Aspen Homeland Security Group Releases Report on the Role of DHS in the Intelligence Community

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the Aspen Homeland Security Group (AHSG) announced the release of its first paper, "Homeland Security and Intelligence: Next Steps in Evolving the Mission," which examines the role that the Department of Homeland Security can and should play in the intelligence community. This paper was released during a hearing before the Terrorism, HUMIT, Analysis, and Counterintelligence (THACI) Subcommittee of U.S. House of Representatives' Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). AHSG members who appeared as witnesses included former DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff; former Deputy Director of FBI's National Security Branch and Deputy Director of CIA's Counterterrorist Center Philip Mudd; and former Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism Juan Zarate.

The report, available at http://as.pn/ch, focuses primarily on areas in which DHS has a unique capacity or mission, namely: securing border and analyzing travel; protecting critical infrastructure, including interaction with the private sector; preventing cyber attacks; and coordinating with state and local actors, including intelligence integration.

"Through reports like these, the Aspen Homeland Security Group seeks to bring value to the Department of Homeland Security and other relevant government agencies," said Clark Kent Ervin, who is the group's executive director and is the former Inspector General of DHS. "By bringing together a truly bipartisan group of experts to the table, we aim to promote smart, well-balanced solutions to key issues in the field."

The Aspen Homeland Security Group is a bipartisan group of homeland security and counterterrorism experts who periodically convene to discuss issues in depth and make recommendations to policymakers and is co-chaired by former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and former Congresswoman Jane Harman. For more information, please visit www.aspeninstitute.org/security.

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the globe, policy programs, and public conferences and events. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has an international network of partners.

SOURCE The Aspen Institute