Impetus of the DHS

Impetus of the DHS
DHS, (Department of Homeland Security) was created a decade ago with the aim of providing internal security and protecting the country against terrorist attacks (Robinson, Liu & Vedlitz, 2011). 9/11 terrorist attacks was an external attack that raised the awareness of the country towards being vigilant and attentive in protecting the welfare of its citizens. According Michael Chertoff, the former Homeland Security Secretary, the impetus for creating the department was in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and was based as a countermeasure towards terrorism ('US Department of Homeland Security slammed for breaches', 2007). However, the staff has grown to incorporate tools for handling critical and emerging adversaries. The internal security of the country is paramount, and the staff is committed to providing protection for all costs.
Prior to the 9/11 attacks, the USA had faced other terrorist attacks such as the bombing of the world trade center Oklahoma City. Despite this attacks being devastating, there did not incur the same impact as the 9/11 attacks. The latter posed a dramatic impact to the United States. The result of the Oklahoma City bombing and that of the world trade center had a minor influence since the attacks were not major ('Patriots, politics, and the Oklahoma City bombing', 2008). In addition, after a careful investigation, the perpetrators were brought to justice, and the case was put to rest. However, the same does not hold concerning the 9/11 attack. The case was beyond devastating as the people were unprotected, the state was vulnerable and the response was inadequate. It was after this event that it became inherently clear that the people needed protection. The loss of lives and sustained injuries in the catastrophic event were a constant reminder of the failure of the nation. To add insult to injury, justice could not be obtained as the nation was in a mourning and crying state.
If the hands of time could be taken back, and with the measure put in place today, terrorist attacks could be avoided. To avoid the failures that resulted in the Oklahoma and bombing of the world trade center, intelligent services have been emphasized and streamlined. The department of homeland security, for example, being in place is more vigilant and focused on home based areas of security. Therefore, intelligent services such as constant surveillance and monitoring of activities within the borders of the nation act as the ground for protecting the nation against threats and attacks (Robinson, Liu & Vedlitz, 2011). With the advancement in monitoring and oversight technology, the department of homeland security would have curtailed the occurrence of the terrorist attack as detection would be done prior to enactment of the Act. In addition to this, to avoid chances of loss of lives, evacuation procedures would be implemented to uphold the protection of the people and keep them sound and safe. The purpose and duty of the DHS boil down to protecting the nation from both internal and external threats. The activities carried out to achieve this are not limited to monitoring and surveillance. However, cyber threats are also constantly monitored and in any case, this makes the department stay abreast in offering security to the nation.
In conclusion, the creation process of the DHS does not count as does the role and purpose the department plays (Moeller, 1993). It is a critical branch of the administration and works fervently towards protecting the welfare of the state and its citizens. After the 9/11 occurrence, the creation of the DHS restored hope in the security of the nation



References
Moeller, M. (1993). World Trade Center bombing tests disaster recovery. Computer Fraud &       Security Bulletin, 1993(3), 1-2. doi:10.1016/s0142-0496(09)90122-9
Patriots, politics, and the Oklahoma City bombing. (2008). Choice Reviews Online, 45(09), 45-     5301-45-5301. doi:10.5860/choice.45-5301
Robinson, S., Liu, X., & Vedlitz, A. (2011). Public Support for the Department of Homeland             Security. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 8(1).          doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1764
US Department of Homeland Security slammed for breaches. (2007). Computer Fraud &             Security, 2007(7), 4-5. doi:10.1016/s1361-3723(07)70087-8


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