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• Usama Bin Ladin: Coordinating Our Efforts and Sharpening Our Message on Bin Ladin

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  "This is part of a series of cables that have been recently declassified between the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the United States government." […] "The Department of State is recommending the U.S. work closely with the Saudis and sharpen its message to Pakistan and the Taliban regarding the expulsion of Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan. Saudi Arabia remains [the cornerstone of U.S. efforts to bring bin Ladin to justice,] as the U.S. feels the Taliban would consider handing over bin Laden to the Saudis, but [there appears no chance they will give him up to us.] The U.S. hopes the Saudi government will have more success pressuring Pakistan and the Taliban to listen to U.S. demands. [The Saudis can also prove useful in upping the pressure on the Taliban by undertaking efforts to cut off their access to the Gulf states, most importantly with the UAE, which is the Taliban's major [entry point] for trade and smuggling.] Pakistan's lack of support for U.S. efforts to get bin Laden [must change.] Ultimately Mullah Omar [appears to be strongly committed to bin Ladin. It is questionable whether U.S. or Saudi efforts can influence Omar's decisions. Maybe Pakistan can, but even that is not known with any certainty]."

  United States. Department of State

  1998-10
• Your Meeting in Usama bin Laden Part II

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  "This report is a briefing between Assistant Secretary Karl F. Inderfurth and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that has been recently declassified." […] "Diplomatic negotiations with the Taliban and with Pakistan regarding the extradition of Osama bin Laden have been unsuccessful and bin Laden's network continues to operate and threaten American lives. An upcoming December meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may provide the Secretary with an opportunity to get this message across at the highest level in direct terms. Months after the Embassy bombings bin Laden remains active and under Taliban protection. Time for a diplomatic solution may be running out. Taliban brush-off of our indictment and other evidence may indicate movement from tolerance of UBL's presence to more active support." Part I of this report is also in the HSDL collection.

  United States. Department of State

  1998-11
• Letter Report: DHS Compliance With Prepackaged News Prohibition

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  "DHS public affairs officials are committed to providing reliable and timely information to the public in a transparent manner. To do this, DHS and its component organizations produce and distribute a variety of products. The department, however, does not produce prepackaged news stories. DHS, CBP, ICE, FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard produce a number of products for external distribution. Examples include press releases, fact sheets, informational brochures, and photographs. Other public relations activities include public service announcements, interviews, and press conferences. In addition, some component organizations produce videos and b-roll, or raw video footage, of DHS employees performing their duties. None of the components add narration to their b-roll footage, and most remove all audio before releasing the footage to the media or public. Occasionally, the Coast Guard releases video footage including technical explanations by Coast Guard personnel. All products are clearly identified as having been produced by DHS or the specific component, and most include the DHS seal. DHS distributes public affairs products and department information to the media using a number of methods, including media advisories, websites, tapes or discs, and links to satellite downloads. Ultimately, the media decides what is newsworthy and creates news stories using the information received from the department. Once the media obtains DHS video footage, the department does not control how the media uses it."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  2008-09
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 906: Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008

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  This is a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate for S. 906- "Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008." According to the CBO, "S. 906 would ban the export of elemental mercury, prohibit federal agencies from selling or distributing mercury, and direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide permanent storage for domestic stocks of mercury under certain conditions. Under this bill, firms would be allowed to begin delivering mercury to DOE on January 1, 2010, and would be required to pay a one-time fee sufficient to cover most of the department's long-term costs of storing it. DOE would indemnify those entities from legal actions resulting from any actual or threatened release of mercury occurring after the materials are delivered to the federal facility. In addition, DOE's mercury storage operations would have to comply with various performance standards, including the Solid Waste Disposal Act. Finally, the bill would direct DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare reports on issues related to the storage of domestic mercury and the disposition of global supplies."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2008-09-10
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6842: National Capital Security and Safety Act

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  This is a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate for H.R. 6842-"National Capital Security and Safety Act." This bill "would require the District of Columbia to revise its firearms laws, as necessary, to ensure they are consistent with the Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. The requirement imposed on the District of Columbia would be an intergovernmental mandate as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). CBO estimates that the cost to change those laws would be negligible and would not exceed the annual threshold for intergovernmental mandates ($68 million in 2008, adjusted annually for inflation)."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2008-09-11
• Osama bin Laden: Taliban Spokesman Seeks New Proposal For Resolving bin Laden Problem

