Ten years later and the threat remains. It is a diminished threat for sure, but one that is relentless, vicious and places no value on human life. Victory is not yet in sight. The struggle against al-Qaida and international terror continues into the second decade of the 21st century.

Both the Bush and Obama administrations have embraced, either openly or functionally, the concept of "taking the fight to the enemy." It is essential that our policy makers and military remain in this mindset for the next decade. To do otherwise ensures the next Afghanistan/Taliban/al-Qaida stronghold will appear in Yemen, Libya, Somalia, or worse yet - Egypt.

As the threat continues to morph, adapt and change like a chameleon, the U. S. must not permit itself to slip back into a pre-9/11 mentality. Such a relaxed law enforcement, defensive posture mode would have disastrous results. The 9/11 Commission was very clear - policy makers must not return to the 9/10 mentality.

The 9/10 mentality was one trapped in the Cold War mindset and viewed asymmetric threats such as al-Qaida as simply criminals who should be treated as if they were analogous to bank robbers, arsonists or drug distributors.

This mindset accepted that these enemies, like any criminal, should be afforded all rights. It saw the struggle against terror as a law enforcement operation, one that included heavy reliance upon the FBI, and state and local police departments.

On 9/10 the CIA and FBI were not sharing information. Most policy makers, regardless of political affiliation, thought this "wall" between the two agencies was good and effective.

The events 10 years ago demonstrated that employing a law enforcement mindset to such a threat can have disastrous results and could again if the nation returns to it.

We need to use the might of our military and send a signal around the world that al-Qaida and like minded groups will not be able to mount an attack such as the one on 9/11 against anyone, anywhere again.

The Bush administration decided to change the mindset and attack, disrupt and keep al-Qaida on the run. Without question the financial networks and nations that housed such extremists have received the message. The fight against al- Qaida is a war the West must remain determined to win.

Over the past decade, the U.S. has adjusted itself strategically and tactically to meet this new threat. Strategically, the U.S. has created the position of director of National Intelligence, created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration under the DHS. Policy changes have broken down the wall between the CIA and FBI to ensure better sharing of intelligence.

Congress enacted the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in late September 2001 and it remains intact as law today for the Obama administration. Further, the Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT ACT and it, mostly, remains intact today.

Tactically, the model used for counter-insurgency has been updated. The use of overwhelming force to achieve victory (the so called Powell- Weinberger Doctrine) has been shelved for this fight. The new model, authored by the PhD general - David Petraus - looks to fuse the talents of human rights professionals, academics and warriors. This concept, used as part of the surge in Iraq, has had tremendous success in Iraq and still is working well in Afghanistan.

Thus, the U. S. has learned a great deal over the past decade and has matured many systems. Policy makers on the federal and state levels must continue to do so during this long war - if we are serious about attaining victory over al-Qaida and like minded affiliates.

As the Arab Spring has signified - there is a thirst in many Middle Eastern nations for liberty. As part of our taking the fight to the enemy we must employ a diplomatic model now that helps transform many of these newly liberated nations on a path toward freedom and human rights. To do otherwise, will allow the extremists of the al-Qaida network to take root in one of these nations. A 9/10 mentality would not see the need for strong engagement in these nations. One can only hope post 9/11 lawmakers will embrace this new phase of taking the fight to the enemy - the effective employment of diplomacy.

Glenn Sulmasy is a professor of law and chairman of Department of Humanities at the U. S. Coast Guard Academy. He is the author of "The National Security Court System - A Natural Evolution of Justice in an Age of Terror." The views expressed are his own.

Editor's note

To mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, The Day's opinion editors asked some of our local experts on government, foreign policy and national security to reflect on how that event changed America and where the nation stands a decade later.