David Olive

Flynn Warns Against Congressional "Spasmatic Reactions"

September 15, 2010

At this morning’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing, “The Evolving Nature of Terrorism – Nine Years after the 9/11 Attacks” (a hearing worth listening to more than once), Steve Flynn committed a characteristic act of candor when he said that one of the many things that encouraged terrorist activity was the “spasmatic reaction” of Congress. He is right, of course, and not one member of the Homeland Security Committee challenged his comment. That was telling in its’ own right and worth remembering.

It May Be Cool, But is it Smart? Further Questions about the Use of the Predator for Border Enforcement

David Olive |

September 13, 2010

Following my recent posting concerning questions that ought to be asked about the cost-effectiveness of using the Predator for border enforcement purposes, I have heard from several people, and there have been a couple news stories focused on the same theme. Is it smart to deploy a very expensive air platform, like the Predator, no matter how much positive publicity the cool-looking airplane generates for border state politicians? The underlying premise of whether it is “smart” to fly UAVs (like the Predator) for border surveillance missions has NOT been addressed – and it ought to be.

Questions to Secretary Napolitano About Using Predator UAVs for Border Enforcement

David Olive |

August 31, 2010

The announcement Monday afternoon by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano that Predator B unmanned aerial vehicles will begin patrolling the skies over American’s Southwest border, funded in part by the latest $600 million infusion of cash from Congress, ought to raise some very serious questions about the manner in which increasingly limited homeland security funds are being spent. If DHS wants to deploy Predator B UAVs, then at least admit that Predators are far more expensive than almost every other alternative – or make the case why this is a better choice. Thus far, the explanations are lacking, and this should not be allowed to continue. When Congress returns, or whenever GAO gets around to it, Secretary Napolitano should be required publicly to address some of the following questions.

Congress Heal Thyself (yet again)

David Olive |

July 21, 2010

How many times must the story be told of the mal-effects from the mishmash of Congressional turf battles over the Department of Homeland Security before something is done? It is past time for the Congressional leadership of both parties to act. If Congress really wants to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” from government programs, it can start in its own House (and Senate). It is past time to correct this problem.

Unnecessary "Jurisdictional Turf Battles" Threaten to Derail WMD Bill

David Olive |

June 25, 2010

Earlier this week, the House Homeland Security Committee marked up the WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010 in an effort to implement recommendations from the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism (the so-called Graham-Talent WMD Commission). Despite the clearly recognized threat of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, congressional leadership still had not recognized that its failure to defragment congressional oversight of homeland security matters is contributing to our lack of preparedness for when this attack occurs. Shame on them if they don’t pay attention to the warnings from Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Peter King (R-NY) at the time of the WMD bill markup.

After the Harding Withdrawal, Whither TSA?

David Olive |

March 29, 2010

In the next several days, there will likely be a lot written about the debacle of the nomination, then withdrawal, of General Robert Harding to be Administrator of TSA. There will likely be calls for a head or two to roll in the White House personnel office. TSA needs strong leadership, of that there is no doubt. TSA also needs (and deserves) the unwavering public support of the DHS Secretary and the White House, and right now, there is as much of a vacuum in that area as there is in the personnel office at the White House.

A new TSA Administrator nominated – Will his fate be different from the last one?

David Olive |

March 9, 2010

Yesterday afternoon, President Obama announced that he will nominate Retired Army General Robert Harding to be the TSA Administrator. Harding is a well-known and highly respected military and intelligence officer, and under normal circumstances, his nomination should sail through the Senate. But these are not normal times in the Senate.

Rand Beers commits candor – and it was refreshing

David Olive |

March 4, 2010

Following his testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee where he testified about chemical security, DHS Under Secretary Rand Beers met with national security bloggers for an “on the record” session hosted by the Heritage Foundation. It was a remarkably refreshing session – not only because Beers acknowledged the importance of reaching out to a wide range of critical thinkers (which occasionally includes bloggers), but also because he was characteristically candid. Would that other DHS officials followed his lead.

House Science Committee hearing on passenger screening technology begins bizarrely

David Olive |

February 3, 2010

The House Science subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing today on next generation passenger screening technologies, or at least, I thought that was its purpose from the title of the hearing. But for Subcommittee Chairman Rep. David Wu (D-OR), the purpose seemed to be something else.

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