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  "This is a declassified U.S. Department of State Cable." […] "According to their senior spokesperson, the Taliban currently understand that the U.S. in particular wanted bin Laden expelled from Afghanistan at all costs, and that if they chose to back terrorism, they could expect to be the recipient of terrorism in response. The U.N., U.S., Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are all applying great pressure to secure the expulsion of bin Laden, but Kandahar [Mullah Omar] was still trying to find a proper way to resolve the issue. The East Africa bombings have brought the issue of the presence of Osama bin Laden on Afghan soil to the forefront of U.S. security policy and discussions on human rights and narcotics should be set aside in order to focus all U.S.-Taliban relations on the goal of resolving the bin Laden issue. The August 20 U.S. bombings in retaliation for embassy attacks continue to be a source of distress for the Taliban. If Kandahar could have retaliated with similar strikes against Washington, it would have. But it did not want anymore strikes against anyone."

  United States. Department of State

  1998-09
• Privacy Impact Assessment for the Document Management and Records Tracking System (DMARTS)

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  This privacy impact assessment pertains to FEMA's Document Management and Records Tracking System. "The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has developed the Document Management and Records Tracking System (DMARTS). DMARTS is an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system that collects personally identifiable information (PII) from claimants to carry out its mission of assisting individuals who apply for disaster assistance benefits. DMARTS will move paper files to an electronic repository. This PIA examines the privacy implications to ensure that adequate privacy considerations and protections have been applied to this electronic framework. DMARTS is a component of FEMA's National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS), an agency-wide system that provides a technology base to FEMA and its partners. DMARTS supports NEMIS by providing document capture, repository, and workflow functions. DMARTS will house data collected as the result of disaster assistance applications from individuals affected by Nationally Declared Disasters. DMARTS will not alter the data elements currently covered by the existing system of records and applicable paper applications that will now use DMARTS as a repository. DMARTS is an assistance application receipt platform that collects PII from individuals, states, and/or agencies applying for disaster assistance benefits under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, herein after referred to as 'registrants'. Information collected by DMARTS, to include the registrant's SSN, allows FEMA to positively identify registrants requesting Federal assistance. The collection of PII from registrants is essential to maintain up-to-date information on individuals to expedite application processing and render assistance in a timely and efficient manner."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Office

  2008-09-08
• National Assessment of Efforts to Predict and Respond to Harmful Algal Blooms in U.S. Waters

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  This report published by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), "reviews and evaluates Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) prediction and response efforts, identifies current prevention, control, and mitigation programs for HABs, and is the first step in a process to create an innovative research and development plan for advancing HAB prediction and response. [...] This report was prepared by the National Science and Technology Council's Joint Subcommittee on Science and Technology Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health (IWG-4H). It draws from the contributions of numerous experts and stakeholders from federal, state, and local governments, academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations through direct contributions, previous reports and planning efforts, and a public comment period. [...] This report is an effort to assess the extent of federal, state and local efforts to predict and respond to HAB events and to identify opportunities for charting a way forward. [...] Algae are the most abundant photosynthetic organisms in marine and freshwater ecosystems and are essential, energy-producing components of aquatic foodwebs. Harmful algal bloom or 'HAB' species are a small subset of algal species that produce toxins and/or bloom to excess, thus creating harm to humans and ecosystems. Humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, including endangered species, can be exposed to algal toxins through their food, drinking water, the water in which they swim, or aerosols."

  National Science and Technology Council (U.S.)

  Jewett, Elizabeth Bromley; Lopez, Cary B.; Dortch, Quay

  2007-07
• Aviation Security: TSA Is Enhancing Its Oversight of Air Carrier Efforts to Identify Passengers on the No Fly and Selectee Lists, But Expects Ultimate Solution to Be Implementation of Secure Flight, Report to Congressional Committees

