Homeland Security

All last week I listened to the president and senators discuss the idea of a new Cabinet position for homeland security. I am amazed that no one has analyzed the fact that the information about a pending terrorist attack made its way through channels to the president but we are not told what directives went from that meeting back to the CIA and the FBI, or who was supposed to coordinate the investigation to prevent the attack of 9/11. If a directive requesting more information from field agents regarding a possible attack had been made, would not more information have come to light before the attack?

On Wednesday, in hearings on his nomination to be head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff had this to say: "If you are dealing with something that makes you nervous, you'd better make sure that you are doing the right thing. And you'd better check it out.... You had better be very careful to make sure that whatever it is you decide to do falls well within what is required by the law." I could hardly believe my ears.

The Homeland Security Department has failed to ensure that local and state law enforcement agencies pursue serious criminals and don't misuse their authority while enforcing immigration law, the Government Accountability Office reported. Dozens of state and local agencies have teamed up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to carry out immigration laws, the domain of the federal government. But ICE, a Homeland Security agency, has not clearly explained that serious offenders, such as drug smugglers, are the target, the GAO said in a report obtained by the Associated Press.

The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security assured Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton and leaders of six other police agencies Monday that his office is taking steps to improve the sharing of intelligence data on potential terrorist threats against municipalities. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with the chiefs in his Washington, D.C.

The Los Angeles Police Commission approved a request to shift 105 officer positions to new homeland security and special operations units Tuesday, setting the stage for one of the largest redeployments of sworn officers within the Police Department in recent years. The request, which is part of Chief William J. Bratton's effort to reorganize the Los Angeles Police Department, aims to create a new LAPD vanguard against gangs and terrorism.

The location of the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the federal government has traditionally reflected the priorities of the day. In 1913, the Bureau of Immigration was placed in the newly created Department of Labor. In 1940, when internal security concerns were paramount, the INS was transferred to the Department of Justice. So it is not surprising that President Bush would now propose moving the INS to a new Department of Homeland Security. The terrorist threat facing the U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced Wednesday that his agency would issue "retooled" regulations concerning national driver's license standards within a matter of weeks and warned states and businesses not to obstruct efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik, President Bush's nominee to replace departing Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, has an engaging life story. His tough-kid-with-grit story couldn't be more engaging. He was then-Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani's police chief at the time of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. He helped train Iraq's still-emerging police force. He has ties to the Arab world through his Syrian wife and work experience with Saudi Arabia's royal family.

The Department of Homeland Security was created after 9/11 to be our domestic security blanket, but its newly sworn-in chief, Michael Chertoff, will have to mend some gaping holes in the fabric before he can move on to new challenges. Chertoff's government experience, and particularly his recent efforts to promote information-sharing within the FBI, makes him ideally suited to the task of forging coordination and cooperation within his new realm.