**August 21, 2006 FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Project
Activity Report**

\(1\) CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS:

Singer, Peter W. The 9-11 War Plus 5: Looking Back and Looking Forward
at U.S.-Islamic World Relations. Washington DC: Brookings Institution,
U.S. Relations with the Islamic World, Analysis Paper #10, 27 pages,
September 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/analysis/singer20060901.htm]{.underline}](http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/analysis/singer20060901.htm)

\[Excerpt: \"Five years in, it is now clear that the 9-11 attacks
created a new dynamic for global politics, and thus American foreign
policy, centering around the changed relationship between a state and a
religion. The most dominant superpower in world history and the world\'s
fastest growing religious community of 1.4 billion Muslim believers now
stand locked in a dynamic of mutual suspicion, distrust, and anger. It
continues to spiral worse. We have entered the era of the 9-11 War, a
contestation in the realm of ideas and security that is quintessentially
21st century in its modes and processes. This melding of hot and cold
war is not a battle between, but a battle within. Most worrisome, five
years in, it is not going well so far for either the U.S. or the Muslim
world.\"\]

Slackman, Michael. \"In Mideast, A Wave of Political Islam.\" New York
Times, August 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/18/news/islam.php]{.underline}](http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/18/news/islam.php)

\[Excerpt: \"\'The failure of pan-Arabism, the lack of democracy, and
corruption - this drives people to an extent of despair where they start
to find the solution in religion,\' said Gamal el-Ghitany, editor of
Akhbar al-Adab, a literary magazine distributed in Egypt. Echoing that
view, Diaa Rashwan, an expert in Islamic movements and analyst with the
government-financed Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo,
said: \'People have come to identify themselves more as Muslims during
the last five years in response to the U.S.-led \'war on terrorism\'
which Egyptians frequently feel is a discriminatory campaign targeting
Muslims and Islam worldwide\'.\"\]

\(2\) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY:

Hsu, Spencer S. \"DHS Terror Research Agency Struggling - Science and
Technology Unit Crippled by Turnover, Budget Cuts, Priority Shifts.\"

Washington Post, August 20, 2006. Accessed at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/19/AR2006081900846_pf.html>

\[Excerpt: \"The federal research agency in charge of countering
emerging terrorist threats such as liquid explosives is so hobbled by
poor leadership, weak financial management and inadequate technology
that Congress is on the verge of cutting its budget in half\.... the
Bush administration\'s overriding focus on nuclear and biological
threats has delayed research on weapons aimed at aviation\.... more
research on approaches to countering emerging threats from conventional
explosives improves the odds of detecting each attack, experts agree,
and the years lost when work on new technology is not occurring cannot
be recaptured, they said\.... \'The likelihood of a low-technology
threat, like you\'ve seen with these transatlantic flights, has been
assessed by many people to be very likely, as compared with the WMD
threats, like a smuggled nuclear weapon into a port\...\'.\"\]

\(3\) DISASTERS AS A GROWTH BUSINESS:

Ripley, Amanda. \"Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Wildfires,
Earthquakes\...Why We Don\'t Prepare.\" Time Magazine, August 20, 2006.

Accessed at:
[[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1229102,00.html]{.underline}](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1229102,00.html)

\[Note: If you read but one item from the Activity Report today, I
recommend it be this one. Excerpt under the heading of \"Trickle-Down
Apathy:\"

\"When Americans cannot be trusted to save themselves, the government
does it for them\--at least that\'s the story of mandatory car
insurance, seat-belt laws and smoking bans. But when it comes to
preventing disasters, the rules are different. The message, says Paul
Farmer, executive director of the American Planning Association, is
consistent:

\'We will help you build where you shouldn\'t, we\'ll rescue you when
things go wrong, and then we\'ll help you rebuild again in the same
place\'.\"

Next to last paragraph: \"At the close of the Boulder workshop this
year, Kathleen Tierney, head of the Natural Hazards Center, stood up to
say, \'We as human societies have yet to understand \... that nature
doesn\'t care. And for that reason, we must care.\' She was quoting
herself intentionally. She had said the same thing the year before,
seven weeks before Katrina. As she spoke, her voice rose: \'Here we
stand one year later. Where is the political will to protect lives and
property?\'\"\]

