New Antiterrorism Policy

The Pentagon's assistant secretary for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs has been given the antiterrorism (AT) program portfolio, according to a March 1 memo issued by acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Miller.

Miller's memo states that the ASD(HD&ASA) is now responsible for:

a. Serv[ing] as the principal civilian advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the USD(P) to provide overall direction and supervision for policy development, program planning and execution, and allocation of resources for DoD AT activities  . . .

b. Coordinat[ing] with the Chair of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (USD(I)) Physical Security Review Board on physical security matters that affect DoD AT planning conducted in accordance with DoDI 5200.08 and DoD 5200.08-R . . .

c. Coordinat[ing] with the Chair of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) Physical Security Equipment Action Group on physical security technology development and the application of new technologies to meet AT needs in accordance with DoDI 3224.03 . . .

d. Coordinat[ing] with the CJCS to validate submissions for CCIF requests.

e. Monitor[ing] resource requirements resulting from Joint Staff Integrated Vulnerability Assessment trends in coordination with the CJCS; the USD(AT&L); the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) (USD(C))/Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Department of Defense; and the Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Overall, the memo decrees DOD's antiterrorism policy as follows:

a. DOD Components and DoD elements and personnel shall be protected from terrorist acts through a high-priority, comprehensive AT program using an integrated systems approach.

b. The DOD AT Program is an element of [Combating Terrorism] and focuses on defensive measures used to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and property to terrorist acts, including rapid containment by local military and civilian forces. The minimum elements of an AT program shall be AT risk management, planning, training and exercises, resource application, and comprehensive program review, as defined in the Glossary. All response planning undertaken pursuant to this Instruction will be consistent to the maximum extent possible with Secretary of Homeland Security Publications. . . . As such, plans for response to a terrorist incident must be incorporated into and synchronized with incident response plans prepared in accordance with [a January 2009 DOD instruction on the Installation Emergency Management Program] to ensure continued application of AT measures throughout the incident.

c. Commanders and DOD civilian managers have the authority to enforce appropriate measures to ensure the protection of DOD elements and personnel subject to their control while pursuing mission accomplishment, and shall ensure the AT awareness and readiness of all DOD elements and personnel assigned or attached.

d. Geographic Combatant Commanders have tactical control (TACON) for force protection (FP) over all DOD personnel within their geographic areas of responsibility (AORs) as directed in Secretary of Defense Memorandum ["DOD Force Protection Responsibilities"], with the exception of DOD personnel for whom the chiefs of U.S. diplomatic missions (COMs) have security responsibility as described in [agreements with the State Department regarding the security of DOD personnel at U.S. embassies abroad].

e. The Combatant Commander Initiative Fund (CCIF) or the Combating Terrorism Readiness Initiative Fund (CbT-RIF), if funded, will be maintained as a flexible means to respond to emergent and emergency AT requirements. . . .

f. The standardized DOD methodology described in [a February 2004 "Antiterrorism Handbook"] shall be used to determine the terrorist threat to DOD personnel, facilities, and interests and to establish terrorism threat levels (TTLs).

g. DOD Components shall implement Force Protection Condition (FPCON) measures as outlined in [an October 2006 "antiterrorism standards" instruction memo] in anticipation of or in response to a terrorist threat or attack. Commanders and civilian managers at all levels must continually update risk assessments to ensure all appropriate measures are applied for the mitigation of terrorist threats.

h. DOD elements and personnel shall comply with the theater, country, and special clearance requirements in DoDD 4500.54E and the DoD Foreign Clearance Guide (References (v) and (w)) before traveling outside the United States on official travel.

i. DOD shall assist [the State Department], when feasible and normally on a reimbursable basis, in supporting efforts to protect U.S. citizens abroad in accordance with section 4805 of Reference (l) or other applicable provisions of law. DOD contract provisions shall be developed in accordance with Reference (i) and shall require that contract firms, companies, and entities obtain AOR-specific AT guidance issued by the applicable geographic Combatant Commander, and require compliance by personnel performing DoD contracts outside the United States, consistent with the terms of the contract.

j. DOD will comply with the No-Double-Standard Policy (as described in the Glossary) on the dissemination of terrorist threat information.