Secretary Michael Chertoff of the Department of Homeland Security discussed the legacy of September 11 on its fifth anniversary in a speech in Gaston Hall Friday.
“September 11 remains a defining moment in our personal lives and in the history of our country,” he began, describing the attacks as “a premeditated and infamous act of war.”
Chertoff used the remainder of his speech to describe the security measures taken by the DHS and detailed those currently under Congressional consideration.
“Americans have come to understand that protecting our nation involves tradeoffs,” he said.
Immigration was central to his address, in which he emphasized the Real-ID Act recently passed by Congress. The Real-ID Act increases the use of biometric features, such as fingerprints, on identification papers, in addition to implementing more extensive background checks for those entering and leaving the country. It also requires that international travelers carry an identification card containing this information.
Chertoff commented that it was important to “ensure the right amount of protection for our citizens without under-protecting, but also without over-protecting.”
On the subject of shipping, Chertoff primarily discussed current efforts to screen all cargo entering the country for biological, chemical and radioactive material. Port security will also be increased by the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, he said, which requires a biometric identification card and extensive background checks for any individual with access to sensitive facilities.
Chertoff also spoke about ways the government assesses the country’s vulnerability to future attacks on its infrastructure. One initiative, called the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, is designed to organize the efforts of the government, private industry and nongovernmental agencies in the protection of the nation’s infrastructure.
The final area mentioned by Chertoff was Emergency Response. The National Response Plan is an attempt to plan an organized response among national, state and local governmental agencies in the event of an attack.
Chertoff’s speech ended in a vein similar to the one it began in as he urged the nation to support the DHS in its security efforts.
“The only people who can defeat us are ourselves,” he said.
