Posted on 09/21/2014 6:06:46 PM PDT by Second Amendment First
An exodus of top-level officials from the Department of Homeland Security is undercutting the agencys ability to stay ahead of a range of emerging threats, including potential terrorist strikes and cyberattacks, according to interviews with current and former officials.
Over the past four years, employees have left DHS at a rate nearly twice as fast as in the federal government overall, and the trend is accelerating, according to a review of a federal database.
The departures are a result of what employees widely describe as a dysfunctional work environment, abysmal morale, and the lure of private security companies paying top dollar that have proliferated in Washington since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The departments terrorism intelligence arm, for example, has cycled through six directors during the Obama administration, decimating morale and contributing to months-long delays in releasing intelligence reports, according to interviews and government reports.
A parade of high-level departures, on top of other factors, has meanwhile helped slow the rollout of key cybersecurity initiatives, including a program aimed at blocking malicious software before it can infiltrate civilian government computers, former officials say.
With the country facing a crisis of unaccompanied minors crossing the southwest border in recent months, the pair of DHS agencies responsible for tackling this problem have been hindered by turnover of top officials. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, for instance, has had six commissioners under President Obama, four of them in a caretaker role because they were not confirmed by the Senate.
And at the Transportation Security Administration, a DHS agency created after 9/11 to enhance airport security, the hemorrhaging of both senior and junior personnel has had a tremendous effect, said Kenneth Kasprisin, a former acting TSA head who left the agency in May.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Worthless bunch of f-ing maggots.
That excuse illuminates a difference between the corporate world and government. Government is a top-down operation. The outcome (of a report or activity) has to be decided before the study is published or the activity is started. When the man at the top changes, the desired outcome is thrown into doubt, and sometimes all the work has to be started over to fit the new desired outcome.
In this case, "evolving threats" is not defined by observation, but by edict.
Or are they being driven out by pro-Islamist forces within the WH that are also targeting our military command structure?
Wouldn’t it be a simple way to get the most effective officers out of the field by doing mass layoffs?
Well this is just me but I don’t want a bunch of door kicking military type mercs handling airport security for the general public. These are the kinds of guys who were mixed in with the jumped up BLM forest rangers in the Bundy ranch standoff. Some people might not have a problem with it.
Personally I would like to see the airports handle their own security and go back to walking through a metal detector with your shoes on and maybe pass by a bomb sniffing dog as you come through and then if you don’t set off an alarm you go to your gate. The Kibuki theatre that the TSA is putting the American public through has nothing to do with terrorism or security. Its a desensitization process to attempt to train the public to submit to anything just because they are told to.
Bu that’s just me.
Stephen "Scott" Helvenston (June 21, 1965 March 31, 2004) was a former United States Navy SEAL. He was working as a security contractor for Blackwater Security when he was killed in the 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush within days of arriving in Iraq.
Helvenston's great-great-uncle was Secretary of War Elihu Root.[1]
He joined the Navy at 17 and became the youngest person to complete Navy SEAL training.[2] He spent 12 years in the Navy SEALs until he left in 1994[3] as an E-6 (Quartermaster First Class).
Well before you get all that righteous indignation going full force just remember that these are the guys who will be glad to kick in your door and take your guns as long as they are getting paid to do it. That’s what Mercs do. They are not the US military anymore or your cop on the corner. Ask the residents of New Orleans how much they loved Blackwater policing during Katrina.
ARE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS---AND ISIS---BUYING US CITIZENSHIP--In an earlier statement, Sen Charles Grassley (REPUB--IOWA) said ICE identified key vulnerabilities in EB-5 visas:
1) Export of sensitive technology/economic espionage.
2) Use by foreign government agents/espionage.
3) Use by terrorists.
4) Investment fraud by regional center.
5) Investment fraud by investors.
6) Fraud conspiracies by investors and regional center.
7) Illicit finance/money laundering.
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Eye-opening exchanges at the recent House Judiciary hearing on immigration.
