Leaving The Nation At Risk (not about Cheney!!)

In December, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Democratic Staff issued a report detailing 33 promises made by DHS (Dept Homeland Security) since 2002 that have gone unfulfilled. Interesting reading. (Emphasis mine.)

The report is here.

I will provide you with just a few of the 33 broken promises:

1. THE PRESIDENT AND THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO IDENTIFY AND PROTECT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

2. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE DATABASE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN AMERICA

5. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO ENGAGE CONGRESS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMICAL PLANT SECURITY REGULATIONS

8. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO HELP AIRPORTS ACQUIRE NEW EXPLOSIVE DETECTION EQUIPMENT

12. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO CONDUCT VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS OF AT-RISK RAIL AND TRANSIT NETWORKS

13. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO ENHANCE WARNING & RESPONSE TIME FOR CYBER ATTACKS

15. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO USE PROJECT BIOSHIELD TO BUY THE COUNTERMEASURES NEEDED TO PROTECT AMERICANS FROM A BIOTERRORIST ATTACK

16. THE ADMINISTATION PROMISED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD SERVE AS A LOCATION FOR ANALYZING INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION ON DOMESTIC THREATS

18. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO CREATE A SINGLE, EFFECTIVE NETWORK FOR SHARING INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS

21. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO CREATE A NETWORK FOR COMMUNICATING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

23. THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED TO CONTROL OUR BORDERS BY PROVIDING ENOUGH PERSONNEL AND TECHNOLOGY

26. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED MORE RADIATION SCREENING EQUIPMENT FOR BORDER INSPECTORS

27. THE DEPARTMENT PROMISED THAT IT WAS DEPLOYING EFFECTIVE UNMANNED VEHICLES TO SECURE THE BORDER

In each case, the broken promise is followed by a description of the "Security Gap". For example, for #15 (bioterrorism), they conclude:

Despite the need for the speedy development of chemical and biological countermeasures, to date, only four Material Threat Assessments (MTAs) - the first step in the BioShield process for developing and purchasing countermeasures - have been completed (Anthrax, Botulinum Toxin, Smallpox, and Radiation Exposure). Of the four MTAs completed, only one - anthrax - has resulted in a contract for procurement. Seventy-five million doses of next generation anthrax vaccine are due in 2006. In the interim, the Strategic National Stockpile has ordered 3 million doses of an older vaccine.

The gist of this report is that in all cases, promises were made but there is very slow or no follow-through.

My thought: While we're spending billions in Iraq, we're leaving ourselves vulnerable here at home. How sad (but not news to kos readers, I know). Just imagine if we took a Manhattan Project and free-market approach to this: provide incentives for the best minds to solve all these problems quickly and efficiently. Not only would we secure our country, but we'd educate and train thousands in the process, and we'd develop new and useful technologies we could apply elsewhere. Instead, we plod along at a snail's pace, putting everyone at risk while the Republicans play their political games.