Report Card on Homeland Security

October 25, 2006 3:09 PM

Paula Cohen Reports:

A leading expert at the Council on Foreign Relations has issued his report card on how the Department of Homeland Security is doing -- and they're not grades you'd want to bring home to your mother.

Here are the grades assigned by Stephen E. Flynn, the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations:

Port Security: D+
This grade is actually up from the 'F' Flynn says they deserved until about two years ago.  Flynn says DHS has created a "framework" for improving port security, "but we still have such a long way to go."

Nuclear Plant Security: B/B+
This was a high priority even before 9/11, and Flynn says it's pretty strong.

Air Defense: B
Flynn says the small plane that crashed into a New York City high-rise building earlier this month points out a gap in our air defense capabilities: anything flying below 1500 feet.  On the positive side, fighter jets can be scrambled quickly, and monitoring has improved on planes flying in from overseas.

Airport Security: C
Passenger and baggage screening does better, 'B' or 'B+,' but Flynn says air cargo shipped in the hold of commercial jets "is still a major vulnerability," a 'D+.'

Border Control and Immigration: C
Flynn says the borders are "a hot topic for political reasons, but they don't have a lot to do with security."

Chemical Plant Security: D-/F
"This is totally unsatisfactory in light of the threat that some very deadly chemicals can pose," Flynn says.  The Department of Homeland Security has just gotten legal authority for the first time to check the security plans at facilities around the country but has limited money for enforcement.

Disaster Response: C-
Flynn says the Department of Homeland Security "got religion" after Hurricane Katrina, but FEMA has limited assets, and there's still a struggle to coordinate plans with the military.

Infrastructure: C
Flynn says our bridges and tunnels tend to be "over-engineered" and would be difficult for a terrorist to blow up, "but there is still a lot that could be done on surveillance."

Public Relations: D
In Flynn's opinion, "This is probably one of the weakest areas."  He says DHS needs "Madison-Avenue-type help" to keep Americans engaged and alert when there hasn't been a major attack since Sept. 11, 2001.

Read the Full Report Card by Stephen E. Flynn of the Council on Foreign Relations.

October 25, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (11)

Passengers Bound for the U.S. Are Wheels Up by the Time DHS Checks Watch Lists

August 15, 2006 1:32 PM

Dennis Powell and Maddy Sauer Report:

Airplanes bound for the U.S. from the U.K. and Europe are still not required to submit their passenger information to the Department of Homeland Security until they are wheels up and in the air.

That policy was changed temporarily in the wake of the heightened security alert and since last week all passengers on all flights from Britain to the U.S. were pre-matched to DHS terrorist watch lists before the planes took off. Now, there is a significant move to keep it that way.

"It shouldn't take an imminent terrorist attack and a Code Red alert to ensure that no international flight takes off for a U.S. airport before the terrorist watch list has been checked," said Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA).

This week's required passenger list checks, however, have caused long delays and a large amount of cancellations of flights at Heathrow, which will make implementing any permanent change to the regulation very difficult.

Under normal circumstances, international flights from the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe must turn over their passenger information to DHS shortly after the flight has taken off. The airlines do check passenger information against their own databases, but they often do not have as much information as DHS databases.

If a passenger is discovered by DHS to be on the no-fly list after the plane has taken off, the flight is often turned around or diverted to a less populous area. For example, when Yusuf Islam, formerly known as singer Cat Stevens, was flying from London to Washington in 2004, U.S. officials learned that his name was on the no-fly list, and his flight was diverted to Maine, to avoid flying over the Boston-New York corridor.

After the current threat subsides, the international regulations will return to this system, though a DHS spokesman says there is no timeline as of yet for when they will revert to the old method.

DHS added that there is a significant move to change the regulation so that all U.S.-inbound flight passenger lists are checked before take-off, but no final regulation has yet been approved.

The proposal is currently in the 30-day public comments stage and then will be reviewed before a change in the regulation is made.

