Category Archives: Janet Napolitano

Fiction Becomes Reality as Department of Homeland Security Preps Launch of ‘Green Police’

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As I read through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security‘s February 2012 document, Environmental Justice Strategy, I was reminded of a post I had published around the time of the National Football League’s 2010 Super Bowl.  It included one spot lifted from a series of tongue-in-cheek Audi commercials in which members of the “Green Police” are shown “protecting and conserving the Earth.”

Now, it appears fiction is becoming reality as Janet Napolitano‘s crew is preparing to launch a real-world Green Police with an “environmental justice” strategy based on the vision statement below:

“Environmental justice” describes the commitment of the Federal Government, through its policies, programs, and activities, to avoid placing disproportionately high and adverse effects on the human health and environment of minority or low-income populations. As described in the 2010 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), our Nation’s vision of homeland security is a homeland safe and secure, resilient against terrorism and other hazards, and where American interests and aspirations and the American way of life can thrive. In seeking to fulfill this vision, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aspires to avoid burdening minority and low-income populations with a disproportionate share of any adverse human health or environmental risks associated with our efforts to secure the Nation. DHS joins with other departments and agencies to appropriately include environmental justice practices in our larger mission efforts involving federal law enforcement and emergency response activities.

Please vote wisely in 2012.

Hat tip:  InfoWars

CRASS COMMERCIAL MESSAGE:  Be sure to order a copy of my book, Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice.

Border Fence Project Buried by Homeland Security

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Having spent a number of years in the media relations business, I’m familiar with the concept of releasing “bad news” on Friday.  Yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano used that approach to share news about her decision to cancel the Secure Border Initiative (a.k.a., “electronic fence”) that was supposed to help safeguard the nation’s southern border.

Late Friday night, I came across a Wired.com article about the cancellation of the project which, so far, has cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.  That article contained a reference to a written statement (below) that was attributed to “Big Sis” Napolitano:

“SBInet cannot meet its original objective of providing a single, integrated border-security technology solution.”

Hoping to read the official statement with my own eyes, I visited the DHS web site’s “Press Room.” There, however, I found nothing published.  In fact, the most-recent entry, as shown in the graphic below, was dated Jan. 8.

Next, I visited PRNewswire for Journalists where I have an account.  Again, nothing.

Growing frustrated, I visited the Customs & Border Patrol’s “National News Releases” and “Speeches and Statements” pages.   As shown in the screenshots below, I found nothing there.

Though doubtful I would find anything, I returned to the DHS web site and entered the phrase, “Border Fence,” in the site’s search box.  When the results appeared, I clicked on the link, DHS | Southwest Border Fence.  A new “rabbit chase” began.

I scrolled about halfway down the page and clicked on another link, “More on border fence.“ Again, nothing, so I scrolled down again until I saw a link to the SBInet program.  When I clicked on the link, a “404 – Page Not Found” error appeared before my eyes — a fitting description of a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.

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Serious Flaws in Homeland Security IT System

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Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced what was touted as a “major aviation security milestone”.  Specifically, she claimed in a news release that 100 percent of passengers traveling within the United States and its territories are now being checked against terrorist watchlists through the Transportation Security Administration’s Secure Flight program—a major step in fulfilling a key 9/11 Commission recommendation.  Not so fast, Janet!

According to the executive summary of a just-released report from the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner, there are serious flaws in the system:

Systems within the headquarters’ enterprise Active Directory domain are not fully compliant with the department’s security guidelines, and no mechanism is in place to ensure their level of security.  These systems were added to the headquarters domain, from trusted components, before their security configurations were validated.  Allowing systems with existing security vulnerabilities into the headquarters domain puts department data at risk of unauthorized access, removal, or destruction.

And that’s not all:

Also the department does not have a policy to verify the quality of security configuration on component systems that connect to headquarters.  Interconnection security agreements are present for each connections between headquarters and components to secure shared services; however, neither the agreements nor other policy define specific security controls required for connecting systems.  Stronger management and technical controls are needed on trusted systems to protect data provided by the department’s enterprise wide applications.

