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2009

NNSA Educates Next Generation of Nuclear Specialists
National Nuclear Security Administration
June 29, 2009
F. Jordan Evert, Presidential Administrative Fellow at the Homeland Security Policy Institute, completed an innovative program focusing on nuclear nonproliferation and international safeguards and security. “From its labs to its international efforts, NNSA prides itself on recruiting the best and brightest minds to work on critical issues of nuclear and national security,” said NNSA Administrator Tom D’Agostino. NNSA manages the largest nuclear nonproliferation program in the world.

Metro's Crash Reveals Gains in Preparedness
The Washington Post
June 28, 2009
Daniel Kaniewski, Deputy Director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute, identifies one good piece of news to emerge from the Metro crash on the Red Line. He argues, "The response to the tragedy demonstrated that an increased focus on local and regional readiness since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has better prepared the Washington area not only for acts of terrorism but also for the full range of emergencies that can strike a region. "

A Metro Crash Revelation: Progress on Preparedness
The Washington Post
June 25, 2009
There was one good piece of news to emerge from Monday’s horrific Metro crash on the Red Line: The response to the tragedy demonstrated that an increased focus on local and regional preparedness after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has better prepared the Washington area not only for acts of terrorism but also for the full range of unexpected emergencies that can strike a region.

Emergency response to Metrorail crash shows post-9/11 gains
The Christian Science Monitor
June 24, 2009
"The regional response that is required during extraordinary incidents (Hudson and Metro being two good recent examples) has, in my opinion, significantly improved since 9/11," Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute, wrote Wednesday in an e-mail interview. He served in the Bush White House as special assistant to the president for homeland security and senior director for response policy.

Crash Warning System Probed in D.C.
Fox News Channel
June 23, 2009
Daniel Kaniewski, Deputy Director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute, discussed Monday's Metrorail incident, the deadliest in Metro's 33-year history.

FBI: Shooting Was Domestic Terrorism
Fox 5
June 11, 2009
Experts in Homeland Security say there are thousands of hate groups across the country but in the case of the shooting at the Holocaust Museum, it appears von Brunn acted as a lone wolf. "When they start acting on their own that's very tough to get on the radar screen to know when, where and how," said Frank J. Cilluffo Director of Homeland Security Policy Institute.

Museum Guards Trained for Tragedy
Fox 5
June 10, 2009
George Washington University's Deputy Director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute says the Feds learned a lot about securing federal buildings after the domestic terrorism attack in the Oklahoma City bombings back in 1995. Dan Kaniewski says those plans were revamped after the 911 attacks, too. Officers of multiple agencies train and run drills on scenarios just like the Holocaust attack.

Holocaust Museum shooting: A spike in domestic extremism?
The Christian Science Monitor
June 10, 2009
"He's a well-known right wing extremist," says Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University. "It's tragic. The fact that you had someone in their '80s doesn't fit the demographic most people would think you'd have to worry about as far as terrorism is concerned."

Nominee Declines Position Over Interrogation Programs
The New York Times
June 6, 2009
“He’s not just an ops guy,” said Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University. “He’s probing. He asks questions. And he’s open-minded, and I don’t see that every day with this community.”

Message on Obama Attributed to bin Laden
The New York Times
June 4, 2009
Frank J. Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University, said the new statements attributed to Mr. bin Laden showed “perhaps more Al Qaeda’s fear that they are increasingly becoming marginalized in the eyes and minds of some key constituencies in the Middle East, and their need to show they are still relevant.”

How to Beat Al Qaeda at Its Own Game
Homeland Security Inside & Out
May 26/28, 2009
Frank Cilluffo, director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute, discusses how to retool the US counterterrorism strategy to expose Al Qaeda's "bankrupt ideology."

Obama Integrates Security Councils, Adds New Offices
The Washington Post
May 27, 2009
"It doesn't bury the homeland equities," said Frank J. Cilluffo, director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute, who served as assistant to the president for homeland security in 2003.

GOP Expresses Concerns that Homeland Security May Be Diluted
Congressional Quarterly
May 27, 2009
“Let’s say there’s an event here like H1N1 where it really requires sort of focused attention and effort,” Brennan said at a Homeland Security Policy Institute event Wednesday. “I convene the Homeland Security Council. And there’s some things going on with North Korea . . . and [national security adviser Gen.] Jim Jones will convene the National Security Council — the principals level. We can continue to . . . work that in sort of tandem.”

The Chinese Hand Proved Decisive
Daily News & Analysis (India)
May 24, 2009
HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo comments on the Sri Lankan government's military defeat of the LTTE, the role of China in the campaign, the future of the LTTE, and the prospects for reconciliation.

