The Rise of Homeland Security

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

By Arie Egozi

Until recently homeland security, or HLS, was the stepson of Defense. Counter-terrorism units, explosive detection sensors, and devices for surveillance on suspects seemed lame compared to fighter jets, combat helicopters, and missile ships.

But everything changed even though many – mostly the generals – are refusing to admit it. Their expensive toys now seem a little unnecessary.

Today’s wars aren’t against rows of tanks or fighter jets defending the nation’s skies. Today’s wars are against global terrorism which to be made up of different bodies but in fact stems from a single source – radical Islam.

The global order is different. No more armies with advanced weapons, but terrorists who are able to strike anywhere, almost anytime.

Today the field of homeland security is twenty times, thirty times, fifty times more significant than traditional military forces.

When was the last time a full-out war required the use of all available weapons, each one with a price tag that could have equipped twenty counter-terrorism units?

The world is facing a full-our and brutal terrorism war with infinite resources. So far it is run by terror cells and individuals with light weapons and explosives. But any expert will tell you that this is just a middle stage. The next stage will be when global terrorism starts using dirty nuclear bombs, chemical materials, and missiles.

When a country like Iran is the main supporter for terrorism, Tehran could soon provide Islamic terrorism with medium and long range missiles as well as UAVs.

A nightmare scenario: A loaded cargo ship anchors in a port somewhere in the world. One of the containers isn’t filled with fruits or kitchen equipment but hides a missile launcher with a warhead. The cargo ship anchors and then, while unloading the containers, someone remotely activates the mechanism and opens the top part of the container, launching the missiles in seconds.

So we have a world determined not to understand, cruel and well-funded terrorism, and very little measures to stop it.

It’s time that those trying to stop it realize that fighters, bombers, and tanks are all part of wars of the past. Today, whoever wants to win the war needs a completely different set of tools – intelligence systems covering areas where potential terrorists live, well-equipped  counter-terrorism units, sensors in strategic areas to detect any small sign of terror activity, and a row of “grey” means which you can’t parade around.

Without these, and lots of them, the terrorism will keep striking and more frequently.

At this stage the world, mostly the US, continues in refusing to acknowledge formally that this is a world war.

Terrorists have changed the rules and forgot to alert world leaders.

Only an overall change in perception can prepare the world, at least in part, for the attacks to come.