http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_2669983
Ridge looks at future of U.S. security Former secretary of homeland security calls for better identification methods, strong enforcement By Angela Woodall, CORRESPONDENT Inside Bay Area WASHINGTON - To secure its borders and prevent future terrorist attacks, the United States needs strong enforcement, better identification methods and a program for undocumented workers, said Tom Ridge, the former secretary of homeland security. Speaking at American University here Monday night, Ridge called for using biometrics - to scan the iris of the eye - and a full set of fingerprints instead of just one finger. He also supported a worker program for undocumented immigrants crossing into the United States from Mexico in the search of jobs. "Our challenge is open doors and secure borders," he said. America needs a worker program for economic and security reasons, he said, adding that Mexican workers send $15 billion to $20 billion to their families at home and are a major contributor to the U.S. economy. But such a program requires stronger border enforcement, such as penalties for businesses that hire non-citizens illegally. He discouraged the recent border patrols by private citizens in Arizona, saying that they should work through the border guards. Ridge, who was head of the Department of Homeland Security from its beginning in 2001 until early this year, favored the creation of a national identity card. He predicted its eventual use when Americans develop an adequate "comfort level." His comments came during a discussion with 9/11 Commission member Daniel Marcus and the general counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, Joe Whitley. They addressed a group of about 30 at the American University law school about efforts to secure the country against future terrorist attacks like those launched by al-Qaida on Sept. 11, 2001. The ultimate solution is dealing with it more on a global basis," Ridge said, referring to how the nation will prevent another attack. And, although America's traditional allies disagree about the war in Iraq, they agree about the need for law enforcement and intelligence strategies to prevent terrorist attacks, he said. International acceptance is growing for the idea that we need international identification standards, like biometrics, to secure the borders and ports around the world, he said. But the United States should be a leader for other countries, he said. Ridge recalled the challenges of setting up the Homeland Security department after 9/11, requiring the consolidation of more than a dozen agencies into four new sections under the department. Today, the department has grown well beyond the original vision to 180,000 employees. In February, Michael Chertoff replaced Ridge as secretary. For Ridge, a former governor of Pennsylvania, the department's main mission is "risk management." That is, preventing terrorist attacks by reducing the nation's vulnerability by using intelligence. Secondly, the department should "be talking to" state and local law enforcement so they can prevent attacks. One of the most visible methods of communication is the system of color-coded threat levels, which Ridge authored and championed. Ridge called it a good system and hoped it would survive, despite criticism. Ridge explained that the homeland security department confers with the state, defense, and justice departments, as well as the national security adviser before deciding to change the color. The alert code, which ranges from green for the lowest level to red for the highest threat level, has been at yellow since Nov. 10, 2004. 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