Failed New York Terror Plot Widens Debate Over Closing Guantanamo
Fox News
May 22, 2009
But Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University, told FOXNews.com that any risk of bringing detainees into the federal prison system can be contained. "If they had access to the general population, there's huge concern for radicalization," he said. "If they're isolated, I think that concern exists, but I think it can also be handled and addressed."

Plot renews fears of radical Islam in prison
Associated Press
May 22, 2009
Just as young people can be radicalized by "cut-and-paste" readings of the Quran on the Internet, new inmates may get a distorted view of Islam from gang leaders or other influential inmates, according to "Out of the Shadows: Getting Ahead of Prison Radicalization," a 2006 report by the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute and the University of Virginia Critical Incident Analysis Group.  Several imams used the term "Jailhouse Islam" to describe a form of Islam in prison that incorporates gang loyalty and violence, the report said.

Homegrown Terror Suspects Turned Toward Radicalism in U.S. Prisons
Fox News
May 22, 2009
Prison Islam is "the convergence of prison culture and violence into religious practice," said Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University. Often lacking an imam or other religious leader to instruct them, inmates will distort Islam for themselves to embrace prison values like violence and gang loyalty.  And while religious conversion is rehabilitative for the vast majority of inmates, Cilluffo said, Prison Islam can lead them down a much more dangerous path. Charismatic leaders can recruit prisoners to their cause and further swell the ranks of the radicals. Cilluffo noted that conversion is a positive experience for the vast majority who take up the religion. But it doesn't take large numbers to pose a substantial threat to America, he said.  "The reality is you don't need many people. One is arguably too much."

State prisons are major breeding ground for Islamic radicalization
New York Daily News
May 22, 2009
The four men accused of plotting to blow up synagogues and shoot down a plane all did stretches in state prisons - a major breeding ground for Islamic radicalization.  2006 study called "Out of the Shadows" found "tight-knit communities of Muslims in prison are ripe for radicalization, and could easily become terrorist cells."

Getting inside the terrorist cell
WABC-TV
May 21, 2009
“Prisons have been breeding grounds for radical thoughts and views for centuries," said Frank Cilluffo of the Homeland Security Policy Institute.  "You have a captive audience, you have a group more susceptible to extremists views and those who can manipulate that environment can do an awful lot...I'm more concerned about a charismatic leader who can distort a religion and sadly when dealing with terrorism the numbers don't have to be high.”

Homeland Security Policy Institute Addresses National Threats
ByGeorge!
April/May 2009
“'Universities have a responsibility to shed more light than heat on these pressing issues facing us and to provide insights into the way forward,' says Cilluffo, an international counterterrorism expert who joined GW from the White House, where he served as special assistant to the president for homeland security. 'We pride ourselves on being the first ‘think and do tank’ in the country specializing in building bridges between theory and practice to advance homeland security.'”

Homeland Security Expert Discusses Pandemic Preparedness
FireChief.com
May 2009
In this podcast, Daniel Kaniewski, HSPI Deputy Director, discusses how pandemics can adversely affect first-responders, specifically firefighters, as well as the nation's homeland security operations.

Dynamic Swine Flu Threat Will Persist Through 2010, Experts Say
Security Management
May 14, 2009
"The timing of H1N1 'swine' flu’s arrival makes it too late to include in the 2009-2010 seasonal flu shot, which could mean two separate flu shots over the coming winter for many Americans and as many as three for children, whose immune systems have developed minimal resistance to influenza and may thus require two shots of the novel strain, according to a leading vaccinologist.

Maj. Gen. Philip Russell U.S. Army, Ret., a physician and former head of the branch’s infectious disease program, participated in a panel discussion on H1N1 this week hosted by the George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services and the Homeland Security Policy Institute in Washington, D.C."

Heyman Wins Praise at Confirmation Hearing for DHS Policy Spot
CQ Homeland Security
May 13, 2009
"Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute, said Heyman grasps the full spectrum of domestic security issues. 'Traditionally, that position has focused on just a few issues, and I think what he’ll bring to the table is a broader perspective,' Kaniewski said. 'I’ve always known him to speak his mind and I think that is a great quality for someone in that position to have.'"
Note: David Heyman is an HSPI Senior Fellow

Lady Liberty to reopen her crown, as the US gets comfortable with post-9/11 security
Christian Science Monitor
May 8, 2009
"The fact that Al Qaeda had held her hostage was symbolically the wrong message to send," says Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University, whose father felt welcomed to the US when he saw the statue from his plane on arriving from Italy. "All that said, hopefully it doesn't mean we're lulled into a sense of complacency, rather that freedom comes with risks and we are learning to manage them accordingly."

