Homeland security preparedness - Essay Example

This can be seen in the increasing budgetary allocation to intelligence over the past few years. The United States intelligence budget (excluding military intelligence program) in 2010 was $ 53 billion. In 2009 it was $ 49.8 billion. The budgetary allocation was $ 47 billion in 2008, $ 43.5 billion in 2007 and $ 40.9 billion in 2006. According to one study of Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, the Federal budgetary allocations (after adjusting for inflation) for Intelligence has increased by a third during the past decade. 8) To use the intelligence gathered, for making decision relating to national security that can lead to more effective and efficient utilization of the available economic and military resources of United States of America.

The whole idea of using the umbrella term ‘home land security’ for defining security efforts to protect United States against terrorist attacks gained currency after the deadly and dastardly terrorist attacks on World Trade Center. The Homeland Security Act was passed in the year 2002. Under this act the new cabinet Department of Department for Homeland Security ( DHS ) was established. The National Strategy for Homeland Security defines homeland security as: “ A concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks in United States of America; reduce the vulnerability of United States to terrorism ; minimization of damages caused from terrorist attacks; and to lead to immediate recovery from terrorist attacks, if they occur.

” Before the September 11 attacks, the public policy on security made a distinction between domestic intelligence and foreign intelligence. The domestic intelligence activities were largely concerned with gathering intelligence for the purposes of law enforcement. The main objective behind Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA), 2004 was to integrate the foreign, military and domestic