Comparison between National Strategies for Homeland Security to the Quadrennial Homeland Security - Essay Example

Comparison between National Strategies for Homeland Security to the Quadrennial Homeland Security Introduction The September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States of America made the Americans prioritize and review the domestic safety and security paradigms. Hence, it gave birth to the concept of “Homeland Security”. The Americans hold the “Homeland Security” as a concerted move against terrorist attacks which embraces not only the members of the congress and of the state and local governments but has a wider meaning. It helps in judging the factors, which makes America amenable to such terrorist activities and identifies the strategies to recover from the damages, occurred. It goes further to encompass the activities of the private sector institutions and of the citizens in general against such terrorist attacks. The program taken on “Homeland Security” lays special emphasis in the scope of prevention and on the measures to be taken for recovering from the widespread disaster caused by weapons of mass destruction. It highlights on the development of disaster management teams and on technological, social, and economic development of the nation to recover from the loss caused. (National Strategy for Homeland Security, 2002, pp. 2-3). The National Strategy for Homeland Security 2002 The National Strategy for Homeland Security 2002 based on its mission of prevention and reduction of amenability to security threats with tracing a path to recovery from the damages caused is divided into six key principal areas. The critical areas identified like providing information on terrorist infiltration through intelligence network, security of goods passing through borders and defending counterterrorism activities within the domestic boundaries imply on the prevention part of the program. Further, the critical areas like making strategic plans to counter widespread national disasters and making security plans for protection of infrastructure imply on the programs initiative taken to reduce America’s amenability to terrorist activities. The sixth critical area identified by the program on National Strategy for Homeland Security 2002 aims at making steady recovery from the damages caused by increasing the responsiveness of the society in being prepared. In regards to bettering up the security intelligence network of the nation, the program stresses on the development of the analytical efficiency of the Federal Bureau of Intelligentsia. The program in this regard also prioritizes on the enhancement of capabilities in designing better security modules aiming at better analysis of information obtained and thereby protecting the national infrastructure. Aiming at providing increased protection to the homeland the program focuses on the development of an advisory council. The advisory council on homeland security does not only provide information to the public in regards to security measures taken by the government but also helps in creating social awareness to security threats. Further, the program endeavors to create warning systems for the proper identification of suspected purchases of items meant for both commercial use and terrorist activities. Again, in regards to providing improved security along the borders the program targets in increasing the accountability of the border service like Immigration, Customs and Coast Guards. Other initiatives taken by the program in this regard highlight the proper and effective implementation of the Aviation and Transport Security Act 2001. Further proper scanning of the shipping containers is taken to improve the security measures. The betterment of the border security institutions like the Coast Guard and the Immigration Departments is ensured to make the security control more effective. Further in regards to fighting domestic terrorism the program envisages on the improvement of the law enforcement institutions like the Federal Bureau Of Intelligentsia. The program in this regard also focuses not only in identifying domestic and foreign terrorist groups but also in putting bar on them being financed. The program in regards to the protection of critical infrastructure evaluates its proper assessment and designing of effective security measures. Detection and prevention of use of nuclear and biological weapons and also research on the development of antidotes helps in countering catastrophes. Development of an incident management system helps in enhancement of responsiveness to terrorist activities. The program in addition to intensifying the legal and technological network focuses on the effective management of information sharing activities across the political, economic and the social sphere. (National Strategy for Homeland Security, 2002. pp. 2-57). The National Strategy for Homeland Security 2007 The program for National Strategy for Homeland Security 2007 makes an evaluation of the amount of progress made in security measures both domestic and internationally. While making the evaluation of the progress made across the security frontiers in both domestic and international environment it also throws light on the emerging challenges. While identifying the challenges it focuses on the increased use of weapons of mass destruction including biological weapons. It stresses on the enhancement of the security parameters of the border and coastal areas to restrict infiltration. The program also identifies the rise of Islamic fundamental activities, which have started gaining ground in foreign countries. To this end, the program calls for renewed cooperation across governmental, non-governmental, private, and social machineries to counter terror threats. The program also calls for further development to be made in legal and information sharing spheres. The National Strategy for Homeland Security 2007 also goes in identifying the current environment of threat as not only encompassing terrorist activities but also in the spread of natural calamities like the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus and other devastating accidents. The program in strategizing the path to restrict the development of terrorist activities highlights on creating potential barriers to the entry of terrorist groups using legitimate and illegitimate pathways. The program also focuses on the steady identification of terrorist factions operating in the American soil and thereby to dismantle their network and operations. In the light of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, America puts a strong focus on the discouragement of Islamic groups networking such activities in its soil through strengthening of legal procedures to counter such. In addition to the above paradigms the 2007 program like the 2002 program stresses on the protection of key resources and infrastructure and on country’s amenability to such terror threats. (National Strategy for Homeland Security, 2007, pp. 5-30). Quadrennial Homeland Security Review of 2010 The review on Homeland Security published in 2010 highlights the increased security threats emanating from activities pursued by terror groups including the enhanced use of weapons of mass destruction.. In regards to the security measures to be taken to counter the above threats the program lays increased stress on preventing terrorist activities using chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear weapons. As in the previous programs, the 2010 review also stresses on the strengthening of the border and coastal areas. Like the previous programs on Homeland Security, the review program also puts stress on the better applicability of immigration legislations. The program in addition to the development of crisis management teams to help the country recover from the destruction caused throws attention to the threat posed from cybercrimes. The Homeland Security program 2010 rightly states of identifying the potential cyber crimes as would pose a threat to the government and to the society. It lays focus on creating public awareness to such crimes and in disrupting the activities of concerns involved in making of malicious software. Finally, the program like its previous ones states of enhancing social cooperation networks to counter the effect of disasters and draft paths of effective recovery. (Quadrennial Homeland Security Review of 2010, 2010, pp.5-8, 19-33). Comparing the essential elements A comparison drawn between the National Strategy for Homeland Security and the Quadrennial Homeland Security Report shows that apart from the security threats emanating from terrorist activities and increased viral threats it focuses on the emerging threat of cyber crimes. Further it also focuses on the threat emanating from the depletion of natural resources not given in the earlier strategies. The threat coming from the conflicts of nations is also reflected in the Quadrennial Homeland Security Report not given in the earlier context. However, like the previous Homeland Security strategies the Quadrennial Homeland Security Report focuses on improving legislations and strengthening of borders. Conclusion The National Strategy for Homeland Security had acquired due importance owing to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It was framed to help strengthen the security base of America to counter potential threats emanating from the activities of terrorist organizations. It thrives to develop the security potential of the country for protecting the resource and infrastructural base of the country. However, the present strategy for Homeland Security not only focuses on the security threats but also has a much wider view of it. It thrives in addition to curbing the former threat in countering with problems like cyber crimes and resource depletions. It thus helps in increasing mass awareness to help address the growing problems and in bettering up the society. References National Strategy for Homeland Security, (2002), DHS, Retrieved on November 2, 2010 from: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nat_strat_hls.pdf National Strategy for Homeland Security. (2007). DHS, Retrieved on November 2, 2010 from: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nat_strat_homelandsecurity_2007.pdf Quadrennial Homeland Security Review of 2010. (2010). DHS, Retrieved on November 2, 2010 from: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/qhsr_report.pdf Read More