The Impact of the September 11 Terror Attacks in America
Discussion
The September 11 terror attacks had great impact on the economy of the nation. The long term effects on the economy have affected the lives of many Americans, especially those who lost their jobs or businesses. The loss of property and damage was the easiest to quantify after the attack because the destruction of the buildings and property was the most visible sign of how devastating the attack was. The collapsing of the Twin Towers led to the destruction of offices belonging to various multinational companies and business enterprises which were forced to search for office space elsewhere. There is no doubt that the attack left a scar on Americas landscape and in the hearts of all Americans, especially the residents of New York. It was been estimated that the total economic impact of the attack led to losses of between 82.8 and 94.8 billion in New York City. The death of employees who worked in offices located within and around the Twin Towers resulted to the loss of human capital in New Yorks productive capacity and America as a nation. This loss can still be felt in many companies which lost their highly skilled employees after the attack (Dolfman and Wasser, 2004). For example, it was estimated that ten months after the attack, the cumulative job loss was 146,100. While 83,100 jobs were lost after the attack, loss of about 63,000 jobs has resulted from poor growth in New Yorks job market. Many companies and business enterprises which had offices in the Twin Towers have had a tough time replacing the lost human capacity in the company because recruiting new workers and training them in order to equip them with great skills and knowledge has not been easy. For businesses that were unable to get financial assistance to start afresh after the attacks, recovering from the effects of the attack was a great challenge although many have managed to recover from the loss.
The cost of building or renovating the infrastructure that was destroyed together with putting up of new buildings has consumed large amount of government financial resources. For instance, the World Trade Center was a vital component in Americas economy due to its financial significance .As a result, the 911 attacks affected the US financial system. The closing of the New York Stock Exchange, brokerage houses and the Wall Street banks affected the national and the global economy. Several financial institutions were affected by the grounding of flights. The United States is the worlds most powerful nation in relation to economy and its major role in the global economy had the effects of the attacks felt at an international level.
The issue of national security has become a major priority for the US government following the attack. The attack was an indication of how vulnerable America was to terror. Although security had been improved in the airports following previous terror attacks, the hijacking of the commercial planes by the Al Qaeda terrorists demanded that security measures be tightened and improved in the airports. The airline industry was severely affected by the attacks and the need to address issues of security in the air transport industry is critical. The US government has demanded that security measures within the airports be strengthened. This has had several suspects of terror or criminals apprehended since 2001.Apart from the air transport industry, the insurance industry was profoundly affected due to the great loss of lives and destruction of property that was experienced after the attack. As long term measures to effectively respond to the threat of terror, some insurance companies have introduced restricted, limited and expensive insurance coverage for terrorism. This increases the financial security of a company or business enterprise in a world where the threat of terror is very real. The agricultural sector initially experienced economic setbacks as a result of losses emanating from delayed shipment of perishable commodities and a halt in trade. However, trade in agricultural products has improved over the years due to increased economic cooperation between the US and other nations. The anthrax attacks in October 2001 were an indication that the US was vulnerable to bioterrorism through farm and food products. In response to this, the US enacted the 2002 Farm Act(P.L 107-171) and the Anti-bioterrorism Act(P.L 107-188).Another security measure has been to increase border security at the US-Canada and US-Mexico border in order to apprehend criminals or terror suspects who may try to enter into the US using the borders.
The dislocation, destruction and disruption of businesses experienced in New York due to the attacks led to unemployment and laying off of workers .Companies that lost office space incurred huge financial losses. The cost of moving into new offices and recovering from the impact of the attack for some time reduced the profit of the companies. Although some employees who survived have managed to secure jobs, some were disabled to an extent where working is a challenge. Many of those affected were those around and in the World Trade Center Complex. In efforts to assist businesses make a new start, loans to small businesses were made available through the Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Although numerous studies have been conducted to establish the impact of the attack, the loss caused by the attacks has been considered incalculable. Over two thousand lives were lost while the lives many Americans who lost their family members and friends have been greatly affected. Many families lost the bread winners and this has resulted to financial constraints. In addition, many American soldiers have lost their lives through the Campaign against terror while serving in US military missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The attack affected the trust that American citizens had on the government. The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens within and outside America by putting into place effective measures to support national security. Although the attacks raised questions on the ability of government agencies to guarantee all Americans security, the American citizens level of trust and expectations from the government increased. The American citizens agree that there is need for the government to effectively address the problem of terrorism. The citizens trust that the government will guarantee all citizens their security by developing effective counterterrorism strategies. Over the years, the growing problem of terrorism has convinced the people that the government needs to focus on both domestic to international terrorism. It is due to this reason that many Americans advocate for bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism. For example, the US government has been working closely with the European Union member states and other countries to implement the Global Counterterrorism Strategy. In addition, the government allocation of financial resources to the Homeland Security has played a vital role in increasing the peoples trust in the governments war against terrorism. Many Americans had their trust and faith that the government would do the right thing. The Americans have indicated that they would like to have a government that equips people approximately to solve their own problems rather than one that solves their problems for them. Currently, many Americans now trust the government to do what is right when it comes to matters of national security. Although many Americans have increased their trust in the government to fight terrorism and to effectively handle national security matters, they lack faith in the way the government addresses social policy issues. The events 911 was an indication to the American people and the world at large countries are vulnerable to terror attacks. Many Americans developed fear and became more aware of the serious threat that terrorism poses to the national security. The fear of the unknown within the public has made it necessary for the US government to address the issue of terrorism as a major priority. Shortly after the attack, the US government responded by launching the War on Terror campaign which had the US make a military confrontation with the Taliban and the Al Qaeda, two terror groups believed to be working from Afghanistan.
