Monday, June 23, 2008
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DHS INVITES PUBLIC COMMENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
DHS INVITES PUBLIC COMMENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION

In a noteworthy contrast with the secrecy that prevails in much of
government and often within its own ranks, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) is soliciting public comment on revisions to the
National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), which is the framework
for defending essential infrastructure, ranging from agriculture to
transportation, against attack or natural disaster.

     http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2008/06/fr060608.html

The request for comment places DHS in the rather unfamiliar posture --
for a national security agency -- of actively seeking to engage public
interest and to invite public feedback on a matter of broad public
policy.

"We're hoping to get inputs from across the country," said Larry L. May
of the DHS NIPP Program Management Office in an interview today, "and
from everyone concerned with critical infrastructure protection."

Some of the NIPP policies that are under review are trivial, such as
changes in terminology.  But others are profound, such as the relative
emphasis in the Plan on "protection rather than resiliency."  Where
"protection" seeks to anticipate, deter and defend against particular
threats that are intrinsically uncertain, "resilience" focuses on
capabilities needed for rapid response and recovery from a broad range
of hazards.  They imply vastly different strategies, including public
information disclosure strategies.

Are there significant numbers of Americans who care enough about such
issues to express their views to DHS?  Apparently so.

Mr. May said that the last time DHS conducted a review of the NIPP in
2006, some 10,000 comments were submitted.

Why does DHS care what the public thinks?  Basically, Mr. May said,
"all of us are in this together, if you will."

Additional information on the NIPP, including the most recent 2006
iteration, may be found here:

     http://www.dhs.gov/nipp

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