Political Science

Disaster managements objective is to reduce or avoid the effects of hazards in disasters by acting promptly, giving the appropriate help to the victims of disaster and achieve quick and effective recovery. This happens in a cycle in which all involved parties
plan for and reduce the impact of disaster,
react during and immediately following a disaster, and
Take steps to recover after the occurrence of a disaster.
This happens in four phases which can be described as

Mitigation  in this phase the effects of disaster are minimized and involvebuilding codes, zoning, public education etc.

Preparedness  this is the phase that involves planning how to respond and consists of preparedness plans, emergency exercisestraining and warning systems.

Response  this is the phase where efforts are made to minimize the hazards brought by a disaster and includes search and rescue and provision of emergency relief.

Recovery  this is the phase involving returning the community to normalafter a disaster and includes temporary housing, grants, medical care etc. Recovery activities continue until all systems return to normal or better. These phases need not take place in that order and the duration of each phase of the cycle depends on the severity of the disaster. In most cases the phases may even overlap.

During the September-11 bombing, the response was quite good, especially considering the magnitude of the disaster.  According to the National Situation Update for September 12, 2001, in the New York city, the Fire Department of New, the New York Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , the building  employees and the occupants of the buildings did their best to cope with a disaster of such a magnitude, with casualties who were nearly 100 in the impact zone. Even though there was a problem of command and control both in New York and Pentagon, this phase was carried out well considering the magnitude of the disaster.

The recovery phase which involved the search and rescue effort in the immediate aftermath at the World Trade Center site involved construction workers of various trades. From across North America, over one thousand ironworkers had arrived to help. In New York, the coordination of the recovery phase of the disaster was done by the New York City Office of Emergency Management, and volunteers came in the thousands to help. This phase was carried out well though it was interrupted when the buildings collapsing under fire. (National Situation Update for September 12, 2001).

On the basis of the 9-11 Commission Report, the response phase of the disaster management cycle was carried out the best. The commission highlights the point that there was almost 100 casualty at the impact zone and goes to mention that with a disaster of such a scale, the agencies which were involved in this phase did their best.

When Hurricane Katrina struck, it became evident that the nation is not adequately prepared to respond to catastrophic disasters, even after the September 11 terrorists attack.

The magnitude of the destruction and human suffering caused by Hurricane Katrina to the people and communities of the Gulf Coast Region clearly shows that the nation has not changed in terms of preparedness with respect to disaster. The country may have taken good steps tackle terror, but not natural disasters or other types of disaster. This is evidenced by media descriptions of acts of desperation and survival by the victims in obtaining food and supplies following Katrina.

If there is anything that could have prevented the planning and implementation of September 11 terrorists attack, it would have been to heed the threats that had been issued. The fact is that the attack was entirely foreseeable. Anti-interventionists had warned about long before, but the regimes in power smugly believed they were in control in every corner of the world. The truth is that if the issues that made the Arabs hate Americans and their values would have been addressed, then the bombing would most likely not have occurred.

Types of Disasters
Natural disasters are the disasters that are caused directly and intentionally by man e.g. the September 11 terrorist attack. Natural disasters also include disasters caused by man due to his activities, without necessarily doing it intentionally. An example of this is the global climatic change which has largely been blamed on the use of fossil fuels.  The increase in the frequency of floods and storms has been blamed on this climatic change and global warming. Natural disasters on the other hand are those that occur naturally without mans intervention e.g. Drought, Earthquakes Fires, Floods, Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tropical Cyclones, Landslides, Nuclear Disasters, Oil Spills, Tornadoes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes. One important point is that while man-made disasters can be averted, man is seemingly helpless in natural disasters.

Definitions and Information on technological disasters.Terrorism           
Terrorism is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations as the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. When terrorism strikes, communities may receive assistance from State and Federal agencies operating within the existing Integrated Emergency Management System. FEMA is the lead Federal agency for supporting State and local response to the consequences of terrorist attacks.     

FEMAs role in managing terrorism includes both antiterrorism and counterterrorism activities. Antiterrorism refers to defensive measures used to reduce the vulnerability of people and property to terrorist acts, while counterterrorism includes offensive measures taken to prevent, deter, and respond to terrorism. Within the emergency management arena, antiterrorism is a hazard mitigation activity and counterterrorism falls within the scope of preparedness, response and recovery.           

Terrorism is often categorized as domestic or international. This distinction refers not to where the terrorist act takes place but rather to the origin of the individuals or groups responsible for it. For example, the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was an act of domestic terrorism, but the attacks of September 2001 were international in nature. For the purposes of consequence management, the origin of the perpetrator(s) is of less importance than the impacts of the attack on life and property thus, the distinction between domestic and international terrorism is less relevant for the purposes of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery than understanding the capabilities of terrorist groups and how to respond to the impacts they can generate.

Biological  Chemical Weapons         
Biological agents are infectious microbes or toxins used to produce illness or death in people, animals or plants. Biological agents can be dispersed as aerosols or airborne particles. Terrorists may use biological agents to contaminate food or water because they are extremely difficult to detect. Chemical agents kill or incapacitate people, destroy livestock or ravage crops. Some chemical agents are odorless and tasteless and are difficult to detect. They can have an immediate effect (a few seconds to a few minutes) or a delayed effect (several hours to several days).       

Biological and chemical weapons have been used primarily to terrorize an unprotected civilian population and not as a weapon of war. This is because of fear of retaliation and the likelihood that the agent would contaminate the battlefield for a long period of time. The Persian Gulf War in 1991 and other confrontations in the Middle East were causes for concern in the United States regarding the possibility of chemical or biological warfare. While no incidents occurred, there remains a concern that such weapons could be involved in an accident or be used by terrorists.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I would say that if a terrorist attack or another significant disaster were to hit the United States today that is similar to that which occurred on 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina were to occur today, the preparedness would respond to significantly better because after the September 11 and Katrina, the agencies involved have equipped themselves well and have also gained experience. Funds have also been set aside for such emergencies. I believe that the FEMA has also been restructured to cope with such an occurrence.