Fusion Centers Controversy
Fusion centers were created under President George W. Bush after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. The objective of the fusion centers was to form a collaborative partnership between varied representatives of the local, state, and federal government along with participants of diverse disciplines according to Arena & Arrigo (2005).The mission of the members was to gather, analyze, and share critical information relating to terrorist threat that came into the fusion centers ( Carter, 2004). The centers informed law enforcement agencies of potential terrorist threats, which could significantly impact infrastructures around the world states Johnson & Dorn (2008). Currently,
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Nevertheless, according to Johnson (2007) there is some dissatisfaction as to whether fusions centers are the modality in rectifying or whether the fusion centers intensify the fears of citizens when it comes to the overall objectives and operations of the fusion centers. Accordingly, there is even a greater concern that fusion centers creates a liability to the government or even fuel speculation of their overall effectiveness in minimizing the war against terrorism based on Hanzich (2003). While some centers boast of their success in interrupting and uncovering terrorist plots throughout the United States, nevertheless, they remain silent on the attacks the terrorists were successfully in deploying and the fusion centers failed to intervene or had credible evidence to thwart these attacks assert (Jonas & Harper, 2006). Therefore, one can conclude that the fusion centers are not flawless and at time may be less effective than what they wish for the pubic to believe (Horgan, …show more content…
There existed no certifiable evidence for the center to substantiate terrorism as a result of the presentation. Another fusion center reported and condemned the efforts of Muslin who recommend to fellow Muslins ten recommended books for reading. The fusion center reported the action of the Muslin because the books were in a terrorist database. However, the books were published and available for reading as the author exercised his rights in writing and publishing the books under the U. S. Constitution Amendment One. After an investigation the center removed the information about the Muslin and the books out of their database. Again, without some type of check and balances these are the types of inappropriate reports are being disseminated to law enforcement officers that lacks sufficient merit and
Clay Dillow’s “To Catch a Bombmaker” was published by Popular Science in October 2015. This article educated the reader about the FBI’s Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center— a key aspect in the fight against terrorism. Dillow focused on ethos and logos to strengthen the validation of his claim concerning the importance of the TEDAC and was successful in persuading the reader to believe in its significance as well. He used expert quotes from FBI agents to give the article credibility; In addition, he presented statistical data in a clear and concise manner and gave many factual cases in which the TEDAC facilitated the government in their pursuit of terrorist and bomb makers. As proven by Dillow in “How to Catch a Bombmaker,” the Terrorist
Following the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the Unites States found itself in a search for answers and revenge against those that had brought about this atrocity. The attack that has been compared to that of Pearl-Harbor elevated the tracking and collecting of terrorism from barely a priority, to the forefront of the American radar. I honestly believe that terrorism as the #1 priority is destined to remain at the top for the foreseeable future. The elemental thoughts on almost all American minds following the attacks were who had the strength and capability to could carry out such an attack on a country with the world’s strongest military and what led to their focus to attack the Untied States: In short, who attacked us, and why do they hate us? The Untied States formed a bi-partisan 9/11 Commission was formed to trace the roots of Al-Qa’ida, investigate the history of the 19 hijackers, examine missed opportunities of law enforcement officials to avert the disaster, and make recommendations to clean up the faulty incoherent intelligence-gathering operation. The 500+ page 9/11 Commission Report contained thirteen chapters of historical narratives, analysis and recommendations. All ten members of the bi-partisan commission signed off on the report, which has arguably become a national historical document. Just as the 9/11 Commission was created to find answers and recommend necessary follow steps to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, Lawrence Wright sought answers as to why 3000 American lives were lost in the attacks on September 11th. An experienced traveler to the region, Lawrence Wright endeavored to do his own investigative study into the history, ideology and circumstances behind this large-...
Introduction Fusion centers are easily described by their names. They are a collaboration between several different agencies that combine to form one united Criminal Justice front against terrorism. All agencies, such as the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and local police, work together to analyze and gather potential information on threats and possible terrorist attacks against the United States. They also serve as a sort of hub to pass out information needed to other agencies. The creation of Fusion Centers helps make local law enforcement more capable in responding to and fighting terror threats.
After 9/11 there was a great increase in security nationwide. One major example of this is the number of agencies created as a result of 9/11. Among these agencies include the creation of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the DHS (The Department of Homeland Security), the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and lastly the massive advancement of the US Coast Guard. Every one of the budgets of these agencies has doubled since 9/11. The creation of the transportation and security administrations primary goal is to improve the safety of all American Citizens traveling by plane. The TSA started implementing, new policies and new technological advancements.
Retrieved from http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/268/540 White, J. R. (2014). Terrorism and homeland security (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
The Department of Homeland Security faces challenges of failure to coordinate and cooperate in the latest fight against computer crimes as well as more general intelligence-gathering operations. (...
