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- * Advisory panel outlines ideas on homeland security
strategy (12/15/03)
- * Homeland Security defends privacy review of visitor
tracking system (12/05/03)
- * Science, tech funds for Homeland Security look flat
for fiscal 2005 (12/05/03)
- * Homeland Security science division will also tackle
cybersecurity (12/04/03)
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- By Greta Wodele and William New
- National Journal's Technology Daily
- 12-20-3
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- President Bush on Wednesday signed landmark directives
establishing new policies on assessing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure
and the nation's preparedness to respond to a terrorist attack.
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- "These are foundational documents for our homeland
security strategy," said a senior administration official during a
conference call.
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- The first directive requires federal agencies to coordinate
with state and local officials as well as the private sector to identify
critical infrastructure vulnerabilities across all sectors, including information
technology, telecommunications, chemical and transportation systems.
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- "We understand full well that the preponderance
of these key infrastructures are owned by the private sector," said
the official. "That philosophy permeates the document." The official
said after federal agencies make an inventory of the key infrastructures,
the departments would work with the private sector as well as state and
local governments to protect those assets.
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- He called a national policy on critical infrastructure
the cornerstone of the country's homeland security strategy.
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- The directive supersedes previous policies, including
former President Clinton's directive known as PDD 63, which focused primarily
on the economic fallout of a terrorist attack on critical infrastructures.
Wednesday's directive goes further to include catastrophic loss of life.
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- The directive also requires the Homeland Security Department
to continue to coordinate national cybersecurity efforts.
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- Each agency must submit their reports to Homeland Security
within one year and each subsequent year after to the department's secretary.
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- The second directive requires Homeland Security Secretary
Tom Ridge to establish a "national preparedness goal" to create
guidelines for spending on preparedness equipment. The official said spending
on preparedness has increased by 1,000 percent since the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attacks.
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- The policy will lead to the secretary establishing standards
for emergency responder equipment, said officials, who did not rule out
the possibility of new regulations.
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- The new policy will be reflected in the administration's
fiscal 2005 budget proposal due in February. One official said the initiatives
would receive "very significant levels of funding."
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- For first responders, it also will seek to centralize
grant-funding processes where possible.
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- The directives are partly a response to a congressional
mandate to develop vulnerability assessments, officials said. They offered
several reasons for why the administration has not fully addressed that
mandate until now.
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- December 17, 2003
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- Homeland Security Presidential Directive/Hspd-7
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- Subject: Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization,
and Protection
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031217-5.html
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- Homeland Security Presidential Directive/Hspd-8
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- Subject: National Preparedness
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031217-6.html
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- Executive Order Appointments During National Emergency.
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- Subject: Executive order giving Emergency Appointments
authority during a national
- emergency.
- http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031217-9.html
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