Posted on 07/13/2005 1:17:20 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Proclaiming the Homeland Security Department "open to change," Secretary Michael Chertoff on Wednesday announced plans to centralize his agency's terror analysis, put a higher priority on bioterrorism and step up detection systems in mass transit.
In welcome news to Washington-area passengers, the department also will lift a rule that forbade passengers from leaving their seats for 30 minutes before flying into or out of Reagan National Airport, Chertoff said in revealing the details of a sweeping overhaul of the 2-year-old agency founded in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Chertoff ordered the review in March shortly after he took office. The overhaul aims to spur the sluggish bureaucracy beset by turf wars and growing pains, and to ensure that department resources are directed to the nation's most vulnerable areas.
"Over time, as intelligence warrants and progress allows, DHS will be open to change. We will be straight forward. If something goes wrong, we will not only acknowledge it, we will be the first to fix the error," Chertoff told a packed ballroom of lawmakers, department employees and other officials.
Chertoff opened his speech by offering condolences to the British people after the London bombings. He gave no specifics about his plan to put explosives, bioterror, chemical or radioactive material detection systems in the nation's rail, subway and bus systems.
He also renewed his pitch to retool terror-watch lists used to screen passengers on airline flights to eliminate what he called "an unacceptably high number of false positives."
Chertoff said the United States must improve its immigration system as part of bolstering border security. Though the department will deploy more personnel and technology at borders to deter illegal immigrants from entering the country, Chertoff said President Bush's proposed temporary worker program should help migrants seeking jobs in the United States gain legal admission.
He said he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will soon announce plans to ease visa hassles for foreigners entering the country to visit, work and study.
Chertoff also pledged better oversight of his department's private contracting practices. But most of his recommendations Wednesday focused on shaking up Homeland Security's chain of command.
Chief among them was creation of an intelligence director to centralize the analysis of information gathered by 11 Homeland Security bureaus. The director, who has not yet been appointed, will be asked to improve the department's standing within the intelligence community, where it is perceived as a junior partner and often left out of the loop.
Homeland Security was initially designed to be the government's chief center for analyzing terrorist threats, but an interagency office led by a CIA officer has assumed that role. Homeland Security merged 22 existing agencies when it opened its doors in March 2003 — the largest U.S. government reorganization in 50 years.
A chief medical officer also will be named to oversee bioterror policy and coordinate responses to biological attacks by the Centers for Disease Control, which stockpiles vaccines and antidotes, for state and local officials . Poor information flow between federal agencies during the Washington-area's false anthrax scare this year contributed to the decision to create this post, officials said.
A new policy undersecretary will oversee international affairs, strategic plans and work with the private sector. And Chertoff will elevate cybersecurity by assigning it to an assistant secretary, who also focuses on telecommunications.
Of the proposed changes, 80 percent can be accomplished under Chertoff's existing authority; the remainder require congressional approval.
Some lawmakers Chertoff briefed Tuesday said the overhaul was headed in the right direction but they remained skeptical that reorganization would make the country safer.
"We appreciated him coming and talking to us, but ... at the end of the day you have to show Congress and the public what you have done will in fact make us safer" said Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (news, bio, voting record) of Mississippi, top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.
Thompson said Chertoff highlighted immigration and vulnerabilities at chemical and nuclear plants as top priorities.
Many of Chertoff's changes were recommended last year by experts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Heritage Foundation, two Washington think tanks.
"The current organization is weighted with bureaucratic layers — there are still turf wars and there is no place for strategic thinking and policy making," said CSIS Homeland Security director David Heyman, who helped craft the recommendations.
This department is less that 4 years old and it needs re-organizing?.....
Chertoff and Bush are subverting the Constitution, now it looks like Condoleeza will help them along...this administration must be callled on this, in public..often!!!!!
This immigration stuff, free trade stuff, might not have begun with Bush..but he is continuing the sell-out..
This troubels me:
"Chertoff said the United States must improve its immigration system as part of bolstering border security. Though the department will deploy more personnel and technology at borders to deter illegal immigrants from entering the country, Chertoff said President Bush's proposed temporary worker program should help migrants seeking jobs in the United States gain legal admission.