Homeland Security Implications for Pandemic Influenza
Fox 5 News
April 30, 2009
HSPI Deputy Director Daniel J. Kaniewski discusses the homeland security implications for pandemic influenza including the potential impacts to the nation's critical infrastructure. He also highlights the role of the Secretary of Homeland Security in coordinating the Federal government's response to the swine influenza outbreak.

Experts Offer Advice for Incoming FEMA Chief
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
April 29, 2009
In this article, HSPI Deputy Director Daniel J. Kaniewski is one of 15 experts who provide advice to incoming FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. Kaniewski offers that rather than focus on what Administrator Fugate should address, he would instead want DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the FEMA administrator in her department and with respect to the federal government writ large.

Heightened security at U.S.-Canada border catching few terror suspects
Hearst Newspapers
April 19, 2009
HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo is interviewed in a feature report regarding how the U.S. government, despite an injection of resources to guard against terrorists crossing the Canadian border, is mostly catching ordinary illegal immigrants — creating a backlog of court cases and a flurry of protest from the public about random highway stops and bus or train inspections.

Counter-narrative vital to fight terrorism
United Press International
April 15, 2009
This report on a recent ForeignPolicy.com essay by HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo and senior fellow Daniel Kimmage highlights the need for Washington and the international community to make a concerted effort to control the narrative in the battle against al-Qaida in the information age. For example, the report notes the authors back a "strong counter-narrative" to highlight the destruction that terrorist acts causes not only to their victims but to society as a whole.

GW institute releases game to aid first responders
The GW Hatchet
April 6, 2009
In a report on the launch of “Zero Hour,” a video game that will allow emergency workers to hone their skills on virtual scenes of large-scale crises, HSPI senior policy advisor Gregg Lord notes the uniqueness of utilizing gaming as a methodology to increase the response rates to large-scale incidents among responders of various backgrounds and abilities.

Future of the Homeland Security Council
Chemical Facility Security News
April 3, 2009
A post on the debate about whether the White House Homeland Security Council should be folded into the National Security Council highlights an HSPI Task Force document “The Homeland Security Council: Considerations for the Future,” which the author notes may influence the outcome of this debate.

Sober Game for First Responders
The Washington Post
March 31, 2009
In a Health section article on “Zero Hour,” a video game for emergency workers to hone their skills on the virtual scene of large-scale incidents, HSPI senior policy advisor Gregg Lord discusses the various scenarios presented in the game, and how paramedics, EMTs and other users will learn about equipment, what questions to ask victims, as well as triage and treatment.

Obama to speak at Lisner Friday
The GW Hatchet
March 26, 2009
In a preview of President Obama’s visit to GW’s campus for a ceremonial swearing-in of Attorney General Eric Holder, the report notes that Holder was a member of HSPI’s steering committee until his appointment.

Post-Katrina Reform Act Augments Both FEMA and DHS, Experts Say
Homeland Security Today
March 18, 2009
A report on a House Homeland Security Committee hearing regarding the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act cites testimony by HSPI deputy director Daniel J. Kaniewski on whether FEMA should continue to be part of the Department of Homeland Security, and how the homeland security secretary can serve as a powerful advocate for FEMA.

People on the Move
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
March 13, 2009
A column highlighting those entering or leaving senior homeland security positions within government, the non-profit and private sectors lists the names and affiliations of all 31 of HSPI’s 2009 senior fellows.

Public Diplomacy in the Digital Age, Part 2
MediaShift (PBS)
March 5, 2009
In a report on how public diplomacy may be one avenue to prevent large scale online attacks, HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo notes that without effectual public diplomacy gains, the specter of cyber-terrorism will grow more vivid as a new digitally savvy generation of would-be terrorists comes of age.

As Talk of Reorganization Moves Forward, Congress Prepares to Stake Claims Over FEMA
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
February 27, 2009
In a report on Congressional debate regarding whether the Obama administration should pull FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security, HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo notes that the debate misses the larger question of whether FEMA has an adequate capacity level and is capable of carrying out its mission. Deputy director Daniel J. Kaniewski predicts that a bill to remove FEMA from DHS would almost certainly die in committee, even if Obama supported it.

Rewriting the Narrative: An Integrated Strategy for Counterradicalization
Counterterrorism Blog
February 27, 2009
A post by HSPI Senior Fellow Matthew Levitt of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) notes that HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo endorsed “Rewriting the Narrative: An Integrated Strategy for Counterradicalization,” the final report of WINNEP’s Task Force on Confronting the Ideology of Radical Extremism. The report is the result of a bipartisan, blue-ribbon commission of diplomats, legislators, strategists, scholars, and experts in which Cilluffo served on.

