Study Proposes Revamping U.S. Security System

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Study proposes revamping US security system
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

1 hour, 28 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - In a report aimed at the next president, security specialists are proposing a vast overhaul of the U.S. security system, declaring it problem-plagued. The report, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, said frequent feuding and jurisdictional disputes among Cabinet secretaries and other agency heads force the president to spend too much time settling internal fights. Time and money are wasted on duplicative and inefficient actions, slowing down government responses to crises, the report said.

The president and his top advisers focus on day-to-day crisis management rather than long-term planning, "allowing problems to escape presidential attention until they worsen and reach the crisis level," said the report, to be issued later in the week. The study, mandated by Congress, was undertaken by the Project on National Security Reform. The research was conducted by more than 300 national security experts from think tanks, universities, federal agencies, law firms and corporations.

A final version with recommended reforms, including a proposal for new security legislation, is expected to be issued in October. "We will approach whoever is elected before the inauguration and will be having discussions with campaign staffs between now and the election," James R. Locher III, executive director of the project, said in an interview. "We will draft presidential directives that can be imposed by the new president immediately," Locher said.

Thomas J. Pickering, a former career diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement that the findings would be valuable to the next president and to Congress. "Our national security system is broken and needs fixing," he said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080729/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/security_reform

---

[bemildred]

1. Or we could just fire the whole bunch of them for wasting money and making us less secure. nt

[damntexdem]

2. We don't need a new system so much as we need ...

competent people running the system.