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Whitman Domestic Seminar Series on Homeland Security

Supported by a grant from Ann Whitman, Dwight D. Eisenhower's personal secretary, the Whitman Seminars provide a forum for practitioners and policy-makers to evaluate how well Federal agencies are prepared to carry out their mandates to protect the security of Americans.

June 28, 2002
"Homeland Security: Will Reorganization Make Us More Secure?"
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For the inaugural seminar, the Institute hosted the Honorable Jeffrey Smith, a partner at the law firm of Arnold and Porter and former General Counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency and the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Smith gave a speech entitled "Homeland Security: Will Reorganization Make Us More Secure?" Smith discussed the implications for American citizens of recent decisions to broaden the powers of the intelligence and law enforcement communities as part of the domestic war on terrorism. He recently published an op-ed piece on homeland security in the Washington Post, which addresses some of the issues he discussed at the Institute.

July 25, 2002
"Reorganizing for Homeland Security"
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Dr. Leo Mackay, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs discussed the transformation of his department to meet the challenges of Homeland Security. In his talk, "Reorganizing for Homeland Security," Mackay also addressed the implications on the national health care system of a bio-terrorist attack or other form of medical catastrophe.

September 19, 2002
"The Immigration and Naturalization Service and Homeland Security"
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Doris Meissner, former Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service discussed issues surrounding the INS and how immigration and security will be affected by the Department of Homeland Security.

October 21, 2002
"Solving The Language Crisis in the War on Terror"
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Richard Brecht of the National Foreign Language Center in Washington, DC discussed the difficulties and problems with the study of foreign languages within the Intelligence Community and the US educational system.

November 21, 2002
"Homeland Security for the National Capital Area: The Task Force on Emergency Preparedness"

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Michael Rogers, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments discussed the regional emergency repsonse plan for the District of Columbia and the surrounding areas during the latest Whitman Domestic Studies Seminar.

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