How to Reduce Terrorist Access to America?

Homeland Security

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Homeland Security

National security is a major concern not only in America but all over the world. Although technology advancement has aided the governments to introduce new measures of reducing terrorist infiltration in their countries, it has also enabled terrorists to develop new tactics of attacking countries. In the United States, various nodes are used by terrorist to access and attack. For example, through borders, aviation, port and the internet and the government is faced with the responsibility of ensuring they provide security on all these nodes (Ball, 2004). Although all the four notes, aviation security, port security, border security and cyber security pose a significant threat to the country, border security is the most porous and vulnerable node for terrorists to access America (Haugen, 2007).

Border security involves securing the country from the entry of people with the intention of harming the country or its people. The system used at the borders of the America does not link the different entry points, and the regulations that govern the entrance to the country through the borders have a lot of weaknesses (Freedman, 2004). In fact, all know terrorist who has committed a crime or have been arrested in America with the intention of committing harm, have exploited the available legal opportunities in the regulations to access the country (Ball, 2004)

The government needs to establish a system that links all the country’s entry points to enable sharing of information. The system should show the travel history of a person from their passport as criminals are applying new travel documents to hide their travel history (Haugen, 2007). The federal government also needs to establish new laws that govern the entry into the country and invest some amount in infrastructure like roads, bridges. The government also needs to invest in new and updated machines at the entry points, which will detect weapons and products that make weapons (Freedman, 2004).

References

Ball, H. (2004). The USA Patriot Act of 2001: Balancing civil liberties and national security : a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Freedman, L. D. (2004). The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. Foreign Affairs, 83(6), 149. doi:10.2307/20034163

Haugen, D. M. (2007). National security. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.