Colin Powell in The Test of our Times

On Homeland Security: 2001: Strongly objected to tracking who enters country

[In discussing the need for a Cabinet department DHS] I mentioned the need for, if nothing else, a better way to track who was coming into and leaving the country and said that our present federal structure left enormous gaps in that regard. I said that, as a start, a few resources could be shifted to plug those gaps, but even this modest measure was roundly criticized. "We don't think it's necessary" seemed to be the consensus. And when Secretary of State Colin Powell voiced his strong objection to this plan, all of the air seemed to go out of the room. What was really needed, these officials argued, was better communication and collaboration. But, of course, from what I had experienced in my first few months in the office, communication and collaboration were in short supply. Source: The Test of our Times, by Tom Ridge, p. 94 Sep 1, 2009

The above quotations are from The Test of our Times: America Under Siege...And How We Can Be Safe Again, by Gov. Tom Ridge. Click here for other excerpts from The Test of our Times: America Under Siege...And How We Can Be Safe Again, by Gov. Tom Ridge. Click here for other excerpts by Colin Powell. Click here for a profile of Colin Powell.
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Page last updated: Feb 25, 2019