Homeland Security Heavies Compete for Business

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Bush’s boys in Homeland Security have been busy since their boss left Washington. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has formed the Chertoff Group to cash in on the billions to be made in defense industry contracts. Who knows better where those juicy contracts are than the man who used to dole them out?

The Center for International Policy has an excellent post that tracks Chertoff and a few other Bush appointees including Tom Ridge who oversaw the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and former Attorney General John “Let the Eagle Soar” Ashcroft.  The competition must be getting fierce out there for risk management and security services. Former New York City Mayor Rudolf Guiliani who has been in the security and risk advising business for a while will have to make room for this new raft of Homeland Security heavies.

Chertoff’s consulting group has an odd logo remniscent of a devil’s picthfork or a gate on a medieval drawbridge. Check out the introductory pitch on his Web site (down below). The real kicker is when it says they have responded to unprecedented natural disasters, with not a single life lost…wha!? I seem to remember a devastating Hurricane called…um, Katrina where a lot of people died. And I’m pretty sure he was the Secretary of Homeland Security at the time. In fact here’s a clip where he tells CNN that they just couldn’t imagine something like Katrina happening, so they just didn’t have a plan. Incredible.

 I also like the bit about the modern-day pirates. Lots of big companies these days willing to pay top dollar to wipe out some Somali pirates. Here’s his pitch below.

 

We’ve been there, on the front lines, dealing with the United States’ most critical security challenges: stopping terrorists before they have a chance to act. Responding to unprecedented natural disasters, with not a single life lost. Detecting and interdicting hackers trying to break into the myriad networks that are the lifeblood of both government and the private sector. Even dealing with modern-day pirates and other threats to trade and travel.