Post 9/11 America

Post 9/11: My Q’s How did 9/11 lead to increased national security? Why is the PATRIOT ACT controversial? Why do many Americans protest the detainment and torture of suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay? Why was decision to fight in Iraq a controversial decision?

9/11 On September 11, 2001, radical Islamic terrorists hijacked multiple planes and crashed into both the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Another hijacked plane also went down in rural Pennsylvania after passengers took over the plane. It is likely that the plane would have either been crashed into the White House or U.S. Capitol Building. Needless to say, the United States and American society dramatically changed after 9/11.

National Security One of the first responses by the American government was to make certain that the country became more secure from future threats. Heightened security at airports was implemented, making it more difficult to travel within and outside the country. Also the passage of the PATRIOT Act allowed the United States government to gather intelligence from the phone and internet more freely to stop terrorism. Many have criticized the PATRIOT Act since it gives the government almost unlimited power to secretly snoop into Americans’ personal lives.

Opening Guantanamo In 2002, President Bush learned that if he placed known and suspected terrorists in Guantanamo, it would be outside of the legal jurisdiction of the United States. According to Bush’s administration, this meant that the terrorist detainees could be interrogated and even abused in a way that would be completely illegal in the United States. A 2004 report confirmed the fact that extreme torture was being used on Guantanamo, including the use of constant exposure to loud noise or music, prolonged extreme temperatures, severe beatings, and water boarding,

Protesting Guantanamo A New York Times report in 2004 noted that of the over 600 detainees, only a couple dozen were directly linked to terrorism. Upset with the abusive treatment and detainment of people who probably are not involved with terrorism, many Americans still protest Guantanamo and want it to be closed for good. President Obama had promised to close Guantanamo in his 2008 campaign, but he has done little since to fulfill that promise.

Americans protesting Guantanamo

The War in Iraq After 9/11, many Americans became fearful of distinct countries who possibly posed a future threat to American society. President George W. Bush and other government officials believed that Iraq posed the greatest threat to America. They declared that Iraq and its president Sadaam Hussein were hiding “weapons of mass destruction.” Bush and the American government decided on a “preemptive” war against Iraq, attempting to eliminate a possible threat before it actually became one. With no weapons of mass destruction ever found and no clear connections between terrorists and the country of Iraq, many Americans still question our involvement in Iraq.

The War in Afghanistan Less than a month after 9/11, the American government along with other countries decided to invade Afghanistan to drive out the Taliban, an Islamic military movement that supported al-Qaeda in the country. American troops were initially successful in driving out the terrorists, but they quickly resurfaced again in Afghanistan and the neighboring country of Pakistan. The war in Afghanistan continues to this day, despite the fact that soldiers are not only suffering from more head injuries and mental illnesses than ever before, but terrorism continues to thrive in the Middle East.