Lawmakers, Experts Endorse Divide and Conquer With Taliban
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
February 25, 2009
This report highlights “Micro-Diplomacy in Afghanistan,” a HSPI Issue Brief by director Frank J. Cilluffo and policy analyst Joseph R. Clark as part of a discussion on Congressional debate on how best to use non-military methods to stabilize Afghanistan.

Homeland Security Panels Working to Streamline Department Oversight
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
February 20, 2009
This report highlights a point of discussion from HSPI’s Policy & Research Forum on “Homeland Security Priorities for the 111th Congress,” in which panelists predicted Congress isn’t likely to move toward consolidating the dozens of committees with jurisdiction over homeland security issues anytime soon.

Authorization and chemical security bills top panel agendas
Government Executive
February 20, 2009
Discussing HSPI’s Policy & Research Forum on “Homeland Security Priorities for the 111th Congress,” the report highlights that speakers noted plans for moving on a Homeland Security authorization bill and legislation regulating security at the nation's chemical facilities, while acknowledging some potential obstacles ahead for Congress.

26/11 aftermath: Pakistan's major PR effort in US
Rediff India Abroad
February 12, 2009
This report discussing HSPI’s Ambassador's Roundtable Series event with Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani highlights the Ambassador’s comments on his country’s resolve to fight terrorists and terrorism wherever it may lie.

Pakistani ambassador talks security
The GW Hatchet
February 9, 2009
In discussing HSPI’s Ambassador's Roundtable Series event featuring Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo notes the timeliness of the roundtable and unique qualifications of the Ambassador.

House Chairman Warns of Consequences After Pakistani Scientist’s Release
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
February 6, 2009
This report discusses HSPI’s Ambassador's Roundtable Series event featuring Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, and focuses on his comments regarding the recent release of A.Q. Khan, as well as U.S. assistance to Pakistan.

What Happens When You Call 911 in Washington, DC
Washingtonian
February 1, 2009
HSPI senior policy advisor Gregg Lord discusses the deficiencies of the Washington, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services department, as well as the difficulties of integrating emergency medicine within the fire department as part of a lengthy report on the state of the agency.

Informed Citizenry Is Indispensable in Responding to Disaster, Says Author
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
January 30, 2009
In a report highlighting HSPI’s Presidential Transition Task Force series event on citizen preparedness, HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo discusses how to frame the preparedness debate, and how President Obama can best engage citizens to act against current threats.

Al Qaeda suspect, held in U.S. for 7 years, became recruitment tool for terror group - officials
New York Daily News
January 28, 2009
HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo is noted among a group of intelligence and counterterrorism experts for signing a brief filed with the Supreme Court in the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, accused of acting as an Al Qaeda “sleeper” agent within the U.S.

9 alumni of rehab for jihadists re-arrested
The New York Times
January 27, 2009
In discussing Saudi Arabia’s terrorist rehabilitation program, HSPI director Frank J. Cilluffo notes a program that doesn't work all the time is better than none because the alternative is an extended prison sentence, which only further radicalizes a person.

Mr. Professor Goes to Washington
The Chronicle of Higher Education
January 16, 2009
A cover story featuring HSPI deputy director Daniel J. Kaniewski discusses the transition for academics and other policy experts to senior positions within the White House and presidential administration.

Paulison: Access to President Key to FEMA Prospering Inside DHS
Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security
January 13, 2009
This report highlights the discussion from HSPI’s Policy & Research Forum, “FEMA: Capabilities, Coordination and Capacity for the Future,” with FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison. The report focuses on the debate of whether FEMA should continue to be part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Obama plans to overhaul counterterrorism apparatus
Associated Press
January 9, 2008
Deputy director Daniel J. Kaniewski is interviewed regarding how to structure the homeland and national security policy process within President Obama’s White House.

Hamas’s 400-Plus Rocket, Mortar Attacks Triggered Israel’s Defensive Response, Ambassador Says
Cybercast News Service
January 7, 2009
Discussing HSPI’s Ambassador's Roundtable Series event with Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor, the report notes Meridor’s position that Israel’s military incursion into Gaza is in response to sustained rocket attacks against Israel by the ruling Hamas party that in December 2008 – marking the end of a ceasefire between the two countries that Meridor said allowed the terrorist organization to regroup.

Israeli Ambassador: 'No Grand Political Scheme in Gaza'
U.S. News & World Report
January 6, 2009
Discussing HSPI’s Ambassador's Roundtable Series event featuring Israel's Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor, the article notes the Ambassador called for international support for his country's effort against Hamas militants, describing the conflict as a purely military move on Israel's part, aimed at eliminating the group's capacity to fire rockets into Israel.

We have no grand political scheme
ForeignPolicy.com
January 6, 2009
Prof. Marc Lynch discusses and analyzes HSPI’s Ambassador's Roundtable Series event featuring Israel's Ambassador to the United States Sallai Meridor.