James Carafano

In his upcoming State of the Union Address, President Obama will very likely address our nation’s broken immigration system. Unfortunately, the President is expected to call for “comprehensive” immigration reform legislation. This very same approach has failed to garner support in Congress time and time again, and is likely only to foster greater division. We invite the President to instead take a problem-solving approach and welcome a discussion about finding real solutions to fixing our dysfunctional immigration system and advancing real immigration reforms.

Nothing is more important than preventing another catastrophic terrorist attack on Americans. Nothing. That is why the 9/11 Commission's work-a comprehensive, objective review of how our law enforcement and intelligence operations can be improved to prevent a recurrence-is so vital. Whenever a team loses the game, it always reviews the videotape to see how it can improve.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is reporting that, as of April 28, there have been 40 cases of swine flu in the United States. The spread of this flu and the associated deaths in Mexico have left Americans frightened and concerned. While these concerns have led to calls to contain the outbreak by closing the border with Mexico or instituting travel restrictions, a border-centric strategy is not an effective solution for dealing with the swine flu.

Western efforts to negotiate an end to Iran's drive for nuclear weapons have produced unsatisfactory results. Tehran has made tactical concessions under international pressure to freeze its uranium enrichment operations and submit to increased inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but it remains determined to develop a full nuclear fuel cycle that would eventually give it a nuclear weapons capability. The installation of a new hard-line government led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has publicly criticized past Iranian concessions, has further undermined the prospects for diplomatic success.

Currently, Canada and the United States share information and intelligence, cooperate extensively on law enforcement issues--particularly border-related crime and terrorist travel--and work together to thwart potential air and sea threats. Both countries routinely, and respectively, produce national intelligence assessments that are frequently published in unclassified form so that citizens can gain a better appreciation of their government's perception of current and emerging national security challenges.

Legislative proposals to limit operations in Iraq could have troubling consequences. Members of Congress and all Americans have the right to express their views on military operations. This is how democracies fight wars: They argue about whats right before, during, and decades after conflicts. But when dissent becomes obstructionism, it can undermine democracy. Only by following a "principled" approach to Iraq can Congress avoid overreaching its responsibilities.

Passed after 9/11 to encourage innovation in the development of security technology, the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act provides a safe harbor for manufacturers of new “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies.” The U.S. could vastly expand markets for these technologies and exploit technologies and services being developed elsewhere in the world by building bi-national agreements framed on the SAFETY Act model. One ideal partner for the U.S. is Israel, which has a strong domestic security market and is a close ally of the United States.

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) recently introduced the "Homeland Security FORWARD Funding Act of 2005" (S.1013). The bill requires that homeland security grants to the states be allocated based primarily on risk. As Congress struggles with finding the right bill to keep homeland security grants from becoming "pork-barrel legislation," which the 9/11 Commission warned against, the Feinstein/Cornyn proposal offers solid ideas on how to ensure that federal dollars are actually used to make Americans safer.

Just as Queen Esther saved the Jews in ancient Persia, Project Esther can save America today.

Al Qaeda first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993 with a car bomb in the underground garage. Americans heard about the attack on the evening news and then went out to McDonald's for a burger and fries. It was like the 911 operator called us and we put them on hold. Less than ten years later, the 9/11 attacks left 3,000 Americans dead.