Post-9/11
The post-9/11 period is the time after the September 11 attacks, characterized by heightened suspicion of non-Americans in the United States, increased government efforts to address terrorism, and a more aggressive American foreign policy. Political consequences We also must never forget the most vivid events of recent history. On September the 11th, 2001, America felt its vulnerability – even to threats that gather on the other side of the earth. We resolved then, and we are resolved today, to confront every threat, from any source, that could bring sudden terror and suffering to America. – George W. Bush, 2002. The attacks led to significant and widespread changes in U.S. politics and foreign policy. Domestically, both parties rallied around new or strengthened anti-terrorism legislation. Much of this legislation has been funded by western countries. Since 9/11 and as of 2011, there have been 119,044 anti-terror arrests and 35,117 convictions in 66 countries. By contrast, before 9/11 there were only a few hundred terrorism convictions each year. The war in Afghanistan, once viewed largely as a "just war", lost popularity gradually. In 2011, polling indicated more than 60% of Americans opposed the war. In the 2021 fall of Kabul, the war came to an end as American and allied forces withdrew from Afghanistan, which resulted in the Taliban gaining control of all of Afghanistan. In the later phases of the war and afterwards, the war was viewed widely unfavorably. During an interview for Frontline aired in 2021 former National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, stated that Donald Trump was a true post 9/11 president and that "all the language, all the rhetoric, all the xenophobia, all the nationalism that is impossible without 9/11." Department of Homeland Security The United States government created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in response to the attacks. DHS is a cabinet-level department of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting the territory of the United States from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters. With approximately 184,000 employees, DHS is the third-largest cabinet department in the U.S. federal government, after the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Homeland security policy is coordinated at the White House by the Homeland Security Council. Other agencies with significant homeland security responsibilities include the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Energy. Societal consequences Suspicion In the U.S., many activities of foreigners or American citizens, which, prior to 9/11, would be viewed innocently (or as just eccentric), are now viewed with suspicion, especially in regards to the behavior of anyone who looks "Arab" in terms of clothing or skin color. Six Muslim imams were removed from a U.S. airliner in November 2006 when they prayed before the flight and showed "suspicious behavior". Various government agencies and police forces in the U.S. have asked people to watch people around them and report "unusual" behavior, and signs posted in all public places request citizens to report anything out of the