Biosecurity Briefing

Subscribe | About | Current Issue | RSS | Archive

White House Releases Updated National Strategy for Homeland Security

By Crystal Franco, October 12, 2007

On October 9, 2007, the White House released its updated National Strategy for Homeland Security. The first iteration of the document was drafted in 2002 and, according to the White House, this updated version “builds directly from the first National Strategy,” and “complements” the National Security Strategy and the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism (both issued in 2006).1

The National Strategy for Homeland Security provides 4 broad goals for the country to organize around:

1. “Prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks;
2. Protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and key resources;
3. Respond to and recover from incidents that do occur; and
4. Continue to strengthen the foundation to ensure our long-term success.”1
    

In the document, the White House recognizes that, “due to their implications for homeland security,” the country must focus on both the continuing threat of terrorism and “full range of potential catastrophic events, including man-made and natural disasters.” The Strategy outlines what it defines as the current threats “confronting the United States.”1

• Terrorism: According to the strategy, “the United States faces a persistent and evolving terrorist threat, primarily from violent Islamic terrorist groups and cells.” Al Qaeda is still a threat to the U.S. and, according to the document, is still seeking “to acquire and use chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material." The document also states that homegrown “single-issue” groups such as white supremacist groups, eco-terrorist groups, and animal rights extremists also pose a threat.
• Natural Disasters: Emerging infectious diseases like SARS or pandemic influenza are potentially catastrophic in terms of lives lost, and could be economically and politically destabilizing. Natural hazards and disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, tornados, etc., also pose a threat to the country.
• Accidents and other Hazards: Industrial accidents (e.g., chemical spills) and accidents causing infrastructure failure (i.e., power outages) could have “cascading effects” which threaten the public and the nation’s critical infrastructure.1

An accompanying fact sheet summarizes the steps proposed in the National Strategy toward ensuring long-term success in protecting the homeland. These steps include: applying a risk-based approach to all federal, state, and local homeland security efforts; building a “culture of preparedness” into all levels of society; developing a homeland security management system that state, local, and tribal agencies can adopt as part of a national effort; improving upon the National Incident Management System (NIMS); encouraging innovative scientific research and development to assist in “defending against the range of natural and man-made threats”; using “all instruments of national power and influence” (i.e., diplomacy, information, military, intelligence, economics, etc.) to “protect the lives and livelihoods of the American people.”2

Concluding the plan for long term success in homeland security efforts, the National Strategy makes several requests to Congress for legislative action:

1. Congress should make the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) permanent in order to ensure that the intelligence community continues to have the “legal tools” necessary to “gather information about the intentions of our enemies while protecting the civil liberties of Americans.”
2. Congress should streamline those committees that oversee homeland security-related missions and appropriate and authorize homeland security funds.
3. Congress should “embrace a risk-based approach” so that limited homeland security resources can be prioritized and the most critical homeland security objectives can be met first.2

References

1. National Strategy for Homeland Security. Washington, DC. Homeland Security Council; October 9, 2007. http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/homeland/nshs/NSHS.pdf. Accessed October 12, 2007.
2. Fact Sheet: National Strategy for Homeland Security. Washington, DC. The White House; October 9, 2007. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071009-1.html. Accessed October 12, 2007.