Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response

WMDs and Emergency Response

Although it is still fresh, the most recent major terrorist incident was the most severe: the attack on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City and on the Pentagon. Thousands of people died on September 11, 2001, but the severity of the terrorist attack is not only based on the total number of casualties. The attacks on the United States by Al Qaeda on September 11 were the most severe of the past decade because of the long-term implications of the attack. The world did change after that day, as the United States completely reworked its foreign policy approach and its domestic affairs as well. New security departments in the federal government have been created; intelligence agencies have been revamped, and new laws have been passed in the name of the national security. These laws, including the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act, have resulted in a curtailing of freedoms and liberties that American citizens previously enjoyed or took for granted. Namely, Americans can expect less privacy concerning their personal phone and electronic communications. Surveillance has been boosted as well. Moreover, September 11 has resulted in major political changes, as the United States used the terrorist incident as an excuse to invade the nation of Iraq. When the war in Iraq is included in the total financial tally, September 11 has probably been the most costly terrorist attack of the past decade.

2. In response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the American government has enacted legal and political efforts to mitigate the effects of a WMD incident. One of these was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, concurrent with the development of a terrorism warming system, the color-coded one that the media uses to notify citizens of the current state of relative national security. Additionally, several emergency response plans have been created: the National Disaster Medical System and the National Response Plan. The FBI also has the Hazardous Materials Response Unit. Many other organized response systems are in order in the case of a WMD incident.

3. International terrorism and organized crime both pose serious threats to the United States and its national security interests. In some cases, international terrorism and organized crime are linked: organized crime units often offer financial support for terrorist groups and terrorist activities. The illegal drug trade in Afghanistan is a good example of how organized crime and terrorism has been linked. Similarly, terrorist groups in South America are also linked with organized crime and the illegal drug trade there. Both organized crime and terrorist units operate outside the realm of actual government, which is one of the reasons why they both pose similar threats to legitimate governments.