Napolitano Warns of Threat From al-Qaeda Sympathizers in U.S.

In one of her strongest statements to date on the threat of terrorism in the US, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday night that al-Qaeda followers are indeed inside the U.S. and would like to attack targets here and in other countries. Something we’ve been saying for quite some time.

The secretary’s comments were striking not only for their content they represented her bluntest assessment of terror threats within the country but also their political context. They came one day after President Obama, in announcing his decision to send 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, warned that extremists have been “sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit more acts of terror.”

Addressing the American Israel Friendship League in New York, Napolitano said a string of recent domestic arrests should “remove any remaining comfort from the notion that if we fight the terrorists abroad, we won’t have to fight them here,” rebutting an argument advanced on several occasions by former president George W. Bush.

“Home-based terrorism is here. And like violent extremism abroad, it will be part of the threat picture that we must now confront,” Napolitano said.

via Source.

Napolitano Emphasizes Shared Responsibility for Readiness and Resilience

Secretary Janet Napolitano today marked the conclusion of National Preparedness Month by delivering a speech emphasizing America’s shared responsibility for preparedness and stressing the important role that individuals play in building a national culture of readiness and resilience.

“When families are prepared—when communities stand together and stand tall—so does our nation,” said Secretary Napolitano. “United, we send a powerful message to those that seek to do us harm: we cannot be broken, we are America—strong and resilient.”

Secretary Napolitano delivered the speech at the American Red Cross Hall of Service in front of more than 300 volunteers and employees representing the Red Cross, DHS Citizen Corps, and local and regional emergency management agencies from around the National Capital Region—as well as employees of DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“America’s history is not written by the tragedies that have befallen us, but by how we responded to them,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Since our earliest days, every time we have been challenged or have seen tragedy, Americans have shown a sense of purpose and resilience.”

During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano recognized Citizen Corps and Red Cross volunteers who donate their time and energies to train others in critical readiness and emergency response skills while contributing to a culture of preparedness.

“We should measure our nation’s security not just by the borders we strengthen and the laws we enforce, but also by the strength and resilience of the communities we build,” said Secretary Napolitano.

Secretary Napolitano’s remarks on preparedness today build on previous speeches outlining her approach to counterterrorism, delivered in New York City in July, and border security, delivered in Texas in August—and reflect her commitment to ensuring readiness and resilience among all citizens.

DHS Secretary Napolitano To Give Major Preparedness Speech

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will deliver a major speech on national preparedness today at 2:00pm ET. The speech will be streamed live at www.dhs.gov.

In the speeech Secretary Napolitano will thank all of our Citizen Corps volunteers, the Ready Campaign, national partners, and the thousands of others in the National Preparedness Month Coalition for all their hard work.
She’ll also challenge our country to see preparedness as a shared responsibility, and urge Americans to build a year-round culture of readiness and resilience in our communities.

DHS Link