"The country was not focused on terrorism before September 11th"

Louis Freeh's declaration that "The country was not concentrated on terrorism before September 11th" calls attention to a substantial shift in national concerns and awareness set off by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Before these terrible occasions, terrorism was perceived largely as a peripheral problem, eclipsed by other domestic and global concerns. The quote encapsulates the concept that there was a basic absence of urgency and focus on counter-terrorism efforts in both the public awareness and governmental policies prior to 9/11.

Prior to the attacks, the United States tended to view terrorism as an issue that happened mainly overseas, frequently affecting other nations more directly. While there were instances of terrorism affecting Americans, such as the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, these events did not catalyze a wide-scale or continual national focus on terrorism. Instead, the immediate reactions were localized and did not lead to a detailed reevaluation of national security priorities. In the 1990s, U.S. policy was more concerned with concerns like nuclear expansion and geopolitical shifts following completion of the Cold War.

Freeh's reflection can also be comprehended as a critique of the pre-9/ 11 intelligence and police neighborhoods, which were perhaps ill-prepared for the scale and nature of modern-day terrorism. Agencies like the FBI, which Freeh formerly directed, were not as incorporated and concentrated on counter-terrorism as they ended up being post-9/ 11. The sense of disconnect in between worldwide terrorist networks and national security techniques highlights the reactive rather than proactive position America held at the time.

Following 9/11, the focus sharply shifted; terrorism ended up being a central issue, setting off massive changes in policy, security, and global relations. The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act exhibit how considerably national concerns changed in their wake.

In summary, Freeh's quote highlights an important pivot point in American history where terrorism surged from the periphery to the forefront of nationwide focus, fundamentally changing the landscape of U.S. domestic and diplomacy.