In addition, the enactment of counterterrorism legislation had the US introduce the Patriot Act which was enacted and signed into law in October 2001. Although the legislation has been criticized by human rights organizations for violating civil rights, it role in combating terrorism in the US and other parts of the world has been critical. The Act expanded the powers of the law enforcement authorities to conduct investigation on terrorism-related matters. Through searches and wiretaps, the law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have been able to identify potential threats of terror and this has made it possible for suspects of terror to be apprehended and charging in court .One of the factors that has made the legislation to be criticized is the violation of civil rights when suspects of terrorism are detained for extended period during investigations. Furthermore, the law enforcement agencies can now access personal information about an individual as long as it can be certified that the information is important for criminal investigation. These issues have raised questions on the issues of freedom and American principles.
The impact of the devastating September 11 attacks threatened to break the principles of the American forefathers. These principles act as the foundation of the American dream. The principles put emphasis on freedom, equality and liberty. In the mind of the forefathers, liberty, freedom and equality are more desirable than maternal prosperity and wealth especially when prosperity is accompanied by collectivism and despotism. The forefathers advocated for the freedom for all and asserted that freedom and faith in God are inseparable. Furthermore, liberty for all citizens is very important. The American constitution was established based on these principles and it advocates for the spiritual, political and economic aspects of liberty, freedom and equality to be preserved. The US Patriot Act was enacted in 2001 to strengthen the ability of the US government and law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute suspects of terror. However, allegations that the US Patriot Act violates the civil rights of the citizens when investigations involve invasion of privacy are considered to be an indication of the extent to which terrorism has threatened to break the American principles. The US campaign on War on Terror against the Al Qaeda and the Taliban was justified after the 911attacks.However, it led to loss of lives of many civilians in Afghanistan and the destruction and damage the war caused in Afghanistan was great. In addition, the US invasion in Iraq on allegations that Saddam Husseins government was involved in production of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) has been greatly criticized by many American citizens. This is due to the fact the Bush administration did not have adequate evidence to launch the attack. The fact that the administration reason for invading Iraq was not honest or justified has questioned the extent to which terrorism has threatened to undermine the principles set by the forefathers. Up to date, the presence of American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq has continued to claim the lives of many soldiers
The September 11 terror attacks have raised the question of how much freedom is enough. The government has had to change its priorities in order to address the issue of national security. The memory of the destruction that the attacks caused together with the loss of family members and friends is still painful to many. The fear and shock created by the attacks has had many citizens demand that the government work hard to ensure that terror in the US and other parts of the world is combated. Concerns about the freedom of the citizens and how counterterrorism strategies affect that freedom have been raised. For instance, restrictions introduced by security regulations meant to curb terrorism may reduce the freedom of the citizens. Furthermore, the American political freedom has increased its influence in foreign countries. For example, the presence of the US influence in Asia and Middle East has played a role in triggering the holy war of the Al Qaeda against America through terror.
Bilateral agreements between the US and other countries have promoted economic cooperation and increased American government involvement in security matters in Asia, Middle East and Africa .Some regions are believed to encourage terrorism because they harbor terrorists of act as training grounds for terror groups. For example, the South East Asia and Middle East regions are target areas due to the presence of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorist groups.Furthermore, the Horn of Africa has been experiencing instability due the political instability in Somalia attributed to the presence of militia groups linked to the Al Qaeda .A good example is the Al Shabbab group. The United States therefore has been involved in equipping the neighboring nations such as Tanzania and Kenya with the necessary skills and resources to address the insecurity problem in the region.
Conclusion
The events of September 11 2001 changed not just Americas history but the world history. The hijacking and crashing of commercial planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon had short and long term effects in the US. The attacks have had great impact on the US economy, politics, governance, media and national security matters. The US campaign against terrorism in Afghanistan and the US invasion of Iraq can be attributed to the US government efforts to combat terrorism. The American citizens have become more concerned about security matters and expect the government to put into place measures that will ensure that the events of 911 will never again be experienced in the American soil.
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