Homeland Security Tactics Examined
Early Warning blogger William M. Arkin argues in an entry that the Department of Homeland Security is wrongly spending loads of money on idiotic brainstorming sessions, yielding useless, even laughable reports that do nothing to effectively assess or plan for security and terrorism scenarios. Not all of his readers agree.
John Barlow says, "Second-guessing what these experts of today have to brainstorm is a worthless exercise. If critics can do better, get off the editorial page and head for the nearest anti-terrorism center and add your knowledge---free up the news."
"Is this really the biggest waste of money in the Federal government right now?" Lugo asks, adding, "...Before 9/11, I am sure you'd regard a workshop that concluded that terrorists might crash planes into buildings as an absurd waste of money ...but EXACTLY this type of brainstorming might have focused some serious attention on the problem and developed some warning indicators (e.g., terrorists in flight school) before it actually happened."
For Bu Bomb Tech, the DHS workshops and their findings (such as Arkin's citation of the brainstormers' concerns with pressure cookers, yes, pressure cookers) represent an intolerable absurdity. "Holy cow, Batman! Culinary Counterterrorism...our Washington Brain Trust has determined the real threat: Cuisinart and Farberware. ..The US Counterterrorism Strategy: Paralysis by Analysis."
"Should I be concerned," asks Byoolin? "I am a resident alien who has a 'Western appearance' and although I don't have a pressure cooker, I do own both a crock pot and a large roating pan with a lid. I am worried that DHS may send me to Gitmo."
But Tweety is being serious. "On one hand, it's truly easy to make wise ass remarks about the stupidity of DHS as exemplified by this dopey report. Several crossed my mind. But what is frightening is that we are helpless to stop this...Funds that could've bolstered the New Orleans levees and a more rapid response from FEMA are being sucked up by DHS to enable political appointees...to get jobs at the expense of people and programs that need that funding."
Now that's no laughing matter.
By Lindsay Howerton |
September 19, 2005; 2:22 PM ET
| Category:
National Issues
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Posted by: Joseph C. Boyle | October 2, 2005 01:16 PM
No one, including Mr. Arkin, can really know whether DHS is squandering money or not, or whether the amount of money being squandered is significant. The extent of the security problem we have in the U.S. is unknown and is probably unknowable. Much smaller countries with even more ability to foil security-related problems (e.g.,Israel) have been unable to prevent terrorist attacks. We in the U.S., with thousands of miles of border, are unable to prevent either human or drug smuggling. Accordingly, we are not able to predict every type of terrorist threat, but certainly should attempt to try to learn what terrorists might use to attack us. Clearly, for every 10 or even 100 bad ideas, there will be one good one. If this means that we waste a lot of money, so be it. Other agencies exist in the Government for similar or related purposes. For example, would Mr. Arkin, who has a military background, suggest abolishing DARPA, an agency which has had some really screwy ideas over the years, but which also developed the internet? The fact of the matter is that protecting our country from terrorists is an impossible job, which requires a huge amount of resources. It is impossible to station government agents every few yards along the border and it is also impossible to close our ports or halt our economy. So maybe Mr. Arkin should be a little bit more humble before criticizing an agency which is dong its best to protect us. Sure, it is likely that money is being wasted, but can Mr. Arkin really look into a crystal ball and tell anyone what measures will absolutely protect our country against terrorists. If not, he is no more of an expert than anyone else.
Posted by: Bruce Shulman | November 8, 2005 02:54 PM
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President George W. Bush's press secretary is slowly morphing into Ron Ziegler. Losing the Mandate of Heaven stares the President in the face. The entire war cabinet must go if Bush wants a favorable review of his Presideny by his fellow citizens now his contempories let alone the brutal assesments of future historians.
The best course available now is to bring
back former cabinet members Jim Baker and
George Schultz, former Senators Bob Dole,
howard Baker, and Fred Thompson. These men,
and many Republican women too, have the life experience necessary to know that in a race you drive one insurance lap after the victory flag is waved and your name is
flashing on the boards as the winner.
The " Mission Accomplished" fiasco came of taking the Victory Laps in the middle of the race. " Shock and Awe" in Iraq has given us endless paying for the same piece of land with the blood and courage of our
brave troops. the President's war cabinet left Afghanistan with the leader of the September 11th, 2001 attack uncaptured,
and the Taliban and war lords still armed.
Donald Rumsfeld never sought any obtainable political settlement in the entire Middle East, just invade now and wing the press conferences later. In adults these are the actions of cowards, but if you think of these Washington Warlords as a bunch of kids then it makes a little bit of sense. One way to wake up the President is to flood the White House
mail with gifts of babby booties. Those who have paid everything from 9/11 on deserve our efforts to make their deaths
stand for something than more of the same
failures. The perfect plans have been lost
in the past, now we must accept the best plan possible.