But, ... we can now do so effectively and when necessary so as to make certain that we get these vessels to stop.

It's extremely important that we bring clarity to this question of 'who's in charge' long in advance of an actual crisis, or else the potential for chaos and delay on the scene will be very real if, God forbid, we are actually confronted by one of these nightmare scenarios. So this is not an abstract argument, ... While the Defense Department will have the legal responsibility to assist civil authorities, when requested, in the event of a serious crisis -- and indeed has resources, troops, and capabilities that no other agency can duplicate -- the new rubric outlined in the National Response Plan clearly identifies the secretary of Homeland Security as the guy at the top making judgments about how the federal government will respond.

The notion that we should not have our ports operated by foreign companies is ludicrous, and indicates someone is not understanding how the global marketplace works today.

Our goal was, and remains, to stop these boats without having to resort to warning shots or disabling fire,

There's no doubt that we have, as we always do in the nation, reacted to the reality of 9/11 here in the country as an aviation incident. There are other vulnerabilities to be dealt with.

The reason for the Department of Homeland Security was counter-terrorism. Everybody was focused on how do we handle the aftermath of a 9-11?