Recent Failed Terror Plots Renew Battle Over Homeland Security Funding

The recent terror plot by British nationals involving chemical explosives and transatlantic flights has increased awareness of homeland security after a relatively calm period marked by little terrorist activity aimed at the U.S. and Great Britain.

With the heightened awareness comes a new emphasis on filling homeland security related positions across local, state and federal agencies as well as airlines and other corporations. New security measures have necessitated a hiring drive for many companies related to the travel industry, which has been affected the most.

In New York and Washington D.C., where funding for homeland security has dropped based on recent changes to the criteria on which the allocation of preparedness funds is based, local officials were critical of the Bush administration and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. It has been speculated in the press that many of the flights targeted by the would be terrorists would have been destined for these two cities, although the nature of the plot would have prevented them from ever reaching their destination. Still, decry local officials, the decision to reduce funding to previously targeted cities while increasing funding for less densely populated areas could have disastrous consequences.

According to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a recent weekly radio address, "I just think the ways they went about it was wrong. I think some factual things were wrong. Forget about the fact that they didn't have the right number of financial institutions or didn't know there were any significant targets in New York City, just the quality of the report."

As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration was attempting to cut funding for developing new explosives detection technology. Congressional leaders rejected the plan, instead voting to continue funding for the research, which has been aided by technology supplied by the Japanese. Congress has also expressed bipartisan criticism of the way in which the Homeland Security Department is spending its current budget, calling the Sciences & Technology Directorate a "rudderless ship without a clear way to get back on course".

A statement by the senate appropriations committee that accompanied the Department of Homeland Security's 2007 budget read, "The committee is extremely disappointed with the manner in which S&T is being managed within the Department of Homeland Security".

As more terrorist activities are uncovered, greater emphasis is likely to be placed on maximizing the effectiveness of Homeland Security Department funding, although where the funds will eventually be appropriated will continue to be a hot topic for debate.

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