Rich Cooper

A Dozen Years After 9/11, America Continues to Build a Resilient Nation

September 11, 2013

On October 10, 2001, I stood in the field of wreckage of the World Trade Center. Now, a dozen years later, I returned to the site of that destruction and terror. The memory of 9/11 persists, but the wreckage is long gone, replaced by the One World Trade Center. On this 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, building a resilient nation is as important as it has ever been. The World Trade Center site offers many lessons in that regard.

Par for the Course – Lacking a Nominee, DHS Led by “Acting Acting” Secretary

Rich Cooper |

September 10, 2013

After weeks of speculation, long lists of potential candidates and plenty of public debate, the Secretary position at the Department of Homeland Security is still unfilled. There are plenty of reputable, competent people to choose from, but the empty chair at the head of DHS is about par for the course in a federal department whose leadership roster looks like Swiss cheese.

In Search for New DHS Secretary, What About a Top Cop?

Rich Cooper |

August 27, 2013

There is no conclusion yet on who President Obama will nominate to take over at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) when Janet Napolitano leaves next month. While Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff (both former governors) and Napolitano (a Federal judge) did an admirable job leading the Department, perhaps the next Secretary should bring a stronger law enforcement background. A top cop – like a police chief or commissioner – could be just what the Department needs.

Why Ray Kelly Won’t Be Leading DHS

Rich Cooper |

August 20, 2013

With the recent court ruling calling New York’s “Stop and Frisk” tactic “unconstitutional,” there is no way this White House has the political capital to pull off Ray Kelly’s confirmation for the DHS position. Ray Kelly is a tough guy. He helped keep the city that doesn’t sleep safe for nearly a dozen years, but in Cabinet nominations, timing and politics are essential ingredients.

I’m Here Because of Chris Battle

Rich Cooper |

August 9, 2013

I blog because of Chris Battle. Chris had this idea for a dedicated site of experienced homeland security professionals to “tell it like it is” and from time to time “to take it to the man!” If we saw something stupid, “let’s call it out,” and if the call-out could be done with some humor, so much the better. The vision would become what people today know as Security Debrief.

Sheila Jackson Lee for DHS Secretary?

Rich Cooper |

July 29, 2013

For all of the names being bounced around for DHS Secretary, a couple have caught me by surprise, but none of them was as jaw dropping as the news that the Congressional Black Caucus is encouraging President Obama to nominate Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee as a replacement for outgoing-DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. I can only hope that others see her consideration for one of the toughest jobs in the world for what it really is – an unrealistic and unfunny joke.

What the New DHS Secretary Needs To Do

Rich Cooper |

July 23, 2013

There’s a lot of talk about who is best suited to take Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s spot when she leaves the department. Less commonly discussed at present is what this new secretary should do. Napolitano has done an admirable job during her tenure, but there is always room for improvement. Here is my wishlist for what the next DHS Secretary can and should accomplish.

Reasons to Hesitate on Ray Kelly or Jane Hall Lute for DHS Secretary

Rich Cooper |

July 19, 2013

It’s fascinating to see the how various news and blogosphere outlets have responded to the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The names being talked about as her successor have been some of the anticipated suspects, as well as a few surprises. Probably the biggest surprise for me is all of the eager talk about the NYPD’s Ray Kelly and former DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Hall Lute.

A Response to “The Case for Abolishing DHS”

Rich Cooper |

July 18, 2013

Charles Kenny, a Fellow with the New America Foundation and the Center for Global Development, published an opinion piece in Bloomberg BusinessWeek called, “The Case for Abolishing the DHS.” He makes some powerfully accurate assessments on the return on investment from DHS, but as powerful as those arguments and examples may be, Kenny’s declaration that “closing the DHS is a small government solution that works” is a glass-is- half-empty summation that misses some important metrics.

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