"The rule should be: 'No wheels up until the no-fly list has been checked off,'" said Rep. Markey. He called DHS's recent effort to rewrite the rule "long overdue."

August 15, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (2)

U.S. Border Agents Fail to Detect Fake IDs

August 04, 2006 2:47 PM

Krista Kjellman Reports:

A second report in two weeks gives failing grades to inspections at U.S. land border crossings, increasing fears that terrorists can still enter the United States undetected five years after 9/11.

This week the Government Accountability Office released the findings of its investigation of the security at U.S. land ports of entry.  From Feburary through June, GAO agents attempted to cross into the U.S. at nine checkpoints along the northern and southern borders.  The agents carried only counterfeit driver's licenses and other bogus documents. 

At all nine crossings, the agents were allowed to pass U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. And at two of those ports of entry, they were not asked to provide any form of identification.

The report concluded that in the event border inspectors request identification, they "are unable to effectively identify counterfeit driver's licenses, birth certificates, and other documents."  Furthermore, the report found, "This vulnerability potentially allows terrorists or others involved in criminal activity to pass freely into the United States from Canada or Mexico with little or no chance of detection."

Before releasing their report, the GAO briefed customs officials on their findings at which time, "The CBP agreed its officers are not able to identify all forms of counterfeit identification presented at land border crossings."  The officials also expressed their support for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which by 2008 would "require all travelers, including U.S. citizens, within the Western Hemisphere to have a passport or other secure identification deemed sufficient ... to enter or reenter the United States."

But Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, says that is not enough.  He says the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency needs to update their document verification equipment before 2008. "If document verification technology works for the private sector, state governments, and foreign countries, there's no excuse for not using it to protect America's borders as well."

The GAO reports comes one week after an internal audit by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's Office.  That report found that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency lacks the resources to fulfill their traditional law enforcement repsonsibilities along with their increased efforts to intercept potential terrorists at airports and other ports of entry.

August 4, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (6)

New Audit Says Border Inspectors Not Given Enough Resources

July 25, 2006 10:10 AM

Jason Ryan Reports:

U.S. border inspectors are spending too much time looking at false positives on individuals who may share the name or a similar name to suspected terrorists, and they lack the resources to do other tasks, according to an internal audit by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's office.

The audit, to be released today, looks at problems in how the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency handles its traditional law enforcement responsibilities along with its increased efforts to intercept potential terrorists at airports and other ports of entry. 

"CBP officers told us on numerous occasions that repeat matches on subsequent trips of individuals previously not determined to be the individual in [the terrorism screening database] was an extremely inefficient use of their time," says the IG report.

"Traditional missions such as narcotics interdiction and identification of fraudulent immigration documents have been adversely affected," the review finds.

The report notes that some CBP officers do not have the proper security clearances to participate in interviews or view necessary information of certain watch-listed individuals that they may encounter.

"CBP procedures are highly prescriptive and withhold from supervisors the authority to make timely and informed decisions regarding the admissibility of individuals who they could quickly confirm are not the suspected terrorists," the review noted.

The report notes that this and other restrictions in data and reporting of that data is hindering CBP from developing useful intelligence assessments.

"CBP works continually to ensure that legitimate persons – the vast majority of travelers – are not unnecessarily delayed while diligently working to ensure we scrutinize everyone of concern," said CBP spokesman Bill Anthony in response to the review.

Last year Customs officers denied entry of 16,425 criminal aliens attempting to enter the U.S. at air, land and sea ports, and intercepted over 75,000 fraudulent documents last year, according to Anthony.

"CBP is pleased that the Inspector General's report acknowledges improvements CBP has made and continues to make as CBP continues its work with other law enforcement entities, including the FBI and ICE, as part of our anti-terrorism role," Anthony said.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman (D-CT) said in a statement, "The DHS Inspector General's latest report tells us that CBP has failed to provide its workers with the support they need to stop suspected terrorists from crossing our ports of entry. CBP supervisors lack the authority to make swift and informed decisions about foreign nationals while others lack the security clearances needed to review information about individuals on terrorist watch lists."

