Homeland Security Pressured To Fill Post

Vacancy Risks Safety Of Region, Some Warn

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not appointed a coordinator for the Washington area for five months, drawing warnings that the region's safety is being compromised, as well as pressure from local leaders and members of Congress to fill the vacancy.

Since Michael F. Byrne left the job in November to join Microsoft Corp., the Office of National Capital Region Coordination has gone understaffed and has not fulfilled requirements set by Congress, local officials said.

The post, established by Congress when it created the Department of Homeland Security, is overseen by Secretary Tom Ridge. The coordinator serves as the prime contact for officials in the District, Virginia and Maryland seeking to guard the region against a terrorist attack and to coordinate a response should an attack occur.

"There are people who are working very hard, but yes, I think the region has lost ground," said Caroline L. Cunningham, vice president of regional partnership for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, which lobbied for the post.

The board, whose 1,200 member companies employ about 40 percent of the region's workers, met about a month ago with Ridge's chief of staff, J. Duncan Campbell, to emphasize the need to replace Byrne and to set an informal deadline for the appointment.

Cunningham cited the failure of other federal agencies to develop emergency plans in consultation with the state and District governments. Those plans include guidelines for closing buildings and maintaining operations during an incident of terrorism.

A congressional study last week said 23 major federal departments and agencies have failed to comply with a six-year-old presidential emergency directive to devise such plans.

"The federal players in each of the agencies need to be brought to the table," Cunningham said. "Unless you have someone who is strong and can do that, it will not happen."

A spokesman for Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), Senate Armed Services Committee chairman and the region's senior Republican, said, "Senator Warner sees this position as critical to the region's security efforts and wants it filled as soon as possible."

The spokesman, John Ullyot, added: "It is clear that the Washington area is high on terrorist target lists and faces unique security challenges, including overlapping state and federal jurisdictions." He spoke before FBI and homeland security officials issuing a bulletin Friday that warned of uncorroborated intelligence of possible attacks against major U.S. city transportation systems this summer.

Ridge aides said the department is working with the White House to fill the post. The assignment requires a complex combination of strengths, they said, including familiarity with the region, a background in emergency preparedness, political acumen and the ability to work closely with Ridge.

"They are definitely focused on finding the right person, as opposed to doing it quickly," said Ken Wall, Byrne's former deputy and now acting homeland security coordinator.

Wall said security efforts are not being hampered. "Strong cooperation and working relationships exist with the regional jurisdictions and the states, and this allows the work to continue moving forward without missing a beat," he said.

Ridge spokesman Brian Roehrkasse blamed the time lag in part on security checks. Clearances for low-level department aides take two to eight weeks, while vetting for senior positions can last six months, he said.