![]() ![]() These successes are attributable to the maturation and refinement of counterterrorism prevention skills and strategies over subsequent administrations. Over the years, this reorganization of the federal government has executed successful counterterrorism activities to stop plots against the U.S. Winning the War on Terror: Whole-of-Government Approach Since its inception, the mission has centered around protecting the American homeland by securing the border and critical infrastructure, synthesizing intelligence from multiple sources, and putting more security officers in the field to stop terrorists. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. It is now the second largest department containing 22 agencies and supporting components, including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. The White House Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis were created in the following years to optimize integration in the IC and hone the changing threat landscape around the world. Beyond the intelligence realm, more than 100 different government organizations were tasked with homeland security missions, elevating the need to move away from a siloed approach to creating a unified effort that focuses on securing the Nation and protecting against threats.ĭHS was established as the unifying force through the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Specifically, information was not shared effectively between the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Council, the FBI, the Pentagon, and others, including local law enforcement. ![]() The 9/11 Commission Report found that the IC had the information to potentially forecast the attacks, but the lack of communication and intelligence sharing between agencies failed to prevent them from happening. This misalignment of DHS’s focus makes the 9/11 Commission Report’s warning more relevant than it has ever been since the establishment of the Department.ĭHS: Linking Counterterrorism Efforts and the Intelligence Community The Biden Administration has seemingly eroded its homeland security objective through a combination of actions abroad and at home, such as admitting thousands of unvetted Afghans into our cities, refusing to secure the border, and attempting to use DHS to silence Americans who object to the current administration. Although DHS has made notable progress on its counterterrorism mission and protecting the homeland since its creation through each subsequent administration, today, unfortunately, that progress has been eroded. The 9/11 Commission Report states, “The 9/11 attacks were a shock, but they should not have come as a surprise,” and 21 years after the attacks, America appears as vulnerable today as it was back in the fall of 2001. DHS was established with a clear mission: to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. national security agencies, including creating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Homeland Security Act of 2002. In response, Congress overhauled and restructured U.S. The 9/11 Commission’s investigation identified strategic failures among policymakers and intelligence gatherers that led to the terrorist attacks. On November 27, 2002, Congress launched the 9/11 Commission to prepare a complete account of the terrorist attacks. The Pentagon waged the War in Afghanistan as a part of the War on Terror, a bigger campaign that is still ongoing today. Directly after the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 Americans, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) opened the largest criminal inquiry in its history-codename PENTTBOM -to identify and investigate the terrorists responsible for these attacks. The tragic attacks on our Nation’s homeland on Septem, not only launched the Global War on Terrorism but also served as a catalyst for transforming the Intelligence Community (IC), America’s approach to the counterterrorism mission, and immigration. The Department of Homeland Security has lost focus on its counterterrorism mission, turning the department against perceived domestic political enemies while exposing the southern border as an avenue for terrorists to enter the country.The resurgence of al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan and the targeting of their leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Kabul reveals a complete loss of gains fighting terrorism since 9/11.The America First policy approach towards securing the homeland embraced the mission of counterterrorism, resulting in a series of successful measures that made Americans safer. ![]()
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