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Bush Reaffirms Need for Homeland Defense
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Bush said finding new ways for the two agencies [FBI & CIA] to cooperate would make America safer. "The NO. 1 priority of this government is to button up our homeland so that the American people can go about their lives without ... fear of another attack from one of these killers," he said. "And we're making progress."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
President Bush reaffirmed in a speech here today that his most important jobs are to defend the homeland and protect Americans from terrorist killers.

Bush, speaking to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Conference, said terrorists are after America because "we love freedom."

He said the terrorist groups cannot stand that Americans allow people to worship freely. "We love the idea of people being able to come to our country and realize dreams," he said. "We love the idea of people ... being able to freely debate issues. We love freedom, and these cold-blooded killers hate freedom. And that's why they want to come and hurt America. And we are not going to let them."

He explained the rationale behind his proposal to create a new Department of Homeland Security. Bush has suggested that more than 100 different agencies with more than 150,000 people be combined under a new cabinet-level agency. He said the current state makes it difficult to coordinate efforts.

"It makes it difficult to do a job if you're trying to chase down 100 different agencies, because they're in different departments," Bush said. "The Coast Guard is in the Transportation Department -- and that's fine, except for the fact that there's a new world in America where our No. 1 priority is to protect the homeland, and the job of the Transportation Department is not homeland security."
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Dan