The War on Terror Has Not Compromised Civil Liberties In the wake of 9/11, the United States of America began fighting a war on terrorism. Many in this country would say that we have actually started a war against ourselves. One argument is that the war on terrorism has begun to erode our civil liberties. Have our civil liberties really been abused or have they been slightly altered by the Patriot Act to protect the interests of all Americans? To fully protect Americans from tracking future terrorist attacks, the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force and the Patriot Act were essential components. Many complain that the war on terrorism has invaded their right to privacy. People fear that their phone conversations and Internet use are being monitored. The truth is that only those suspected of terrorist acts are closely monitored by the government. The fact is that we need military courts, detention programs, monitoring of internet and phone activity, and attorney-client conversations to protect all Americans from future terrorist attacks (Ashcroft). Any person monitored by the government is notified in advance. For example; a prisoner whose lawyer-client conversation is closely monitored knows he is being listened to and can only be prosecuted for information relating to terrorism or future terrorist attacks. According to John Ashcroft, monitoring conversations is one of the many steps necessary to fight terrorism. Immigrants fear deportation from the United States and feel their rights have been violated after 9/11. Our government instilled this fear by passing the Patriot Act. "The Patriot Act stemmed from a bill released by the Department of Justice following the terrorist attacks of September 11" (Byr...... half of document.. .... and Senate Judiciary Committee said scaring the American people into losing their freedoms does nothing but help terrorists, "because they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve" (Davies). * Ashcroft, John. "The War on Terror Has Not Eroded Civil Liberties." Freedom: Opposing Views. Ed. Auriana Ojeda New York: Greenhaven Press, 2004. York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2004.* Davies, Frank: Ashcroft Defends US Counterterrorism Tactics.” Detroit Free Press. December 7, 2001. November 6, 2004. .* Hannity, Sean. Let Freedom Ring. page: 133 New York: Regan Books, 2002.* Hendrickson, David C., and Robert W. Tucker. "The Sources of American Legitimacy." Foreign Affairs. New York: 2004.