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Amsterdam Rethinks Drug Legalization

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December 16, 2008

Last week’s 75th Anniversary of the end of Prohibition and the repeal of the 18th Amendment provided an easy platform for the Legalization Lobby to make its case for ending drug prohibition. They argue that federal regulatory schemes outlawing drugs are not effective in combating dangerous use and actually exacerbate abuse and drug-related crimes. Such arguments are usually conveniently selective, leaving out the progress being made in battling drug addiction, not to mention the misery it inflicts. Another favorite is to cite lax drug laws in Europe, but those cities are actually reversing course due to the onslaught of drug-related crime.

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Patient, Steadfast Vigilance: The True Lesson from the Mumbai Massacre

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December 3, 2008

From an operational perspective, the Mumbai terrorists’ tactics were not new or novel. The planning and preparation was thorough. The frontal assault and attacks – hit-and-runs and seize-and-holds – were directed at soft targets to maximize casualties. While some attention has been paid to the amphibious mode of infiltration, we know now that U.S. signals intelligence was passed to Indian intelligence warning of a potential soft target attack via a maritime route.

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What TSA Should be Discussing – But Isn’t

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November 21, 2008

This past Monday, I attended a Blogger’s Roundtable with Secretary Chertoff and TSA Administrator Kip Hawley to discuss aviation security initiatives. While the Secretary’s prepared remarks focused on the flurry of activity the Department is doing with General Aviation security (which I think is a step in the right direction), the discussion soon drifted to the usual set of issues – Secure Flight, Registered Traveler, shoe screening, unionization of screeners, transition activity, lines at airports ….and the list goes on.

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Should FEMA become an independent agency?

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November 20, 2008

Larry J. Gispert, president of the International Association of Emergency Managers, was quoted yesterday indicating IAEM’s position calling for the removal of FEMA from DHS. But Gispert is missing the larger point. We should be focusing on building a truly national emergency response operation involving coordination with state and local agencies rather than shuffling agencies at the federal level.

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ICE Marks Transition With Progress on Immigration Enforcement

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November 13, 2008

The Secure Communities Initiative, a new program launched by ICE in the last month, is an admirable step to facilitate cooperation with local and federal law enforcement to identify criminal aliens incarcerated in the nation’s jails to prevent them from being released back onto the streets.

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A New Chance to Rethink DHS Acquisition

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November 4, 2008

Late last week, the Coast Guard announced that DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff had rescinded the service’s acquisition authority, per the DHS 2009 appropriations bill. The removal of such authority from one DHS component, combined with the upcoming transition to a new Administration, provides an interesting opportunity to think through whether DHS components (the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Secret Service) could benefit from more centralized acquisition.

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The Expansive Regulation of Private Aviation

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October 28, 2008

Earlier this month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) unveiled its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the regulation of general aviation (GA) aircraft in the U.S. While TSA and DHS have been talking about the need for increased security measures for GA for several years, the reality of the NPRM is hitting the GA community hard (and it should be). To date, TSA regulates but a small portion of the GA community – roughly 650 operators. TSA’s proposed NPRM would increase the regulated community to roughly 10,000 operators. A 65% increase in regulated parties is obviously significant.

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DHS Confirms the Infeasibility of 2012 Cargo Deadline

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October 21, 2008

Yesterday, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff publically acknowledged the obvious when he announced that DHS will not meet the 2012 deadline set by Congress to scan every cargo container that comes in to U.S. ports. For those of us involved in the industry, the announcement is hardly surprising.

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Regulation of Rogue Internet Pharmacies Overdue

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October 16, 2008

The ability to order prescriptions via the Internet is one more example of how technology is changing our world for the better. As the tragic case of Ryan Haight shows, however, that with such new opportunities come the need for increased vigilance and proper oversight. This legislation is past due.

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