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Release Date: 05/07/03 00:00:00
For Immediate Release
* Remarks as Prepared *
May 7, 2003
Thank you, Jim. I appreciate the invitation to speak with you all today - and I appreciate AACCLA's (AKLA's) diligent advocacy on behalf of free trade among the Americas. Our country's heightened security complicates your mission - but yours is a worthy cause that increases prosperity on both sides of America's border.
Secretary Ridge and I have had productive meetings with our Homeland Security counterpart in Mexico, Secretary Creel. The United States and Mexico are working together to balance trade and security at this unique moment in history. We must continue to build on the spirit of cooperation to achieve greater success in law enforcement information sharing and other border/trade issues.
On December 7, 1941, the United States was attacked by a foreign power - a day of infamy that ended the lives of 2,403 people. Our nation responded with war and sacrifice. 60 years later - our nation endured a second day of infamy. On September 11, 2001 - over 3000 people were killed in attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - and in the countryside of Pennsylvania. This time, America responded by uniting not only a nation, but much of the world in an international war against terrorism. But this war is different. It is different from war of generations past. Today, we defend our homeland from an unseen enemy - an enemy who attacks without loyalty to any flag - and without concern for the innocent.
We recently marked our first 100 days as a department, and I can report to you that Homeland Security has made solid, measurable progress. In a very short and unprecedented amount of time we turned resolve into results - and results into readiness.
Operation Liberty Shield, launched March 17th, and terminated on April 17th, was a comprehensive national plan designed to protect our citizens, secure our infrastructure and, most importantly, deter terrorist attacks.
This was a unified operation that integrated selected national protective measures with the involvement and committed support of federal, state, local and private authorities from around the country.
Collectively, we deployed National Guard and other law enforcement personnel at critical public and private locations. We increased both covert and overt security at our borders. Coast Guard surface and air patrols covered major sea ports 24-7 and also initiated more escorts of passenger ships. In fact, during this effort, Coast Guard units escorted some 1,800 ferry boats and passenger ships, conducted nearly 1,600 air and more than 12,000 surface patrols, and boarded more than 1,000 merchant ships to assure their safe transit into and out of U.S. ports.
We also strengthened security for our transportation systems, heightened security at airports and rail facilities around the country and, working with private railroad companies, implemented security measures to protect passengers and hazardous cargo. New flight restrictions were also put in place over certain U.S. cities.
Additionally, we increased patrols near our key petroleum and chemical facilities and enlisted more security at sites housing radioactive materials. We also monitored the Internet for signs of a potential terrorist attack, cyber terrorism, hacking and state-sponsored information warfare. And in conjunction with the Department of Treasury, we took immediate steps to protect our financial network and payment systems.
So it has been a busy first 100 days for us at the Department of Homeland Security. As DHS works to protect America, we are mindful of one fundamental principle - that security without economic freedom is not true progress for a nation.
We agree with the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America that the steady flow of commerce among the Americas leads to increased prosperity. We must balance trade with protection. As we strengthen our borders for greater protection, we must do it through technology and an appreciation of our trade-dependent communities along the border. This is not a choice between two opposites - we can do both.
So how do we accomplish protection and maintain the steady flow of commerce?
One way is though the U.S.-Mexico Border Partnership - signed one year ago by Secretary Creel and Secretary of State, Colin Powell. The United States and Mexico are working together to create a "Smart Border" for the 21st century - one that utilizes progressive technology to ensure the safe travel of people and goods across our shared border.
We envision a border that is open for business, secure for the flow of people, and closed to organized crime and terrorism. As part of the "Smart Border" accord, the SENTRI program allows low-risk travelers to enter through a dedicated lane at our border with minimal or no delay.
Another initiative that encourages the uninterrupted flow of commerce is the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT). C-TPAT is a joint government-business initiative to build cooperative relationships that strengthen overall supply chain and border security.
Through C-TPAT, Customs is asking businesses to ensure the integrity of their security practices and communicate their security guidelines to their business partners within the supply chain. Over 2,500 C-TPAT partners have agreed to protect the supply chain.
