Summary:The tragedy of 9/11 has had a lasting and dramatic effect on all American lives. With the rising fear of future terrorist attacks, industries such as travel and tourism have taken a enormous hit in major U.S. cities such as New York and Los Angeles. From salary cutbacks to bankruptcy, many U.S. companies have had to restructure their financial portfolios as well as increase security measures. The F.B.I., C.I.A, the newly formed Department of Homeland Security, and the government are in the process of finding ways to prevent such attacks while maintaining American freedoms.
To begin the panel discussion, David Gordon, Director of the Office of Transnational Issues for the C.I.A, took a moment to speak on how the world has changed since 9/11. He commented on the growing challenge of nuclear weapons with nonstate actors creating a new source of weapons of mass destruction. Referring to the Middle East, he commented that “regions marked by conflict are likely to follow suit,” proliferating weapons of mass destruction. Gordon also spoke of “economic vulnerability.” He believes that we must pay careful attention to open market transactions, specifically on our U.S. ports. According to Gordon, other areas of vulnerability we should prepare for include cyber attacks on the Internet and on our financial banking systems.
When asked by moderator Glenn Yago of the Milken Institute, what his recommendations would be for increasing homeland security, Jules Kroll, Executive Chairman of the Board for Kroll Inc., responded with a four-fold layout. First, he stated “we must set standards for what is expected at places that hold large numbers of people such as stadiums.” In agreement with David Gordon, Kroll also believes that “U.S. ports are where standards need to be set higher.” Third, he explained that IT security is extremely important and that the use of firewalls is critical. More specifically, Kroll mentioned that research universities with laboratories need more protection than what already exists. Lastly, he stressed that teaching people how to properly leave a facility in the event of a problem is very important.
John Miller, Commanding Officer for Homeland Security Bureau for the Los Angles Police Department, expressed his thoughts on 9/11. Having previously interviewed 9/11’s suspected mastermind and leader of the Al Queda terror cell group, Osama bin Laden, Miller believed that “although the FBI and CBI [of India] collectively had all the information to prevent such an attack on the U.S., they were unable to connect the dots.” He reminded us that bin Laden waged war on the U.S. five years ago when he bombed the U.S. embassy in Tanzania. At that time, the Clinton administration launched missiles in retaliation, but failed to take on bin Laden and his terror network then, when success was likely.
Prior to 9/11, Miller states that people living in California expected terrorism to be an “East Coast issue,” but that is no longer the case. Now, the city of Los Angeles is doing its best to increase its budget for the war on terrorism.
Miller believes that before we move on, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians must be resolved. Ending this conflict would “relieve nearly 95 percent of what’s going on,” he stated.
Gary Wilson, Chairman of Northwest Airlines shared his views on the faltering airline industry. The high cost of security and declining revenues have crushed the industry financially, he said. With fear of flying on the rise, coupled with lengthy lines at airports, people are discouraged from flying. Wilson points out that “from the $250 they charge per ticket, $80 dollars accounts for taxes, and $12 for the 9/11 security fee.” He added, “The industry can’t take much more of this and is in desperate need of a tax relief.” Wilson also suggested the need for a “traveler program” that would eliminate excess waiting time at airports.
Constance Rice, co-Director of the Advancement Project in Los Angeles, believes that we must act on any terror threats right away, rather than after an attack has taken place. Expressing her disappointment with the country’s security and intelligence groups, she says, “we are not being strategic” and that “we need to rethink a counterattack.” In suggesting how we can reduce future threats, Rice believes that “we must hold more public hearings, as well as encourage more opinions and expertise on counter terrorism.” She feels that we must find what it takes to give up our civil liberties in exchange for security.
Furthermore, Rice pointed out that although poverty does play a key role in terrorism, terrorist leaders in the Arab-world come from the richest backgrounds. “Their reason for terrorism against the U.S. is based on humiliation, not money,” she said.
Rice maintained that the answers lie in establishing a human network, the ability to infiltrate, collaboration, and more aggressive FBI involvement. “How we do it is just as important as why,” she claimed. Rice closed the panel by saying “we’re overreacting and underreacting, and we’re going to pay for it.”
