a great consideration over how the United States would deal with foreign affairs. After the attacks on the World Trade Center the idea of preemptive measures became the highlight of the Bush's National Security…