Chertoff Advises Not to Change

By: WKRG Staff | WKRG-TV
Published: December 04, 2008

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
is advising that his successor not reorganize the department which
was formed after the 9/11 attacks by combing several agencies for
better coordination.
He says such coordination was lacking in India's response to
last weeks terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Some argue the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be
removed from the department because FEMA's mission is to respond to
natural disasters and the department's main mission is to prevent
terrorist attacks.
But Chertoff, speaking Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University,
argued that when different agencies plan and train together they
are better suited to respond to disasters of all varieties.
President-elect Barack Obama has said in the past he favors
removing FEMA from the department, but his pick to head homeland
security, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, did not suggest removing
FEMA when she discussed her future department earlier this week.