\(4\) FEMA:

Department of Homeland Security. \"FEMA Holds First of Kind Regional
Meeting, Others to Follow.\" Homeland Security Today, Vol. 4, Issue 31,
August 21, 2006:

\"In the first meeting of its kind in New England, FEMA\'s regional
office in Boston held a one day summit that brought together the six
Adjutant Generals from New England, who are in charge of the National
Guard in each of their respective states. The summit, which also
included the U.S. Coast Guard and Fifth Army, focused on the response
capabilities of the six states\' National Guard as well as elements of
the federal government. One of the most discussed topics of the day
focused on the distribution of commodities in the event of a hurricane
or terrorist attack. With the National Guard seen as one of the likely
distributors within their respective states of commodities, there was
much discussion about the sharing of assets in and around the New
England region. A primary goal in conducting the summit was the
development of closer relationships of response elements between states
and the federal government. Plans are in place to make such a summit a
regular event to further enhance communication between states and the
federal government, but also to understand what the cumulative effect of
a regional response effort would be in the event of a disaster.\"

Strohm, Chris. \"FEMA Chief Says Agency Continues to be Understaffed.\"

Congress Daily, August 18, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34818&dcn=e_gvet]{.underline}](http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34818&dcn=e_gvet)

\[Note: The article does not note that Director Paulison stated in
response to a question at the \"Partnership for Public Service\" event
he was speaking at last Friday, to the effect that when he took over
FEMA, on-board full-time personnel strength was down to about 1,700. Is
now up to about 2,000. FEMA has been for quite some time been authorized
a workforce of 2,400. If FEMA can make that mark, then the desire would
be to seek a larger authorization.

\(5\) GLOBAL WARMING:

Brown, Lester R. \"Global Warming Forcing U.S. Coastal Population to
Move Inland - An Estimated 250,000 Katrina Evacuees Are Now Climate
Refugees.\" Washington DC: Earth Policy Institute, August 16, 2006, 4
pages. Accessed at:

[[http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2006/Update57.htm]{.underline}](http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2006/Update57.htm)

Eilperin, Juliet. \"Scientists Disagree On Link Between Storms, Warming

\- Same Data, Different Conclusions.\" Washington Post, August 20, 2006.

Accessed at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-yn/content/article/2006/08/19/AR2006081900354.html>

\[Excerpt: \"A year after Hurricane Katrina and other major storms
battered the U.S. coast, the question of whether hurricanes are becoming
more destructive because of global warming has become perhaps the most
hotly contested question in the scientific debate over climate change.
Academics have published a flurry of papers either supporting or
debunking the idea that warmer temperatures linked to human activity are
fueling more intense storms. The issue remains unresolved, but it has
acquired a political potency that has made both sides heavily invested
in the outcome.

Tidwell, Mike. \"We\'re All New Orleanians Now.\" Washington Post,
August 20, 2006. Accessed at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081800984.html>

\[Excerpt: \"\...one year after the great catastrophe in Louisiana, this
much is clear: It\'s coming here. Barring a rapid change in our
nation\'s relationship to fossil fuels, every American within shouting
distance of an ocean \-- including all of us in the nation\'s capital
\-- will become de facto New Orleanians\.... Because of global warming,
this is our future.\"\]

\(6\) GLOUCESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SEWELL, NJ \-- INVESTIGATING
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM:

Met today with Len Clark of the Gloucester County, NJ Office of
Emergency Management, who notes that he is working with Gloucester
Community College in an investigation of the development of an Emergency
Management Program that would include and Associate of Applied Science
Degree in EM, an Associate Degree in EM and possibly three certificate
areas: Emergency Management, Homeland Security, and Business Continuity.
Mr. Clark noted that the school is getting ready to write a proposal to
the New Jersey Higher Education Commission seeking approval to develop
this program. In that he has met with the GCC Academic Vice President
and the Dean who would be over this new area, and found them to be
supportive, he is optimistic that approval will be granted and hopes to
see the program develop for Fall 2007 implementation. Asked for a copy
of the Proposal, when written and forwarded, for incorporation into the
\"Proposals Compendium\" on the EM HiEd Project website.

