Ridge: Integration of people, technology helps secure nation

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Tuesday touted the Bush administration's use of technology to protect the homeland over the last three years, but the secretary was careful not to strike a partisan chord amid the political background.

"Three years after the [Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks], I can tell you that working in common effort for the common good is the way of homeland security," Ridge said at a National Press Club luncheon. "And when I say homeland security, I'm not speaking of a federal strategy - rather, the mission and mandate of a nation."

Ridge said there is "no doubt" the department can do more to bolster security but added that the "successful integration of people and technology for a greater purpose has had a genuine result."

He cited one area that still lacks a technical solution: communications tools for the nation's firefighters, police officers and other "first responders" to emergencies. Ridge said the department is looking to the private sector for a "permanent solution" to allocate coveted airwaves and compatible communications devices.

First responders can communicate up the chain of command with the Homeland Security Information Network, the secretary said. He noted that the network connects law enforcement officials across federal agencies and with state and local officials, as well as the private sector, via the Internet and immediately.

Ridge also praised the so-called US-VISIT program that tracks foreign visitors entering and exiting the country. Ridge said the department deployed advanced technology such as digital photographs and scanned fingerprint systems ahead of schedule, and it has been used to track 8 million visitors to date and more than 1,000 people have been matched to terrorist watch lists.

Ridge did not discuss an oft-criticized data system for screening airline passengers. Earlier this year, he said the department was pulling the plug on the program, which was dubbed the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II), because of civil liberties and economic concerns. Then the department last month announced a version called Secure Flight.

Under the initiative, the Transportation Security Administration would take responsibility for checking airline passengers' names against terrorist watch lists. Currently, airline companies oversee the process.

Rep. Jim Turner, D-Texas, the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, quickly found fault with the renamed program, arguing it is a narrower version of CAPPS II. "With Secure Flight, we may not be getting all of the security benefits needed to make our skies as safe as they can be," Turner said in a release. "For example, we will still not screen individuals before they board an international flight to come to the United States."

Ridge generally addressed civil-liberties concerns with homeland security programs, saying that before the department begins initiatives, it examines the civil liberties and privacy ramifications.

Also Tuesday, Ridge said the department's National Targeting Center and 24-hour Homeland Security Operations Center have galvanized information sharing across federal agencies.