English Comp 2
Argumentative Essay
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/19/politics/19INTE.html?
pagewanted=print&position=bottom
Over the last several years the United States has suffered several losses and devastating
events. Most of these could have and should have been at a minimal level if the
government would have done its job correctly. Terrorist attacks on the United States have
shown the rest of the world our weakness.
In a recent newspaper article there was information that the governmental agencies that are
suppose to provide the top security for the nation have failed. Several years before the
September 11th attacks the CIA and the FBI received intelligence reports of terrorist plans
to attack the United States. Even with these reports the government did not take the threats
serious. Some reports stated that the terrorist planned on using airplanes and striking
targets in New York and Washington. At one time the director of central intelligence issued
a “declaration of war” on AL Queda, a terrorist organization. This statement was only
circulated through the security agencies of the United States. After the September 11th
attacks several FBI and other agency employees were asked about the memo and most had
no idea it had ever been issued.
During this few years, the United States had only the minimal number of analysts on the
terrorist organizations. On September 10th they intercepted two cripted communications
that the following day was the big day. The agencies did not translate the messages until
the day after the attacks.
Why does it take losing
innocent human lives for our government to start to make changes in security for the