\(7\) HOMELAND SECURITY:

Washington Post. \"Hokum on Homeland Security,\" August 20, 2006.

Accessed at:
[[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/opinion/20sun1.html]{.underline}](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/opinion/20sun1.html)

\[Excerpt: \"In a tour of the National Counterterrorism Center in
Virginia last week, President Bush declared that \"America is safer than
it has been\" and assured Americans that \'we\'re doing everything in
our power to protect you.\' If only that were so. The sad truth is that
while some important steps have been taken to harden our defenses
against terrorist attacks, gaping holes remain in our security net.\"\]

\(8\) HURRICANE SEASON 2006:

Weather Street. \"2006 Tropical Storm Season Now Below Normal.\" August
21, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.weatherstreet.com/hurricane/2006/hurricane-atlantic-2006-below-normal-season.htm>

\[Contains nice-looking color graph plotting 2006 hurricane activity
to-date, last years record breaking year, the previous record year

\(1933\) and the 1944-1996 average.\]

\(9\) KATRINA:

Breed, Allen G. \"Who\'s To Blame For State of New Orleans?\" Associated
Press, August 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_re_us/katrina_who_s_to_blame]{.underline}](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_re_us/katrina_who_s_to_blame)

Bustillo, Miguel. \"Houston Grumbles as Evacuees Stay Put.\" Los Angeles
Times, August 21, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-evac21aug21,0,126768.story?coll=la-home-headlines>

\[Excerpt: \"Almost a year after Hurricane Katrina caused the country\'s
largest mass migration since the Dust Bowl, as many as 150,000 evacuees
still live in this city, and increasingly many are indicating that they
no longer plan to go home.\" Note: Article contains a table, based on
FEMA sources of the top ten metropolitan areas for Katrina-Rita relief
applications. Houston runs 2nd after New Orleans.\]

Crenson, Matt. \"Gov\'t Fulfills Few Katrina Promises.\" Associated
Press, August 19, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_promises]{.underline}](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_go_pr_wh/katrina_promises)

Duke, Lynne. \"Breach of Faith - Spike Lee Channels a Storm of Anger in
\'When the Levees Broke\',\" Washington Post, August 21, 2006. Accessed
at:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/20/AR2006082000712.html>

Kusmer, Ken. \"Nagin Blames Delays on Racism, Red Tape.\" Associated
Press, August 18, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_re_us/nagin_black_journalists]{.underline}](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060819/ap_on_re_us/nagin_black_journalists)

Los Angeles Times. \"Not Too Late for New Orleans - City can still get
moving on reconstruction, but time\'s running out.\" August 20, 2006.

Accessed
at:<http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-katrina20aug20,1,4065860.story?coll=la-news-comment>

\[Excerpt: \"New Orleans has yet to recover from Hurricane Katrina, and
probably won\'t until the fifth or 10th or 20th anniversary. And it is
the city\'s leaders, more than state or federal officials, who will bear
the responsibility for New Orleans\' renewal - or lack thereof.\"\]

Penick, George and K. Jack Riley. \"Mississippi Comeback,\" Los Angeles
Times, August 20, 2006. Accessed at:

<http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-riley20aug20,0,4591332.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions>

\(10\) MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA \-- PROVIDING INTERN TO
EMER.MGMT. HI-ED PROJECT:

Tied the knot, so to speak, with Dr. Henry Fischer III, Director of the
Center for Disaster Research & Education at Millersville University of
Pennsylvania, in arranging for an internship for one of his students
with the FEMA EM HiEd Project, Fall Semester 2006.

\(11\) RECOVERY FROM DISASTER \-- EMI TRAINING COURSE INFORMATION:

E210-Recovery from Disaster: The Local Government Role. Dates: Oct
30-Nov 2, 2006 & Aug 13-17, 2007

Course Goal: The goal of Recovery From Disaster: The Local Government
Role is to discuss the recovery process roles and responsibilities at
the local government level and thus facilitate the development of a
Disaster Recovery Plan. Prerequisite: None. Course Length: 4 full days
(Travel days are Sunday and Friday).

