Public security

7 ways that 9/11 created a dystopian security landscape that Americans are still living in

The American public was angry and frightened after the September 11 terror attacks that killed 3,000 people, a seismic event which fueled calls for immediate government action to hunt down the group responsible. What started out as an effort to destroy al-Qaeda morphed into costly, blood-soaked wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as US military action in 19 countries under the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force. At home, the federal government under the George W. Bush administration drastically expanded its surveillance powers to combat terrorism and ramped up efforts to secure its borders — creating new government agencies, federalizing airport security, and combing tens of millions of phone calls.Almost two decades later, that counterterrorism structure still remains firmly in place. Its embedded within American life, and Americans have largely grown comfortable trading off a portion of their civil liberties in return for security.