The Homeland Security Department has neither the legal nor technical tools to match the British capture of terrorist operatives before they were about to blow up passenger airliners.
And this is just pathetic.
Posted on 08/25/2006 3:12:48 AM PDT by rdb3
The Homeland Security Department has neither the legal nor technical tools to match the British capture of terrorist operatives before they were about to blow up passenger airliners.
Officials said U.S. law would not have allowed the FBI to conduct the type of surveillance that led Britain to uncover the al Qaeda cell and capture what could be the network’s chief. They said the department also does not have the funding to detect new types of bombs used by al Qaeda.
''What helped the British in this case is the ability to be nimble, to be fast, to be flexible, to operate based on fast-moving information,'' Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.
Officials said British authorities have greater powers of surveillance and investigation, which facilitated the capture of more than 20 suspected al Qaeda plotters. In contrast, they said, Congress has been reviewing the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program and military tribunals.
On Aug. 17, U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruled in Detroit that the National Security Agency's wiretap program was unconstitutional and ordered that it be halted. The administration plans to appeal the decision.
"If this program were to be halted, it would hamper our ability to foil terrorist plots," said Sen. Mike DeWine, Ohio Republican and member of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee. "It is a critical tool to prevent America from being attacked."
But critics in Congress said DHS has failed to properly use its authority to foil terrorist plots. They said the biggest disappointment was the department's refusal to allocate research and development funds.
In August, the Bush administration sought to eliminate $6 million from the DHS budget for the development of explosives detection technology. The administration's attempt, blocked by Congress, took place as DHS's Sciences & Technology Directorate failed to spend $200 million in research and development money from previous years.
"The committee is extremely disappointed with the manner in which S&T is being managed within the Department of Homeland Security," a June 29 report by the Senate Appropriations Committee said.
Officials also acknowledged DHS delays in testing a new liquid explosives detector supplied by Japan in 2006. Al Qaeda sought to use liquid explosives to destroy as many as 10 American airlines.
"It is very promising technology, and we are extremely interested in it to help us operationally in the next several years," Assistant Secretary for Transportation Security Kip Hawley said.
But DHS, which spent $732 million in 2006 to develop explosives deterrents, concluded that several commercial liquid explosive detectors tested since 2003 have been deemed unfeasible.
The department has also failed to deploy trace explosive detectors in foreign airports to stop so-called shoe bombs. The systems have already been deployed in most U.S. airports.
"To help close this gap, the percentage of shoes subjected to explosives inspection should be significantly increased," a DHS report in 2005 said.
"Within the current state of the art, they afford the only meaningful explosives detection capability at the checkpoint."
The U.S. watch list of suspected terrorists has been criticized as vague and often a waste of time for border officers. A July 24 report by DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner asserted that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers lack "authority to make timely and informed decisions regarding the admissibility of individuals who they could quickly confirm are not the suspected terrorist."
''We've done a lot in our legal system the last few years, to move in the direction of that kind of efficiency,'' Mr. Chertoff said. ''But we ought to constantly review our legal rules to make sure they're helping us, not hindering us.''
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The Homeland Security Department has neither the legal nor technical tools to match the British capture of terrorist operatives before they were about to blow up passenger airliners.
And this is just pathetic.
Makes no difference HOW you spend the money, just that you do spend it.
Seems there are those who constantly complain no matter what steps are taken to keep us safe.
They celebrate the corrupt judge Diggs, then demand to know why the Brits do more to prevent terror attacks.
I have begun to wonder if they even see the enormous inconsistencies and disconnect from reality in their positions. Very dangerous bunch.
The Brits have spent decades fighting terrorism and know that you have to fight dirty to beat them. I remember being in the UK when the IRA cell was shot dead on Gibraltar. If you don't stoop to their levels, they will win.
As Mark Steyn said so well yesterday. The left WANTS us to lose the WOT.
The Homeland Security Department has neither the legal nor technical tools to match the British capture of terrorist operatives before they were about to blow up passenger airliners.
I fear that all aspects of US society, DHS as an example, now emphasize bureaucracy over substance...
That's because those people claim the only way to stop terrorism is to redistribute wealth worldwide. That $200 million is wasted in their eyes unless it goes to the terrorists.
the key of course, is the people and is in being nimble and fast. i find the HS to be a bit of a bad joke and do *not* sleep better at night knowing they are on the beat strip searching 85 year old invalid women at the airport...
Just another example of Chertoff's insatiable lust for power. The man is a danger to our freedom.
You can keep to your mantra about HS searching 85 yr. olds but you know full well there is a lot going on that you know nothing about......but then you don't want to know either because it takes away your whine.
Makes no difference HOW you spend the money, just that you do spend it.
I'm not so sure. In my opinion congress created DHS and then immediately recognized the potential for pork. They have created a situation where DHS is a pork distribution project, parcelling out grants in the $1M range to a million different municipalities and states. Makes congress happy, though when I hear them upset that they didnt spend enough I wonder what strings were on that money (limits on ammounts per project, has to be used on small/minority businesses, must be in state x...).
Bottom line, congress doesnt take HLS seriously. If it did, it would demand a comprehensive strategy, fund it, and support it. And if that strategy resulted in fewer life jackets going to Fargo ND, they'd nod and accept it because the greater good warrants it. But try to take a penny away from local pork spending (NYC anyone?) and listen to the wailing.
If it began to treat DHS like DOD was treated in the cold war, we'd see some progress. But that looks unlikely unless we get hit again in a big way (god forbid).
That was actually my point. You just did a far better job of making it.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
..................
I had thought you were saying that in the current circumstances, we need to be investing in a variety of projects and if the money is there then it needs to be spent or we'll never make progress. As my only defense for debating someone by throwing their own point back at them, I refer you to my tagline.
BUSH SPIED
TERRORIST DIED
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