July 25, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (4)

Three Foiled Hijack Plots Revealed in U.S. Document

June 21, 2006 2:10 PM

Brian Ross and Christopher Isham Report:

Al Qaeda terrorists were planning to use cameras to disguise bombs and flash attachments as stun guns in a disrupted hijack plot that targeted the U.S. east coast, Britain, Italy and Australia, U.S. officials say.

The plot was one of three previously unknown al Qaeda hijack plots disrupted before they could be carried out, according to a Department of Homeland Security report obtained by ABC News.

The report, a strategic assessment on U.S. aviation, says despite security improvements, "DHS continues to receive information on terrorist threats to the U.S. aviation industry and to the Western aviation industry worldwide."

The previously secret plots include one in which "Al-Qa'ida planned to hijack flights departing London's Heathrow Airport and crash them into the airport and a skyscraper in the Canary Wharf financial district of London."

The plot using cameras and flash attachments was foiled in the summer of 2003, according to the report.

Homeland Security officials say it is an example of al Qaeda adapting "to increased aviation security by shifting planned suicide hijackings from domestic carriers to international flights…to take advantage of perceived less effective security screening at some foreign airports."

The officials says al Qaeda's "ingenuity was evident" in its attempts to convert camera equipment and other non-threatening items into weapons that could be smuggled onto a plane. It warns such items could be used to bring down an aircraft or "to gain access to an airliner flight deck."

The third previously secret al Qaeda plot revealed in the document involved a May 2003 al Qaeda plan to fly "an explosive-laden general aviation aircraft into the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan."

The report concludes that there have been nine similar plots since September 2001 "demonstrating a continued commitment to attack aviation-related targets."

The report says, "There is no recent information to suggest near-term operational planning" for an aviation attack within the United States.

Read what the New York Post had to say about our story.

June 21, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (92)

NY-DC Trains Still Top Terror Concern

June 02, 2006 9:13 AM

Richard Esposito Reports:

New York's rail terminals and commuter rail lines are at the top of the terrorist hit list, according to a Department of Homeland Security strategic report published just a week before Tuesday's announcement that New York's anti-terror funds were cut.

"Following the March 2004 bombing of commuter trains in Madrid, Spain, foreign terrorists expressed a strong interest in attacking passenger trains in the United States. The terrorists specifically were interested in striking an above-ground passenger train traveling between two major cities, and considered New York City and Washington, D.C., as possible targets," the report says.

The 13-page document, obtained by ABC News, states that there is no "imminent" threat but notes that there have been 57 possible threats to U.S. rail assets since 2004.  It warns much more needs to be done to protect the nation's rail assets, and both New York's Pennsylvania Station and Washington's Union Station are top targets. Both cities saw federal anti-terror funds cut yesterday. It appears to rely on previously reported intelligence and fresh analysis to arrive at its conclusions.

"The Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Commercial and Passenger Rail System" analysis states that "DHS has no credible or specific intelligence regarding imminent attacks against the commercial passenger and freight rail sectors in the United States. Previous reporting on al-Qa‘ida, combined with the March 2004 Madrid commuter train bombings and the July 2005 bombings on the London public transit system, however, demonstrate the intent and capability of al-Qa‘ida, and its affiliated groups and sympathizers, to attack these transportation systems."

The report  notes that "a review of all-source reporting reveals that 57 actual or possible threats to the U.S. rail system were reported since January 2004, ranging from threats to blow up identified trains or train stations to general threats against unspecified trains and stations. Included in these threats are nine incidents involving explosive devices placed on or near railroad tracks." The majority of these, it notes, can be attributed to criminal sabotage, vandalism and harassment -- not terrorism.

