The information I will use to address my answer will be based on my personal knowledge and experiences with the federal government. During 21 years of dealing with the federal government, I lived in a small town close to Offutt Air Force, Omaha, NE for over three years; lived at Yokota Air Force Base, located adjunct to Fussa City, near Tokyo, Japan for three years; at the end of the tour in Japan, I was transferred to Ft. Meade, MD, for over seven years, home of the National Service Agency; and from 1984 through February 1992, the last military move, was to HQ Electronic Security Command, Kelly AFB, located in San Antonio, TX

USSTRATCOM (USSTRATCOM), successor to the Strategic Air Command (SAC), and absorbed the U.S. Space Command in October 2002, has a four-story structure below ground, a specially-designed 14,000-square-foot reinforced concrete and steel structure that serves as its command post. A war room with six 16-foot data display screens updates personnel. A “red phone” system, with dedicated connections to 200 operating locations internationally, further supports communications in the underground command post. At the height of the command post’s use, an estimated 1000 people worked in the underground, with the capacity to sustain up to 800 people underground for two weeks. In time of war, the underground would be sealed off. An underground emergency power supply, a well supplying an emergency water source, and rations would allow continuous operations without outside support for an extended period of time. Electromagnetic pulse protection is provided for critical command, control and communications equipment as well as supporting utilities. This allows continuous exercise command over USSTRATCOM forces, even in the disturbed electromagnetic environment which would follow a high altitude nuclear burst.

The Underground Headquarters is referred to as the Western Pentagon. As the nerve center of the United States, it is a globally focused command and a global integrator, charged with the missions of space operations, information operations, integrated missile defense, global command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, global strike, strategic deterrence, and combating weapons of mass destruction. Also located within this complex are the Intelligence Operations Center, Weather Support Center, Force Status Readiness Center, the Alternate Processing and Correlation Center is one of the ten Unified Comb Combatant Commands of the U.S. Department of Defense.

When the Command Center is self-contained, members of the senior staff would work in the lower level senior battle staff area, while support staff members would take designated positions in the support battle staff area on the higher floors. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Alerting Network allows prompt contact with the President, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other unified commanders. It uses dedicated telephone circuits, allows direct communication to operating locations throughout the world, including missile launch control centers. Through satellites and radio networks, the Command Center can communicate with aircraft in flight over any part of the world.

The Command Center’s group display and briefing support system provides the capability to display full motion video and still frame imagery on eight large wall screens and individual video monitors. Within seconds, vital operational data can be displayed on the large wall display screens or individual computer monitors. Field units continually update the data. In time of war, the computers would record strike force progress, serving as an invaluable aid in making command and operations decisions. The Information shown on the screens would instantly alert the Senior Director of any attack against the North American continent or our allies. These systems, along with summary information and attack assessment from other military commands, permit any necessary protection for the citizens of the United States pending the presidential decision. The USSTRATCOM director can launch aircraft for survival, however, only the President can order nuclear strikes.

Yokota Air Base is a trusted and reliable joint partner with Japan’s services, supporting the joint mission first and foremost. In support of U.S. Pacific Command and the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance, United States Forces work with the Government of Japan and their Self-Defense Forces to promote regional stability and deter aggression in the Pacific theater. The U.S. and Japan are transforming our security alliance to be prepared to respond to any new threats or diverse contingencies that may arise, from natural disasters to aggression. As we work closely with our Japanese counterparts, we will strengthen the entire spectrum of our bilateral cooperation in areas such as air and ballistic missile defense, counter-terrorism, and security operations. We must ensure the modernization and reliability of our command and control networks to effectively prepare and employ the military forces and capabilities of both nations.

The National Security Agency (N.S.A.) is the federal agency responsible for collecting human intelligence in the protection and defense of the United States interests and their citizens. The N.S.A. headquartered at Ft. Meade, MD., and including a huge network of satellites and listening devices around the world, with a mission to gather intelligence overseas on foreign enemies by breaking codes and tapping into telephone and computer communications. Through the eavesdropping procedures of N.S.A. it listened to Soviet pilots and ground controllers during the shooting down of a civilian South Korean airliner in 1983; and in 1986 it was able to trace a disco bombing in Berlin in to Libya.

President Harry S. Truman, established by a memorandum dated October 24, 1952, the U.S. NationalSecurity Agency (NSA). Part of the Defense Department, it is the successor to the State Department’s “Black Chamber” and American military eavesdropping and code-breaking operations that date to the early days of telegraph and telephone communications. It has evolved into the biggest American intelligence agency with a highly diversified workforce of more than 30,000 employees comprised of analysts, engineers, physicists, mathematicians, linguists, computer scientists, researchers, as well as customer relations specialists, security officers, data flow experts, managers, administrative and clerical assistants.

On 1 August 1979, by the direction of the Chief of Staff, the Electronic Security Command (ESC), was established to establish a new major air command with broad responsibilities in electronic warfare support and an active role in command, control, and communications countermeasures. The Headquarters for ESC was located at “The Hill” Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX. Access to key intelligence activities became a must. Staffing came from a cross section of disciplines, incorporating existing intelligence resources in the field of collection, analysis, and reporting.

One of the databases developed by ESC was known as Constant Web, a database developed to provide data for quick react to rapidly changing military and political situations throughout the world. It, also, provides limited criticality assessments of immediate, real-time changing and political situations. It was able to supply guidance for the US Air Force, Navy and Army and all other consumers on a 24-hour basis.