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  "Air carriers remain a front-line defense against acts of terrorism that target the nation's civil aviation system. A key responsibility of air carriers is to check passengers' names against terrorist watch-list records to identify persons who should be prevented from boarding (the No Fly List) or who should undergo additional security scrutiny (the Selectee List). Eventually, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to assume this responsibility through its Secure Flight program. However, due to program delays, air carriers retain this role. You asked GAO to review domestic air carriers' watch-list-matching processes. GAO examined the watch-list-matching requirements air carriers must follow that have been established by TSA, and the extent to which TSA has assessed air carriers' compliance with these requirements. GAO reviewed TSA's security directives, internal guidance used by TSA's inspectors to assess air carriers' compliance with requirements, and inspection results, as well as interviewed staff from 14 of 95 domestic air carriers (selected to reflect a range in operational sizes). This report is the public version of a restricted report (GAO-08-453SU) issued in July 2008. GAO is not making any recommendations because TSA initiated actions in April 2008 to strengthen watch-list-matching requirements and its oversight of air carriers' implementation of these requirements."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2008-09
• Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium: Enhancing Maritime Commerce Through Open Information Sharing

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  This powerpoint presentation on enhancing maritime commerce through open information sharing was presented at the Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium at the United States Merchant Marine Academy on August 20-21, 2008.

  United States Merchant Marine Academy

  2008-08
• Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Acquisition is Under Way, But Improvements Needed in Management and Oversight, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  "The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R). GOES-R is to replace the current series of satellites, which will likely begin to reach the end of their useful lives in approximately 2014. This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to (1) determine the status of the GOES-R program, (2) evaluate whether plans for the acquisition address problems experienced on similar programs, and (3) determine whether NOAA's plan will be adequate to support current data requirements. To do so, GAO analyzed contractor and program data and interviewed officials from NOAA and NASA. GAO is recommending that the program take steps to improve management and oversight and determine whether and how to recover certain capabilities that were removed from the program. In commenting on a draft of this report, the Acting Secretary of Commerce agreed with GAO's recommendations and stated that the agency plans to implement them."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2009-04-02
• New NATO Members: Security Consumers or Producers?

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  "In this monograph, Colonel Joel Hillison analyzes NATO defense expenditures over the past 10 years and troop contributions of new members during three NATO missions: Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. His monograph specifically focuses on the 1999 wave of new members (the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland). Colonel Hillison concludes that these three members are generally fulfilling their commitments to NATO, including contributions to NATO missions. He attributes their performance largely to the new members' quest for credibility in NATO and with the United States. Colonel Hillison suggests that as new member capabilities and levels of interoperability have increased, new member states have been more willing to take on additional responsibility and burdens. His analysis of burdensharing by new NATO members is both policy relevant and timely as these new members celebrate their 10th anniversary of NATO membership."

  Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute

  Hillison, Joel R.

  2009-04
• Remarks by the Honorable Michael E. Leiter, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, before the Aspen Institute, Washington, DC, April 9, 2009

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  These are the remarks by the Honorable Michael E. Leiter, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, before the Aspen Institute, Washington, DC, on April 9, 2009. From the text: "It is very nice to be here today, and I want to split my talk -- which I've been assigned 15 to 20 minutes and I will really try to honor that. It's in three parts. Very, very quickly I do want to give an overview of what I do at NCTC because although we've been around now for coming up on five years -- not yet five years -- I think it's important to remind people what we do because frankly, even the people with whom I work on a daily basis aren't always sure. Second, I want to focus most of my comments on the terrorism threat that I see today -- how it's changed, how it's morphed, and what we're facing I think into the future. And finally I want to at least touch on some of the challenges that I think we see in the coming years and how I think that the new administration is relatively well-postured to respond to those. And I think that will also be a good starting point for the questions, and I'm sure some folks especially, like Pam and Eric on my left have for me today."

  National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.)

  Leiter, Michael

  2009-04-09
• Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites: Acquisition Has Increased Costs, Reduced Capabilities, and Delayed Schedules, Statement of David A. Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives

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  "The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with the aid of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), plans to procure the next generation of geostationary operational environmental satellites, called the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R). GOES-R is to replace the current series of satellites, which will likely begin to reach the end of their useful lives in 2014. This series is considered critical to the United States' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting through the year 2028. GAO was asked to summarize its report being released today that (1) determines the status of the GOES-R program, (2) evaluates whether plans for the acquisition address problems experienced on similar programs, and (3) determines whether NOAA's plan will be adequate to support current data requirements. In its report, GAO recommended that the program take steps to improve management and oversight and determine whether and how to recover certain capabilities that were removed from the program. In comments on a draft of this report, the Acting Secretary of Commerce agreed with GAO's recommendations and stated that the agency plans to implement them"

