Adjusting to Terrorism

Essay by klawrcoUniversity, Master'sA+, June 2006

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When an explosion ripped through Alfred P. Murrah federal building in 1995, the United States jumped to a conclusion we would all learn to regret. The initial response to the devastation was all focused of middle-eastern terrorists. "The West is under attack," reported the USA Today (Posner). Every news and television station had the latest expert on the Middle East telling the nation that we were victims of jihad, holy war. It only took a few quick days to realize that we were wrong and the problem, the terrorist, was strictly domestic. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Because America jumped to conclusions then, America was later blind to see the impending attack of 9/11.

The result saw negative factors in both the FBI and CIA Agencies counter terrorism efforts; under funding, under managing, poor cooperation and lack of communication between agencies.

The FBI and CIA have a long history of miscommunication, and internal squabbles that have led to missed opportunities and failed lines of communication that could have, and should have been utilized in preventing 9/11.

Over their history together, their coexistence was punctuated with clashes, disagreements, and heavy competition that seemed to be at an all time high in the 1990's. After the FBI had blown the cover of a CIA operation fifteen years in the making, in what the press dubbed "Iraq-Gate", both agencies were at each other's necks. The FBI and the CIA accused the other on similar charges of withholding information and acting independently. The malice between agencies has kept both from executing their jobs to the fullest extent. The United States Government was so comfortable with our own lifestyle and problems that we failed to recognize any other issues that existed outside of our realm. We failed to recognize the...