The September 11 attacks in New York and Washington demonstrated that the U.S. government was not well organized to deal with the new threat of catastrophic terrorism. A large number of agencies spread out across different layers of government have a critical role to play in preventing, preparing for, and responding to a terrorist attack. Although the activities of some of these agencies were well coordinated in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the interaction among others proved to be woefully inadequate. Critical intelligence and other information was not shared with those who had a need to know. Differing priorities among agencies responsible for parts of the U.S. response effort created inefficiencies and needless delays. And many of the people who needed to work together did not know their counterparts in different agencies and often had little idea about how to get in touch with them.
Faced with this organizational dysfunction, President Bush moved rapidly to address the most immediate difficulty—the absence of adequate coordination among widely dispersed agencies and competencies within the federal government involved in securing the American homeland. Nine days after the attack, Bush addressed this problem directly by announcing the appointment of Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge as the director of a newly created Office of Homeland Security (OHS). On October 8, 2001, Ridge assumed his new position, armed with a newly-minted Executive Order setting forth his powers and responsibilities.
Ridge’s office and efforts were modeled on the National Security Council and its adviser and staff, which for 50 years had worked to coordinate efforts among the key foreign and defense policy agencies to formulate and implement the country’s national security policy. A Homeland Security Council (HSC) would bring the top U.S. officials involved in the defensive effort together with the president and vice president on a regular basis, and also provide a basis for Ridge to integrate and coordinate the government-wide homeland security effort.
Mashambulizi ya Septemba 11 huko New York na Washington yalionyesha kuwa serikali ya Marekani haikuwa imepangwa vizuri kushughulika na tishio jipya la ugaidi. Idadi kubwa ya mashirika yaliyoenea katika tabaka tofauti za serikali yana jukumu muhimu la kucheza katika kuzuia, kujitayarisha, na kukabiliana na shambulio la kigaidi. Ingawa shughuli za baadhi ya mashirika hayo zilikuwa na uratibu mzuri baada ya mashambulizi, mwingiliano kati ya mengine ulithibitika kuwa hautoshi. Habari muhimu za ujasusi na nyingine hazikushirikiwa na wale waliohitaji kujua. """Upendeleo tofauti kati ya mashirika yanayohusika na sehemu za juhudi za majibu ya Marekani ilisababisha ukosefu wa ufanisi na ucheleweshaji usio wa lazima." Na wengi wa watu waliohitaji kufanya kazi pamoja hawakujua wenzao katika mashirika tofauti na mara nyingi walikuwa na wazo kidogo juu ya jinsi ya kuwasiliana nao. Akikabiliwa na tatizo hili la shirika, Rais Bush aliamua haraka kushughulikia tatizo la haraka zaidi - ukosefu wa uratibu wa kutosha kati ya mashirika na mamlaka zilizotawanyika sana ndani ya serikali ya shirikisho zinazohusika katika kulinda nchi ya Marekani. Siku tisa baada ya shambulio hilo, Bush alishughulikia tatizo hilo moja kwa moja kwa kutangaza uteuzi wa gavana wa Pennsylvania Tom Ridge kama mkurugenzi wa Ofisi mpya ya Usalama wa Ndani (OHS). Mnamo Oktoba 8, 2001, Ridge alichukua nafasi yake mpya, akiwa na amri mpya ya mtendaji inayoelezea mamlaka na majukumu yake. Ofisi ya Ridge na juhudi zake zilikuwa zimeundwa kwa mfano wa Baraza la Usalama wa Taifa na washauri wake na wafanyakazi, ambao kwa miaka 50 walikuwa wamefanya kazi ya kuratibu juhudi kati ya mashirika muhimu ya sera za kigeni na ulinzi ili kuunda na kutekeleza sera ya usalama wa kitaifa wa nchi. Baraza la Usalama wa Taifa (HSC) litaleta maafisa wakuu wa Marekani wanaohusika katika juhudi za ulinzi pamoja na rais na makamu wa rais kwa mara kwa mara, na pia kutoa msingi kwa Ridge kuunganisha na kuratibu juhudi za usalama wa ndani za serikali.