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Biological and Conventional Terrorism Top Priorities in U.S. Homeland Security Department Overhaul
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is expected to create an intelligence director within his agency to concentrate terrorism analysis and a chief medical officer dealing with bioterrorism, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, June 30). The changes are part of an overhaul to focus the department, plagued by bureaucratic troubles and other problems, on biological and conventional terrorism, according to AP. “Our department must drive improvement with a sense of urgency,” Chertoff said in a transcript of a statement he is set to make today to lawmakers. “Our enemy constantly changes and adapts, so we as a department must be nimble and decisive.” The medical officer is expected to lead bioterror policy and coordinate response to an attack by federal, state and local agencies. Officials said the post was prompted federal agencies’ troubles in exchanging information during the March anthrax scare in the Washington area, AP reported (see GSN, April 14). Chertoff also is expected to make transportation and border security top department priorities by adding personnel as well as new detection and screening technologies, according to department officials. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said that Chertoff, in a briefing to lawmakers, also pegged chemical and nuclear plant security and immigration as areas of importance (Lara Jakes Jordan, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, July 13). In an interview with USA Today, Chertoff said the aim of the changes is to stop a WMD attack. Chertoff is announcing the changes less than a week after the Bush administration raised the terror threat level to high for mass transit systems following the London bombings, USA Today reported today. However, the secretary rejected calls from Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and others to direct significantly more money to transit security. The department needs to “keep our eye on the ball and focus on our priorities,” Chertoff said. Chertoff added that the public should be aware that “we’re going to have the issues of terrorism and these kind of events for a very long time to come. … We can't be complacent, but we also need to kind of build in a sense of stability and calmness, and not react or overreact to individual instances.” USA Today also reported that Chertoff plans a new division focusing on preparedness at vulnerable locations such as chemical and nuclear facilities, bridges and dams (Mimi Hall, USA Today, July 13).
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