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2009-04-22
• Mitigation Assessment Team Report: Hurricane Ike in Texas and Louisiana: Building Performance Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance

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  "For the past 25 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has studied the performance of buildings affected by disasters of national significance. Disasters of national significance provide opportunities for research on how hazards affect the built environment and also an opportunity to research the performance of current building codes and practices. This work is accomplished by the FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT). Often, recommendations from these findings have been adopted as statutes in model building codes, or just as importantly, as guidance for better and stronger construction practices. These broad-minded studies are driven by a core mission of FEMA's Mitigation Directorate: to reduce future damages from disasters. They support an integral part of the Stafford Act, which is to reduce the loss of life and property that can occur from disasters. The ongoing study of the effects of these significant disasters and the documentation of findings will help in developing recommendations to enhance building performance. Improving building performance will reduce the vulnerability of population centers and critical infrastructure to natural hazards. This can be accomplished by exploiting the science and technology developed today, and imparting this knowledge to local communities through guidance and education. In response to a request for technical support from FEMA's Joint Field Office in Austin, TX, and the Transitional Recovery Office in New Orleans, LA, FEMA's Mitigation Directorate deployed a MAT to Texas and Louisiana in October 2008, to evaluate both building performance during Hurricane Ike and the adequacy of current building codes, other construction requirements, and building practices and materials."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2009-04
• Suggestions for Improving the Recruitment of Al-Qaeda Sources: Lessons Derived from Counter-Ideological Programs and the Targeting of Type B Terrorists

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  "How can the FBI improve the recruitment of sources within terrorist groups, specifically al-Qaeda? First, counter-ideological programs have application in source recruitment. Second, a framework for recruiting terrorist sources is found in the work of Paul Davis and Brian Jenkins. They suggest terrorists can be usefully categorized as internalists or externalists, or Types A and B. Type A terrorists have insatiable appetites and display emotional aggression. Type B terrorists have instrumental aggression and 'pragmatic world goals.' Significantly, research suggests terrorists displaying instrumental aggression, the Type B terrorist, should be more 'sensitive' to 'objective rewards and punishments.' Two case studies demonstrate how to determine if a potential terrorist source is either a Type A or Type B individual. This is accomplished by examining a potential source's background to determine if they have instrumental or emotional aggression, their levels of risk and ideological commitment, their part-time or full-time commitment to jihad, and if they have high or low Social Intensity Syndrome. The conclusion of this thesis is that the FBI should concentrate recruitments on the more pragmatic Type B terrorists."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Miranda, Robert

  2009-03
• Terrorism Prevention and Firefighters: Where are the Information-Sharing Boundaries?

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  "The nation's one million firefighters are embedded in virtually every urban or rural area of the United States. Firefighters enter homes, businesses, vehicles, and other assets during emergency and non-emergency duties thousands of times each day in their efforts to prevent or respond to life and property loss. The unparalleled access that firefighters have to public and private locations puts them in a unique position to positively or negatively impact our nation's homeland defense and security information-sharing efforts. This thesis analyzes a number of information-sharing activities relating to terrorism and all-hazard strategies, policies, and programs in an attempt to identify whether U.S. fire personnel should participate in terrorism-related information sharing and--if they should participate--where the legal, political, and operational boundaries lie. The research identified a number of new strategic applications and tactical practices. The strategies and tactics are the result of comparing and contrasting legal compliance, political acceptability, target capabilities list linkage, operational impact, and cost factors of the current U.S. fire service information-sharing environment, the New York City Fire Department's Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness Strategy, the U.S. Fire Service's Intelligence Enterprise, and the United Kingdom's Civil Contingencies Act."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Heirston, Bryan

  2009-03
• Optimizing Citizen Engagement during Emergencies through Use of Web 2.0 Technologies

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  "Emergencies and disasters create hardships for citizens. To speed up recovery, local governments need to engage with citizens in an interactive information sharing system to convey information while the incident is still developing and to help mitigate and recover from damages. Lack of effective communication can decrease public trust and engender stress and anxiety of the survivors. As service delivery becomes more complicated during an emergency, responders can also benefit from additional information from the public to increase situational awareness and better understand the challenges facing citizens. This thesis examines emergency information needs, emerging information sharing trends, and the potential homeland security application of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs, mashups and text messaging. This thesis examines the use of Web 2.0 technologies during the Southern California wildfires as a case study and interviews top emergency managers throughout the country capturing their insights and opinions about the benefits and pitfalls of incorporating Web 2.0 technologies into existing emergency information sharing systems. Local government agencies, the impacted community, and those outside the immediate area seeking opportunities to assist may be interested in the benefits of context-powered knowledge when collaboration from multiple sources converges to facilitate knowledge used for decision making."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Van Leuven, Laurie J.

