Redefining the Department of Justice's counterterrorism mission

Terror Memo

Eric Holder, Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice

Re: Impact on Terrorism on National Security

The current state of the union suggests that the United States Department of Justice has many important and relevant tasks related to the safeguarding of the nation. The purpose of this memorandum is detail the impact of terrorism on national security and suggests methods and corrections to help align the department towards a more sustainable and practical goal.

The word 'terrorism' represents too many things to too many different people to have any sustained value or quality. The U.S. Department of Justice is about maintaining and keeping the peace so that justice can be served. The War on Terror, the over hyped media's usage of the word and the associated qualities, and the clear failures of the past from this department all point towards the idea that something needs to be changed in relation to how this organization operates in maintaining its mission.

The Mission

In times of trouble and despair, which many would suggest this department is experiencing, the fundamentals and basics are there to help restore confidence and guidance. The U.S. Department of Justice's mission is "To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. " in this mission statement terrorism does not appear.

Impractical Demands

Besides the philosophical differences, there are also important signs to show that this concentration on counterterrorism operations that this organization began to focus on in the last decade has been a complete and utter failure. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, is tarnishing this organizations name by its utter lack of competence and performance in recent years in this branch of our department.

There are strong and compelling arguments that suggest that through this demonstrated incompetence, many of the terror plots are in fact enabled by our organization. Aaronson (2011) explained how this failure is hurting the practical application of the law. He wrote "With three exceptions, all of the high-profile domestic terror plots of the last decade were actually FBI stings. (the exceptions are Najibullah Zazi, who came close to bombing the New York City subway system in September 2009; Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, an Egyptian who opened fire on the El-Al ticket counter at the Los Angeles airport; and failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad.). " it appears that the only terrorist operations that are going on are the ones that we are creating ourselves.

Suggestions for the Future

A new vision for this department is desperately needed. It is also apparent that the leadership arm of this organization is not demonstrating enough competence. Eventually the source of our power comes from the U.S. Constitution as this is the basis of law and justice for this nation. Many of the freedoms safeguarded within this document are being flatly ignored by this organization. There is plenty of crime to go around without this organization creating new opportunities to demonstrate power just for power's sake.

Terrorism needs to be redefined or disposed as an object of our efforts. The emotions that were collectively felt on 9/11 need to be put in their proper perspective in today's world and they hyper-sensitivity towards a catchphrase should be relegated as such. Reason, knowledge and understanding are needed in today's world if justice is truly to be served.

To best combat the problems we are facing, the Department of Justice can take significant steps to demonstrating more leadership in this area. The scattered nature of the priorities that are being handed down from the executive branch are problematic and require a voice of reason to explain the imbalance and the unnecessary strains that are being placed on this institution. The Department of Justice holds an important and significant place in the order of society and its own internal order must be placed in the proper perspective.

I suggest taking immediate action and examine the top priorities of the organization to ensure they are still relevant and important. The idea of terrorism must be desensitized in order for a true picture to be seen by those who need clarity. Less is more in this case, and a scaled down version of this department may be necessary in order to preserve its survival. The laws of this nation are flexible and can be manipulated. There appears to be an immediate need to apply some of these laws in a new and novel manner. Fear and terrorism are not useful in determining rational action.