Keys Corner

A quote from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in today’s Guardian:

“We are extremely pleased with the response of every element of the federal government, all of our federal partners, to this terrible tragedy.”

Well, if that is the view of things at national level in the organisation set up specifically to deal with national disasters, no wonder that there has been chaos, looting and rape – and precious little else – going on in New Orleans most of this week.

Here, by the way, is the DHS’s Six Point Agenda, published less than two months before the tragedy in New Orleans on their home page:

A six-point agenda for the Department of Homeland Security is planned to ensure that the Department’s policies, operations, and structures are aligned in the best way to address the potential threats – both present and future – that face our nation. The six-point agenda will guide the department in the near term and result in changes that will:

1. Increase overall preparedness, particularly for catastrophic events
2. Create better transportation security systems to move people and cargo more securely and efficiently
3. Strengthen border security and interior enforcement and reform immigration processes;
4. Enhance information sharing with our partners
5. Improve DHS financial management, human resource development, procurement and information technology
6. Realign the DHS organization to maximize mission performance.

And here the DHS mission statement on helping first responders to disasters and emergencies:

The Department of Homeland Security is committed to helping first responders nation-wide

• by ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared, equipped and trained for any situation, and
• by bringing together information and resources to prepare for and respond to a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency.

Bush hasn’t sacked a single crony of his for failing to perform since he became president. It will be interesting to see if he acts this time.

Update – 2005-09-010:
It took a little while, but another, more junior Bush-crony has been sacrificed – Michael Brown, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). Fema is a subordinate organisation to the DHS.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 3rd, 2005 at 04:09:48 and is filed under USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.