By Meg Wagner New York Daily News
Download the new report here.
Despite more than a decade of anti-terrorism efforts, America is still astoundingly vulnerable to terrorism attacks, a new study by the authors of the 9/11 Commission Report warns.
“The world has become more dangerous over the past few years,” says the new report, a follow-up to 2004’s original 9/11 analysis. “The struggle against terrorism is far from over.”
The original 9/11 Commission Report, released July 22, 2004, detailed the attacks on September 11, 2001, and the events that led up to them. It serves as the government’s official account of the terrorist assault.
The commission released the new report, titled “Today’s Rising Terrorist Threat and the Danger to the United States: Reflections on the Tenth Anniversary of The 9/11 Commission Report,” on Tuesday.
The 46-page study analyzes the nation’s progress against terrorism and warns against terrorism’s “new and dangerous phase,” pointing out shortcomings in America’s policy.
The report claims that “Al Qaeda-affiliated groups are now active in more countries than before 9/11,” and that terrorist organizations are increasingly turning to cyber attacks.
“Unfortunately, cyber readiness lags far behind this rapidly growing threat,” the commissioners write.
The paper does praise some of the nation’s work since the 2004 report. It points to better airport security and better-funded intelligence as signs of progress.
Still, there is much work to be done, the report argues. The commissioners advocate for cybersecurity legislation and education.
They also criticize the government for poorly explaining data collection, and call on officials to “persuade a skeptical public that data collection is no broader than necessary to keep the country safe.
