Thad Allen Leaves Gulf, Heads for RAND
Having recently completed the president’s request to oversee the response and clean up for BP’s oil spill, former U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen has joined the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow.
‘Smart Containers’ the Intelligent Choice for DHS, Group Says
CQ Homeland Security: ‘Smart Containers’ the Intelligent Choice for DHS, Group Says Agencies within the Department of Homeland Security often talk about building “public-private partnerships,” and cargo security is perhaps the most visible of areas in which the federal government and the commercial sector work side-by-side. Yet a group of companies working on “smart containers” […]
What I Hope Kevin Costner Says Before the House
It’s not at all unusual for a Hollywood celebrity to make an appearance on Capitol Hill. Whether they are advocating for a particular cause or issue, their public visibility has the ability to shine a greater light on a particular subject matter than what might otherwise be offered. That’s why I greet the news that Oscar winner Kevin Costner is serving as a witness before the House Homeland Security Committee with some cautious enthusiasm. At the Wednesday hearing, Costner will be just one of several witnesses that hopefully will provide some lessons learned from what has been and continues to be the disaster with no end – the Gulf oil spill.
Justice Department to Step In on Coast Guard Civil Rights
Justice Department to Step In on Coast Guard Civil Rights – Coast Guard Report
Coast Guard Report has learned that documents will be forwarded to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) later this week that will bring the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in for a look at Coast Guard Civil Rights, Ms. Terri Dickerson, Thad Allen and Admiral Bob Papp among others.
DHS Nuclear Office Misled Congress on Radiation Detector, GAO Finds
DHS Nuclear Office Misled Congress on Radiation Detector, GAO Finds – CQ Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security office charged with developing nuclear smuggling countermeasures essentially misled Congress over the course of several budget requests, saying that it was still planning on deploying radiation-detecting equipment for a project that was discontinued in 2007, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
Are New Orleans' storm defenses strong enough?
Are New Orleans’ storm defenses strong enough? – Homeland Security Newswire
It is almost five years since hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, and the city is bracing for other attacks to come. In a revamp now nearing completion, the city’s 560-kilometer perimeter has been fortified by toughened levees, cement walls more than 9-meters high, and imposing gates that will grind shut when flood water nears.
Five Years Later, Gulf Coast Reflections – Part Three
It’s hard to say what the real ground zero of Hurricane Katrina was. For most Americans, they think of the City of New Orleans. For as awful as each of those events were, similar catastrophes were experienced by St. Bernard and Jefferson Parishes, as well as Plaquemines and Slidell, LA. While the media certainly covered the earth-shattering events that occurred there, it seems to me that the Gulf Coast of Mississippi seems to have been lost in the coverage. The only word I used to describe what I saw back then was very simply Hiroshima. The destruction was beyond catastrophic.
Five Years Later, Gulf Coast Reflections – Part Two
There are few places that you can drive in America where you can go over 50 miles and not hit a traffic light. Such is the stretch of highway along Louisiana Highway 23, running straight through the center of Plaquemines Parish. Located just south of New Orleans, Plaquemines is literally a peninsula with the mighty Mississippi River going right through the center of it. When Katrina struck, surges of water crossed over the levees, parking shrimp boats in the center of the Highway 23 and farmer’s fields while cattle and other farm animals were left dangling in the surrounding trees. It’s an open debate by many Plaquemines residents as to what is worse: the impact of Katrina, the BP oil spill or the drilling moratorium. One thing they can all agree on is their concern about their future.
Maritime Cargo Scanning: The Wrong Approach for Avoiding Nuclear Attack?
Maritime Cargo Scanning: The Wrong Approach for Avoiding Nuclear Attack? — CQ Homeland Security Nonproliferation experts say the congressional mandate to scan all maritime cargo for radiation before it reaches U.S. shores is a woefully ineffective way to ward off a potential attack and threatens to eat up resources that would be better spent elsewhere. […]
Hertiage's Homeland Security Panels – Bucci Speaking on Cyber and Maritime
Next week, the Heritage Foundation will host “Homeland Security 2010: The Future of Defending the Homeland.” This will be a week-long series of panels aimed at providing a good background for Congressional Staffers new to Homeland Security issues. Heritage did this last year, and it was an excellent event. I will be sitting on two of the panels – maritime security and cybersecurity. The panels are open to the public and all are welcome. I highly recommend it.
