‘Institutional neglect’: 25 years on from 9/11, experts sound alarm over US counter

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-10T05:38:35.411Z • Permanent link

The 9/11 attacks marked a pivotal moment in the history of global counterterrorism efforts. Two decades on, experts are sounding the alarm over the US government's institutional neglect in countering international terrorism. The consequences of this neglect are far-reaching, with the FBI's counterterrorism division facing significant budget cuts, the loss of knowledgeable officials, and the diversion of resources to other national security priorities.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) counterterrorism division was significantly impacted by the 9/11 attacks, with the creation of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in 2004. The NCTC was established to consolidate and coordinate intelligence on terrorist organizations, and its director, John Brennan, played a key role in shaping the US government's counterterrorism strategy. However, in 2017, the Trump administration merged the NCTC with the National Security Agency (NSA), leading to the loss of a dedicated counterterrorism agency. This move has been widely criticized by experts, who argue that it has compromised the FBI's ability to effectively counter terrorism.

The US government's institutional neglect in countering international terrorism has also been exacerbated by the Trump administration's decision to reduce funding for the FBI's counterterrorism division. In 2018, the administration announced a 10% cut to the FBI's budget, which was further reduced in 2020. These cuts have had a significant impact on the FBI's ability to detect and prevent terrorist attacks, with the agency's counterterrorism division facing significant resource constraints.

The consequences of the US government's institutional neglect in countering international terrorism are far-reaching, with significant implications for the Data Sources domain. The FBI's counterterrorism division is a critical component of the US government's counterterrorism efforts, and its decline has raised concerns among researchers, analysts, and policymakers. The loss of a dedicated counterterrorism agency has also had a significant impact on the US government's ability to share intelligence with other countries, which has compromised the effectiveness of international counterterrorism efforts.

The decline of the FBI's counterterrorism division has also had significant implications for the research community. The FBI's counterterrorism division is a critical source of intelligence for researchers, and its decline has reduced the availability of data on terrorist organizations and their activities. This has made it more difficult for researchers to develop effective counterterrorism strategies, which has had significant implications for the markets and policy environments that are affected by terrorism. The loss of a critical source of intelligence has also had significant implications for the global economy, with terrorist attacks having a significant impact on global trade and investment.

The US government's institutional neglect in countering international terrorism is part of a broader pattern of institutional failure in the global counterterrorism efforts. The 9/11 attacks marked a turning point in the history of global counterterrorism efforts, and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had significant implications for the effectiveness of international counterterrorism efforts. The failure of the US government to effectively counter terrorism has been exacerbated by the rise of new terrorist organizations, such as ISIS and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which have proven to be more resilient and adaptable than their predecessors.