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Our Dossier

This dossier documents United States Homeland Security

Please use the tabs to access the three sections of this dossier:

Tab 1 lists US priorities with regard to Africa, major USG statements, recent USG statements, USG fact sheets, and US. Govt. reports. 

Tab 2 lists non-US. Govt. reports, journal articles, and other documents.

Tab 3 provides a set of links to major web sites.

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Non US Govt. Reports

Effective Counterterrorism and the Limited Role of Predictive Data Mining Information about key members of the 9/11 plot was available to the U.S. government prior to the attacks, and the 9/11 terrorists were closely connected to one another in a multitude of ways. The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States concluded that, by pursuing the leads available to it at the time, the government might have derailed the plan.What the 9/11 story most clearly calls for is a sharper focus on the part of our national security agencies—their focus had undoubtedly sharpened by the end of the day on September 11, 2001—along with the ability to efficiently locate, access, and aggregate information about specific suspects.

 

  
 

The United States Homeland Security Policy: A Dossier

Photo By Department of Homeland Security.
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for assessing the nation's vulnerabilities. It takes the lead in evaluating vulnerabilities and coordinating with other federal, state, local, and private entities to ensure the most effective response. The collection, protection, evaluation and dissemination of information to the American public, state and local governments and the private sector is central to this task. Photo By Department of Homeland Security.

Journal Articles

Disclaimer: The materials in this section are from sources outside the U.S. Government and should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein or as official U.S. policy.

Fessenden, Helen. The Limits of Intelligence Reform. Foreign Affairs, Nov/Dec2005, pp 106-120. Full text available upon request

The fact that an intelligence shakeup occurred at all remains a singular accomplishment. A unique convergence of forces--the resounding success of the 9/11 Commission, growing media attention on intelligence shortcomings, shifting dynamics in Congress and the White House--allowed for some progress despite long-entrenched opposition. But even broad support in the Senate, overwhelming public opinion, and a best-selling report were not enough to move Congress nearly as far as overhaul proponents had hoped. The story thus serves as a textbook case of how the opaque ways of Washington's bureaucratic warfare undermine sound policy. Insiders used both official and unofficial levers of power to keep as much of their turf intact as they could. As with so many bills, a compromise resulted. Most worrying is that this compromise, already laden with caveats, could become a standalone accomplishment rather than part of a long-term transformation. A DNI is in place and the NCTC is up and running, but the risk of complacency is rising. Helen Fessenden, a former Senior Editor at Foreign Affairs, is Washington Editor of the Eurasia Group.

Friedman, Benjamin. HOMELAND SECURITY. Foreign Policy. Jul/Aug 2005, pp. 22-27. Full text available via ProQuest

For the vast majority of Americans, the chances of dying in a terrorist attack are close to zero. There's a higher probability that you'll die by falling off a ladder than getting mixed up in some terrorist plot. So why is the U.S. Department of Homeland security constantly telling every American to be afraid? That's a strategy that creates widespread fear without making America any safer. U.S. homeland security efforts should focus less on what is possible and more on what is probable. Benjamin Friedman is a doctoral candidate in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

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