OK, I'll give him a pass on the above, somewhat, obviously one can rant and rave on many things that simply will not satisfy the test of time. BUT the below"
"He said he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will soon announce plans to ease visa hassles for foreigners entering the country to visit, work and study."
Just what the hell does this mean. I sense another fubar. A real big bad fubar. A fubar that is going to place us in more jeopardy of nice young muslim men from abroad getting into the country with little background checks. I see it all now. If anything there should be a total lock down. For public consumption, a carefully worded and "polite" statement by the DoS to the effect, that due to all the known problems with the Islamic Jihad taking place, America can no longer afford to allow anymore Muslim students into this country. Then you tell them, once Islam has demonstrated through positive actions for lets say five years, whatever......lets not hagle over times........then America MIGHT CONSIDER changing the immigration laws concerning visas. Put the burden directly on this camel humpers. Move the blame to them, and make it clear they caused this measure to have to be put in place.
Yes I realize, many a college will scream their little heads off that they no longer get big bucks from some Saudi Prince , but tough Shi*.
No offense to Ridge but, imo, he wasn't up to the task of leading the structuring of a brand new Department. Chertoff, again imo, is up to the task.
" He gave no specifics about his plan to put explosives, bioterror, chemical or radioactive material detection systems in the nation's rail, subway and bus systems. "
Yesterday, Biden was basically begging Al Queda to do a Madrid style bombing on Amtrak.
As Hillary was doing last week on the NYC subway system and Schumer has been doing about the ports.
I will never understand why the Democrats insist on publicly outlining the specifics of mass transist vulnerabilities, instead of working behind the scenes to correct them.
Let's not get apathetic. The stakes are higher than ever.
AlQaida nukes already in the U.S.
world net daily ^ | July 11, 2005 | Joseph Farah
Posted on 07/12/2005 2:41:05 AM PDT by television is just wrong
WASHINGTON – As London recovers from the latest deadly al-Qaida attack that killed at least 50, top U.S. government officials are contemplating what they consider to be an inevitable and much bigger assault on America – one likely to kill millions, destroy the economy and fundamentally alter the course of history, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
According to captured al-Qaida leaders and documents, the plan is called the "American Hiroshima" and involves the multiple detonation of nuclear weapons already smuggled into the U.S. over the Mexican border with the help of the MS-13 street gang and other organized crime groups.
"I am more interested in those who are here temporarily for advanced education."
I have no problem with your statements regarding the south of the border problems, within the context you stated. My second part statement which I am worried about, is the relaxation of current immigration laws as to how much easier it may be for specifially, Muslims of different ethnic groups to be able to come here for higher education, and other things. Perhaps I misread the article. But it seems to indicate the "relaxation", or "streamlining" of current visa process etc.. In short, make it even easier for foreigners of the Muslim faith to enter our borders, then sort of disapear some weeks later.
I don't have the answer as what best should be done. Other then a moretorium, say a five/ten year period where no one of the Muslim faith is allowed into the country for any reason. Then if the Muslim world does not clean up it's act,
extend the laws for another five. Whatever. Such an extreme measure would have a two major goals.
1. Stop the influx of potential Ali Babba.
2. Show the Muslim world they must prove they can be trusted in the future or the gig is up. No more free rides in the USA, etc..
They better find those nukes soon, or say something official about them because the citizens are starting to talk amongst themselves.
That was within the context of what I was attempting to say. Why permit them to learn information to later be used against us? As far as remaining here, that simply must end.
Burrowcrats do not take long to get entrenched.
"That was within the context of what I was attempting to say. Why permit them to learn information to later be used against us? As far as remaining here, that simply must end."
Roger. Sad. Westernized educations can help many of these countries in so many good ways, if their cult did not get in the way.
Why does he even mention that in the same breath as controlling the border!? That's not what most of us are asking for!!!!Who is interested in more immigrants gaining legal admission!! (President Bush and Vicente Fox, that's who!)That's not the problem!! I fear Chertoff's "plan" may be a fraud.
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