Ridge targets 'gaps' in system

Former Pennsylvania governor sworn in as homeland security chief

10/09/2001

By DAVID JACKSON / The Dallas Morning News

WASHINGTON – Declaring "the only turf we should be worried about protecting is the turf we stand on," ex-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge formally began efforts Monday to unify the federal bureaucracy against terrorism.

Sworn in by President Bush at the White House, the new director of homeland security said he wants to close "gaps in the system," gaps some critics believe left the United States vulnerable to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In introducing Mr. Ridge, the president said: "We face a united, determined enemy. We must have a united and determined response."

AGENCY'S AGENDA Here's a look at the agenda of the new Office of Homeland Security, headed by Tom Ridge: • Set priorities for spying overseas and make sure intelligence agencies have the money and technology they need. • Develop a system for detecting any release of biological and chemical agents, and for containing their spread. • Review hospital capacity and supplies of vaccines and pharmaceuticals. • Fortify security for power plants, phone systems, railways, highways, shipping ports, and food and water supplies.

Mr. Ridge told friends and supporters during an East Room ceremony that his main job is to "open lines of communication and support like never before – between agencies and departments, between federal and state and local entities, and between the public and private sectors."

Analysts said coordinating sometimes-rival agencies like the FBI, CIA, Pentagon, State Department, and National Security Agency – not to mention state and local governments – is only one of the challenges facing the new Office of Homeland Security.

It is also responsible for responding if other terrorists slip through the cracks, perhaps with chemical or biological weapons.

As a result, Mr. Ridge said, his assignment requires the kind of the public support given massive projects of the past, citing the building of the transcontinental railroad, fighting World War II, and landing a man on the moon.

"An extraordinary mission," he said. "But we will carry it out."

As Mr. Ridge moved into his new West Wing office, members of Congress questioned whether he has enough power to make his mandate effective. Some have suggested giving Mr. Ridge budget authority over security agencies, a big stick he could use to compel cooperation if necessary.

Other organizations fear the new office could become too powerful, threatening civil liberties in its zeal to combat terrorism.

Mr. Ridge said the nation is already organized to defeat terrorism.

"There may be gaps in the system," Mr. Ridge said. "The job of the Office of Homeland Security will be to identify those gaps and work to close them."

Before introducing Mr. Ridge, Mr. Bush signed the executive order creating Mr. Ridge's office and the Homeland Security Council, which consists of the president and various federal officers.

In addition to bringing together all information and intelligence on terrorist plans, Mr. Bush said, the homeland security office will supervise security of the nation's infrastructure. He and aides said that ranges from transportation and water systems to nuclear power plants, and demands cooperation between federal, state, and local governments.

Mr. Ridge said "we will find something for every American to do," and "candor" may be the most important thing people can contribute.

"No one should be wary of coming forward when they see a problem," Mr. Ridge said. "It's the only way to define a solution."

Mr. Ridge addressed worries that his new office could become a domestic version of CIA, spying on American citizens under the rubric of fighting terrorism. He said his office is dedicated to liberty as well as security.

"Liberty is the most precious gift we offer to our citizens," Mr. Ridge said. "It's what the terrorists fear most, what they tried to destroy on September 11th."

While Mr. Ridge will have an office down the hall from President Bush, Mr. Ridge and aides do not enjoy the rank of a cabinet department or federal agency. And some question whether the office will have enough power to perform its duties.

"He's got a lot of ability, and he's got the voice of the president and the hand of the president," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., speaking Sunday on ABC's This Week. "But he's got to have a lot of power and a lot of authority. I believe he's going to have to have statutory authority."

Some critics believe that if agencies such as the FBI and CIA had pooled information more successfully, agents may have picked up hints that terrorists planned to hijack commercial airliners and use them as fuel-laden missiles.

FBI Director Robert Mueller, who attended Mr. Ridge's swearing-in, pledged the cooperation of his agents.

"We will play a role in what he does, and we look forward to playing that role," Mr. Mueller said. "He will coordinate what we do well and what others do well."

New Jersey Gov. Donald DiFrancesco said the attacks have produced "an attitude of working together at all levels" of government, something everyone is obliged to maintain.

"They're going to have to," he said. "This is unlike any other situation I've seen in my lifetime."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer noted that the current crisis could work to make Mr. Ridge's office more effective.

"Our nation is at war," he said. "And wartime has the ability to bring people together in different agencies and in different parts of the government in a way that peacetime does not allow itself to."