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Contributor:

Rich Cooper

Profiles in Cowardice – An Abdication of Leadership

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November 22, 2011

More than a year ago, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen spoke about how our growing national debt was becoming a national security threat. It was a stunning statement. With that as a backdrop, along with the federal budget drama of the past year, Congressional leaders pledged to work together, forming a so-called Supercommittee. After much discussion and pandering, we now have our end product – Failure. In fact, it’s bigger than failure… it’s an absolute surrender of leadership.

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Hiring our Heroes – Securing the Future for America’s Veterans

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November 17, 2011

American citizens love their soldiers, a phenomenon that sometimes mystifies people from other countries. For those who offer their service and their life to defend and advance our interests, Americans are quick to offer thanks and praise, as they should. Our veterans and active duty troops deserve it. Yet, for a country that so clearly respects and appreciates its military, we sometimes forget that after the service is done, our veterans must have access to the opportunities, jobs and rewards they fought to protect. This, unfortunately, is not always the case.

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Tom Ridge and Penn State Potential

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November 10, 2011

When the news broke yesterday with rumors and news reports that former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge could be in the running to be the next President of Penn State, I have to admit to some very mixed feelings. They weren’t negative mixed feelings but rather selfish ones. As one of the people fortunate enough to serve under Ridge in the early days of DHS, I got to observe one of the most dynamic individuals I’ve ever met in my life. If his move to Penn State should come to pass, the institution will gain someone who not only can navigate the most dangerous of seas but bring people together in service in ways never done before.

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The Lessons of Seeing Something and Doing Nothing

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November 9, 2011

For months, DHS has made considerable effort to engage the public with its “See Something, Say Something” campaign. Over the past few days, however, I’ve been wrestling with instances where people who saw and heard some things and did nothing. Take the murder of Jayna Murray in Maryland, the child sex abuse indictment against a Penn State football coach, and a Chinese toddler struck by cars and left helpless in the street. I can offer no acceptable form of explanation for these terrible instances other than to say we’ve failed all of them as friends, neighbors and fellow human beings.

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Qaddafi’s Cause of Death – Why is this a Big Deal?

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October 24, 2011

The world is a better place without Moammar Qaddafi. It’s a wish that most of the planet has wanted to have fulfilled for some time. The brutal dictator inflicted death and suffering not just on his own people but on several continents. Yet, given the manner of his death, the United Nations, members of the international community, and other human rights groups are calling for a full-fledged investigation into the circumstances of his death. Some parties have even alleged that Qaddafi’s death may in fact be “war crime.” There are so many things to debate about the future of Libya, and this issue seems to be the least important.

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Obama – The Giant-Killer in Chief

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October 21, 2011

When he was running for the presidency in 2007-08, there were not so subtle whispers and inferences made about whether a not-even-one-term U.S. senator from Illinois with no significant executive or security experience was up to the task of being Commander in Chief in a post-9/11 era. There is plenty to debate about the President’s leadership in other areas, but his critics of this area of his job performance look very small and at times, very petty. Through the use of SEAL Team Six, UAVs and other strategic military and intelligence assets, he’s sent an impressive list of bad guys to their ultimate judgment.

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DHS Secretaries Speak – An Almost-Mount Rushmore Moment

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October 12, 2011

As they walked out onto the stage at George Washington University, it was almost a Mount Rushmore moment. Tom Ridge, Michael Chertoff, Janet Napolitano and Thad Allen. Four individuals who by the nature of their respective careers, experiences and positions have become the most recognizable faces associated with homeland security. In a dialogue sponsored by GW’s Homeland Security Policy Institute and the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council, the three DHS Secretaries were “interviewed” by Adm. Allen. If there was any one message the event drove home, it was civil, principled and cooperative leadership exists at the core of the Department and the larger homeland security community.

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NYC Mayor Bloomberg on America’s Immigration Challenge

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September 26, 2011

Homeland security is a group effort, and immigration enforcement is a critical component. In working to keep terrorists and other criminals out of the United States, however, we must ensure that our immigration laws facilitate the arrival of hard-working people seeking a better, freer life. As a part of this ongoing dialogue about America’s immigration laws, on Wednesday, September 28, the National Chamber Foundation will host a half-day Business Horizon Series symposium, “Immigration & American Competitiveness: The Challenge Ahead,” featuring a keynote address from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

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Aspen to the Homeland’s Rescue

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September 19, 2011

When the Aspen Institute does something, they do it exceptionally well. Last week, they announced the formal establishment of the Aspen Homeland Security Group, a reason for optimism about thinking and scholarship on homeland issues. Their membership is literally a “who’s who” on homeland issues. It was mentioned that this group would be available to DHS Secretary Napolitano and her successors to obtain strategic counsel on a range of matters. She certainly could not have asked for a better “kitchen cabinet” of people to talk to or meet with and that unfortunately is where there is a problem.

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