Homeland Security and Special Operations: Sorting Out Procedures, Capabilities, and Operational Issues

 

On January 17, 2002, IFPA, in support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), organized and convened a classified high-level, interagency workshop entitled "Homeland Security and Special Operations: Sorting Out Procedures, Capabilities, and Operational Issues."

This meeting was designed as an interagency brainstorming session to help Generals Charles R. Holland, USAF, commander in chief, U.S. Special Operations Command (CINC U.S. SOCOM), and William F. Kernan, USA, commander in chief, U.S. Joint Forces Command (CINC U.S. JFCOM), and their respective command leaderships refine their thinking about homeland security.

Particular focus was given to the ways in which the commands can most usefully support and implement presidential and/or Defense Department taskings and lead-agency mission directives in counterterrorist contingencies in the United States, especially those in which terrorist actors may have access to weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The broader purpose of this workshop was to examine the lessons learned so far in the war on terrorism and to gain greater clarity as to how DoD and non-DoD assets can best complement each other in the homeland security arena. To facilitate both objectives, participation in this meeting included senior representation from the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, and Justice, as well as from the Homeland Security Office, the National Security Council, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Joint Staff, and the National Guard Bureau.

 

An unclassified thematic summary of the workshop discussion is available here for download in Adobe's PDF format. A list of participants and the workshop agenda are appended to this report.