  2009-03
• Exploring the Plausibility of a National Multi-Agency Communications System for the Homeland Security Community: A Southeast Ohio Half-Duplex Voice Over IP Case Study

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  "Since 9-11, it has become apparent that the Homeland Security Community is comprised of more than first responders, and is, in essence, a Megacommunity, composed of three components: government, business and non-profits. However, this has not translated into our communications strategies, which presently focus on radios for first responders in an emergency. Many reasons exist for not addressing this gap, including the myths that it is impossible or would be too expensive. Computer gamers, however, have been utilizing low-tech versions of half-duplex VoIP since the 1990s to connect millions worldwide. A Southeast Ohio VoIP system, consisting of health departments, hospitals, emergency management agencies, and their partners, has been testing a similar system since 2003. This thesis offers a definition of the Homeland Security Community, and provides criteria that were then used to evaluate six communications systems for use as integrated national systems, and to judge the plausibility of the Ohio system as a model. This thesis also proposes the concept of a 'Universal Communicator' software system that would address the shortcomings of the Ohio system, and provide an inexpensive solution that would ideally address the nation's need for a national Homeland Security Community Real-Time Voice Communications system."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Smith, Christopher S.

  2009-03
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Tracking and Transfers of Detainees

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  "This report addresses the strengths and weaknesses of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Detention and Removal Operations. It is based on interviews with employees and officials of relevant agencies and institutions, direct observations, and a review of applicable documents. The recommendations herein have been developed to the best knowledge available to our office, and have been discussed in draft with those responsible for implementation. [...] We conducted an audit of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detainee tracking and transfer processes. Our objectives were to determine to what extent the agency has: improved its ability to track and monitor detainees, properly notified detainees of transfers, and provided detainees with timely initial medical screenings and physical examinations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detainee tracking efforts have improved since our last report, dated November 2006 (OIG07-08), with accuracy rates increasing from 90% to 94%. Immigration and Customs Enforcement correctly accounted for 433 (94%) of the 459 detainees we sampled. At the time of transfer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not always provide detainees the name of the facility to which they are being sent. The Detainee Transfer Notification form was not properly completed for 143 of the 144 transfers we tested. Agency staff interviewed generally considered completing and providing copies of the transfer forms to detainees a low priority. Also the staff interviewed did not know that they were responsible for informing detainees' legal representatives of transfers."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  2009-03
• Judicial Review: State Supreme Judicial Views on Balancing Civil Liberties and Public Safety/Security Measures During the Global War on Terror

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  "Political responses to terrorism in the United States and the international community have been to place limitations upon and/or to suspend civil liberties. Since constraining civil liberties may lead to the spread of terror, balancing the competing interests of individual civil liberties and public safety/security measures imposed by government in times of national emergency is essential to reducing terrorism and to the pursuit of peace. Constitutional courts both federal and state through the mechanism of judicial review serve to guard civil liberties against government encroachment. Yet, some scholars decry judicial review as counter-majoritarian, an illegitimate and undemocratic exercise in a representative democracy, while others laud judicial review as an essential function to advance peace, public participation in governing and legitimating democracy's quest to reduce terrorism. This thesis seeks to transcend the debate over judicial review by exploring the views of State Supreme Court Justices on what factors they consider essential to consider when balancing the competing interests. It invites the reader to engage a global discourse. To participate in the political spaces, judges operate to accept that because judicial review offers an alternative to the sword, it is material and relevant to reducing terrorism and that by focusing on the signals the justices send, the public might respond adequately to preserve human dignity during the global war on terror and beyond."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Fairweather, Patty Allison

  2009-03
• Use of State and Local Law Enforcement for Immigration Enforcement under Federal Authority 287(G): A Case Study Analysis

