Preventing Terrorism in America

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Note: There are 2 parts to this assignment.

Part 1

Although homeland security strategy (HLS) was subsumed into the 2010 national security strategy, the following original 2002 objectives remain essentially unchanged:

• Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States
• Reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism
• Minimize the damage, and recover from attacks that do occur

In 100–200 words, answer each of the following questions:

• Of these 3 objectives, which do you think is most important, and why?
• Of these 3 objectives, which do you think is most difficult to achieve, and why?
• Of these 3 objectives, which one falls mostly within the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?

Responses to Other Students: Review at least 2 other posts. Do you agree or disagree with your peers’ responses?

Part 2

How well do you think Science and Technology (S&T) is performing? After 10 years, the most visible symbol of S&T development efforts is the airport passenger electronic scanner.

In 100–200 words, answer each of the following questions:

• Has the electronic scanner improved airport security? Why or why not?
• Will the electronic scanner prevent another hijacking? Why or why not?
• Is the investment made in added security measures worth the impact on passengers?