June 2, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (2)

DHS Explains Itself

June 01, 2006 12:20 PM

Richard Esposito and Dennis Powell Report:

The Department of Homeland Security issued a press release to "set the record straight" on its funding allocations. In it, DHS explained that the Empire State Building was included as a "tall office building" and the Brooklyn Bridge as "a bridge." It said that the Statue of Liberty is not considered in New York City as it is on federal land.

The press release stated that a peer review committee was used to evaluate whether the assessments were fair. What it did not state was why their own access to intelligence analysis would be overridden by a peer review, which is what senior law enforcement officials in New York say occurred.

The unsigned release states that New York City received 18 percent of the total funds -- more than twice as much as any other locale. But city officials say that sort of analysis is twisting the facts. Only New York City has been specifically and repeatedly targeted, including two successful attacks on the World Trade Center.

"The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge WERE ALL CONSIDERED In The Analysis:  The Empire State Building was reviewed as a tall office building and the Brooklyn Bridge was reviewed as a bridge in the analysis for New York City.  They were not including as "national monuments" as this would have unfairly counted both structures twice.  The Statue of Liberty is located on federal land and was included in the analysis for the State of New York.  Critical infrastructure around the Statue of Liberty, including its ferry system and two maritime port facilities, were included in the analysis for New York City."

June 1, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (8)

No Icons, No Monuments Worth Protecting

June 01, 2006 12:18 PM

Richard Esposito Reports:

New York has no national monuments or icons, according to the Department of Homeland Security form obtained by ABC News. That was a key factor used to determine that New York City should have its anti-terror funds slashed by 40 percent--from $207.5 million in 2005 to $124.4 million in 2006.

"All I can tell you is if you look at their worksheets, and it says that New York City doesn't have any high visibility national icons ... I mean, I don't have to list the Brooklyn Bridge, the United Nations, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and the Stock Exchange," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in response to ABC News' questions.

The formula did not consider as landmarks or icons: The Empire State Building, The United Nations, The Statue of Liberty and others found on several terror target hit lists. It also left off notable landmarks, such as the New York Public Library, Times Square, City Hall and at least three of the nation's most renowned museums: The Guggenheim, The Metropolitan and The Museum of Natural History.

"I think the facts are clear," Bloomberg said. "What they've really done is taken what was supposed to be threat-based and just started to distribute it as normal pork."

The form ignored that New York City is the capital of the world financial markets and merely stated the city had four significant bank assets.

New York City is home to Chase, JP Morgan, Citi Group, The New York Stock Exchange, The Commodities Exchange, American Express, George Soros funds, Michael Gabelli's funds, Lazard Frere and Salomon Brothers, to name just a few of the more prominent banking interests located there.

"Any threat-based analysis would show that New York is the top of the terrorist target list," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told ABC News.  "We're also a location that experienced two successful attacks, almost 3,000 people were killed here, four other attacks that were recorded ... Every place has vulnerabilities, but clearly, New York is still target number one.

"The process they used is also somewhat bizarre. They basically subcontracted it out.  They, as an agency that has 180,000 employees, they went outside, and (used) some sort of peer review, and those people were not privy to any intelligence information ...  The, the whole process is really kind of unfathomable to those of us who need this funding."

The formula did note a commuter population of more than 16 million around the city twice struck by fundamentalist terrorists and twice more targeted in plots halted in pre-operational stages. It noted the more than eight million residents and the largest rail ridership in the nation - more than five million. It is those commuters and rail riders who are expected to suffer most from the cuts since mass transit is listed on most DHS alerts as the top terror target. (Click here for the Strategic Threat Document obtained by ABC News.)

The report lists as classified "visitors of interest destination city," immigration cases, suspicious incidents and FBI cases. New York City is home to the largest FBI field office in the country, which actively monitors 24/7 the Iranian Mission.  The city has also had the most significant terror trials in the nation and is home to one of the largest air hubs in the nation.

June 1, 2006 in Homeland Security | Permalink | User Comments (222)