Essay on Pearl Harbor

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Pearl Harbor & 9/11
Robert Massa
TSA Associates Program

HLS 103 SP 2015
Essex County College
Robert E. Dinsmore Adjunct Professor
Abstract
As odd as it may seem 9/11 & Pearl Harbor have some striking similarities in respect not only to intelligence, but also the way the US has perceived world events in relation to our own interests. In order to understand the failures we need to examine the way the various intelligence organizations involved operated.
In the time leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor intelligence was handled by the individual branches of the military independently of each other. For instance the Army was in charge of the defense of Pearl Harbor and failed to relay the info about the impending attack. With the limited intelligence they had about the attack they secured the munitions and made sure aircrafts were safe. It was also thought by the Navy that the Army would be using long range aircraft to keep the coast safe, but that was not the case and conversely the Army had no idea that the Navy had lost track of the Japanese fleet in the South Pacific. We all know the outcome of those failures.
Now on to the failures of 9/11. There was plenty of intelligence that for warned of the coming tragedy, but just like with the Japanese most of it wasn’t effectively acted on. The attacks in Kenya and Tanzania in ’98 and finally on the USS Cole in 2000 were of the same nature the Asians used to try and test our resolve. Sure we volleyed some long range missiles into Afghanistan but it was merely political theater. Both knew the American public didn’t have much of a stomach for high body counts so they assumed that they could push us without much worry. That was until they attacked us on our homeland. Once each made that mistake it became all too clear just how quickly we can mobilize our military and bring its entire weight to bear on any enemy.
The signs for 9/11 were there, we just didn’t pick up on them quickly enough or believe in the intel strongly enough to act on them in a proactive way. It also speaks to the way intelligence had always been handled up to 2004. Intel was compartmentalized or stove piped so even though the signs were there they weren’t shared. We knew that the terrorists were learning to fly planes with no interest in taking off or landing. We also had an idea that Al Qaeda was trying to destroy the twin towers back in ’98. It was only after these events happened were we able to put all the pieces together.
Both Japan and Al Qaeda wanted to limit our influence in the world and the latter is still trying to prevent the spread of democracy. Hopefully with the passage of recent laws in regards to intelligence gathering we can prevent the next Pearl Harbor or 9/11 from happening.

Pearl Harbor & 9/11

References
Wirtz, James. J (2015) Pearl Harbor & 9/11 Intelligence: The secret world of spies.

References
Wirtz, James. J (2015) Pearl Harbor & 9/11 Intelligence: The secret world of spies.

References
Wirtz, James. J (2015) Pearl Harbor & 9/11 Intelligence: The secret world of spies.
Footnotes
1[Add footnotes, if any, on their own page following references. For APA formatting requirements, it’s easy to just
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