DHS Report Card According to CFR
Posted by StormWarning on 28 Oct 2006 at 11:57 am | Tagged as: Current Affairs, Domestic Terrorism, National Security, Opinions
Steven Flynn of the Council on Foreign Relations has offered a report card on the performance of the Department of Homeland Security.
The following is brought to us by my Homeland Security Daily Newswire. More details are available in Flynn’s report:
A new report card published by the Washington, D.C.-based
Council on Foreign Relations says that the agency is doing well in air defense
and nuclear plant security, but gives it near failing marks for port security,
chemical plant security, and — horror of horrors — public relations. The
final report card is as follows:
Lets translate that to how we used to look at grade point averages in college:
- Nuclear Plant Security: B/B+ = 3.15
- Air Defense: B = 3.0
- Airport Security: C+ - 2.7
- Border Control and Immigration: C = 2.0
- Chemical Plant Security: D-/F = .35
- Disaster Response: C- = 1.7
- Bridges, Tunnels, and Other Infrastructure: C = 2.0
- Public Relations: D = 1.0
Now, assuming that each entry (course) is of equal credits (weighting), DHS has earned a GPA of a "C." That simply isn’t good enough!
The CFR report found DHS’s chemical plant security planning to
be totally inadequate and in need of remedial training. Flynn noted that DHS has allocated only $10 million to inspect and police the nation’s
some-odd 15,000 chemical facilities, which all told have the potential to
injure or kill up to 100,000 citizens living nearby. "This is totally
unsatisfactory in light of the threat that some very deadly chemicals can
pose," wrote Flynn.
Air defense received the best grade, in large part due to
post-9/11 NORAD procedures so well demonstrated earlier this month with the
small craft incident in Manhattan. "There still remains a real challenge
in our airspace if it’s a homegrown developed issue," Flynn explained,
"though our ability to monitor what’s flying from outside the United
States into U.S. soil has improved, and the ability for the Department of
Defense under its northern command to muster fighter pilots and so forth to
meet planes is quite good."
Satisfied? I know that I’m not! In a conference call the other day, I asked someone why no company has leapt to the forefront of one of the key areas of homeland security of interest to me. The answer was, "the government can’t get out of its own way." I care about homeland security. I think that CFR and Flynn have an objective view. I wonder what it will take for DHS to figure it out. They’ve already had five years.
Current Affairs, Domestic Terrorism, National Security, Opinions
DHS has taken a lot of heat of late. Even Rolling Stone thinks they know more about Homeland Security than the people doing it. What I look at is the net result moreso than the “who’s” and “where’s” of the picture. Bottom line in those five years, no domestic terrorist attacks, no significant attacks in foreign lands. If DHS is doing such a crappy job, how do people like Steven Flynn explain the result. Are we to assume that after going into Afghanistan and Iraq that the terrorists decided to take a rest? We’ve been assuming that a major attack is imminent for several years. And, apparently one was planned earlier this year. So, what gives? My take? Things are not as dire as the media wants us to believe in an election year. Around mid-November, let’s see how many people come crawling out of the woodworks proclaiming how horrible DHS is managed. Especially if the Democrats win a house or two.
People think that DHS is doing nothing but providing jobs to a small town in rural Kentucky. I know for a fact that’s not the case. Given what has NOT occurred in the last five years, I have to question Steven Flynn’s assessment that things are truly that bad.
CFR isn’t Rolling Stone. Steven Flynn is at least a recognized authority in the field. I’m not entirely sure, even after reading his analysis why he’s so negative.
As for nothing happening since September 11th, you and I have had those discussions many times before. While there is a small bit of luck involved, there is also alot of NSA surveillance and increased diligence by the DHS as well.
As for creating jobs in a small town in Ky., that’s not my issue at all. From what I’ve seen, its more than likely warranted. Just as good there as anywhere else. And I still agree with you that the BSL4 belongs in your area.
As for the election, and what it would mean to homeland security, I absolutely do not want to see the Republicans lose the House…I don’t think that they’ll lose the Senate.