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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > Lay Off Napolitano and the Homeland Security Department

January 13, 2010

Lay Off Napolitano and the Homeland Security Department

James Jay Carafano, PhD

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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has taken much of the criticism about the U.S. government's failure to stop the underwear bomber bound for Detroit.
 
But the vitriol is misplaced. None of the responsibility for keeping the attempted killer off the plane rests with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). On the contrary, the many obstacles Congress and both the Bush and Obama administrations have thrown in front of the department kept it from playing a more proactive role in safeguarding the homeland.
 
Ms. Napolitano walked into harm's way when she toured the Sunday talk shows as the "face" of the administration's response. Her statement that "the system worked" proved to be the media equivalent of having a "kick me" sign taped to her back. What Ms. Napolitano was actually referring to was the department's system for alerting international flights worldwide in the wake of a threat. That system did work like a charm. Unfortunately, it seemed she was referring to the aviation security system designed to keep would-be bombers off planes to begin with.
 
Beyond media gaffes, when the dots started to get connected it was pretty clear that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab should have been stopped before he bought his ticket, let alone before he boarded a plane. None of the layers of security between him and us, however, were controlled by the Department of Homeland Security.
 
That starts with the screening before boarding. There was adequate security at Amsterdam to find the bomb. A simple pat-down in secondary screening would have done it. That screening, however, is done by the Dutch – not the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an agency under the Homeland Security Department.
 
The decision to flag an individual for secondary screening or bar him from flying altogether comes from the Terrorist Watch and No-Fly lists. These lists are not controlled or managed by DHS. By law, Congress insisted the airlines – not TSA – do the screening. And airlines only have access to the No-Fly list. Mr. Abdulmutallab's name was not on the list.
 
Lists are managed by the National Counterterrorism Center and the Terrorist Screening Center. By law, Congress directed that the centers be run by the director of National Intelligence and the FBI, respectively. Homeland Security is just another customer. The department has little ability to drive the policy, protocol or operations of the centers.
 
Next, Mr. Abdulmutallab shouldn't have been given a visa or, if he already had one, it should have been revoked. Yet Homeland Security has almost no authority to address this problem.
 
Visas are issued by the State Department. Under law, the Department of Homeland Security is supposed to set security policies for the State Department consular affairs offices that issue visas. That has never happened because of squabbling between the two departments. Likewise, embassies have been reluctant to accept visa security officers from Homeland Security who could work with the consular officers in identifying security gaps and threats. Neither Congress nor either administration has done anything about that.
 
Finally and most importantly, intelligence agencies and international cooperation with key allies (such as Britain) should have discovered and stopped the plot, as they did with the 2006 London-based liquid-bomb plot. That didn't happen this time.
 
From the start, Homeland Security has been treated like the weak sister of the intelligence and counterterrorism community. Washington hasn't done much to address that, either.
 
Picking on Homeland Security might make sense if the latest attempted attack was the department's fault – but it wasn't. Dumping billions more on aviation security might make sense if we could guarantee this won't happen again. We can't.
 
The best way to stop terrorist attacks is to block them before they start. That's a better answer than striking out at DHS or dumping more money into wasteful programs that try to "child-proof" America against every potential terrorist attack.
 
Congress could start taking the department seriously by consolidating oversight from many dozens of committees and subcommittees to something more streamlined (such as the oversight structure for the Defense Department). Or lawmakers could just keep shooting the messenger.
 
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation.
 
 

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What a joke! How can they get it right, when they are more concerned over the political ramifications, instead of being concerned with protecting the USA!

Political correctnes needs to be flushed down the drain!

posted by: Ernie Stokes
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:14 AM

Ms. Napolitano's behaviour during and after this near tragedy were horrifying to me. My security level is a very bright ORANGE with this current team at DHS.

posted by: Rose
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:31 AM

Napolitano is no more qualified for her position than I am. I am not in any way, shape or form qualified for the position. Perhaps she is intelligent; however, the position into which she has been placed (voluntarily, of course, and with great praise for the one who placed her there) has shown her vast incompetence for the job.

She has shown herself to be no more than a babbling puppet, having to carry the water for others even less competent than she.

Ask me how I really feel.

posted by: AJ
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:34 AM

Don't lay them off! FIRE THEM NOW!

posted by: Steven Terrell, Sr.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:42 AM

With all due respect Dr. C,no cigar.

Ms. N is a politically correct man-caused-disaster waiting to happen on our dime....literally.

She is clueless...

Not only did she make the gaff you described, which I will accept your explanation at face value....how about this from she and Mr. Brennan--speaking of Al Qaeda:

Brennan said: “We didn’t know they had actually reached the point of launching individuals here, and we have taken that lesson and we’re all on top of it,”

To which she added: “I think following up on that, not just the determination of al Qaeda and al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula but the tactic of using an individual to foment an attack as opposed to a large conspiracy or a multi-person conspiracy such as we saw on 9-11...That is something that affects intelligence.”

