In the years since the 9/11 attacks there has been much discussion of Homeland Security. Homeland Security has become an important part of the American society that in 2002 the federal government created a department in the Cabinet titled the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At the same time Americans aren’t really sure what the meaning of Homeland Security is. Because it seems to mean something less then military action because the Department of Defense is separate from the DHS. The meaning of this department becomes even more confusing because the leadership consists of retired military personnel, and they control the United States Coast Guard which has a military role. In order to understand the major role that DHS plays in the American society we must look at its purpose and meaning.
In the United States (US) the development of homeland security began after the 9/11 attacks where several government agencies and entities were extended and recombined. Some of these agencies and entities that were recombined were the US National Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, and many others. DHS was created by George W. Bush administration as a result of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. There are some agencies that are involved in homeland security activities that are not part of DHS such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect the US from domestic and foreign threats. According to Congress in the National Strategy for Homeland Security, “The primary mission of the Department is to--(A) prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; (B) reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; (C) minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States.” In the beginning the general purpose and meaning of DHS was to prevent and protect the US from terrorist attacks. According to Jonathan White as the years have gone by the mission and role of DHS has expanded to not only counterterrorism but to other functions. One example of this is one group of internal organizations responsible for health and policy in the DHS responds to natural and human disasters.
As we can see DHS was created as a response to the 9/11 attacks that were acts of terrorism against the US. DHS consists of several big agencies and entities that have different roles in the counterterrorism process. Some agencies strictly handle issues strictly dealing with terrorism, immigration, natural disasters and many more. One question that I have is shouldn’t the CIA and the FBI be a part of Homeland Security? The CIA and the FBI play a huge role in counterterrorism, therefore they shouldn’t be excluded. I think that all government agencies in the United States should be involved and a part of DHS because they each play an integral role in fighting the war on terrorism.
Websites:
Homeland Security of 2002: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/hr_5005_enr.pdf
