WHO’S
WATCHING THE STORE ?
RECENT
SECURITY BREACHES AT THE WHITE HOUSE COMING ON THE HEELS OF
INCREASED
AIR ASSAULTS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA, GOING AFTER THE
ISLAMIC
STATE, PRESENT UNIQUE SECURITY CHALLENGES
TAGS:
WHITE HOUSE SECURITY BREACHES, UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
NYPD,
NYPD INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTER TERRORISM BUREAUS, DIPLOMATIC SECURITY,
FBI,
CIA, DOD, DIS FAILURES,
(Monday September 22, 2014,
Washington, DC) If there are any federal officials in the White House and the
Secret Service who are concerned with the security of the President, his
family, the White House itself and the continuity of government after two
security breaches, they should come out from behind whatever bushes they are
hiding. The almost stupefying fact that
there could be two serious lapses in security perpetrated by two individual men
both within a 24 hour time span, should cause heads to roll and an immediate
and thorough investigation and overhaul of the security protocols at the White
House and its well-manicured grounds. How these two illegal incursion onto some of
the supposedly “most secured acres” in America leaves some serious questions
hanging in sharp relief when held up against reality. While each event was a different type of threat
that they were able to transpire at the White House at all is deeply troubling
as well it should be. President Obama
and his family were spending the weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp
David and were obviously never in danger but did remark that he is “obviously
concerned” that these two events happened.
For their part the Secret Service have announced a review of their
existing policies, procedures and practices but many in the intelligence and
law enforcement community are skeptical that the Secret Service can objectively
conduct such a review.
NOW MORE THAN EVER
As expanded airstrikes have commenced
this week with United states and a handful of allied countries targeting ISIL
sites both in Iraq and across the border in Syria, intelligence professionals
have been warning of an increased threat to our homeland by those sympathetic
to the Islamic State (as ISIL now prefers to be called). Two of our closest allies, The United Kingdom
and Australia have each issued nationwide terrorist threat assessments based on
intelligence they have received from multiple and corroborating sources. The Islamic State has gained a prominence for
their utter brutality, ethnic cleansing and their ability to control large
swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. They
control pipelines and refineries the proceeds from which are used to advance
their military arsenal and cause. Some
in the international intelligence and counter terrorism community have
repeatedly warned that the “Islamic State is like no other terrorist group we
have ever seen before”. One of the realities of the Islamic State that
most troubles intelligence experts is that they have been able to recruit to
their ranks young men and some women with
western” passports; the kind of passports that are unlikely to draw attention or increased scrutiny at an American airport. While there is no way to accurately account for the number of westerners who have joined the cause, most conservative estimates place the number between 160 and 200 individuals and, perhaps, as many as 50 from the United States.
western” passports; the kind of passports that are unlikely to draw attention or increased scrutiny at an American airport. While there is no way to accurately account for the number of westerners who have joined the cause, most conservative estimates place the number between 160 and 200 individuals and, perhaps, as many as 50 from the United States.
The Islamic State has been the
first terrorist organization with a viable global reach to attract adherents
and foreign fighters to their cause. The
major concern is that these westerners who have traveled to the war zones in
Iraq and Syria might be able to return to their home countries with at least
some rudimentary skills in bomb making.
Some believe that the training these westerners are receiving is far
more advanced than crude bomb making and that they may be plotting and planning
from abroad until they are dispatched back home to perpetrate a lethal mission.
Given this sobering assessment
of the current fight against terrorism, it is even more jaw-dropping that a 42
year old man from Texas, an Iraq War veteran, Omar Luis Gonzalez, was able to
scale the perimeter fence around the White House and gain entry into the
residency before being tackled by uniformed officers of the Secret
Service. He was armed with a knife at
the time of his arrest and a later search of his car uncovered 800 rounds of
ammunition and y several types of heavy bladed weapons. Mr. Gonzalez could have been packing an
improvised explosive device or some other weapon that could have resulted in a
serious loss of life, damage to the White House and world-wide embarrassment
for our federal government, the Secret Service and other law enforcement
agencies who share jurisdiction in Washington, DC.
THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME
Just two weeks ago we marked
the tragic 13 year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001. It was in the wake of that colossal
debacle by our CIA, DIS, DOD, FBI, INS and the entire host of federal agencies,
individually and collectively, that we realized all too clearly the depth of
their ineptitude, dysfunction, and lack of cooperation.
