Chertoff explains future of national security

"Concerns for the safety of our public do not disappear from our headlines for very long," said Jonathon Imber, professor of sociology, in his introduction to a lecture by Former Secretary of Homeland Security and coauthor of the Patriot Act Michael Chertoff in Tishman Commons on Oct. 4.

Imber invited Chertoff to speak at Wellesley College. Imber and Chertoff, who have known each other for almost 40 years, were roommates at the London School of Economics.

"[Chertoff] is a major political figure in American politics and diplomacy and especially under the auspices of American Studies," Imber said. "Our college would benefit from what he had to say," Chertoff hoped that he had provided students with what he foresees for the future of national security. "I hope to leave students with an accurate and hopefully not alarming, but sober picture of where national and world security will be in the next 20 years," he said.

"I'm basically optimistic [about the future] but success in dealing with national security issues that we face requires persistence," Chertoff said in the lecture.

While Chertoff believes that current measures implemented to protect the country are effective, he said that the United States needs to focus more on bioterrorism and cybersecurity.

In regards to bioterrorism he said that, "The budget has not grown as quickly as it should."

"While terrorist attacks are not existentially threatening events to America, an effective use of bioterrorism could bring the country to its knees," Chertoff said.

He pointed out that had anthrax been spread via the New York City subway system instead of mail in 2001, not only would the consequences have been deadlier, but the transit system would also have been shut down.

Chertoff also called for additional investment in creating more up-to-date sensors that could detect biological weapons, as well as working on a delivery system that could distribute counter-measures more quickly and effectively.

Chertoff believes that, although a lack of funding is not a problem, cybersecurity experiences other difficulties in detection and regulation. "Cybersecurity is a tough issue because it is complicated legally because of the architecture of the Internet," he said.

Globalization and the setup of the Internet, Chertoff argues, has created a difficult and unique situation for the government to manage and navigate.

"There is difficulty in determining the role the government should play on the Internet," Chertoff said. "You don't want it to be misused."

However, Chertoff also acknowledges the difficulties that a globalized Internet exposes and the new security threats created.

"Communities now exist virtually and they exist across continents. That means that the ability for people to come together—either for good or for ill—and have a unity of effort is enabled by global travel, trade, finance and communications. That means that threats [are no longer] localized. They really appear all over world and often simultaneously," he said.

He credited advancements in technology for the radical change in threats to national security. "We've always had terrorism to some extent...but what you dealt with was someone threw a bomb in a crowd, or took out a revolver or firearm and shot at people but you didn't have a 9/11," Chertoff remarked. "You didn't have the capability to use modern technology and make a weapon out of it...but the fact is, because of technology, fewer and fewer people can do more and more damage."

He also singled out the rise of ungoverned spaces, where there is a nominal government unable or unwilling to control terrorist activity. He compared places such as Afghanistan and areas of Pakistan or Somalia to a petri dish.

"People can come to the area. There is no police force, there is no functioning army, there is no actual dominance or control over the territory," he explained. "These are areas where people can operate freely whether it is to plan terrorist attacks, or the piracy that you see now in the Indian Ocean, or whether it is to engage in transnational organized crime."

Elizabeth Lyles Morgan, President of the Committee for Political and Legislative Action, found Chertoff's remarks fascinating. "I wanted to hear from someone who had experience in that area [of national security]," she said. "He didn't stick to party lines, which I really appreciated. He had thoughtful answers to very complicated issues," said Pierce MacConaghy '11.

Imbers particularly believes that the dialogue created through lectures such as this is a unique and a great opportunity. "There have been only a few occasions to have those who are serving or have served [in high governmental positions] to tell us more about what they think [at the College]," said Imber, who stressed the importance of open, civil conversations that can take place for the benefit of everyone.