Now, that's being on top of things.

These key stone cops are spending billions looking for precisely Richard Reed's shoes, and they are thrown into turmoil when someone puts explosives in their underwear instead of their shoes.

They are looking for groups liked attacked us on 9/11 and can't imagine a loaner?

The only thing their strategy would stop is a white, Anglo Saxon, pro life, veteran hair dresser.

Geez!!

posted by: Sapient
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:43 AM

Clearly, the DHS does not exist to protect the Nation or the American People. If Bobo the Clown were put in charge as opposed to incompetano, there would be little difference (the painted smile). I remember when Katrina hit Louisiana, the lost look on the governors face. Napolitano had the same look on the day of the underwear bomber. If the purpose of the Presidents appointments were to protect and elevate the situation and lives of the American People, he would not have Socialist Czars micro managing and destroying our security agencies and their practices. He would not be handing away our sovereign rights to the U.N. idiots that hate us. The Borders would be closed, and Ships coming in would be boarded for inspection at sea before entry. TSA would be like the Israelis checking for terror weapons at the Airport entrances and exits; not at the center of an airport. Napolitano is a symptom, the Whitehouse and the Congress are the disease; laying off Napolitano would gain us nothing in the short or long term. We need to be rid of the circus.

posted by: F. Hernandez
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:50 AM

Time to lay off those in Washington and see if they're comfortable not having jobs--while making sure they're not feeding off the public, of course! We're all more than a little tired of the same old double standards coming from Obama and pals.
Why can't Obama and the Dems get real for a change? Are they just waiting til everything collapses so they can rush in and "save" (read control) everyone?

posted by: Sallly
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Our security has become a laughing stock---Homeland Security is a monstrosity. I don't know if firing Napolitano would help--she would be replaced with another yes man. As far as profiling--they have already done that (Christians,libertarians,Ron Paul supporters,those believing in the constitution). So I don't know if firing Napolitano would help---I think the order to profile patriotic Americans came from the Bush administration. I'm not a democrat or republican because I think it's hard to find a public servant in either of them.The rabbit hole goes deep!

posted by: Joanne
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 12:04 AM

Napolitano is no more qualified for her position than I am. Wait, I am more qualified by what I know.
I believe Obama is delibertly placing non-qualified people in positions, because he is more concerned about their obedience to him.
He has signed over our sovernity to the UN and we have UN troops in every State in the union.
We all need to come together and save our Country

posted by: Subee
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 12:07 AM

We've got the wrong Napolitano in Homeland Security; get the judge, Andrew Napolitano and we will be much better served and protected.

This Janet is much like one of her namesakes in the Clinton Administration whose last name was Reno. Remember WACO???

posted by: Jerry
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 12:43 AM

If our 1/2 time President would keep his staff infor- med as to what he wanted them to say maybe they wouldn't have to retract what they said & start over. But that doesn't mean Napolitano is competent. I think any Sheriff or Police chief could do a better job. But mostly if we would screen people by PROBABILITY instead of POSSIBILITY maybe we would get somewhere. Quit looking so closely for THINGS & start looking for PROBABLE PEOPLE. Oh, I forgot. That's against the law, It's called profiling. Gee, who would want to look for someone that looks & acts just like the last people to blow up, shoot down or what ever is next. Let's screen down to the bone a 4 foot great grandmother from China while we let some young man mumbling allah in ararbic pass on through because we can't check someone out on how they look.

posted by: Judy
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 01:12 PM

None of our Agencies are going to work properly, this administration has them all hamstrung! The Obama Administration is a joke, and not a funny one at that!

posted by: SMW
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 01:18 PM

Too many enemies working inside Homeland Security as well as the current American national-socialist politburo.

The whole mess needs to be turned up-side-down and shaken to see what falls out.

posted by: al Kidya
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 01:47 PM

Napolitano and her DHS is one sick joke!The sad part is , that the joke is on America's security!Political correctness will get more Americans murdered.

posted by: Robbie
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 02:15 PM

Anyone who thinks Napolitano is not going to be a disaster as Sec HS should take a look at the marvelous job she did for us here in Arizona as governor. One term took us from a state with a budget surplus to the 3rd most bankrupt state of 50. Wow.

posted by: Bill Jeans
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 02:50 PM

Fire this dried up prune before she lets in every illegal alien from our southern boarder, and any other boarded they choose to enter into this country from. If she stays in this position, the US will without question, be subjected to numerous terrorist attacks within the next year.

posted by: Joseph Durante
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 05:15 PM

J-=NO is
A RADICAL, LESBIAN ATTORNEY.
That sums up her qualifications

posted by: Dave Hollenbeck
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 06:17 PM

