Remarks by Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge to Allied Insurance’s Civic Action Program

Release Date: 08/11/04 00:00:00

Des Moines, Iowa
August 11, 2004
(Remarks as Prepared)

Thank you, Kirt, for that introduction. I’m very happy to be here and when Kirt said we were headed to the cafeteria, I was even happier. But I hear the food comes later. I’d like to thank the leadership of Allied for being here today. And my thanks to all of you, ladies and gentlemen, for your warm welcome.

Allied has a long and proud history. And you represent such a vital industry - one critical to both our economy and our security. So let me first address what I know is foremost on everyone’s mind: The terror alert that currently extends across the financial sector in New York, northern New Jersey and Washington, DC.

You should know that your country, and many of your fellow citizens are hard at work to keep our country and our people safe. Protective measures are at high capacity, reassuring employees in these targeted areas and deterring terrorists who seek to carry out their destructive plans.

I know that this an uneasy time for all of us. But it’s also a good time to remember the resolve and resiliency of our nation. This is just one more defiant show of strength to our enemies: Americans do not live in fear. We live in freedom. And we will never let that freedom go.

Here in Iowa, recent terror warnings are a sober reminder that security must remain a high priority for all of us. It is unequivocally true: Since the tragedy of 9-11, we are safer today than we’ve ever been. Across land, sea and air, we have implemented extraordinary security measures. You’ve seen them – from curb to cockpit – with more intensive screening, hardened cockpit doors our nation’s first entry-exit program, US-VISIT, which, so far, has stopped more than 850 criminals in their tracks. You’ve seen greater security in your shopping malls and throughout Des Moines streets. You’ve seen here at Allied, greater efforts to reinforce computer networks and prepare employees for emergencies, whether wrought by disaster or by design.

Some of the measures we’ve implemented are more covert, but equally effective. By combining the brightest minds with the best in technology, we’ve layered the nation with cutting-edge detection equipment, “Star Trek”-like devices that immediately - and preemptively - identify dangerous pathogens, explosive residue and radiological agents. We’ve stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine to inoculate every man, woman and child in America.

We’ve also worked extensively with state and local authorities to get money into the hands of those who need it most. Since March 1, 2003, the Department of Homeland Security has allocated or awarded well more than $8 billion to train and equip our first responders and enhance security and preparedness. In fact, between FY ’02 and FY ’04, Iowa has received more than $120 million of these important security dollars.

Such funds have enabled authorities in Iowa to purchase a new bomb investigation vehicle, for example; also equip two urban search and rescue teams and enhance communications systems, so that fire, police and other emergency folks can communicate using the same equipment, the same frequency and, thus, work together in real time.

This is all good news. And yet, we know that terrorism is not going away. And as long as there are terrorists bent on carrying out their evil plans, we must recognize that we are fighting a protracted and prolific war. As some have calculated, we have to be right a billion times a year - a terrorist, only once. Such a threat must be met with unparalleled urgency and action.  

We saw such urgency and action on display last week. In many ways, the coordination we witnessed between the financial services sector, state and local law enforcement, and the federal government is an example of just how far we have come since the tragedy of September 11th. We spoke with one voice, took up the same mission, and told the terrorists: we know and we’ll be ready.

Today, we share information more efficiently and effectively than ever, which is why threat information received on a Friday morning enabled affected companies and employees to stay safe and open for business come Monday morning.

Let me say, that while the current reporting stream of information indicates that al-Qaeda has set its sights, for the moment, on the financial services sector, all industry sectors should take this opportunity to step up its current security measures. And that is why I am so grateful to Kirt and all employees here today for your progress and interest in ramping up security across the Allied - and Nationwide - enterprise.

I have said many times, homeland security is not a federal strategy; it is a national call to action. We must engage the entire country - state and local, territorial and tribal governments, first responders, the private sector, academia, international partners and concerned citizens everywhere. The private sector has an important role to play in this all-hands effort, and I appreciate your willingness to take on the many responsibilities that have been placed on your shoulders.

As many of you know, 85 percent of the critical infrastructure in this country is owned by the private sector. That makes your contributions particularly vital to planning, preparation, and policy making that occurs at the federal, state, and local level. Your insights and actions not only help to keep us safe, but also help keep our economy moving.

So I encourage you to keep up the good work, remain vigilant and pro-active and ensure that security is not an afterthought but a priority. We need partners in the private sector, such as Allied partners who will stand up and be counted partners who take a pro-active, forward-leaning view of security at all times, but especially during periods of heightened alert.

Establishing protocols for the changing threat condition, conducting vulnerability assessments of cyber and physical assets and implementing new protective measures - this is just a small sampling of the work you have done to push the security of your industry to a new and necessary level.

Of course, I realize that all this new security can sometimes invoke concern in corporate leaders concern that the costs of security will become crippling. But as we have seen in many different areas – from aviation to maritime to financial services – security does not have to be an albatross around the corporate neck.

On the contrary, in numerous instances, by concentrating on security as part of the business formula, business operations have been tightened and streamlined, leading to greater efficiency and profitability.