September 11, 2001 acts of war were carried out by Islamic Extremist terrorists at the Twin Towers in New York City.American Flight 11 from Boston crashed into the North Tower at the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. At 9:03 a.m. United Flight 175 from Boston crashed into the South Tower at the World Trade Center.The South Tower at the World Trade Center collapsed at 10:05 a.m. At 9:45 a.m. EDT, exactly one hour after Flight 11 hit the WTC North Tower, Flight 77 crashed into The Pentagon. Twenty-minutes later, at 10:05 a.m., the White House, and other important Washington buildings are evacuated. At the same time, the South Tower at the World Trade Center collapsed. Twenty- five minutes later, at 10:10 a.m., one side of The Pentagon collapsed. At the same time, United Flight 93 crashed in a wooded area in Pennsylvania, after passengers confronted hijackers. The North Tower at the World Trade Center collapsed at 10:28 a.m.

There can not be any other explanation of the tragic actions of 9/11 except as a Declaration of War upon our home land by Islamic Extremists. The United States is under attack by Islamic Extremists. Some of our citizens wish to deny that some countries’ only goals are for the extermination of democracy, and our way of life, and for all people in the world to accept Islam as the only true religion. They dream that we can become friends with all nations just by extending our friendship to them.

Immediately following the tragedy that occurred to our country on 9/11/2001 there was a surge of pride and firm constitution of our patriotic beliefs, and for our national brotherhood of faith and ideals to our country. This common brotherhood of patriotic constitution did not last very long. We now find some of our citizens willing to spread false propaganda that the 9/11 tragedy was conspired by the Bush Administration. How soon we forget?!

Most citizens of the United States believe that either the President or the Senate actually is in control of our federal government policies. However, I disagree with this assessment; and firmly believe that the National Security Agency is the controller of our federal government policies. According to federal government documents, supposedly the eavesdropping procedures of the N.S.A. had been revised in the late 1970s, at the end of the Viet Nam War, to permit monitoring of communications of people on American soil only if they are believed to be “agents of a foreign power” – a foreign nation or international terrorist group – and a warrant is obtained from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is a component of NSA.

Many United States citizens, not understanding the urgent reality of preventing terrorism by the Extremists, have placed blame on the Bush Administration of limiting the freedoms of our citizens. However, just like the homicide detectives on television, the monitoring by N.S.A. only listens for keywords for possible terrorism plots. “Conducting business as normal” by the National Security Agency of secretly monitoring communications between domestic and international phone calls and e-mail messages has been able to prevent several terror plots and countless other tragedies upon our homeland. In accordance with Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335500,00.html), the U.S. government has been able to foil at least the following 16 terrorist plots since Sept. 11, 2001:

1. December 2001, Richard Reid: British citizen attempted to ignite shoe bomb on flight from Paris to Miami
2. May 2002, Jose Padilla: American citizen accused of seeking radioactive-laced “dirty bomb” to use in an attack against the United States. Padilla was convicted of conspiracy in August, 2007.
3. September 2002, Lackawanna Six: American citizens of Yemeni origin convicted of supporting Al Qaeda after attending jihadist camp in Pakistan. Five of six were from Lackawanna, N.Y.
4. May 2003, Lyman Faris: American citizen charged with plotting to use blowtorches to collapse the Brooklyn Bridge
5. June 2003, Virginia Jihad Network: Eleven men from Alexandria, Va., trained for jihad against American soldiers, convicted of violating the Neutrality Act, conspiracy.
6. August 2005, Kevin James, Levar Haley Washington, Gregory Vernon Patterson and Hammad Riaz Samana: Los Angeles homegrown terrorists who plotted to attack National Guard, LAX, two synagogues and Israeli consulate
7. December 2005, Michael Reynolds: Plotted to blow up natural gas refinery in Wyoming, the Transcontinental Pipeline, and a refinery in New Jersey. Reynolds was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
8. February 2006, Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Zand Wassim Mazloum: Accused of providing material support to terrorists, making bombs for use in Iraq
9. April 2006, Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee: Cased and videotaped the Capitol and World Bank for a terrorist organization
10. June 2006, Narseal Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera, Burson Augustin, Lyglenson Lemorin, and Rotschild Augstine: Accused of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower
11. July 2006, Assem Hammoud: Accused of plotting to bomb New York City train tunnels
12. August 2006, Liquid Explosives Plot: Thwarted plot to explode ten airliners over the United States
13. March 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: Mastermind of Sept. 11 and author of numerous plots confessed in court in March 2007 to planning to destroy skyscrapers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Mohammed, also, plotted to assassinate Pope John Paul II and former President Bill Clinton.
14. May 2007, Fort Dix Plot: Six men accused of plotting to attack Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey. The plan included attacking and killing soldiers using assault rifles and grenades.
15. June 2007, JFK Plot: Four men are accused of plotting to blow up fuel arteries that run through residential neighborhoods at JFK Airport in New York
16. September 2007, German authorities disrupt a terrorist cell that was planning attacks on military installations and facilities used by Americans in Germany. The Germans arrested three suspected members of the Islamic Jihad Union, a group that has links to Al Qaeda and supports Al Qaeda’s global jihadist agenda.