DHS deputy’s vision of fluid borders

DHS deputyÆs vision of fluid borders    Janet Holl Lute, deputy secretary of homeland security, cast herself as a friend of importers and exporters last week when she said the well-worn clich' of trade facilitation sounds nice as a government policy, but the real goal should be to expedite trade.
   Speaking as the annual U.S. Customs Trade Symposium in Washington, Holl Lute said the Department of Homeland Security has to 'expedite' legitimate trade and travel while keeping dangerous goods and people out.
   And those dangerous threats to the country usually follow a traceable path much like the far-flung supply networks that logisticians manage around the world, she said.
   'I think about the supply chain of trouble' when dealing with the challenges of reducing the nation's vulnerability to terrorism and disasters, the former U.S. Army officer said. 'Trouble begins somewhere and then makes its way to our shores.'
   Holl Lute once served as assistant secretary of the United Nations responsible for operational support of peacekeeping operations.
   She reiterated that key parts of the department's strategy focus on building resilient systems that can quickly rebound when disaster strikes to meet civil needs and emphasizing robust partnerships with foreign, state and local governments, as well as the private sector. The key to preparedness and resilient emergency response systems, she said, is two-way sharing of information so that individuals and communities are empowered to take action on their own rather than waiting for a government rescue.
   Local governments and businesses have criticized DHS in previous years for asking them to provide information to federal managers without any meaningful information in return that can help them better plan for contingencies.
   On Tuesday, DHS and the Justice Department released a report recommending a single, standardized framework for marking, safeguarding and disseminating sensitive but unclassified information between federal agencies. They also announced the creation of dual program management offices to coordinate support for state and local Fusion Centers and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative to enhance information sharing at the state and local level, and with the private sector.
   DHS's mantra under Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is to share information, innovate and engage national and internationally, Holl Lute said. ' Eric Kulisch