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  "The issue of 12-20 million illegally-present foreign nationals within the United States brings with it a number of homeland security questions and concerns. The threat of terror organizations utilizing our porous borders or lack of enforcement against us is highly probable. However, in order to deal with the issue of illegal immigration and the homeland security threat that is attached to this problem, the country must develop a strategy that is efficient and effective for all. One possible strategy for combating illegal immigration is the utilization of section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which grants, under limited conditions, law enforcement agencies the authority to use immigration-related information to advance local policing efforts. However, the issue of state and local enforcement of immigration-related matters has become highly contentious. Much has been written about it, but little data has been collected on what these enforcement programs actually do, rather than what supporters and opponents hope or fear they will do. The purpose of this thesis was to examine several situations in which state and local agencies have implemented the 287(g) program. While it is true the use of this authority as a strategy has many factors and elements that must be reviewed prior to further implementation, it is in reality a necessary partnership and prudent measure to keep our nation and our communities safe. The 287(g) program should be strongly considered a national strategy for combating illegal immigration."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Bloom, James S.

  2009-03
• Components Necessary for Successful Information Sharing

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  "The need for information sharing is a growing concern for many agencies in the homeland security field. As communities struggle to prepare for and respond to major incidents, information sharing between agencies is vital. Fusion centers developed around the law enforcement community, which has led to an information-sharing network that is exclusive. Non-law enforcement agencies such as Fire, EMS and Public Health that are charged with preparing for and responding to major incidents need the exchange of information as well. This thesis identifies several components that affect knowledge transfer. The human elements of Relationships, Trust, Megacommunities, Governance, and Leadership form the basis for successful information sharing networks. On this base, the technical components of the information-sharing network such as Standard Operating Procedures, Technology Standards, and Interoperability can be built."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Dulin, Jeffrey M.

  2009-03
• Pandemic Pendulum: A Critical Analysis of Federal and State Preparedness for a Pandemic Event

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  From the thesis abstract: "This paper explores pandemic planning efforts across federal and state jurisdictions and how the absence of collaboration could have major consequences upon the population of the United States. How adequate are state and federal pandemic plans, and what must be done nationally to address common shortfalls? The methodology used a hybrid approach by combining a secondary analysis of available data with a modified case study approach. Analyzing the individual state plans and HHS' Pandemic Influenza Plan revealed common deficiencies, and disclosed distinct functional areas where stringent collaboration across multiple jurisdictions and functional areas would mitigate the deficiencies and provide a blueprint for potential development into an all-hazards national catastrophe plan. This resultant comprehensive plan would provide a solid template for all stakeholders to use in further development of their individual plans, and additionally provide a mechanism to propagate proactive planning efforts among international disaster preparedness partners."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Foley, John R.

  2009-03
• President Obama's Participation in the 60th Anniversary NATO Summit Celebration in Strasbourg-Kehl [April 4, 2009]

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  "President Obama joined NATO leaders at the NATO Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl to celebrate sixty years of peace and security within the Alliance as the foundation for a Europe whole, free and at peace. The summit demonstrates the transatlantic [commitment] to the success and ongoing transformation of the Alliance to meet today's security challenges. From meeting NATO's crucial security tasks in Afghanistan to adapting NATO to confront new threats, NATO remains as vital to our common security in the 21st century as it was in the 20th century."

  United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary

  2009-04-04
• Department of Homeland Security Management Directive 121-01-008: Issuance and Control of the Department of Homeland Security Credentials

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  "This Instruction implements the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Directive 121-01 and establishes DHS procedures regarding the issuance, use, display, control, and accountability of official DHS credentials."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2009-02-17
• Privacy Impact Assessment for the Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) Project

