P ADM404: Homeland Security and Defense in Practice

Lesson 1 - The Pre-9/11 Strategic Setting

Now that you understand the course and lesson framework, it’s time to begin our journey. As we proceed, you’ll see the crawl, walk, run approach begin to surface. We’ll first become familiar with the overall strategic setting on the eve of 9/11. Like any theatrical drama, this story begins with the setting. In our discussions, we'll consider the key actors, factors, situation and attitudes that comprise that setting. Understanding the strategic, operational and tactical settings is key to understanding how this holistic concept has matured and continues to mature.

Lesson Objective: Articulate the overall strategic setting (key actors, factors, situation and general attitudes) comprising the overall US strategic setting (international and domestic) on the eve of 9/11.

 

Research | Study Guide

Read (Required) the following foundational documents:

• The US Declaration of Independence
• The Constitution of the United States of America
• The Bill of Rights

Helpful Hint: This list of documents applies to Lesson 1, but should in no way hinder further individual research and critical analysis of supporting, external lesson materials. Use the lesson pages as a guide during your reading to uncover the key parts of the documents that relate to Homeland Security.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review previous readings and other individual research notes to establish a frame of reference/context for this lesson.

Scan the lesson topics and Student Learning Tasks/Graded Assignment for an overview of this lesson’s focus and the areas relevant to the Graded Assignment.

Capture your questions/comments for the Discussion Forum and Graded Assignment as you proceed through the Required Readings and any independent research.

Seek answers to your questions through either Instructor or via collegial contact in the Open Forum.

Maintain an open/receptive mind as you discuss contentious issues; not everyone shares the same views.

Be prepared to collaborate with/assist other students.

Getting Started

Shapers of the Strategic Setting (international and domestic)

Some would say the world was a different but safer place prior to 9/11; others argue it is a situationally-dependent statement (i.e., radical extremists have always been willing to die for their particular cause and this is no different).

Discussion Forum Question: Regarding international policies and perspectives on terrorism or terrorist attacks, discuss what you believe were the general domestic and international feelings and attitudes about terrorism prior to 9/11. Post your answer to the Lesson 1 Discussion Forum.

 

 

 

 

 

The Declaration of Independence

Sadly, most Americans have forgotten what they learned in school concerning how our federal constitutional government operates, delineation of branch responsibilities, how laws are crafted and the various statutory constraints/restraints governing our legal systems. We generally refer to these tenets as Civics 101. Any understanding of US Homeland Security policy must begin with an understanding of the American philosophy of government – what it was designed and tasked to do – and more importantly, what it was neither designed nor tasked to do. Without this background, many Homeland Security-related actions of the Legislative and Executive Branches will be misunderstood.

1. As you review the Declaration of Independence, look for the signs of federal government responsibility in providing for the needs and preserving the rights of the people.
    
2. Remember the key tenets as you review additional material. What you are striving for is a general feeling for the intent of our Founding Fathers when faced with what we consider today as a Homeland Security-related incident (i.e., how they might have viewed the federal government's responsibility regarding terrorist incidents).

Constitution of the United States of America

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters.html

As you review this historical and foundational document, annotate the various factors shaping how we approach resolving today’s Homeland Security issues and arguments. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is the delineation of responsibility for Homeland Security-type activities clarified?
    
2. Is this document still pertinent regarding resolution of Homeland Security issues?
    
3. How might have the founding fathers viewed Homeland Security issues relevant to this document?

Bill of Rights

As you review the Bill of Rights, focus on the limitations on the power of the United States Federal government. Among these are protecting the natural rights of liberty and property including freedom of speech, a free press, free assembly, and free association, as well as the right to keep and bear arms.

Note two amendments that may directly factor into how the states, territories and tribal entities approach implementing Homeland Security activities:

1. “Article the fourth [Amendment II] A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
    
2. “Article the twelfth [Amendment X] The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The Federalist Papers

“The Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays urging the citizens of New York to ratify the new United States Constitution. Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the essays originally appeared anonymously in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788 under the pen name "Publius." A bound edition of the essays was first published in 1788, but it was not until the 1818 edition published by the printer Jacob Gideon that the authors of each essay were identified by name. The Federalist Papers are considered one of the most important sources for interpreting and understanding the original intent of the Constitution.” ⁸

If you haven’t read the Federalist Papers lately for relevancy to contemporary Homeland Security activities, then do so now.  As you review/analyze the intent of each letter, ponder how these 18th Century thoughts and beliefs have endured to our generation and whether or not they have bearing on the strategic situation prior to 9/11.

Be prepared to discuss your key findings relevant to what you believe are critical issues impacting implementation of Homeland Security activities from the federal to the local unit of government levels.  

 

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⁸ Source: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/federalist.html

Presidential Executive Orders

This website offers a list of all Presidential Executive Orders: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/executive-orders/disposition.html

Executive Orders are official documents (numbered consecutively) through which the President of the United States (hereafter POTUS) manages the operations of the federal government. The text of Executive orders appears in the daily Federal Register as each Executive order is signed by the President and received by the Office of the Federal Register. The text of Executive orders beginning with Executive Order 7316 of March 13, 1936, also appears in the sequential editions of Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Note: The total number of Executive orders issued for each administration includes number-and-letter designated orders, such as 9577-A, 9616-A, etc.

 

 

 

 

1. Based on your review of the Executive Orders and your individual research and analysis, be prepared to discuss which Executive Orders were in place prior to 9/11 relevant to Homeland Security-type activities.
    
