Nation Safer Now Than Before 9/11, DoD Official Says

American Forces Press Service ^ | Fred W. Baker III

[SandRat]

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 21, 2007 – America is safer today than before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Defense Department’s top homeland defense official said today.

It is no accident that America has not suffered another terrorist attack on its home soil since 9/11, Acting Assistant Defense Secretary for Homeland Defense Peter F. Verga said after delivering opening remarks at the department’s Homeland Defense Conference here.

“My view is that the only reason we haven’t been attacked is the enemy has not been able to do it,” Verga said. “They’re not waiting for some strategic opportunity. They’re going to attack us when they can, however they can do it. The fact that they have not been able to is a direct result of what we’ve been doing around the world.”

Verga warned, however, that although America has made much progress, more can be done, and he said he doubts there will ever be a time that a terrorist threat no longer exists.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are safer,” he said. “I’m not sure that we will ever be safe from this particular threat. This is one of those threats that is so difficult to deal with. You can’t protect every place, every time from every conceivable threat.”

Verga said DoD wanted to bring together officials who work homeland defense issues from across the services, defense agencies and combatant commands. He said he hopes the conference broadens the understanding of the department, brings to light any issues outside Washington and identifies any needed policy guidance.

“We get ideas … by talking to people out in the field and seeing what they are doing on a day-to-day basis and what we can do to help,” Verga said.

Verga noted that DoD Homeland Defense also responds to natural disasters on behalf of the department. DoD is doing a better job planning for all types of emergencies, Verga said, working with civilian and interagency counterparts such as Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This will help the agencies work together in the event of major disasters, he said.

Related Sites:
DoD Homeland Defense

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News at Home and Abroad You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

[evad]

I don't think we have any idea how close we came to a tragedy on 9-11 that could have been 100 times as catastrophic.

If these f*kers had had nukes, they certainly would have used them.

[mtbopfuyn]

Hahahahahaha!

[Rennes Templar]

Although mnay things are safer, I still worry about the borders.

[JimSEA]

Unfortunately, as we "disengage" in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our WOT to a rapid close under the "leadership" of the Democrats, the world situation as well as our own will change. In fact, just the promise of a "new" policy by the Democratic Party may be enough to tip this balance in the opposite direction.

[Kenny500c]

Right, the real reason the Jihadis have not attacked again is because they know that would cement American opinion against them. They are laying low and allowing the MSM and 'rats to do their work for them.

Once the pacifists come to power they will come at us like a tsunami.

[DTogo]

Safer unless you're the vicitm of a crime by an ILLEGAL alien who came in through our porous border, and wasn't removed due to unenforced immigration laws.

[Txsleuth]

The two World Trade Center buildings were "supposed" to have 50,000 people in them...and if the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania had hit the Capitol....you are looking at several thousand possibly killed.

Soo...even if just a few minutes here and there..and instead of 3000 we could have lost another 54,000 or so people.

I have also heard Brendan Miniter on news shows...and he has said he knows of many "attacks" that haven't happened...that we don't even know about...but they were stopped by out intelligence.

[P-40]

the real reason the Jihadis have not attacked again is because they know that would cement American opinion against them.

I think there is a lot to that. The radical Islamists attacked us and two Muslim countries, one with a radical Islamist government and one with a nutcase at the helm, fell. Another attack and more may fall. Or worse, Americans may end their reliance on foreign oil and even more Muslim countries will fail.