Security Debrief

CHANGE I Want to Believe In – The Obama Homeland Security Agenda & Aging Infrastructure

What I found most promising on the new Administration’s posted agenda for Homeland Security was its section, “Modernize America’s Aging Infrastructure.” It details three priority areas – Build in Security; Create a National Reinvestment Bank; and, Invest in Critical Infrastructure Projects. Under these three areas, the Obama Team is proposing a radical departure to how we as a nation have long decided, invested and designed our nation’s infrastructure.

DHS has Lost its "Soul"

Bob Stephan, oft referred to as the “soul” of DHS, officially added “former” to his title as Assistant Secretary of Infrastructure Protection this weekend. Bob has been a visionary at DHS, building the public/private partnership model for homeland security and creating the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

The Economic Threat of 100 Percent Cargo Scanning

Implementing new cargo-scanning regulations that have questionable security value and will assuredly disrupt the global supply chain and further undermine American commerce, jobs and the economy at large seems like a remarkably bad idea.

The ‘Gretzky Doctrine’

Question: What do you call a nation without reliable water where showers are a luxury, cooking with clean water isn’t always an option, fighting fires isn’t always possible, where hospitals can’t clean surgical instruments or use HVAC systems, and where jurisdictional fighting over water rights escalates beyond court rooms?

Risk and Resilience for Infrastructure Investment Decisions

Spending money has never been a problem for government. Accounting for it; managing it; and getting a semblance of return have been. As the new Administration proposes its Economic/Infrastructure Plan, I hope it will include the concepts of ‘Risk’ and ‘Resilience’ as part of its infrastructure investment decision making process. Simply replacing a bridge, a road or any piece of infrastructure with an updated version is not a strategy that benefits the community in which it resides or serves.

Create Jobs by Investing in Life – Fund the Water Sector

Investing in guns, guards, and gates is always nice because it helps mitigate the vulnerabilities that terrorists, vandals, or drunken idiots might intentionally or unintentionally exploit. You know, little things like poisoning the water supply or blowing up hazardous chemicals is basically the stuff that can kill or sicken the masses or shutdown communities.

Whatever Happened to Telling the Truth?

If Philip Morris released findings indicating that cigarettes are healthy, would you believe them? How about believing Sean Penn’s analysis of the war in Iraq, or Pamela Anderson’s take on the humane treatment of animals? Of course you wouldn’t! You’d consider the source and walk away. Why, then, do people put stock in anything the Center for American Progress (CAP) has to say regarding chemical security?

Do Economic Crisis, Administration Change Create Perfect Storm for Terror?

By Scott Louis Weber

The United States finds itself in an unprecedented vulnerable state as it welcomes a new president and rescues a battered economy. The downturn in the economy has gutted markets worldwide, fanning the already rising flames of anti-American sentiment. Our economy is reeling; creating a fertile ground for a terrorist attack and history demonstrates that terrorists view periods of transition as optimal times for attack. Now is not the time for corporate America to let down her guard.

Closing of the American Border

There haven’t been many “insider” books about how DHS has functioned but a good one has appeared. The Closing of the American Border was published last week by Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations and formerly with the Financial Times. It’s a detailed look at the policies and programs deployed after 9/11 to deter and detect terrorists hoping to use our transportation systems against us.

Thirsty? Better Get Used to It!

Try putting lipstick on this pig: when it comes to safe, clean, and reliable water services, we’re about to screw ourselves (and the world). According to a new report from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), unless the U.S. changes its current approach to domestic and international water policy, the “global water challenge will soon become a global water crisis.” Unfortunately, they’re spot on.