Homeland Security

National Policy

  • National Strategy for Combating Terrorism September 2006 Update -- "America is at war with a transnational terrorist movement fueled by a radical ideology of hatred, oppression, and murder. Our National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, first published in February 2003, recognizes that we are at war and that protecting and defending the Homeland, the American people, and their livelihoods remains our first and most solemn obligation. (...) This updated strategy sets the course for winning the War on Terror. It builds directly from the National Security Strategy issued in March 2006 as well as the February 2003 National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, and incorporates our increased understanding of the enemy."[PDF Version [1.64MB]]
  • Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Homeland Security Council May 2006 -- "This Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza further clarifies the roles and responsibilities of governmental and non-governmental entities, including Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities and regional, national, and international stakeholders, and provides preparedness guidance for all segments of society." [PDF 2.49MB]
  • National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza National Security Council 01 Nov 2005 -- The National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza guides our preparedness and response to an influenza pandemic, with the intent of (1) topping, slowing or otherwise limiting the spread of a pandemic to the United States; (2) limiting the domestic spread of a pandemic, and mitigating disease, suffering and death; and (3) sustaining infrastructure and mitigating impact to the economy and the functioning of society. [PDF Version]
  • The National Response Plan December 2004 -- In Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-5, the President directed the development of a new National Response Plan (NRP) to align Federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources into a unified, alldiscipline, and all-hazards approach to domestic incident management. This approach is unique and far reaching in that it, for the first time, eliminates critical seams and ties together a complete spectrum of incident management activities to include the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from terrorism, major natural disasters, and other major emergencies. The end result is vastly improved coordination among Federal, State, local, and tribal organizations to help save lives and protect America's communities by increasing the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of incident management. [PDF 4.24 Mb]
  • The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets February 2003 -- This document defines the road ahead for a core mission area identified in the President’s National Strategy for Homeland Security—reducing the Nation’s vulnerability to acts of terrorism by protecting our critical infrastructures and key assets from physical attack. This document, the National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets, the Strategy, identifies a clear set of national goals and objectives and outlines the guiding principles that will underpin our efforts to secure the infrastructures and assets vital to our national security, governance, public health and safety, economy, and public confidence. [PDF 1.74 Mb]
  • The National Strategy to Secure CyberSpace February 2003 -- Our Nation’s critical infrastructures are composed of public and private institutions in the sectors of agriculture, food, water, public health, emergency services, government, defense industrial base, information and telecommunications, energy, transportation, banking and finance, chemicals and hazardous materials, and postal and shipping. Cyberspace is their nervous system—the control system of our country. Cyberspace is composed of hundreds of thousands of interconnected computers, servers, routers, switches, and fiber optic cables that allow our critical infrastructures to work. Thus, the healthy functioning of cyberspace is essential to our economy and our national security. This National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace is part of our overall effort to protect the Nation. [PDF 981 Kb]
  • National Strategy for Combating Terrorism February 2003 -- Combating terrorism and securing the U.S. homeland from future attacks are our top priorities. But they will not be our only priorities. This strategy supports the National Security Strategy of the United States. As the National Security Strategy highlights, we live in an age with tremendous opportunities to foster a world consistent with interests and values embraced by the United States and freedom-loving people around the world. And we will seize these opportunities. This combating terrorism strategy further elaborates on Section III of the the National Security Strategy by expounding on our need to destroy terrorist organizations, win the “war of ideas,” and strengthen America’s security at home and abroad. [PDF 263 Kb]
  • National Strategy for Homeland Security July 2002 -- This document is the first National Strategy for Homeland Security. The purpose of the Strategy is to mobilize and organize our Nation to secure the U.S. homeland from terrorist attacks. This is an exceedingly complex mission that requires coordinated and focused effort from our entire society—the federal government, state and local governments, the private sector, and the American people. [PDF 2.63 Mb]

Homeland Security Presidential Directives

Executive Orders

US Supreme Court Opinions

US District Court for the District of Columbia Opinions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

United States Court of Appeals for the Six Circuit

US District Court for the Southern District of New York

US Dept. of Justice Memorandum

  • Memorandum for James B. Comey, Deputy Attorney General - Re: Legal Standards Applicable under 18 U.S.C §§ 2340-2340A Office of Legal Counsel, US Department of Justice 30 Dec 2004 -- "Torture is abohorrent both to American Law and values and to international norms. This universal repudiation of torture in our criminal law, for example, 18 U.S.C §§ 2340-2340a; international agreements, exemplified by the United Nations Convention Against Torture (the "CATT")1; customay international law2; centuries of Anglo-American law3; and the longstanding policy of the United States, repeatedly and recently reaffirmed by the President.4" [PDF 1 MB]