Security job is enormous

With the nation still reeling from the al-Qaida attacks on America in 2001, then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was called upon to coordinate national security efforts to keep homeland safe in the post-Sept. 11 world.

As the nation's first Homeland Security secretary, Ridge was given the daunting task of bringing 22 different agencies and 180,000 federal employees under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella. As he attempted to coordinate security agencies ranging from the Border Patrol to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the fledgling department had the awesome responsibility of maintaining daily vigilance against terrorist threats. Ridge managed to juggle these responsibilities despite being undermined by poor funding, turf battles and political gamesmanship. Published reports have likened Ridge's responsibilities to building an airplane mid-flight.

In spite of the many obstacles, there have been no terrorist attacks on the U.S. mainland on Ridge's watch. This should be considered his greatest achievement. It will be many years before the Department of Homeland Security runs cohesively. Give Ridge his due for serving his country in this capacity at a time of great uncertainty.

Regrettably, Ridge will probably be most remembered for the much parodied color-coded terrorist threat level warning system implemented during his tenure. He raised the warning level from "elevated" to "high" and back six times. The warning system was perplexing to most Americans because the Bush administration has provided ambiguous explanations about the rationale for changing the threat level while at the same time encouraging Americans to go about their normal routines.

Ridge was also derided for his suggestion early in his tenure of securing doors and windows with duct tape and plastic sheeting as a means of defense in the event of a terrorist attack.

Truly, Ridge had the thankless job of defining the role of the Department of Homeland Security as it was being established. His job was to coordinate agencies that had previously not worked well together; educate Americans how to prepare for the emergency he hoped would never come; keep abreast of threats and act on credible intelligence.

While Ridge is deserving of a nation's thanks, he acknowledged in his resignation letter to President Bush that homeland security is an ongoing effort. "There will always be more to do, but today, America is significantly stronger and safer than ever before," Ridge wrote.

The absence of a terrorist attack on the homeland in two years does not suggest the threat has been eliminated. Terrorists have demonstrated their capacity for extreme patience. Ridge's successor must operate under the assumption that the war is everlasting.