After the fear of terrorism grew in the United States do to the Al Qaeda 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the US Government found a need for a centralized department that umbrellas all other agencies when it comes to homeland security. The U.S. Government found this umbrella agency with the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts. (Homeland Security) With the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the government had a pinpoint location for the collection and gathering of intelligence, control of policies that effect national security, and a no fail mission. The Department of Homeland Security started to engulf other agencies and created many more, a total of 22 agencies now fall under the DHS. The DHS is control of all areas that deal with national security which included but are not limited to coastal and boarder protection, domestic terrorism, international terrorism, protection of the American people, protection of key infrastructure, protection of key resources and respond to natural disasters.
This is the price you pay to live in free society right now. It 's just the way it is." (Mullins, Domestic Surveillance, 2015). And this is when this quote hit me emotionally, the people of the United states should not be put under this situation. It is like saying I have gun on you but I promise I will never pull the trigger, what prof do I have of the government not pulling the trigger. That’s not how you societies, living in the mania of terrorism should not stop the American people from having the basic right, living in fear should not take away the freedom speech. Even with all the unreal evidences, the other side of the camp still has no valid point to whether the domestic surveillance has ever
Being the oldest daughter of a Senior ATF Agent, I have been exposed to domestic terrorism all of my life. My father has investigated thousands of bombings, fires, and explosions for more than twenty years now. Many of these incidents were examples of the terrorism that I speak about. His experiences have taught me countless lessons and informed me of many current events. The information that I have obtained from him is far more valuable than anything that the media could ever possibly convey. Though he is always strictly guarded with the confidences of his profession, he has always provided me with a firsthand knowledge of the impact that domestic terrorism has on the citizens and law enforcement. Through him, I learn the facts of these incidents without the media’s exaggerations. Today I will share with you some of these facts. I will talk to you about the impact that domestic terrorism has on our citizens. These impacts include: the monetary damages that terrorism inflicts, along with the injuries to the victims, the shocking repercussions that are embedded into the minds and souls of the people who come to sort through the rubble to find the survivors and the remaining evidence.
Fusion centers play an essential role in the fight against terrorism by providing a central point so that various criminal justice agencies can coordinate activities both during the investigation of potential terrorist activity as well as in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Fusion centers are hubs that share information and provide comprehensive and suitable access, analysis, and dissemination that no other single partner can offer. In addition, The National Network of Fusion Centers brings critical perspective and value to homeland security and law enforcement that no other federal or local organization can replicate.
The United States has endured numerous security breaches and high security threats over the past two decades. After the attacks on 9/11, the office of Intelligence became a vital source in retrieving sensitive data and tracking down potential terrorists and their networks which could pose a threat to the American people and then forwarding that vital information to the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies. Intelligence became a key role in “assessing threats to critical American infrastructures, bio-and nuclear terrorism, pandemic diseases, threats to the borders to the nation, and radicalization within American society” (Randol, 2009, p. 7). The sharing of homeland security intelligence has become a precedence for Congress and the government. Our nation must be one step ahead of any potential terrorists that want to harm our turf. Within this text the capabilities and limitations of both domestic and foreign intelligence in supporting homeland security efforts will be explained;
A recent article says that in Minneapolis, a man put up posters near a mosque and a Somali-owned store, showing anti-Muslim images. Two Minnesota prosecutors have decided not to press charges, becau...
The U.S. Police Departments needed a more efficient way to share information across the geographic locations to help prevent and response to crimes faster. After the 9/11, fusion center, enhance their security operations to collect better intelligence. The fusion centers are regional and very efficient when it comes to delivering information to local governments. Bart Johnson started as a law enforcement 32 years ago and seen many changes, which occurred in the fusion center for police department. According to (Roberts, 2011), Johnson says “With better intelligence, you can focus resources where they are needed most,” (para. 3).
One of the main failures of law enforcement and intelligence agencies identified by both the authors of “The Cell” and Senator Richard Shelby was that the F.B.I. and C.I.A. acted in competition with one another to produce results, as opposed to in centralized collaboration. Gladwell points out that the intelligence community was structured in this manner in response to the failures of the Bay of Pigs operation, which had been based on highly centralized intelligence gathering. In turn, the structure of intelligence agencies at the time of the Bay of Pigs was in response to the failure of decentralized intelligence to identify the threat of an attack on Pearl Harbor. The iterative cycle of intelligence failures and subsequent reform efforts ignores the premise that the failures do not represent evidence of the limitations of intelligence agencies, but rather the limitations of intelligence itself. As Gladwell states, “in our zeal to correct what we believe to be the problems of the past, we end up creating new problems for the
Increased surveillance of Muslim-Americans 2. Warrantless mosque searches - 3. 3. What is the “3”? Even if all terrorist attacks were carried out by Muslims, you still could not associate terrorism with Islam:” Going back from 1970 to present day, there have been around 140,000 terrorists worldwide.