Through vehicles like the "Smart Border" accord and C-TPAT we are achieving results, and there are indications that our increased security has made a difference. We know that steps we have taken to tighten borders, ports and airports have caused al-Qaeda operatives to change.
We have caused al-Qaeda to:
This is encouraging news for everyone, but particularly for the 180,000 men and women of Homeland Security who are on the front line of protecting our homeland. It also challenges us to work even harder and with more creativity to meet the new schemes and techniques of the terrorists.
As we look to the future, we must learn from history to develop the right strategy. Experience has taught us a few things about terrorists and terrorist organizations - and our own vulnerabilities.
We know they are patient. A terrorist network funded by Osama Bin Laden was established in New York and California over a decade ago. His operatives were dispatched here to train in aviation, urban warfare, and to raise money. Sleeper cells were established across the western world - and they quietly plotted their attacks to be carried out at the time of Bin Laden's choosing.
Terrorist cells arrived in Africa 5 years before the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings - and some of the September 11th hijackers lived among us for more than 4 years before executing their deadly mission.
Knowing this, we can not afford to relax into a false sense of security during the absence of terrorist attack here at home. As sleeper cells lurk among us - plotting, planning and waiting - we must develop systems to disable their operations.
We also know they adjust their tactics and we must be prepared to adjust our strategies. In Napoleon's campaign of 1812, the great French Emperor and commander of unthinkable military success met his defeat in Moscow, Russia. Napoleon had conquered nearly all of Europe by pushing hard and advancing in mass - but he failed to increase his supplies or adjust his army's training to combat the harsh Russian winter. His inability to change his strategy to meet the changing face of battle led to his defeat. When you fail to adjust to new intelligence and the changing methods of the enemy - you lose the war. In our quest to protect the Homeland, we must have the agility to adjust our strategy.
Terrorists look at our vulnerabilities. We are aware of the 6 million sea containers that arrive at U.S. shores every year.
Recent cases illustrate that they have been used to smuggle people, weapons and narcotics both here and to other countries. In January of last year - Israeli forces seized a Tonga-registered vessel, and found onboard 83 canisters - which were hidden in crates and among other cargo - and filled with 50 tons of weapons - including surface-to-air missiles and anti-tank mines. Intelligence reports indicate the likely involvement of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in facilitating this large arms transfer to other terrorist groups.
And just a few weeks ago - Customs and Border Protection was notified by the U.S. Coast Guard of stowaways hidden inside a container onboard a sea vessel. A VACIS image revealed 5 stowaways - and the absence of explosives hidden inside the container. The stowaways were turned over to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
To address this challenge, we unveiled the Container Security Initiative (CSI) in January, 2002. Under CSI, the first program of its kind - we are identifying high-risk cargo containers, partnering with other governments to pre-screen those containers at foreign ports - before they are shipped to our ports - and using smarter, "tamper-evident" containers.
Our goal for the first phase of CSI was to implement the program at as many of the top 20 foreign container ports as possible. Those ports account for nearly 70 percent, over two-thirds, of all cargo containers arriving at U.S. seaports.
Within one year of the announcement of CSI, the governments representing 18 of the top 20 ports agreed to implement CSI, and those governments where the remaining two ports are located have expressed support for the initiative and a desire to participate.
We also plan to expand to other foreign ports - but all shippers must give us information in advance.
Whether cargo or people, improving security at our borders and ports of entry is an extraordinarily important priority - but we must also extend our zone of security beyond America's physical borders - so that American borders are the last line of defense - not the first.
As DHS moves forward in its mission to protect America, we want to keep an open dialogue with you who are daily working in American industry. Your front row seat at the meeting of homeland security and international commerce provides vitally important insight to us at DHS.
The Department of Homeland Security is committed to making Americans safer today than they were yesterday, and safer tomorrow than they are today. While we want Americans to continue on in life's comforting, daily routine - the Department of Homeland Security will not relax. With vigilance, we will watch for those who seek to threaten the carefully built nation we work everyday to protect.
This page was last reviewed/modified on 05/07/03 00:00:00.
