Bush unveils updated national homeland security strategy

Published 11 October 2007

President says “The purpose of our Strategy is to guide, organize, and unify our Nation’s homeland security efforts”

President Bush yesterday issued an updated National Strategy for Homeland Security. The document is meant to guide, organize and unify homeland security efforts among federal, state, local and tribal governments, private and nonprofit sector partners, and individuals. According to DHS, “[the strategy] incorporates lessons learned from exercises and real-world catastrophes, and focuses on the goals to protect and disrupt terror attacks, protect citizens and critical infrastructure, respond to incidents, and continue to strengthen the program.”

The introduction to the president’s strategy reads:

The purpose of our Strategy is to guide, organize, and unify our Nation’s homeland security efforts. It provides a common framework by which our entire Nation should focus its efforts on the following four goals:

* Prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks

* Protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and key resources

* Respond to and recover from incidents that do occur, and

* Continue to strengthen the foundation to ensure our long-term success

While the first three goals help to organize our national efforts, the last goal entails creating and transforming our homeland security principles, systems, structures, and institutions. This includes applying a comprehensive approach to risk management, building a culture of preparedness, developing a comprehensive Homeland Security Management System, improving incident management, better utilizing science and technology, and leveraging all instruments of national power and influence.