2. Secondly, be prepared to discuss how these Executive Orders relate to today's Homeland Security-type activities.

Presidential Decision Directives

These links will take you to sources where you can find all of the Presidential Decision Directives existing prior to 9/11:

• http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/direct.htm
• http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/directives.html

The National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum for presidential consideration of foreign policy issues and national security matters. Pursuant to policy review directives, the NSC gathers facts, analysis and recommendations of appropriate Government agencies, conducts analyses, determines alternatives, and presents to the POTUS policy choices for decision. The president's decisions are announced by directives. They are directed to and affect the political entities (departments, agencies, commissions, boards, etc.) under Executive Branch control but bear no actual legal authority for mandating and implementing what we now refer to as Homeland Security activities at the state or lower levels.

1. Based on your individual research an analysis, be prepared to discuss what presidential decision directives (remember they have been referred to by many terms) were in place prior to 9/11 relevant to Homeland Security-type activities.
    
2. Secondly, be prepared to link pre-9/11 presidential decision directives to policies, strategies, programs, plans and activities (e.g., Presidential Decision Directive X directs this and Strategy Y fulfills that requirement).

Key Actors, Factors and Attitudes Shaping the Pre-9/11 Setting

Key Actors

Actors are people - people who play significant roles in events. These actors include both antagonists and protagonists. Actors can comprise presidents, the Congress, foreign heads of state, criminal organizations, terrorist organizations, nations providing sanctuary to criminal/terrorist organizations, the international news media, etc.

Terrorist attacks against the defenseless citizen are nothing new; history is replete with examples. But in today’s context, experts on terrorism generally trace modern day modus operandi to the 1972 Black September attacks on Israeli athletes participating in the Munich Olympics.

Based on your individual research and prior experience, be prepared to discuss the key Actors (domestic and international) you feel played a prominent pre-9/11 role in either constraining or exacerbating conditions that led to the 9/11 attacks on US soil.

Key Factors

Factors are just that - things that impact or affect incidents. Factors can include domestic vision & policy, presidential decision directives, national strategies, plans, programs, the laws in effect, governance structures, budgetary constraints, etc. Based on your individual research and prior experience, be prepared to discuss the key Factors (domestic and international) you feel played a prominent pre-9/11 role in either constraining or exacerbating conditions that led to the 9/11 attacks on US soil.

Key Attitudes

Attitudes shape how Nations view themselves in regards to international events and domestic issues. As a citizen, ponder your attitudes regarding the pre-9/11 environment. Was terrorism just something that happened on foreign soil to other Nations? Surely no terrorist group would entertain striking US assets - or would they? What happened to the US embassies in Africa? What about the attacks on the USS Cole in Yemen?

Delineation of Authorities & Responsibilities (Federal/State)

After reviewing the key documents forming the foundation of our Nation and form of government, you should now have a clear opinion of what was/is the federal government’s roles and responsibilities and what were/are those reserved by the states. Perhaps you made bullet/talking points for later use; if not, consider doing so – you will use these again if you work in the Homeland Security arena.

1. Be prepared to discuss, in pre-9/11 context, how these roles/responsibilities should/could have been used to implement what we now refer to as Homeland Security activities.
    
2. Specifically consider whether, in your opinion, the federal government held the full responsibility for security-related matters or whether the states shared some of that responsibility and to what degree; in other words, where does one draw the line?

Student Learning Tasks | Graded Assignment

Graded Assignment #1:

As the name of this course states, this graduate-level course is designed to use the knowledge gained from your research and analysis in notional situations. Throughout this course, you’ll be tasked to perform tasks routinely associated with Homeland Security practitioners. Good Luck!

Description:  Executive Summary

Title:  "The Pre-9/11 Strategic Setting for Current Homeland Security Initiatives"

Situation:

You have recently been hired, based on your Homeland Security education, by a large county emergency management agency to orchestrate general Homeland Security-related activities supporting the municipalities within your county. The newly-elected County Commissioners have requested an Executive Summary of the pre-9/11 situation and background to today’s Homeland Security initiatives urged by the DHS and state Office of Homeland Security.

Scope:

In order to complete this assignment, students must demonstrate an understanding of the pre-9/11 strategic setting by crafting an Executive Summary covering the numerous actors, factors, attitudes and other shaping events that may have contributed to the success of the 9/11 terrorists.

Submission Instructions:

Submit your Executive Summary to the Lesson 01 Dropbox.

Summary

In Lesson 1, you were introduced to the overall Course Goal, Scope, Approach, Related Life Experiences and Learning Objective 1 for PADM 404. The Orientation should have also provided you with a clear indication regarding how we’ll proceed in achieving the Goal of producing a graduate-level Homeland Security professional capable of demonstrating and articulating the US approaches and practices towards Homeland Security across the entire Homeland Security Spectrum of Operations.

Finally, to set the stage and context for future lessons, you were afforded the opportunity to research and reflect on the pre-9/11 actors, factors (federal vs. state Constitutional responsibilities), attitudes and strategic settings (international and domestic) contributing to Congressional legislation and Executive Branch vision, policies, strategies, executive orders, directives and plans. With this strategic setting now firmly etched in your mind, you will continually expand on this knowledge as the course continues. And as the entire course unfolds, you will gain a greater perspective and understanding of not only how difficult the entire process actually is but also the dynamic nature of each subsequent strategy, plan, program and initiative.