Welcome to the
Washington Homeland Security Roundtable

2008 promises to be a year of transition and transformation, highlighted by the US elections and the resulting changes in both the Executive and Legislative branches of our government. These events will not occur in isolation. The global stage is also changing - and in ways that we do not fully understand, much less control. How those changes affect US government policies, practices, priorities and procurements will be debated in multiple venues and by a myriad of commentators - and the Washington Homeland Security Roundtable plans to be an integral part of that debate.

The coming year will also bring a renewed emphasis to the debate on the complexities surrounding maritime and border security, economic security and trade facilitation, identity management; and, how to both respond and recover from a devastating event, whether caused by a terrorist act, weather event or worn out infrastructure. Immigration promises to be at the front and center of the presidential campaign, even if Congress has shown itself to be even more divided than the American populace.

Our global partners - for whom we depend for trade and international security - will also be making their voices heard in an effort to shape US government policies. How will we balance the open society that has defined us for over two centuries and, at the same time, properly protect ourselves from those who seek to destroy that societal foundation? Should we continue to expect cooperation and information sharing when inspecting people and cargo in the foreign ports if their laws and cultural acceptance norms differ from ours? Is the greater threat from outside the US or from homegrown radicalization?

These and many other topics will be at the core of the 2008 discussion agenda for Washington Homeland Security Roundtable members, for those members represent the best "thought leadership" from the private sector in this arena. It promises to be an informed, civilized and thoroughly lively discussion.