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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, February 17, 2006

Hawai'i, Pacific need homeland defense site

Hawai'i Sen. Daniel Akaka caught Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in a nice trap this week during a hearing on national security matters.

Did the secretary know, Akaka asked, whether Hawai'i is protected by the U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for homeland defense?

Chertoff did not know and admitted he was unaware that Hawai'i does not fall under the Northern Command. Instead, those duties are carried out by the U.S. Pacific Command, which is also responsible for the U.S. Pacific territories and parts of Alaska.

Now, this does not mean Hawai'i and the territories are out there, exposed, vulnerable and unprotected. The Pacific Command is an efficient operation that no doubt would step up to the plate in times of need.

Indeed, a joint task force focused on homeland security has already been formed.

This is hardly the first time Hawai'i has been left out of a general national policy that applies to the contiguous Mainland states. It has happened in other defense operations, in communications and in other areas.

As good as the Pacific Command is, it is not directly tasked with the mission of homeland defense. That's the job of the U.S. Northern Command, which trains and equips itself specifically for this assignment.

Local civil defense authorities have proposed that Homeland Security open a regional office in Hawai'i to help close the gap Akaka identified.

That makes sense. Such a regional office could have specific expertise in the issues unique to an island state such as Hawai'i, as well as the special needs and challenges of the scattered Pacific territories. Chertoff should get on this right away.