Fear Closing Of Lab Combating Biological Threats

Imagine a cloud of black smoke covering the sky of your hometown or having to make the choice if you should jump to your death out of a skyscraper because if you didn’t, then you would burn alive. Imagine calling your husband while on a plane while knowing that will be the last time you tell him you love him. Imagine the fear you would feel not knowing if your loved ones survived a terrorist attack. This nightmare on an imaginations became a terrible reality for New Yorkers and American citizens. On September 11, 2001, four aircrafts were hijacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists. Two of the aircrafts flew into the twin towers in New York City, one aircraft crashed into the Pentagon, and the fourth aircraft crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. These terrorist attacks that took place on September 11 resulted in many casualties, an increase in airport security, and the United States invading Afghanistan and the Middle East.

September 11, 2001 was an unforgettable day when many people lost there lives and sadly, airport security failed at three different airports. Airport security is a big deal all across the country and we depend on the use of the security for the safety of our own lives along with the others around us. There were many attacks throughout history that helped the airport to see what there weaknesses were, which helps strengthen their current security systems. 9/11 was a big impact on the world and caused grief to many families, but all that grief could have been avoided if they were caught in the airport! Airport security went from relaxed to strict very quickly. There were many changes in the security before 9/11, during 9/11, and after

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for securing our nation’s borders and transportation systems, they manage who and what enters our homeland and work to prevent the entry of terrorists and the instruments of terrorism. In addition, if it is really hard for the terrorist or the bad to enter the country. It will be extremely hard for them to attack the United States. Many suspicious terrorist groups and organizations are under a microscopic viewpoint from the group of Homeland Security because it is their job to help secure our borders, airports, seaports, and waterways. In the article it says, “Data suggest that, in the year after the attacks, agencies' participation in all of Stewart and Morris' homeland security activities was not high and statistically significant differences

It also struck me when I saw that they had planned another bombing in New York, this interested me especially since it is so close to home. Now there are reports that the attack was supposed to be done on the Fourth of July. This raises curiosity about security during the holiday and if we will all be safe. I believe that everyone, at the time, was worried about there safety and anyone would have chose this topic to do research on since it was still in the public eye.

What this means to all of us is frightening; it means that the next time a terrorist bomb goes off in a public place,

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 prompted the world to reevaluate and drastically modify airport and airline security. “Four targets had been chosen, all iconic American buildings that would send a clear message of the depth of their hatred for the United States. All four planes crashed, killing all on board—terrorists, crew members, and passengers, along with hundreds who were killed inside the structures, on the ground, and the men and women who ran into collapsing buildings in an effort to try and save others” (Smutz 1). As Jason Villemez said “the decade after the 9/11 attacks reshaped many facets of life in America” (Villemez 1). Before the attacks, people did not think that large

The attacks on the morning of September 11, 2001 left the American people in shock and awe. The attacks left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers (history.com, 2010). Most people had not seen firsthand the kind of devastation that was brought upon this nation in their lifetimes. The police, firefighters, and port authority officers of New York responded quickly in an effort to save as many lives as possible. Many of them lost their lives during the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. What is not as frequently cited is the number of health concerns that still plague the thousands of first responders that tried to help the victims of the vicious attacks. According to the Center for Disease Control’s World Trade Center Health Program (2012), there are currently 32 conditions and injuries and 60 types of cancers that are currently covered by the program. This is a continually growing list of health hazards that still affect those responding to the call to assist in recovery efforts over 15 years later. When the police and firefighters entered those buildings they did not know what would happen, but they accepted that risk. Some would lose their lives, but those that survived would have to deal with the health

To begin with airport security has changed extremely since the September 11 attack. It was a normal day for New York City on September 11 when around 8:46 a.m. an United Airline Flight 11 crashed the north tower killing many people on board and in the building (A&E Television Networks). Then around 9:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 crashed on the south tower also killing everyone on board and on the building and leaving many injured (A&E Television Networks). Many people lost family members and the attack left them missing their loved ones and till this day it still causes some effects. Ever since that day airport security has been much secured and the creation of Transportation Security Administration was made (Farecompare.com). TSA also known as

This was done to help the citizens to feel safer, and to deter any more possible attempts from terrorist to attempt ill will towards the Americans.

has aided the NSA and FBI in identifying and intercepting terrorist plots in the past. Following

