Episode Details

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) did not exist before September 11, 2001. In this episode, we look back at the bills that created these new government agencies. Links to Information in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Music: Homeland Security Blues by Spartacus Jones (found on Music Alley by mevio) The Department of Homeland Security was created by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (signed into law on November 25, 2002). Democracy Now episode from November 26, 2002: President Bush signs the Homeland Security Act into law. Contains an interview with Joan Claybrook, former President of Public Citizen The stated purpose was to consolidate all departments related to "homeland security" into one cabinet in response to the September 11 attacks. Twenty-two agencies were brought into the new department: New $4.5 billion Department of Homeland Security headquarter complex only houses the Coast Guard; they just moved over the last few weeks. The Homeland Security Act was passed after many members of a lame duck Congress had left for vacation; corporate friendly provisions were slipped into the bill. Section 201, paragraph 14 orders the Department of Homeland Security to start data-mining: "To establish and utilize, in conjunction with the chief information officer of the Department, a secure communications and information technology infrastructure, including data-mining and other advanced analytical tools, in order to access, receive, and analyze eta and information in furtherance of the responsibilities under this section, and to disseminate information acquired and analyzed by the Department, as appropriate." Democracy Now episode from November 21, 2002 Contains a Pentagon press conference by Pete Aldridge, then Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, during which he explains the plan for Total Information Awareness Contains an interview with Gail Russell Chaddock, author of an Christian Science Monitor article about the creation of the Department of Homeland Security Total Information Awareness programs were split up and transferred to private contractors hired by the NSA. What are fusion centers? "According to government documents, the fusion centers collect cell phone numbers, insurance claims, credit reports, financial records, and names of relatives and associates. The information is shared among law enforcement officials nationwide." - Democracy Now, April 3, 2008 Fusions centers collect state and local information from license plate readers Secure Communities collects the fingerprints of everyone who has been arrested Private intelligence companies such as Stratfor do surveillance work for private corporations, the Department of Homeland Security, the military, and intelligence agencies. Democracy Now episode from October 3, 2012 Contains details on a Senate report that concluded Department of Homeland Security fusion centers to be "useless" [caption id="" align="alignright" width="275"] Border Patrol drones (Source: DHS.gov)[/caption] Democracy Now episode from May 4 2006 about immigration prisons Contains and interview with Judy Greene, justice policy analyst for Justice Strategies The Transportation Security Administration was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act signed into law on November 19, 2001. The act federalized airport security. Democracy Now episode from October 15, 2001 Contains information about the Bush administrations resistance to federalizing airport security Contains information on Argenbright Security, the private security company which failed to detect the 9/11 hijackers at Newark International Airport and Washington-Dulles International Airport. Watch the September 11 hijackers walked by - not through- the metal detectors monitored by employees of Argenbright Security. Huntleigh, the subsidiary of Israeli firm ICTS Intern