Adfero Group HSPI

Beginning this August, 100 percent of cargo bound for passenger planes must be screened before it is loaded. While this looming security deadline is reasonably well known to domestic air cargo companies (and somewhat less well known by thousands of shippers who may be affected), it is hardly known at all outside the United States. That is a problem, because the air cargo screening mandate applies not only to passenger flights within and from the United States, but also to foreign-originating flights to the United States.

Broadcasting live online from the Newseum at 2:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, May 26, American Airlines Cargo joins forces with TSA and others for a 100 percent air cargo screening roundtable.

On Tuesday, a man much of America recognizes for his leadership following the occurrence of a “bad day” will relinquish his command of one of our country’s oldest branches of federal service, the U.S. Coast Guard. Having served the past four years as Commandant, Thad Allen has become one of those unique, iconic American figures that when you see him or mention his name, you almost immediately think of words, “trust,” “competent” and “leader.” Allen’s career has been about two things: leadership and service to others – an unprecedented service that he will continue to fulfill even after his tenure as Commandant ends on Tuesday.

Last week, I had an opportunity to speak with Federal News Radio’s Francis Rose about a variety of topics. We covered John Pistole’s nomination for TSA administrator, the Taliban’s plans for attacking our nation’s capital and of course, the ongoing discussion on immigration.

Last week I pointed out both that the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) does not contribute to illegal immigration and that DHS has a functioning biographic air exit system. This week Secretary Napolitano announced the elimination of the paper I-94W form (the green arrival/departure form long used by VWP travelers.)

On May 5, 2010, the newly empowered European Parliament issued its guidelines for beginning new negotiations on Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreements with the United States, Australia and Canada. This resolution received minimal coverage in the U.S. media, though its consequences for international travel security are potentially significant. Criminals and terrorists know no borders, as recent arrests and uncovered plots prove. We have no choice but to cooperate with international partners and to deepen that cooperation wherever possible. The collection and analysis of PNR data – along with its counterpart Advance Passenger Information (API) – is a critical tool to identify and disrupt the travel of terrorists and other international criminals.

You know it’s going to be rough day when you go to get in your car and discover a flat tire. You know your day has the potential to get even worse when you’re listening to the morning news, and they tell you that the Nation’s Capital or New York City are going to be attacked by terrorists in the next five to six months. So say the forecasters of Stratfor. There are lots of things that a forecast like Stratfor’s should spur us to do. Such is the reality and risk of living and working in DC or the Big Apple, the number one and two targets in the United States. But even if nothing occurs, the fact that people act on information to prepare themselves is a step every one of us should be taking today.

There’s lots you can say about the nomination of John Pistole to be the next TSA Administrator. The first thing is “vetted.” You don’t get to be the number two guy in charge of the FBI without being vetted from top to bottom. Aside from the deeply personnel background check that comes with a Presidential nomination for a post as senior as this, when you have a senior career law enforcement like Pistole put forward for Senate consideration, it makes you wonder why he wasn’t considered sooner.

The endgame appears to have begun for the protests in Bangkok, as security forces take an increasingly hard line and casualties are mounting. There is no doubt that the government had to take action, as the impact of the protests has started to cause real damage to the Thai economy. But the appropriate use of vehicles, faster, more dynamic tactics, and better use of their water cannon could have prevented most of the injuries and deaths we have seen and many of those that are still to occur. The lessons here are that the training and tactics for dealing with disorder must be designed to suit the type of threat you face in your country or city.

In a recent speech, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano extolled the virtues of sharing security technology with U.S. government partners. This is strategically sound, but at the operational level, there is work to be done. One important element of this work concerns legal liability, and to address this, Congress passed and the Department administers the SAFETY Act. To enhance technology sharing with foreign governments, the liability protections should follow the sharing and use of approved technologies overseas. The Department should seek agreements with foreign governments to extend liability protections to foreign legal systems.

