I am starting to hear something somewhat disturbing about the September 11 attack on the United States. I hear people in the press saying it. I hear it from foreign spokesmen and organizations. And now I hear students and professors agreeing. What they are all saying is that American foreign policy is responsible for this attack. This is not the first time I have heard it. I read this when I was researching Internet sites in the Middle East for a school project. But now I hear it in America. Well, I absolutely reject that belief. And before you start down that road, let me give you an alternative argument and the facts to accompany it.
In today’s world of sound-bite journalism and quick, dumbed-down answers, this is an easy solution to a problem that doesn’t have an easy solution. Sure, jump on the bandwagon. Blame America for all the bad things that happen to her. We are big, powerful and an easy target. Why not blame us? Who else can you blame?
Well, simply put, the United States did not plant the bombs that have killed close to 9,000 Americans in the last decade. Someone else did. Nine thousand Americans were lost in terrorist bombings around the world in a decade. Still think this is our fault? There are some good critiques of American foreign policy. But when do we say enough is enough? When do we put the safety of our citizens above public opinion in other countries? Can we not say to the world that “these are our policies, they are based on good values and sound judgement,” without fear of being killed? The answer is yes, we can, we will and we must. If we do not, then the hatred of a small minority dominates the rule of law for the vast majority.
Let us examine the American foreign policy that is so terrible that terrorists feel justified murdering people in the hundreds and thousands at a time. I think you will see it may not be the root of all evil.
First, let us examine our relations with Israel versus the Palestinians. This is the center of the criticism laid upon the backs of Americans dealing with the Middle East for at least 40 years.
Bioterrorist Attack in the United Sates
Biological warfare is a topic that many people tend to sweep under the rug and ignore. Shortly following the infamous 9/11 attacks, anthrax claimed five lives around the nation, but people do not live in fear of bioterrorism. The probability of another terrorist attack before the end of 2013, as explained by Mark d’Agostino and Greg Martin in “The Bioscience Revolution,” is high and most likely to come in the form of bioterrorism due to its relatively low production cost and availability (1). Due to the likelihood of such an attack, the need for good biodefense mechanisms is apparent. Luckily, while most average citizens have spent their time ignoring this threat, the United States government has been avidly preparing biodefense protocols at the federal and state levels. These procedures are often thorough, but rely on the abilities of hospitals and physicians, which is where the problem truly lies. This problem can be seen when analyzing the protocols in hospitals and physicians abilities to diagnose and treat bioterrorist agents. Because of this, the government’s detailed protocols can be rendered useless and the nation lacks several essential tools to deal with a bioterrorist attack. In order to protect the nation in case of a bioterrorist attack, changes are needed to better hospital procedures and to educate physicians on the diagnosis and treatment of harmful biological weapons. These changes are most likely to be made through the redirection of the funds that are already used for biodefense. If these changes are not made, however, the United States and all its citizens could suffer in a bioterrorist attack.
Bioterrorism first became important in national protocol in the early 2000s. The beginnings of CDC bioterrorism pro…
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