They, all of them, allowed 9-11-01 to happen. For all the talk of how much safer we are today, we open the weekend newspaper and see that two intruders attempted to gain access to the White House. Yes, Mr. Gonzalez did penetrate far beyond the security perimeter and how he was able to manage that feat will be an important aspect of the after action reports and review.
They, all of them, allowed 9-11-01 to happen. For all the talk of how much safer we are today, we open the weekend newspaper and see that two intruders attempted to gain access to the White House. Yes, Mr. Gonzalez did penetrate far beyond the security perimeter and how he was able to manage that feat will be an important aspect of the after action reports and review.
The second individual intent
on getting onto the White House grounds was a 19 year old New Jersey man named
Kevin Carr. He drove into the White
House entryway at 15th and E streets and removed to move his
automobile. The uniformed guards at that
point of entry were able to diffuse the situation in short order. Mr. Carr was unarmed and posed no serious
threat at any time during the episode.
But both of these events beg the most serious of questions and, the
American public will not get answers anytime soon. Now that committee’s and subcommittees in
Congress have promised to have a charade of hearings and political showmanship,
it is safe to say we may never have a reasonable explanation for what happened
here last weekend.
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
By noon time this Wednesday
there will be 193 diplomatic delegations here including 140 heads of state. These world leaders including our President will gather at the UN for
its annual General Assembly. While
providing security for this week long event has always been a challenge, a
challenge that NYPD has met and perfected over decades, the chaos in the world
makes this particular General Assembly that much more potentially volatile both
in and outside the UN. The usual hordes
of demonstrators are expected and some of the “Occupy Wall Street” group has
already assembled. Yesterday, New York
City played host to upwards of 400,000 marchers for environmental issues. Despite the enormous, sprawling throng, there
were fewer than 100 arrests and the march was generally peaceful. Of course the UN attracts demonstrators from
far afield and has always been considered a “top terrorist target” by the NYPD
Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Bureau’s.
Monumental precautions are taken to protect the Assembly at the UN plaza
as well as at the various Embassies and Consulates where the delegations will
be housed for the duration when not in session.
This can be a logistical nightmare for everyone but this year the
inconveniences might be even more stringent than in the past.
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR
It is far too easy and usually
ignorantly arrogant to complain about the small inconveniences cause the
general public during the week of the General Assembly. But, if New Yorker’s could put aside their
own hassles and stop to recognize that the uppermost leadership of most of the
countries on the earth are visiting our City to conduct business, the inconveniences,
real and imagined, should shrivel up and blow away. We New Yorkers know what it is like to
sustain a terrorist attack and, if we all take a moment to see the threats
various delegations bring with them to our City, we might not get so aggravated
and feel so aggrieved.
If there was a singular lesson
to be learned by our government and military after 9-11-01 it was that the
broad oceans that define our coasts, that the vast distances that have always
separated us from the turmoil of the wider world have no significance today. The hallmark of asymmetrical warfare is for a
lowly party of committed minds working diligently to bring death and
destruction to our shores and, for most of these groups; “our shores” are
defined by the coastal and inland targets contained within our Five Boroughs.
BITING THE BULLET
In many ways tonight is just
another routine night for the men and women, the rank and file Officers who
patrol out streets, subways, housing projects and all points in between. They will deal on this night, be they
assigned to the ass end of Brooklyn or the farthest reaches of The Bronx as
they do every other night day in, day out , 365 days a year. For many the events that will transpire
tomorrow at the United Nations are just another ‘detail’ to make a few overtime
bucks. Some Cops will work barrier
detail while others will provide conventional means of protection and security
prepared for every and any contingency.
There are precious few
certainties in life particularly in a Cops life but one such certainty will nag
on every Cop’s conscientiousness until this travelling road show ends and all
the international players return to their homelands. The specter of terrorism was forged in all of
our minds on February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001. The world has not been and never will be the
same as it was prior to those atrocities.
After the death and destruction perpetrated on OUR soil, in Lower
Manhattan on a glorious September morning 13 years ago, the “game” has changed;
the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.
The citizens and high profile
visitors who will go to sleep tonight in our City do so peacefully as far as
their own mortality and is concerned.
Heads of State from the world over can rest comfortably and confident
that the fine men and women of the NYPD stand as sentinels, as protective human
shields between them and all those who’s designs are to do them harm. In a more
better world, dare we not say a “perfect world”, everyone, be they diplomat or
dishwasher, bus driver or emissary, would take comfort in the fact that they
are protected and that men and women who’s domain is the night endeavor to keep
our City safe, sane, and secure.
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