Al-Jasser: work is underway to restructure and develop aviation infrastructure    Diriyah to host third IMFC Deputies meeting under Saudi chairmanship    15,135 decisions taken to penalize Saudis and expats for violations    Saudi-European Parliamentary Friendship Committee discusses cooperation during Strasbourg visit    Saudi stock market loses half a trillion riyals, with Aramco's losses amounting to SR340 billion Tariff turmoil rattles Gulf markets    KAU to host Digital Communication Conference in Jeddah from April 29 to May 1    TGA: Riyadh tops with 45% of 290 million orders delivered in 2024    Aja and Salma mountains draw nature lovers to Hail's rugged landscapes    US revokes all visas for South Sudanese nationals over deportation dispute    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 3,471    Macron to hold Gaza summit with Egypt and Jordan in Cairo    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Moussa Diaby praises Al Ittihad's resilience after Jeddah Derby draw "When you can't win, you take a point"    Saudi assistant referee Iman Al Madani joins AFC elite list for 2025    Riyadh Art Week launches with over 50 galleries showcasing global artistic dialogue    Turki Al-Sheikh announces five new Saudi film projects to be produced in Riyadh    Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US Homeland Security under scrutiny
By Alister Bull
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 06 - 01 - 2010

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), created following the Sept. 11 attacks, is under scrutiny after President Barack Obama blamed human and systemic failures for a Christmas Day airplane bombing attempt. Following are questions and answers about the agency:
What is dhs?
The department's prime responsibility is to protect the US homeland from terrorist attacks and lead a unified response if one does occur. President George W. Bush founded the Office of Homeland Security in an executive order on Oct. 8, 2001, after the Sept. 11 attacks revealed serious flaws in the country's protection measures. A year later after lengthy negotiations with Congress, lawmakers approved the creation of a Cabinet-level department.
It is in charge of border and transportation security to keep militants and explosives out of the country. It has the lead in preparing the US response to domestic emergencies; developing countermeasures against chemical, biological and nuclear attacks; and producing a picture of threats distilled from raw intelligence gathered across the government.
The department is currently led by Obama appointee Janet Napolitano, who replaced Bush appointee Michael Chertoff.
Why was dhs necessary?
Sept. 11 was a catastrophic failure to connect the dots between scraps of information collected by various US intelligence agencies and draw the conclusion, clear in hindsight, that a determined plot to attack the United States was afoot. Part of the problem was that national security duties had been spread among 40 different federal agencies and funded through roughly 2,000 separate congressional appropriations accounts. US lawmakers had been worried by this arrangement for years, and a national homeland security agency was proposed in March 2001, based on the recommendations of a US commission on future security needs.
How big is Homeland Security?
It has roughly 225,000 employees and a current budget of $55 billion, which has climbed from $19.5 billion in 2002. Setting up the department represented a huge reorganization of government activities. Among agencies it absorbed were the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), US Customs and Border Protection and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
How was it set up?
With ample evidence of how things had gone wrong, Bush announced 11 days after Sept. 11 that he would create an Office of Homeland Security and named Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge as its first director. Bush's Oct. 8 executive order was followed by other presidential decisions to give the office teeth and on June 6, 2002, Bush proposed creating a permanent cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security.
Only Congress has the power to set up a federal agency of this reach. The House of Representatives passed its version of the Homeland Security Act on July 26; the Senate backed it, with some amendments, on Nov. 19, and Bush signed it into law on Nov. 25, 2002. Its motto is: “Preserving our Freedoms, Protecting America”.


Clic here to read the story from its source.