National Strategy for Homeland Security Research Paper

National Strategy for Homeland Security - Research Paper Example Anything that presents a threat, whether it is a person or a hurricane, will have no choice but to answer to the Department of Homeland Security before it touches the civilians of America. The Department of Homeland Security was former president George Bush’s response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. The idea behind the DHS was to ensure homeland security and to help prevent further attacks on the United States by outside forces, regardless of where these forces came from or what they consisted of. The official statement that contained the mission of DHS is as follows: â€Å"The mission of the Office will be to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branchs efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States (Department of Homeland Security, 2002).† There are five main responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security. The first and foremost task is to guard the nation against terrorism. Securing the borders of the country and enforcing immigration laws immediately follow, as these involve keeping out people that could potentially be seeking to initiate terrorism on the country. Improving the readiness for, response to, and recovery from natural disasters make up the missions for the aspect of the department that deals with natural disasters that shake up the everyday lives of citizens. Finally, maturing and unifying the department, which helps to provide the best care for the nation by prompting unity within the department itself. The law enforcement agencies that have been acquired through the creation of the Department of Homeland Security are many, over twenty, and vary in duties and responsibilities.