HOMELAND SECURITY STRATEGIES

Homeland security Strategies

Homeland security Strategies

By definition, Homeland Security is tasked to protect the homeland from any internal and external threats of terrorism either by deterrence, prevention, or pre-emption. It has been tasked to insure the safety and sovereignty of the homeland population, territory, and infrastructure. As the events of September 11, 2001 demonstrated, homeland security, as a concept, protection, or a security department did not exist. All that existed were several agencies to gather information but not really assigned to assimilate and act upon such security threat reports. (Department of Homeland Security: History, August, 2007)Thus, the Muslim extremist group known as Al-Qaeda successfully managed to integrate a sleeper cell into the country and effectively plan how to use our own equipment and infrastructures against us. On that fateful day of September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were successfully attacked by these terrorists, killing thousands of Americans and foreigners alike in the process. Once again, America had become vulnerable to attack, this time; we failed to see the enemy right under our noses. We gave them hospitality, education, and training, they in turn destroyed 2 of the monuments to power and world cooperation in our land. It was because of the rude awakening of the country from these violent attacks that the Department of Homeland Security was created.

On June 18, 2002, President George W. Bush sent a letter to members of Congress requesting that legislation be passed for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. In his letter, the president recognized the reality that terrorism was a real threat that affected not only our neighboring countries but the United States as well. Therefore, he recognized the need to protect the homeland in order to prevent a repeat of the events of 9/11. By proposing the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the president stated that he hoped to create a department that would have only one mission objective in mind; that is to protect the homeland. President Bush likened the creation of DHS to the National Security Council that was created by Pres. Truman after World War 2. He explained in his official Message to the Congress of the United States that the necessity for the DHS was deeply rooted in the need to protect the homeland during time of war and as such:For the first time we would have a single Department whose primary mission is to secure our homeland. Soon after the Second World War, President Harry Truman recognized that our Nation's fragmented military defences needed reorganization to help win the Cold War. President Truman proposed uniting our military forces under a single entity, now the Department of Defence, and creating the National Security Council to bring together defence, intelligence, and diplomacy. President Truman's reforms are still helping us to fight terror abroad, and today we need similar dramatic reforms to secure our people at home. (Message to the Congress of the United States, 2002)The core of the DHS already existed ...