The Desire Is There, The Capabilities Are Unknown” author Ralph Peters questions the laboriously slow wheels of the United States government when it comes to proactive efforts against terrorist groups such as ISIS. His point is well taken in the context of the general American population having to deal with the loss of everyday amenities such as our cell phones, electricity, fresh water, etc… Peters states, “For traditional targets, look first to our electrical system, which is already vulnerable to weather effects (the folly of not burying power lines will get us, one way or another) and could prove hyper-vulnerable to sophisticated cyber-attacks. And never believe the “expert” who says it can’t be done. None of us credited Islamist terrorists with the sophistication (and patience) required to bring off the 9/11 attacks. The hoary military dictum applies: Never underestimate your enemy (Peters).” This country has already seen Nation State hackers penetrate the United States Army Corps of Engineers and access large amounts of data regarding the dams in this country, why would we assume a terrorist group could not accomplish the same. What many in the United States do not understand is the concept that a terrorist does not have to be in physical contact with the target to destroy or disable it sufficiently to cause havoc and fear among a populace. While the death toll from this type of incident might not be high, it

values, building security partnerships, and building a culture of resilience (President 2011, 4). The DHS has shown progress in building security partners through the department’s efforts in information sharing efficiency as demonstrated in fusion centers. Building a culture of resilience entails the DHS mission of understanding and reducing the vulnerability of the nation, and mitigating the damage from an attack. Evaluating the DHS’s progress in this task is difficult, because it is uncertain how much of the nation’s resilience is inherent, and how much is a product of the DHS’s actions. Future terrorism projections state that weapons of mass destruction and explosive devices will be more accessible to terrorists and organizations (West 2012, 4). A suggested strategy to combat this forecasted threat is to develop stronger relationships with foreign governments and other stakeholders. The DHS will need to build a stronger relationship with other government departments in order to access the resources and intelligence to build the suggested relationship with foreign governments and stakeholders to meet this future threat.

For as long as I can remember our country has been involved in some form of conflict. With these conflicts came groups who sought to hurt the U.S. on its sovereign soil. I was in pre-k when the Boeing 757’s hit the Twin Towers in New York. My mother checked me out of school after it occurred; she had a sense of urgency to get my brother and I home. I didn’t know what was going on and I was frightened because my mom was as well. When we got home she went straight to the television and turned it to the news. I did not really understand what I was seeing other than a couple of buildings that were on fire. As I grew older the more my understanding of what occurred that tragic day did too. I began to feel a sense of sorrow and that was the initial I needed to set my mind on the track to become a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The task of the FBI is not to only investigate the scene after a major event like what occurred in New York, but their main focus is to stop any form of attack before it begins. April 2013, two brothers planted bombs at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing a few and injuring a couple of hundreds of people. Again, I feel this sense of sorrow, but this time I began questioning, “How safe is our country from attacks?” July 2015, Chattanooga, Tennessee a man began to open fire on the recruiting office… He killed five people four of which were Marines and the other a sailor. This act was my breaking point, my determination to

“We have learned as a Nation that we must maintain a constant, capable, and vigilant posture to protect ourselves against new threats and evolving hazards. But we have also learned that vigilance and protection are not ends in and of themselves, but rather necessary tools in the service of our national purpose.”(Napolitano, 2010, p.iv) In the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks our nation has taken upon itself extreme vigilance to ensure the security and defense of the American people. The relationship between homeland security and homeland defense is one that is tightly knit. Each has a very distinct mission set but somewhere along the spectrum they cross over and mutually support each other in the best interest of the nation.

"Traditionally, a successful terrorist campaign required an audience 'terrorism is theatre,' as Brian Jenkins has suggested. Yet, the attacks in Bali, London, Madrid and New York suggest that the newest wave of terrorist groups also want people dead, not just watching" (Forest, 2006). When it comes to issues of homeland security and national security, one commonly thinks of the banking and finance institutions, communications, the safety of the water supply, energy, food and agriculture, and comparable issues. However, the nation has a truly wide range of vulnerabilities that exceed even those issues. For instance, two areas of vulnerability are educational institutions and national monuments/icons. It's not a surprise that these sector specific plans have a certain level of interdependence, given the overlap that these two arenas have in nature. A national monument or icon is a physical structure or object that represents the country's traditions, values, history and has a purpose of memorializing notable aspects of the nation's heritage or values and which also represents a point of interest for visitors (dhs.gov, 2010). Educational facilities have an extreme essence that is comparable to national monuments: they're places of history and promise. Institutions like Harvard and the University of Chicago were founded by some of the nation's brightest and most influential historical figures and are destinations in their own