We pretty much know that the real breach on American soil occurred many years ago during a period in time when most of us likely believed it to be inconceivable that we would suffer a terrorist attack in our own backyard. As we allowed ourselves to be lulled into complacency and comfort, enemy groups and terrorist cells successfully infiltrated our communities and institutions in ways yet to be unearthed. It’s almost as if we experienced a breach in our national psyche as well as our national infrastructure. The consciousness of our nation is now more acutely aware of the vulnerability of all kinds of systems and structures to the evil plots and American hatred that is embraced by extremists around the world. Whether it’s our transportation systems, electrical grids, or telecommunications networks, we have documented accounts of activities designed to disrupt each of these cogs in the wheel of our national infrastructure. Thanks to a reinforced commitment to and investment in our intelligence gathering capabilities over the past decade, we have been able to monitor and prevent much of this activity from materializing or even escalating to a point of major concern. America’s intelligence, national security, and law enforcement systems are still very strong enough to disrupt threats at points beyond the initial planning and implementation of possible attacks domestically and abroad. However, we can surely do better to avoid stretching these systems and controls to their pressure points or points of no return.

As evidenced by the scare on Christmas day 2009 and the subsequent admissions by our intelligence officials, one of the most glaring weaknesses of our massive federal bureaucracy is our inability to connect the dots, now that we have redoubled our intelligence and national security capacities. This near disaster was a reminder that it takes competent and experienced professionals and experts to assemble, integrate, and disseminate the volumes of intelligence data gathered on a daily basis. Our nation’s massive intelligence operations must be managed only by those who are highly capable and decisive professionals. This is no time for politicians and political appointees to be jockeying over power and positions at the highest levels of federal government. We are a nation at war and this requires a strong corps of leaders and decision-makers who have mastered both the art of analyzing intelligence data and synthesizing it in ways that anticipate the real and imminent possibilities and threats. With all this talk about accountability, one can only hope that our national leaders are implementing the kinds of systems and structures that accommodate true accountability, timeliness, and effectiveness to the highest degree. The systemic and organizational weaknesses across the Department of Homeland Security, Central Intelligence Agency, and Federal Bureau of Investigation demonstrate that the path to highly integrated and successful national security and intelligence apparatuses will be a long and arduous one. While we may not be able to completely repair the national breach that has left us susceptible, I am certain that we possess the will, skills, and resources necessary to maintain a secure and safe citizenry and nation.