National Security Issues (Hardcover)

The 9/11 terrorist attacks have sparked a wildfire of debates. There are several issues that serve as the source of these debates but they are all based on one of two common concerns: either the balance of power between the people and the U.S. government, or the efficiency of the nation's security resources. How far should the government be able to infringe upon the people's constitutional rights to expression, privacy, religious worship etc. to ensure the safety of its people? And how far will the people be willing to let those rights be infringed upon, if they are even aware that they exist. It is a strange dichotomy that is ironic when one considers that the war on terrorism is being fought in the name of freedom. The other concern was born from questions of whether or not 9/11 could have been prevented and if more lives could have been saved during the tragedy if the nation's security infrastructure was better organised. This book examines these various issues and debates.