Just to give you one example, with the Customs and Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, what we call C-TPAT - companies enroll and agree to comply with tighter security rules and procedures. And for those efforts, they are granted expedited processing and inspection at our border crossings.

As a result, many businesses are reaping economic benefits. For example, shipments for a large multinational company that once required three to four hours to cross the US/Mexico border now routinely make the journey in less than one hour. Savings in fuel and transit costs alone for this company have been in excess of $250,000 a year. The important point here is that this business invested in the front line and in turn, boosted both its bottom line and its security in the process.

All businesses are different, some products need transit, some products are more transparent. But for every company, we all know that business success is intangibly linked to competition – the notion of out-pacing, out-thinking, and out-performing your competitors. That said there is a strong business case to be made for security’s role in enhancing competitiveness.

Consumers have shown they will pay more for quality. And I believe they will pay more for the reliability and dependability that strengthened security can provide. Taking pro-active steps now, thinking strategically and creatively about the security of your businesses and industry, will give customers and shareholders greater confidence in your earning power, but also give you greater staying power to sustain and endure, if an unthinkable tragedy should occur.

For example, the New York Stock Exchange was forced to halt trading for four days following the September 11th attacks, because there was no plan of action to cope with the horrible events of that day. But since that time, exchange officials have created a private fiber optic network that links trading firms with data at multiple sites, so that if the system fails at any one point, data can be automatically rerouted so that trading can continue. They’ve also set up a backup trading floor that can be activated should anything happen to the Wall Street site.

Allied and many companies around the country, and indeed the world, are realizing, that in a post 9-11 world, any discussions about the future are incomplete without a strong security component. As companies labor to build a profitable bridge to the future - security must be a key support in its construction.

It’s imperative because maintaining a strong economy is directly tied to sustaining our freedoms and our nation. The freedoms for which our founders fought, enshrined in the rhetoric of the Constitution and other writings, are the ideological foundation of our nation. They are the source of our strength.

Those freedoms nourish our ability to create and pursue opportunity, to labor unhindered and unbound, to build a business from our bootstraps, and to look to a horizon of limitless possibility.

And that is why, while we are the nation of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, we are also the nation of Edison, Ford, and Gates.

So just as crucial as the fight to preserve our freedoms is the fight to protect our economy. For it is the state of our economy on a more practical day-to-day level that determines our current strength as a nation.

Al-Qaeda understands this all too well. That is why one of their expressed goals is to destroy the American economy. It is why, in selecting the targets of 9-11, Bin Laden chose New York, the epicenter of our economy, and that is why recent reported intelligence shows an enemy still determined to strike at our financial institutions.

As such, we must bring the same zeal to protecting and defending the economy as we do to preserving and upholding our freedoms. That is why your commitment and your willingness to engage in this fight are so important. Indeed, business is a vital partner in the war against terror; you are an ally. And we need you to continue to fight alongside us with the same steadfast determination that you have demonstrated so far.

Before I close, let me also speak as do many of you, as a husband, a father, a friend, a neighbor. We each have a responsibility to be prepared in the event of a crisis - and to look out for others who may need our help.

That’s why it’s so important that all of us choose to make emergency planning a priority not only at work, but also at home, in our children’s schools and throughout our communities.

That, of course, is the goal of our Ready Campaign - the flagship of our citizen engagement efforts. I am sure that most of you have visited the Ready.gov website and probably helped citizens in this area compile Ready kits of their own.

I know that many of you here offered much-needed help to citizens who faced the brunt of Hurricane Isabel or the devastation of the last round of California wildfires. And I thank you for such selfless service.

As you probably know, most people in those areas already understand the importance of buying supplies, keeping extra batteries handy, and having an evacuation route planned. Preparedness is already part of their lives and the daily lives of many Americans. Now we must apply these principles to the threat of terrorism.

Millions of Americans have responded to the Ready Campaign: preparing a kit, making a family communications plan and staying informed. Our goal now is to have nearly half of all Americans, in some form or combination, better prepared by the end of 2004. And soon we’ll be adding strength to our existing Ready campaign by launching two new preparedness endeavors -- Ready for Business and Ready for Kids.

But, again, in order to prepare as we must, everyone must play a role securing our country. We need watchful eyes and strong wills. So whether by reinforcing your company IT systems, putting together a Ready kit for your family, or volunteering to assist in your community’s preparedness efforts, the opportunities abound for all of us to take the reins of our nation’s security.

We face a long road. Every day we operate with the knowledge that our enemies are changing based on how we change. As we shore up one vulnerability, they work to uncover another.

But as the President has said, “Our enemies are not idle, and neither are we.” These are challenging times. But challenge often signals opportunity - in this instance, the opportunity to build upon the spirit of determination that has unified this nation since 9-11 to take this moment and utilize all of our resources and energy toward making our nation stronger -- to leave behind a legacy of progress and accomplishment that will mean an inheritance of security for future generations.

Liberty has no greater protector than the collective will of the American people. So, together, let us continue to do all we can to keep America safe and free. Let us always do so – so that our families, our friends, our fellow citizens, and generations to come, will enjoy the opportunities of freedom so plentiful in this great country, this great country we call home.

Thank you.

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This page was last modified on 08/11/04 00:00:00