The objective is to destroy the United States from within. Napolitano could be removed but another, just as bad or worse, will replace her. The people who are in the process of successfully dismantling the U.S. will not stop, and anybody who thinks they will is naive. These people, from Obama and the god he serves, all the way down the Democratic food chain, do not govern. They infest. This is not about imcompetence. It is about evil. It is about spiritual warfare.

posted by: PLP
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 06:30 PM

spelling correction, "incompetence." Sorry.

posted by: PLP
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 06:35 PM

Protect America, please. If Napolitano is unable to do the job, fire her. If Homeland Security is not appropriate, replace it, please.

posted by: PAN
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 07:11 PM

AMERICA COULD FIX THE PROBLEM IN A VERY QUICK MOMENT, (IF ) THEY WANTED TO, BUT HELLO, NOBODY WANTS IT TO BE FIXED,,,,
ONE DOES NOT NEED A GENIUS TO FIGURE THIS ONE OUT....LOBBYIST STILL DONT IT TO BE FIXED....TO MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE....

posted by: BIGEAGLE
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 07:57 PM

Why even bother to terminate Napolitano, or any of these incompetent jerks. Look here man. her lofty big-money making position is permanent and she answers to "nobody Charlie"
That's right! No matter how badly she screws up from here on out. she like many of her incompetent counterparts are guaranteed a nice big fat pay check every week for doing next to nothing.

Case & point!

Was anybody fired for dropping the ball (so to speak) on 911??? NOPE!!!

No, 3000 people were brutally murdered by that same Islamic machine that's now threatening to tare away at our God-given sovereignty. Obviously, if there's one thing these politicians are for? Its everything we're totally against.

In opposition to using pure logic, that entire backward concept of homeland security has become a Pandora's box. Yes, this runaway organization lacks real credibility, as to police itself and any other agency that operates strictly above "ANY" law.

Absolutely, without question mistakes were made on all geopolitical fronts. Thus, no one (individual) took the heat for that major security related screw-up! WHY???

I'm kinda curious, "what would've been her childish excuse if 300+ people had actually died due to that "most disturbing incompetent behavior she seems to possess???"

Without a doubt! The system needs fixing (big-time) and part of the repair job starts with those responsible for that criminal security lax! need to be fired immediately.

Strange how anyone of us ( thee regular folk) can make a small mistake on an auto assembly line and lose ones job due to our own accidental negligence.

(That double standard policy coming at you'll baby)

But (and that's a very big--- "BUT") In that dream world of theirs (runway Democratic politics with no borders), these appointed jerks get away with bloody murder, every time because we the people no longer have an opinion or voice in Washington ACDC...

posted by: Paul West
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 08:21 PM

I just don't believe that Napolitano has the know how to run Homeland Security to keep us safe. Of course, we don't know what the president is telling her to DO either. He does not seem too concerned about terrorists here in our nation. AND I think it is a DISGRACE that they want to try some of the terrorists in CIVIL courts. They should be tried in MILITARY courts.

posted by: Dora
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 09:22 PM

they are more worried about us older domectic terrorist then the real terrorist.
LLay

posted by: lorraine ludlow
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:03 PM

Somehow, I thought it was a case of three strikes and you're out in the US. Firstly, Ms. Napolitano introduced indecently politically incorrect language into government and in so doing deauthorized counterterrorism. Secondly, she had the temerity to suggest that returning veterans from deployment overseas might join right wing militias and presumably become a threat to the government. And now, she claims firstly the system worked on 27 December only to retract the statement a few days later. I gather she is off to discuss visa issues with British.

This is a scandal of immense proportions and she should be fired without delay.

posted by: Christopher J Ward
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 11:40 PM

Good job Nappy ! Your fired !!

posted by: Two Elks
Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 00:24 AM

This is a direct result of Obama and his radical progressive administration. Political Correctness in the white house and across most media outlets will most likely contribute to another devastating attack on AMERICA. FORT HOOD COMES TO MIND. And whats worse THEY DON' GET IT!

posted by: Jane L Wegener
Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 07:14 AM

Am I the only one who thinks that our head terrorist is the one currently sitting in the whitehouse? I have watched him and his cronies systematically dismantle the constitution and every thing it stands for, while everyone remains politically correct. Never do I hear the word liar, or thief. All the czars should go, not just her, just because its not the way we do business in america!

posted by: mark nixon
Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 09:47 PM

I can't understand why there is not a hugh public outcry for napolitano's firing. Does the public not understand the Mission of Homeland Security. You wouldn't want a butcher as the chief of surgery in a hospital, so why do people settle for a not so good lawyer as head of homeland security. Where the is the President's head appointing this woman in the first place. What Homeland Security needs is someone with a background in security, and investigation, Police work, and International Law.THIS IS NOT A POSITION THAT SHOULD BE USED TO MAKE POLITICAL PAYOFFS.

posted by: John J Peer
Friday, January 15, 2010 at 08:44 AM