[Thane_Banquo]

All the money in the world isn't going to make us safe as long as we keep clinging to political correctness.

[onyx]

"I believe in the next five years - can't tell you when, where, what or how - there will be an attack," former Sen. Warren Rudman (R-N.H.), who chaired the panel that produced the report, told NBC's "Meet the Press."

DUH.

That great Warren is really "in the know."

[Mike Darancette]

There seem to be two camps emerging; one camp wants to keep America safer from attack the other camp wants to be sure we are spending the requisite amount of money on body bags.

[Nachoman]

"dangerously unprepared"! Say what? I still have my duct tape and plastic sheeting.

[exit82]

We need to make sure the Arab world knows what will happen if we experience another 9/11 on our soil: Mecca and Medina will cease to exist and we will take over Saudi Arabia,Lebanon, Egypt and Syria.

This has to stop. We can't keep living like this. The terrorists have already changed our lives,i.e., like what we have to endure just to get on an airplane,etc.

Their host governments need to understand we will come down hard on them if they don't get it under control.

Somehow, I don't think the State Dept. agrees with me. What concerns me is that I wonder If my President agrees with the State Dept.

[MattAMiller]

I have to wonder how much of this complaining about lack of funding for firefighters and police is really just free-spending state and local pols facing budget problems and engaging in a bit of CYA.

[ladyinred]

Interesting. One the one hand we have a plethora of people, democrats to media, to so called conservatives complaining how much of a police state we are living in with all of this concern from the administration on our security. On the other hand, we have this report from CFR saying we are not doing enough. Hmmm.

[RightOnline]

"Metzl said one example is difficulties faced by the FDNY, NYPD and other emergency responders in communicating with one another because of problems with their radio systems."

Yeah. Radios. Right. Gee........if only we had known that that's all it took.......................

.......shaking head in disbelief.........

[RepublicanHippy]

"Council on Foreign Relations"

Just look at the source of the information.

[yonif]

Ping.

[Ciexyz]

The Dems must be drooling over this report and are using it as an attack on President Bush. Charlie Rose featured it on his PBS show last night (I changed the channel).

[rintense]

"I believe in the next five years - can't tell you when, where, what or how - there will be an attack,"

Geez, I think my magic eight ball could have given the same prediction.

[Old Sarge]

Perhaps I can offer a few things, here, from someone who's manning the ramparts...

There are two military operations going on right now: Enduring Freedom (OED), and Noble Eagle (ONE). OED deals with US deployments overseas, either direct combat or counterterrorist ops. ONE is the Homeland Security fight, and it's been going on since 12 SEP 01.

ONE deals a lot with Force Protection; keeping key installations secure, logistics maintained, etc. Bridges and tunnels must be patrolled, power and water safeguarded, and ports of entry secured. And that last one is a biggie.

Ports of entry are land-, air-, and sea-borne transit for just about everything this nation consumes. And Department of Homeland Security has got the mission. DHS as an entity is relatively new, and all the sections of the orchestra aren't playing exactly right yet, but there are a bunch of good people who never see the limelight, who are getting the missions accomplished, one at a time.

I agree with other FReepers on some points. Yes, the borders are porous, and more can be done to make them less so. Yes, the problem exists of Muslim infiltration, but how to solve it, and still retain our laws? Yes, the guys in the green suits are straining at the bit to go after the Jihadis, but who's to say who the Jihadis ARE? We don't go after our own people - presumption of innocence.

Considering where we were three years ago, we've achieved great things on the home front. We'll achieve even more, tomorrow. But if one big thing had to be pointed at, it's this: at least everyone's THINKING about the home front. And that makes me smile while I'm on watch.

Thanks, Folks.

[Dont Mention the War]

Rudman suggested that better equipment could have avoided "the horrific loss of life of New York firefighters" on Sept. 11, 2001.

The FDNY already had that better equipment (I presume he's referring to radios that actually work in WTC-height buildings). The problem was as soon as they got it, the radios DIDN'T WORK because the cheap-ass company that got the patronage bid sent them worthless crap, and the FDNY was forced to go back to their old radios while the City practically had to initiate legal action against the manufacturer of the "new" radios to get them to even begin to work on fixing the problems. (To my knowledge, the "new" radios still are not fit for use.)

In the end, it was RAT corruption that kept New York's Bravest from hearing that order to evacuate the buildings, not a lack of money or equipment.