Audience: Any emergency management staffs and allied professionals
involved in the formulation of local recovery planning who normally are
involved in local recovery operations. A few examples of these allied
professionals include mayors, public works directors, building
inspectors, housing officials, and community planners; law enforcement,
fire personnel, and public information staffs are also included.

Location: National Emergency Training Center, Emergency Management
Institute, Emmitsburg, MD

To Apply: Complete a FEMA Form 75-5, General Admissions Application with
student signature and signature of supervisor or sponsoring agency
official. Submit the application through the State emergency management
training office who will fax it to the National Emergency Training
Center Admissions Office at (301) 447-1658. For further enrollment
information, please refer to the course web site at
[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/apply]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/apply),
or
[[www.NETC-Admissions@dhs.gov]{.underline}](../www.NETC-Admissions@dhs.gov)
For course information, contact the EMI course manager, Maria Moore at

\(301\) 447-1501, 1-800-238-3358 (ext. 1501), or email
maria.moore@dhs.gov

\(12\) WAR ON TERROR:

Gordon, Philip H. and Jeremy Shapiro. \"American Has Emerged as a Loser
in the Middle East.\" Financial Times, August 21, 2006. Accessed at:

[[http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/gordon/20060821.htm]{.underline}](http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/gordon/20060821.htm)

\[Excerpt: \"America\'s stance on the Lebanon war has had a wide range
of negative consequences for America\.... Perhaps most important, it has
almost certainly helped create more terrorist enemies, as images of
Lebanese women and children crushed under Israeli bombs were broadcast
on satellite televisions throughout the world. On an overall balance
sheet, these developments vastly outweigh whatever benefits came from
giving Israel a few more weeks to destroy Hizbollah\'s mostly
replaceable missiles.\"\]

Jenkins, Brian Michael. Unconquerable Nation: Knowing Our Enemy,
Strengthening Ourselves. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp., August 2006,

255 pages. Accessed at:

[[http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG454.pdf]{.underline}](http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG454.pdf)

\[Note: Christian Beckner of the \"Homeland Security Watch\" newsletter,
where I learned of this release, has written a review of this new book,
and provided editorial comment of his own, which can be accessed at:

[[http://www.hlswatch.com/2006/08/18/book-review-unconquerable-nation/]{.underline}](http://www.hlswatch.com/2006/08/18/book-review-unconquerable-nation/)
\-- Beckner thinks highly of Jenkins and his new book \-- the first
since

9/11 from him.\]

Lyall, Sarah. \"In Britain, Efforts to Engage Muslims Sputter.\" New
York Times, August 18, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/18/news/muslims.php]{.underline}](http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/18/news/muslims.php)

\[Excerpt: \"For years the government has been trying to engage the
country\'s 1.6 million Muslims, and for years it has appeared to lurch
from committee to committee, initiative to initiative and strategy to
strategy without much to show for its troubles. And, even as it has
poured money into Muslim community centers, state-run Muslim schools and
local Muslim programs, it has had little success in winning over an
increasingly skeptical Muslim population. The government would dearly
like to know why, just as it would like to know why the two dozen
suspects in what the police say was a terror plot to blow up
trans-Atlantic airplanes are born-and- bred British Muslims.\]

National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT). The
MIPT Terrorism Annual, 2006. Oklahoma City, OK: MIPT, 82 pages, 2006.
Accessed at:

[[http://www.tkb.org/documents/Downloads/2006-MIPT-Terrorism-Annual.pdf]{.underline}](http://www.tkb.org/documents/Downloads/2006-MIPT-Terrorism-Annual.pdf)

West, Diana. \"What President Bush Should Say To Us, Part I,\" August
21, 2006. Accessed at:
[[http://jewishworldreview.com/0806/west082106.php3]{.underline}](http://jewishworldreview.com/0806/west082106.php3)

\[Note: Promotes a \"national course correction\...\" \-- \"\...from a
pro-democracy offensive to an anti-Shariah defensive\...\"\]

B. Wayne Blanchard, Ph.D., CEM

Higher Education Project Manager

Emergency Management Institute

National Emergency Training Center

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department of Homeland Security

16825 S. Seton, N-430

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

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[[http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu]{.underline}](http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/edu)