Chairman Thompson Responds To Security Strategy

Chairman Thompson Responds to White House Homeland Security Strategy

Today, the White House Homeland Security Council released its National Strategy for Homeland Security, updating a prior homeland security strategy released in July 2002.  Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement:
 
"When the U.S. Government releases a strategy document, people take notice.  Sadly, any anticipation leading up to the release of this report may have been more exciting than the information contained within it."
 
"This document represents a roadmap of broad principles, many of which are commonly supported.  The real question is, nearly five years after the Department of Homeland Security was created, what's new in this national strategy and how will it better the national effort to secure the homeland?" asked Rep. Thompson.
 
"The reality is that this Strategy provides little guidance for the deficiencies already taxing our homeland security capacity, while at the same time, it attempts to define successes in border security, information sharing, and biopreparedness, which have not yet been realized."

"On September 5, I presented Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff with a To-Do list of 6 points critical to achieving homeland security.  The list includes programs and initiatives that this White House Homeland Security Strategy seems to gloss over.  I only wish the White House spent as much time addressing these known vulnerabilities as it has producing this Strategy update.

ENDS

More: Latest World News | Top World News | World Digest | Archives

© Scoop Media