What does this mean?  The very people charged with protecting the nation from online and offline security threats appear to have failed when it comes to protecting their own information technology systems which, in turn, was supposed to help protect the flying public.

If you “speak” IT and are interested in a more in-depth discussion of the issues, click here.

No Word Yet on NYC Bomb Suspect’s Tea Party Ties

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During a mid-day news conference at the Department of Justice, Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and others addressed the charges that Faisal Shahzad will face following the car bomb attempted that failed Saturday in New York City’s Times Square.  They did not, however, reveal any details about the specific Tea Party organization to which they believe the naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan belongs.

The CBS News report above offers an overview of today’s news conference.

UPDATE 5/4/10 at 1:52 p.m. Central: A source from deep within the Tea Party Movement tells me he believes Shahzad is active in the Peshwar 9-12 Project.

Michael Savage Pegs Janet ‘Big Sister’ Napolitano

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I listen to Michael Savage more for the entertainment value than for political insights.  On some subjects, however, I find myself in complete agreement with the venerable radio talk show.  One of those subject is terrorism and/or how we deal with terrorists — especially those of the Muslim extremist variety.

Case in point: On his program last night, he offered his spot-on analysis of the handling of the nation’s security by Homeland Security Secretary Janet “Big Sister” Napolitano and others stuck inside the “brown paper bag” of the administration within which they work.

Hat tip:  Nearly Nobody’s News

How Will Obama Administration Officials Respond to Discovery of Rocket Launcher in Houston?

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According to a news report out of Houston this morning, police there found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher like the one shown in the photo above, alleged to belong to a man by the name of Nabilaye I. Yansane, in a southwest Houston apartment complex.  Though I have yet to see comments by members of the Obama Administration in response to the news about this weapon, I have some ideas about what they might say:

“This was just an isolated incident.” — President Barack Obama

“Obviously, this was a mix-up.  The rocket launcher was probably left there by a careless veteran returning from Iraq or Afghanistan.” — Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano

“Arabs traditionally welcome the New Year by firing larger, more powerful fireworks than we do in the United States.” — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

“It’s probably something the guy picked up at an Army surplus store and doesn’t deserve any more attention than it’s already received from Fox News.” — Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Unfortunately, I suspect all of the above comments will be proven reckless and wrong.  That said, should Americans be concerned about such a discovery?

According to a retired Navy SEAL friend of mine, the AT-4 is a one-time-use weapon capable of hitting a target from 300 yards, can bring down aircraft and can be remotely fired.  Best of all for the one using it, my combat-veteran friend says, it’s the weapon of choice — short of a Stinger missile, that is — for someone who wants to take out a hardened vehicle like those used for executive protection.

Developing…

Hat tip:  Jihad Watch

UPDATE 12/31/09 at 1:10 p.m Central: Remember the news story about the Continental Airlines pilot who, in June, reported a missile had flown past his aircraft while it was in the airspace above Liberty County, Texas.  Perhaps this rocket launcher is the one used in that incident.  Either way, troubling questions remain:  How did the rocket launcher end up in Houston and who is responsible?

RELATED 12/31/09 at 10:39 p.m Central: Police in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills, Texas, confirmed tonight that a device found in that city — and next to a Koran — contained explosives.  See this report for details.

RELATED #2 01/01/10 at 11:43 a.m. Central: Though a couple of days old, a Philadelphia television station reported that police in that city were investigating the discovery of a Molotov cocktail along with anti-Israeli books inside a Center City parking garage.

Bomber Not Part of Larger Plot, Just Al-Qaeda?

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Homeland Security Secretary Janet “Big Sister” Napolitano says there’s no indication that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian man involved in the Christmas Day attempt to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253, was acting as part of a larger plot.  So exactly what is Al-Qaeda — small potatoes?

See also:

Was Morgan Hill Attack a ‘Dry Run’ by Terrorists?

Sparse Details About Classroom Disruptions Spur Questions About Possible Terrorist Activity

Was Northwest Flight 327 a ‘Dry Run’ for Terrorists?