Noticeably absent from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee’s roster is an aviation security representative. An omission of a security expert fails to heed the lessons learned after 9/11, the most catastrophic human and economic event in aviation history. The committee will certainly discuss security, but without a security expert on the Advisory Committee, reasonable, necessary security solutions are likely to be overlooked.

Legendary singer-song writer Jim Croce had a classic song, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.” The same could be said for Stafford Act – you don’t want to mess with it. Such was much of the message from many witnesses at the Senate’s Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery hearing, “Stafford Act Reform: Sharper Tools for a Smarter Recovery.” While each of the witnesses conveyed their unwavering support for the Stafford Act and its structures, they cautioned Congress from messing with it.

Several weeks ago, a number of my colleagues posted about DHS/Administration plans to discontinue National Level Exercises (NLEs) to cut costs. NLEs are designed to show each top leader across the government how the government works as a whole and what each agency is responsible for during an emergency or event that impacts the lives of Americans. I recall then-Arizona Governor (now DHS Secretary) Janet Napolitano expressing concern to Secretary Chertoff that the NLEs were all prescripted and a waste of time to professionals in the response and law enforcement business. I am a big proponent of exercises as a proactive means of ensuring readiness.

With summer quickly approaching, many church groups are making plans for the various mission trips that they sponsor for adults and youth. In the United States, places like post-Katrina New Orleans, Appalachia and other areas with economic challenges and post-disaster problems have benefited for years from the fellowship of many hands repairing old structures, building new ones and bringing faith into action. Like those at my own church, mission trips planned for this summer are being canceled on account of the unrest south of the border. While the needs of many people remain ever-present in Mexico, the ongoing violence makes it next to impossible to support any type of humanitarian service operation in that country.

Last week we experienced a major “event” in the financial world. In a matter of minutes, the New York Stock Exchange lost nearly 1000 points or about $1 trillion. It caused panic and kicked off numerous investigations as to the catalyst of the dramatic and expensive incident. There are five possible reasons for the market fall, but despite lots of hand wringing and conspiracy theorizing, pretty much all the experts agreed that it was not a terrorist incident.

Reporting from ground zero in the immigration debate, the Arizona Republic recently wrote that a large number of illegal immigrants entered the United States legally with visas but never left. DHS’s picture of overstay rates has come into greater focus over the past several years. As a result, we can say with much more certainty that the vast majority of these “overstayers” did not enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

If you want to scare a cyber-lay person, have them watch Bruce Willis chase virtual terrorists in “Live Free or Die Hard” and tell them it is all possible. In the film, the entire digital infrastructure of our country is brought to a stand still by a small group of very talented hackers. OK, professional analysts have told me it could not happen today. It could, however, happen in the not too distant future, particularly if present trends continue. The keys to that scenario are SCADA systems.

Since posting my blog, “The System Worked,” on Security Debrief and several other social media sites commending the work of law enforcement, intelligence and others in the capture of the failed Times Square bomber, I’ve received lots of feedback. And I couldn’t be happier. Everyone offered a number of good points that brought thought and debate to this still unfolding situation. While I can’t respond to all of the points raised, I wanted to tackle a few of the arguments that people posed to my blog.

Overlooked in all the coverage of Faisal Shahzad’s dramatic arrest as his flight was about to depart Kennedy International Airport for Dubai is that his identification and capture was made possible because, contrary to popular perception, DHS has an operational air exit system. Compliance with both inbound and outbound Advanced Passenger Information System manifest submission requirements is nearly 100 percent. It was this manifest submission that triggered the hit on Shahzad’s name and led to his arrest.

At a Cloud Computing Summit this week, initial questions were simple and basic; later, the question grew almost hostile. I remain an advocate for Cloud Computing. I am convinced that its economic, ecological and efficiency pluses will out weigh its potential downsides in the end. The mostly government crowd was not so sure. They were asking tough questions and were more than a little skeptical.