What is the purpose of Homeland Security?

The Department of Homeland Security

The FBI, the CIA, the NSA... it seems that America has a never-ending host of acronyms ready to defend it from foreign attacks and terrorist incidents, so how does Homeland Security differ?

Formed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in an apparent attempt to improve the nation's security services, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was, in the words of President George W. Bush, created to "co-ordinate homeland security efforts".

It exists to"develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States."

As it was formed to protect the United States from domestic attacks and to improve the military's protection at home, it is not the same as The Department of Defense, that primarily deals with military actions abroad.

With the passing of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the DHS was officially formed and as part of its remit, it aimed to co-ordinate and streamline the efforts of the nation's assorted security and federal agencies. As such, the DHS incorporated 22 other agencies under its umbrella, including; 

* United States National Guard
* United States Coast Guard
* United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
* Federal Emergency Management Agency
* US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
* Customs and Border Protection
* United States Secret Service
* Transportation Security Administration
* Civil Air Patrol

The inclusion of the Federal Emeregency Magement Agency (FEMA), highlights the fact that the DHS doesn't just deal with terrorist attacks, but also holds responsibility for preparedness, response, and recovery from natural disasters.

Effectiveness?

Now this all sounds very impressive; inter-agency co-operation, preventing terrorist attacks and 'coordinating the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy', but how effective is Homeland Security?

After all, a lot of homeland security work falls outside the aegis of this department. The likes of the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services are not part of the DHS and all operate independently.

What this means is that whilst the DHS collects and analyses various information about the possibility of a foreign or domestic attack, and then shares this information with the likes of the FBI and the CIA... they might not do the same.

Despite its much criticised 'preparedness measures' such as the five coloured 'Threat Levels' that indicate the current possibility of an attack, the Department of Homeland Security is designed to ensue that a repeat of 9/11 never happens. As such, it is dedicated to making sure it has a swift and coordinated response and rescue effort to an imaginable disaster.

Sure, the Department has been accused of being another example of 'federal bureaucracy' and has been charged with being ineffective... but America hasn't been attacked on the scale of 9/11 since the DHS's foundation, and that can't be because the terrorists aren't trying hard enough.

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