Evolution of Counter Terrorism

Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, the United States government has taken steps to reduce the threat of future terrorist attacks and also to apprehend terrorists before they have the chance to commit crimes against the United States and its citizens. Some actions that the United States government has taken since 9/11 would be creating a more effective investigation and criminal prosecution department, structural changes to the Justice Department and its component agencies, instituting legal changes to help intelligence and law enforcement officials, and partnering with domestic and international counterparts to better combat the growing threat of terrorism. Just to name a few. Terrorism has not taken a break since 9/11. Although you don’t hear about it everyday, the United States has been dealing with some of the most significant terrorism threats since 9/11, over the past three years (USDOJ). Technology has introduced a whole new era of terrorism. In the modern era, technology like cellphones and computers are available to nearly everyone, which makes tracking terrorists increasingly difficult, but as the terrorists evolve, so do we. Between 2009 and 2010, the Justice Department charged more defendants in federal court with the most serious terrorism offenses than in any two-year period since 9/11 (USDOJ). This increase in prosecutions is due to resources like informants who are willing to provide information on terrorist activities, in exchange for something else. One case was that of Earnest James Ujaama. Ujaama was charged with terrorism in the Southern District of New York for his efforts to establish a jihad training camp and also his efforts to start a violent jihad in

Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty to the charges in 2007 and turned informant to lower his sentence. He testified in the trial of Oussama Kassir, who was charged with conspiracy in connection to the Jihad training camp, he also was

Cited: "Counterterrorism." FBI. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/ten-years- after-the-fbi-since-9-11/just-the-facts-1/counterterrorism>. "How the Patriot Act Works." (HowStuffWorks). N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. <http://people.howstuffworks.com/patriot-act.htm>. Markon, Jerry. "Justice Department 's Civil Rights Division Steps up Enforcement." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 04 June 2010. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/06/03/AR2010060304938. html>. "USDOJ: Fact Sheet: The Department of Justice Ten Years After 9/11." USDOJ: Fact Sheet: The Department of Justice Ten Years After 9/11. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. <http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/September/11-opa-1136.html>.