NYT: Chertoff Signals a Shift in Approach to Terror

[DeepModem Mom]

Security Chief Signals a Shift in Approach to Terror
By ERIC LIPTON

Published: March 17, 2005


WASHINGTON, March 16 - The United States government cannot protect the American public from all possible terrorist attacks and instead must focus on trying to prevent more serious or catastrophic strikes, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday.

"Threats are important, but they should not be automatic instigators of action," Mr. Chertoff said in his first extensive public comments since taking over the department a month ago. "A terrorist attack on the two-lane bridge down the street from my house would be bad, but would have a relatively low consequence compared to an attack on the Golden Gate Bridge."

Mr. Chertoff's remarks, in an interview and a speech at George Washington University, reflected his view that the Department of Homeland Security must transform itself from an enterprise set up in reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks to one engaged in a more focused, sustainable and reasoned battle against terrorism.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint," he said.

The federal government needs to have a more restrained and coordinated public message than it had in the first Bush term when it comes to discussing potential threats, the secretary said. That might mean he and other department officials will decline to comment at times about rumored threats until definitive information is available, he said. He did not mention the department's much-criticized color-coded alert system but has said previously he was assessing it....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/17/politics/17home.html?oref=login

[saigon68]

1. Break out the Visquine and DUCT TAPE ---LOL

[dbt]

2. Wow! I thought that was strictly a southern term.

Good morning, saigon68!

[patcox2]

9. Visqueen; I had to look it up.

Apparently its a brand name.

[wtmusic]

3. Or we could adopt a foreign policy that emphasized justice

and save ourselves a lot of duct tape and worry

[merwin]

4. I say we just adopt a policy of detain, beat, and kill brown people.

Hey, it worked for Nazi Germany! (albeit, with a different color of folks)

[leftofcool]

12. but..............but...............but

I though we were already doing that.

Left of Cool

[NYC Liberal]

5. It sure sounds like they're preempting something by saying

"Well we can't prevent everything..."

[gratuitous]

6. You know, it almost sounds like candidate Kerry

You know, when Kerry said we could adopt a more coherent, less alarmist response to terrorism? Naturally, the press, the cable shows and the networks all went off their respective nuts (at the instigation of the mighty Republican Wurlitzer) and screamed that Kerry was "soft" on terrorism for advocating a nuanced approach.

However, since Chertoff is a Republican bagman for a corrupt Republican administration, all the news outlets will forget their earlier high dudgeon about Kerry's remarks and nod sagely over their bourbon and allow has how, yes, Mr. Chertoff makes a good point. Why, this IS a marathon and not a sprint. How wise he is.

And no one except a few smartasses on obscure internet web sites will even notice the change in the media's tone.

[Ariana Celeste]

7. You got that right, n/t

[Pettson]

8. Well...

if Kerry said it before, and it is policy now...then surely that is a good thing.

I mean it is a good thing that the DHS will stop with the fearmongering and instead adopt a more coherent and less alarmist response to terrorism.

Is it not?

[gratuitous]

11. And with a Kerryesque approach on one thing

We also are forced to swallow down drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the horrible bankruptcy bill written to protect irresponsible lenders, legislation by and for the continued high profits of pharmaceutical companies . . . and that's just this week.

But my larger point was about the media, who bayed like hounds on the scent last year when Kerry said the Bush administration's approach to terrorism wasn't working, and was instead engendering more terrorism. Last year, we were subjected to endless media blathering about "nuances" from the "French-looking" Kerry, and how a real he-man like Simpleton W. Bush was all them terrorists really understood.

Do you really suppose you'll hear Bush or Chertoff subjected to the same approbation this year that Kerry was last year?

Shit, did somebody open the door to Freeperville? We've got a real infestation of the vermin here today!

[Tracer]

15. You are quite correct Gratuitous.

During one of the debates, Kerry said that he would like to succeed in bringing terrorism down to a "nuisance".

For taking a realistic view of the situation, more crap was spewed at him than I can remember.

Chertoff is altually taking a realistic view of protection against terrorism here in the U.S.

[karynnj]

18. Except Kerry had a genuine plan in mind for how to do it

involving cooperating with other nations and isolating the terrorists instead of bombing whole countries.

[Robeson]

14. Be careful of Greeks baring gifts.....

...I wouldn't be so quick to think we are seeing a kinder and gentler approach. That really would smack against how this administation operates. They do nothing, unless there are dollar figures attached. I suspect this quote from the article is the real smoking gun...."But there are signs that Mr. Chertoff will face resistance, particularly in Congress, where several senators have criticized him for a plan to reduce guaranteed minimum antiterrorism grants for smaller, more rural states, like Wyoming, Maine and Arkansas."

In other words, while Bush is cutting the budget for domestic purposes, and giving tax breaks to the rich, there simply won't be enough funds to do the job correctly. But they would rather couch what they are doing in altruistic terms.

[gratuitous]

16. Yeah, the upshot will most likely be business as usual

After all, we know the terrorists are just waiting for us to lower our guard in East Toenail, Wyoming and THEN we'll see a real strike!

But let those huge ships full of cargo containers come through L.A., S.F., Portland, and Seattle without so much as a second glance.

[DeepModem Mom]

17. Wow -- you nailed it, gratuitous! nt

[NNN0LHI]

10. Does this mean no more color coded terra warnings? n/t

[Nickster]

13. We are actually going to focus on getting Osama? LOL