Harris1
Zanaea Harris
CJ 310
November 20, 2022
4-2 Journal: DHS Leadership
There was an overarching need to reorganize the agencies that were responsible for
counter terrorism prior to 9/11 because two agencies could not manage all the foreign and
domestic threats against the United States. The main two agencies that were combatting
terrorism prior to 9/11 were the FBI and CIA. Because these two agencies were independent
organizations, they did not work well together. They both lack communication and barely share
any sort of information to help one another. Furthermore, there were no modernized protocols in
place to manage an attack of this magnitude. The 9/11 commission report provided a framework
for change and revealed all of the flaws in the U.S. government. After 9/11 many laws and
legislations were passed, and it led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
The DHS is now the main agency to be in charge of counterterrorism post-9/11. The job
of the secretary of homeland security "oversees Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts
to counter terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage our borders while facilitating trade
and travel, enforce and administer our immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, build
resilience to disasters, and provide essential support for national and economic security-in
coordination with Federal, state, local, international and private sector partners" (Martin, 2019).
The Secretary of Homeland Security, who is a cabinet-level official, holds authority within the
cabinet and rules on any issues that may pertain to homeland security. In addition, the current
Secretary of Homeland Security is Alejandro Mayorkas (USDHS, 2022)
Harris2
Post-9/11. the leadership of DHS was definitely a critical component in the efforts of
counterterrorism. Not only was it was created to help prevent any future terrorist attacks, but it
also helped other agencies to collaborate with each other under one organization. This unified
organization expresses the shared purpose of enhancing homeland security in collaboration with
the United States.
Harris3
References
Martin, G. (2019). Understanding Homeland Security (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US) https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781544355825
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2022, November 1). Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary of Homeland Security | Homeland Security. https://www.dhs.gov/topics/secretary-homeland-security