Homeland Security

Sat - October 28, 2006

Airport screeners fail to see most test bombs

Screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the starting points for the Sept. 11 hijackers, failed 20 of 22 security tests conducted by undercover U.S. agents last week, missing concealed bombs and guns at checkpoints throughout the major air hub's three terminals, according to federal security officials.

Posted at 10:52 PM Read More

Sun - October 8, 2006

No Fly List is Worthless

Who is on it and how valuable is it to national security? 60 Minutes managed to obtain a copy of the No Fly List and without giving away any national secrets, found it to be incomplete, inaccurate, outdated and a source of aggravation for thousand of innocent Americans.

Posted at 10:59 PM Read More

Fri - October 6, 2006

In Border Fence's Path, Congressional Roadblocks

No sooner did Congress authorize construction of a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border last week than lawmakers rushed to approve separate legislation that ensures it will never be built, at least not as advertised, according to Republican lawmakers and immigration experts.

Posted at 11:02 PM Read More

Biodefence special: Fortress America?

It was the nightmare many had been expecting. Five years ago, hard on the heels of 9/11, someone sent anthrax spores through the US mail to journalists and politicians. Five people died, and at least 17 more got sick. The culprit was never caught.

Posted at 01:24 PM Read More

Wed - October 4, 2006

Terrorists' mail not well monitored in US prisons

Terrorists may have less cause to fear US government surveillance inside America's prisons than outside, according to a federal report that found the system does not adequately monitor prisoners' mail to and from the outside world.

Posted at 11:11 PM Read More

Sun - September 24, 2006

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Worsens Terrorism Threat

A stark assessment of terrorism trends by American intelligence agencies has found that the American invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat has grown since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Posted at 12:05 PM Read More

Wed - September 13, 2006

Chertoff Says Can’t Protect All Targets

Mr. Chertoff, since he was named secretary in February 2005, has talked of the need to make spending risk-based, but his department has also been lambasted for compiling a list of possible targets that included a petting zoo, a bourbon festival and a popcorn factory, while at the same time it cut antiterrorism grants to high-risk cities like Washington and New York.

Posted at 06:24 PM Read More

Thu - August 31, 2006

Bush can't fight crime in America because he's too busy fighting terrorists

According to the Deputy Attorney General in the Bush Justice Department, we can't fight crime in the US, because we're fighting the "war on terror."

Posted at 10:15 PM Read More

Sun - August 20, 2006

US facing wave of murders and gun violence

In a shift from trends of the past decade, violent crime is on the rise, fueling criticism of Bush administration policies as a wave of murders and shootings hits smaller cities and states with little experience with serious urban violence.

Posted at 01:41 AM Read More

Tue - August 15, 2006

DHS Reports That X-Rays Fail To Detect Weapons, Explosives

A study by the Homeland Security Department, obtained by The Associated Press, states that X-ray images "do not provide the information necessary to effect detection of explosives."

Posted at 12:42 PM Read More

Fri - July 21, 2006

Marshals: Innocent People Placed On 'Watch List' To Meet Quota

You could be on a secret government database or watch list for simply taking a picture on an airplane. Some federal air marshals say they're reporting your actions to meet a quota, even though some top officials deny it.

Posted at 10:48 PM Read More

Wed - July 19, 2006

Passport Rules Between the U.S. and Canada

By January 1st, 2007, everyone crossing the border between the U.S. and Canada is supposed to have a passport. This is because of terrorism, of course. But now we learn that ferries and private watercraft will be exempt.

Posted at 11:42 PM Read More

Tue - July 18, 2006

Top Terrorist Targets from the DHS

It's a seriously dumb list:

A federal inspector general has analyzed the nation's database of top terrorist targets. There are more than 77,000 of them -- up from 160 a few years ago, before the entire exercise morphed into a congressional porkfest.

And on that list of national assets are ... 1,305 casinos! No doubt Muckleshoot made the cut (along with every other casino in our state).

The list has 234 restaurants. I have no idea if Dick's made it. The particulars are classified. But you have to figure it did.

Why? Because here's more of what the inspector general found passes for "critical infrastructure." An ice-cream parlor. A tackle shop. A flea market. An Amish popcorn factory.

Seven hundred mortuaries made the list. Terrorists know no limits if they're planning attacks on our dead people.

The report says our state has a whopping 3,650 critical sites, sixth in the U.S. It didn't identify them -- remember, we wouldn't want this list of eateries, zoos and golf courses to fall into the wrong hands.

That number, 3,650, is so high I'm positive we haven't heard the most farcical of it yet.

Posted at 11:40 PM Read More

Wed - March 15, 2006

DHS Gets Another F in Computer Security

The Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with setting the government's cyber security agenda, earned a grade of F for the third straight year from the House Government Reform Committee. Other agencies whose failing marks went unchanged from 2004 include the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, State, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs.

Posted at 11:34 AM Read More