Adfero Group HSPI

Almost everyone involved in national security affairs, within and outside the government, talks about the threat that Iran poses to U.S. interests in the Middle East. Given this view of the Iranian threat and Iranian’s unabated belligerent behavior, national security policymakers and opinion makers in the United States almost unanimously agree that the past policies of sanction regimes and containment employed by successive U.S. Administrations since 1979 have failed to produce the change in Iranian policies and attitudes towards the United States and the region.

For the first time DOJ has announced a policy of non enforcement when federal drug policy conflicts with state drug policy. The DEA continues to operate without even having a nominee named to lead the agency on a permanent basis, more than 100 days into the new Administration. And now, with the announcement of Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske as the new Drug Czar, the Administration is asserting that it will banish the use of the term “war on drugs.” I fully support greater resources for education and treatment, but those efforts cannot be successful without an equally vigorous law enforcement strategy.

Security Debrief contributor Randy Beardsworth discusses his role in helping merge the Homeland Security Council with the National Security Council as the new Administrations works to create a more holistic national security infrastructure.

This past Monday after North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, President Barack Obama said, “North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community” and warranted action by the international community.

Residents and businesses shouldn’t be nervous as the June 1 Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative implementation nears. The changes will ease border crossings while also securing our borders.

Last week the American National Standards Institute’s Homeland Security Standards Panel (ANSI-HSSP) released a sobering, frustrating and frankly embarrassing report that should give pause to emergency managers, public safety personnel and for that matter all Americans. The report, Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, chronicles the findings of a two-day workshop that occurred February 3-4, 2009, at Gallaudet University.

Last month’s annual U.S. State Department Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 made not one single mention of Nigeria’s Niger Delta conflict. This past week, the Nigerian military’s Joint Task Force (JTF) conducted offensive cordon and search operations against the militants of the Niger Delta, including the largest umbrella group known as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). The JTF operations were ostensibly in response to the recent series of MEND attacks, which comprised hostage-taking, oil pipeline and vessel attacks, and direct engagements against the Nigerian military. What is occurring in the Niger Delta–crime, terrorism, or insurgency?

Security Debrief Contributor and former Chief of Operations at the DEA, Michael Braun, recently took part in the New York Time’s online “Freakonomics Blog” where he was asked, “What Would Happen if Marijuana Were Decriminalized?”

A controversial new letter surfaces from Osama bin Laden suggesting that since President Obama must shut down Gitmo but no one will take the terrorists, he will do so. “You have a need and I have a need. You need to get rid of these Martyrs-In-Waiting, and I need more Martyrs!” writes the Terrorist In Chief.

While the Administration has been rich in its rhetoric in heralding the forthcoming closure of the facility and trying to restore America’s human rights credibility, it is in outright poor shape in articulating the reality and tough answers to the “Now what?” questions.

Secure Communities, the newish program at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to track and deport criminal aliens, is getting a sudden burst of media attention. In part, the attention being given to criminal aliens (by both the Administration and the Democratic-led Congress) has a political undertone. That said, political motivations don’t change the fact that Secure Communities is a good program, and deporting criminal aliens is good policy.

There is only one word to respond to Secretary Napolitano’s comments yesterday about her reasons on FEMA remaining in DHS. “Amen.”

David Heyman will make an excellent DHS Assistant Secretary of Policy. The problem is that he’s in the wrong job — instead of assistant secretary of policy, a Department the size and scope of DHS needs an Undersecretary of Policy.

Today, it is the privacy groups who are playing the role of conservatives, attempting to roll back the tide of technological and social change. They won’t like being called conservative, but that truly is what they are – reactionaries hoping to stop the tide of history, much like King Canute. Today, they are fighting the social change generated by September 11 and the technological changes produced by American companies.

While the exact composition of potential new legislation is unknown, some stakeholders have begun making the argument that the only solution is for the government to federalize the cargo screening process, similar to the way in which the government manages baggage screening at airports. Federalizing the cargo screening process, however, would be a drastic and short-sighted solution that would further erode our proven risk-based inspection strategy.

Security Debrief Guest Contributor, Douglas Doan, continues his Deadly Sins of DHS series with a look at pride within the fight on securing the border with Mexico.

Sunstein’s take on the use of data and statistical analysis to understand the impact of regulatory analysis is a welcome sign to those of us in the homeland security space, because one of the guiding tenants of DHS policy and regulatory activity is risk management–which is grounded in analytical assessments of risks and rewards, or costs and benefits.

This morning the White House is slated to announce that Dr. Thomas Frieden will be the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Frieden is currently the City of New York’s top health official where he has served since 2002.

Yesterday, the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced to the House Homeland Security Committee that FEMA would remain a part of DHS. While it is not surprising that Napolitano made the decision, given her inclination towards having FEMA stay put in her January confirmation hearing, it has likely rankled a few folks bent on returning FEMA to its Clinton-era cabinet-level status.

In a press conference earlier today Nancy Pelosi declared that the CIA mislead her during their briefings to her on what interrogation techniques were used on captured suspected terrorists. How stupid does she think we are?