<><> Patriot Cong Randy Forbes (Rep-VA) said Americans need to know if violent gang members are walking their streets. Forbes asked UCIS--a DHS agency--headed by Obama appointee Leon Rodrigues---whether the agency asked applicants about gang membership---and when they invariably reply no, how does the agency know whether it's true or not? The calculated Rodriguez would not reveal information---Forbes insisted on knowing if Rodrigues asked them if they're gang members.
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Rodriguez's confirmation hearings revealed he was a board member of Casa Maryland---a latino-centric advocacy group---pushing for unlimited immigration, and has connections to nationwide immigrant groups.
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ACTION--CONTACT FBI TIPS PAGE WEB SITE---YOU MAY REMAIN ANONYMOUS---https://tips.fbi.gov
<><> Taxpayers demand Rodriguez, USCIS, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, La Raza, and other tax-funded latino groups, be investigated. Supboena official filings, phone records, emails, snail mail copies, hard drives, bank accounts, checking accounts, credit cards, debit cards, wire transfers, social media contacts, and the like.
<><> Taxpayers demand to know if govt factotums like Rodriguez, and the aforementioned tax-funded groups, are consorting with violent organizations advocating the overthrow of the US govt.
<><> TAXPAYERS demand to know who these people are communicating with, and who is directing their activities.
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Many of the contaminated border jumpers use multiple identities to collect multiple US govt checks.
To report suspected irregularities WRT ID theft, contact:
Federal Trade Commission
(Solicits reports to assist ID theft investigations)
web site ftc.gov/idtheft
Tele 1-677-438-4338
SNAIL MAIL
FTC
ID Theft Clearinghouse
Washington, DC 20580
You really seem to take at face value what the media reports. Maybe you should be more skeptical particularly where it concerns stories that reflect badly on Republican administrations and American vets.
Private security is not the US military. Mercenary’s are not new they have a long history. I don’t want them at the airport or patrolling my area in a disaster.
I don’t think you understand what a mercenary is. And American vets who honorably served our country shouldn’t have their character assassinated by someone like you just because they work for private security firms.
Just look at the incompetent aholes who led DHS and you understand what the problem is. Napolitano? Couldn’t find her ass with a GPS and a map.
Jeh Johnson. I’ve heard about the 4 terrorist-suspects captured but don’t know if it is true. Another Obama affirmative-action incompetent wackjob. Should never have been approved by the Senate but that is what the Senate Democrats want, a “yes-boy, smiling Democrat Jackass do-nothing, know-nothing”.
There are a few competent people in DHS but I can’t name any. I don’t even know what they do. Seems that a lot of it is redundant in that the FBI, State/local police, and other law enforcement agencies (DEA/ATF) are doing the same work.
DHS was originally planned as a “coordinating body”, not a field operational organization. It has the troops from other agencies. They were supposed to help coordinate intel flows and ops., not run them.
Obama’s desire for incompetent, asskissing toadies has put this country in grave danger, and the Dems vote for these idiot nominees.
Now you know what is wrong with this country. The revolt starts in one & half months. We’ll remember in November.
It’s certainly wise that these bureaucrats are getting out of the field now. If they have to personally deal with the people President Cruz would hire to clean up the bureaucrat trash, the results might just be a little messy.
Feds Interrogate Man Wearing Google Glass in Movie Theater
betabeat.com | 1/21/14 9:35am | By Jordyn Taylor
Posted on 1/21/2014 1:26:20 PM by Red Badger
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3114024/posts
AMC movie theater calls federal agents to arrest a Google Glass user
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2014/01/20/amc-movie-theater-calls-fbi-to-arrest-a-google-glass-user/
[DHS] snatches Google Glass off the face of innocent AMC movie-goer [UPDATE #3]
http://phandroid.com/2014/01/20/fbi-google-glass-movie/
Man attending ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ reportedly interrogated about suspected piracy for 3.5 hours by Dept. of Homeland Security agents
http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/amc-patron-wearing-google-glass-questioned-by-feds-at-ohio-theater-1201066149/
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