Panelists echo recommendations made by 9/11 commission

Security experts on Thursday echoed recommendations made by a group examining the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that the nation better integrate its government security systems.

While all commission recommendations are being considered, officials from the Homeland Security Department said the department already has made significant strides.

Comparing the pre-Sept. 11 world to today, Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security, said improvements have been made in aviation security, customs and border control, traveler entry-and-exit security and citizen awareness. "The greatest judge of that [is] the American people," he said, noting that Americans are expected to fly in record numbers this summer, exceeding volume achieved before the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"It is not just a governmental responsibility," Hutchinson said, but also one of the public and private sector. A national plan for emergency responses has been underway that provides an overarching framework for local, state and federal agencies, he noted.

"Preparedness is a shared responsibility," John Hager, former assistant to Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, said in a town-hall meeting at a Government Security conference in Washington. It is a vital responsibility, but not the sole responsibility, of the federal government to coordinate and implement homeland security efforts.

Officials at the city, state and federal levels can elevate their capabilities by working together, he said, and local and regionally based initiatives should be empowered by integrating with overall state and federal efforts. "There should be no limit or barriers to cooperation just because of jurisdiction," he said.

Homeland Security has given $8.2 billion in grants to states and localities for "first responders" to emergencies. An additional $35 million is available for President Bush's Citizen's Corps, or his "call to action" of the American people, Hager noted.

The United States must continue its efforts to ensure security because the threat of terrorism is not fading, and Homeland Security is permanent, he said, characterizing the state of the nation as the "new normal."

Hager called for Congress to do a better job in its oversight of homeland security efforts.