Taking the Terrorism Threat Seriously
Alert! America and Canada's Preparedness for the Next Major Attack
Sep 5, 2009
This week will mark the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In anticipation, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security has increased its threat advisory for airline travel to orange, the second highest alert level.
Even with the precaution of an increased threat level, many of the nation's terrorism experts still wonder if enough has been done to prevent another attack. Some of the attention on preparedness is aimed at Massachusetts because most of the 9/11 hijackers boarded the four airplanes at Boston's Logan International Airport.
The Massachusetts Port Authority is the state agency in charge of the sea and airports in the Commonwealth, but when contacted about security, the Massachusetts Port Authority referred all questions to the U. S. government's Transportation Security Administration.
Government Actions
Ann Davis is with the Boston office of the Transportation Security Administration and she says one change is an increase in security personnel, “We dramatically increased the number of trained security officers at all of the nation’s major airports. That way we have a greatly enhanced visibility.”
One visit to Logan Airport proved this correct. Uniformed TSA personnel were out in force, and in the international terminal came close to outnumbering the waiting passengers.
Ms. Davis adds that there's more security at the gate, “We increased inspections. Instead of one person out of every 10 to 20, now everyone is screened and every piece of luggage is checked for explosives and explosive devices."
The federal government has taken other steps as well. “We’re continuing to increase our use of explosive detecting dogs," she said. "We’ve continued to improve and upgrade our electronic detection and x-ray scanning devices. New electronic devices help keep us ahead of the game."
But not everyone is a fan of the TSA's security measures. The National Business Travel Association strenuously objected to the TSA's Secure Flight Air Passenger Security Program.
The plan called for all passenger lists to be checked against any terrorist watch lists. NBTA members were quick to say the program was, "Unacceptable, unrealistic, unreasonable and imponderable."
For their part, the Canadian government has also responded to the increased threat with an anti-terrorism bill of is own. Canadian Security Intelligence Service spokesperson Manon Verule said a recent case shows Canada is going in the right direction.
“The arrest of the homegrown cell, the Toronto 18 who were suspected of multiple bomb plots around Toronto is a good example of Canada’s effort to fight terrorism,” Ms. Verule said.
The CBC reported on Thursday, September 3, that Toronto 18 member Saad Khalid was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the case.
What About the People?
Even with these changes in government policy, that still leaves the people. What is the average citizen to do?
The New York Post reported in its September 4, 2009 editions that a group of New York City rabbis have armed themselves and are prepared to defend themselves and their congregations during the Jewish high holy days of Yom Kippur and the Rosh Hashanah.
Former New York City police officer Gary Moscowitz is now a rabbi and he was quoted in the New York Post saying, “We’re just worried about the safety of the houses of worship that are being threatened with rhetoric on a regular basis.”
The Queens borough rabbis are armed and ready, but what about the rest of North America’s people who don’t have the ability to be trained in the use of weapons and tactics?
Brigitte Gabriel is the Founder of Act! for America, an advocacy group dedicated to teaching about the terrorism threat in the West. She makes this observation, “History reveals very clearly that the apathetic give way to the passionate and the complacent are subdued by the committed.”
Naturally, Ms. Gabriel believes joining her group is a step in the right direction, “I urge readers to go to our website and sign up to receive our emails and action alerts. Join one of our chapters, become involved, stand with us and support us in anyway they can. Our philosophy is this: when everyone gives a little, together we can accomplish a lot.”
Yet, apart from advocacy, what are some day-to-day precautions that the average person can take?
Barry Rubin is the Director for the Global Research for International Affairs Centre and he says average Americans don’t need to be in panic mode, “The average American doesn’t have to deal with this issue, but should be alert and report anything that seems worth caution.”
The most common answer from the experts is summed up by a bulletin at every train station in Massachusetts, “See something; say something.”
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