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  "DHS has identified a need for new technical capabilities that can rapidly identify suspicious behavior indicators to provide real-time decision support to security and law enforcement personnel. The Future Attribute Screening Technology Mobile Module (FAST) project, sponsored by the Science & Technology Directorate's (S&T) Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) and executed under the oversight of DHS S&T's Human Factors Behavior Sciences Division, seeks to develop people screening technologies that will enable security officials to test the effectiveness of current screening methods at evaluating suspicious behaviors and judging the implications of those behaviors. The ultimate goal of the FAST project is to equip security officials with the tools to assess potential threats rapidly. This first phase of the FAST project is limited to identifying various screening sensors and conducting testing of various sensors with volunteer participants. The DHS Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) conducts homeland security research and leverages the scientific, engineering, and technological resources of the United States into technological tools to help protect the homeland. The Director of Innovation's mission is to support basic, applied, and advanced homeland security research to advance technologies that will promote homeland security. FAST is one such technology. FAST seeks to improve the screening process at transportation and other critical checkpoints by developing behavior-based screening techniques that will provide additional indicators to screeners to enable them to make more informed decisions. FAST is not intended to provide 'probable cause' for law enforcement processes, nor would the FAST technology, once deployed operationally, replace or preempt the decisions of human screeners."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Office

  2008-12-15
• Privacy Impact Assessment for the Security and Video Quality for the Public Safety Statement of Requirements Project

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  "The Security and Video Quality for the Public Safety Statement of Requirements (SoR) project is a research and development effort funded by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate. S&T is funding Noblis Inc., a nonprofit science and technology organization, through a cooperative agreement to conduct several research efforts, one of which is to examine facial recognition requirements in emergency response operations. S&T is conducting a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) because research staff will use images collected from individuals during this research project. This PIA will only cover the research and testing activities conducted during this project. Title 3 of the Homeland Security Act assigns S&T the responsibility for conducting research in support of the Department's mission. Under Subchapter 3 §182, 'the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, shall have the responsibility for conducting basic and applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation activities that are relevant to any or all elements of the Department. S&T is funding Noblis Inc. through a cooperative agreement to examine facial recognition requirements in the law enforcement and emergency response communities. These requirements will include, but are not limited to, image resolution, megapixels of an image, and the background of an image. This is part of a broader effort, supported by a cooperative agreement between S&T and Noblis, to examine security and video quality requirements for all law enforcement and emergency response application areas, including facial recognition technology."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Office

  2009-04-01
• Privacy Impact Assessment for the FireGround Compass

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  "The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) TechSolutions Program contracted with G&H International Services, Inc. to perform operational testing and evaluations on the FireGround Compass for first responder firefighter applications. Halcyon Products designed the FireGround Compass, a navigational device that helps firefighters reestablish their orientation within a burning or smoke-filled building should they become lost or disoriented. The purpose of this project was to test the features, functions, and operational readiness of the FireGround Compass through human testing of the equipment. S&T conducted a PIA for this project because G&H International collected the personally identifiable information (PII) of firefighter volunteers during the testing of the device. Title 3 of the Homeland Security Act assigned S&T the responsibility for conducting research in support of the Department's mission. Under Subchapter 3 §182, 'the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, shall have the responsibility for conducting basic and applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation activities that are relevant to any or all elements of the Department.' The FireGround Compass is a navigational device that enables firefighters, their exterior sector officers, and the fire-ground commander to navigate a burning building or area as they battle interior structural fires. Unique features of this device include: an LED light that illuminates the compass and building points, a rectangular bezel with four corners that represents an incident building, and an inner round bezel that rotates to mark the position of the command post or point of entry."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Office

  2009-04-01
• Maritime Security: Vessel Tracking Systems Provide Key Information, but the Need for Duplicate Data Should Be Reviewed, Report to the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives

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  "U.S. ports, waterways, and coastal approaches are part of a system handling more than $700 billion in merchandise annually. With the many possible threats-including transportation and detonation of weapons of mass destruction, suicide attacks against vessels, and others-in the maritime domain, awareness of such threats could give the Coast Guard advance notice to help detect, deter, interdict, and defeat them and protect the U.S. homeland and economy. GAO was asked to review the Coast Guard's efforts to achieve awareness about activity in the maritime domain. This report addresses: the extent to which the Coast Guard has vessel tracking systems in place, can use these systems to track vessels that may be threats, and has coordinated the development and implementation of these systems. To answer these questions, GAO analyzed relevant statutes, regulations, and plans for vessel tracking systems, compared the roles of the planned systems, and interviewed appropriate officials. To ensure efficient use of resources, GAO recommends that the Commandant of the Coast Guard determine the extent to which duplicate vessel tracking information from LRIT and commercially provided long-range AIS is needed to accomplish Coast Guard missions, particularly in light of information already available through national technical means. DHS agreed with this recommendation."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2009-03