	Issues Concerning the Nationwide Threat Notification System

A perceived lack of coordination in the federal government's warning notification processand inconsistent messages regarding threats to the homeland have led to an erosion of confidencein the information conveyed to the Nation. Congress is now considering legislation( H.R. 1817 , The Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for FY2006) toreform the Homeland Security Advisor System to assure greater confidence in the threat informationbeing conveyed to the Nation. (1) However, the circumstancesand explanations surrounding the warnings and changes in the Homeland Security AdvisorySystem's (HSAS) color code to date have called into question the utility and credibility of the system.In particular:
At times it appears the color-code has been raised based on speculation thata terrorist attack may occur rather than receipt of new threat information;
At other times, warnings of heightened threats have been issued withoutchanging the HSAS; and 
On numerous occasions agencies have provided different, and sometimescontradictory, information about threats to the homeland. This Directive gave responsibility to the AttorneyGeneral to administer and make public announcements regarding threats to the Nation. (12) 
In lowering the threat level on April 11, 2003, DHS released a statement that after anassessment of the threats by the intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security hadmade the decision to lower the threat advisory level. (18) 
In this instance, a number of senior members of the Administration discussed the informationconsidered in the raising of the alert level, and one of the Secretary of Homeland Security's principaldeputies offered conflicting information regarding the specificity of that information. Neither ofthe following instances resulted in a change of the HSAS. Thismight be problematic for a number of reasons. One optionwould be to designate the NCTC the federal government's communicator of threat information tothe Nation. Congress could include language to allow for other Departments to disseminate threatinformation under exigent circumstances. Due to a lack of coordination and unity in message it appears that the generalpublic and affected localities are becoming desensitized or disinterested in the information containedin national threat warning notification messages.
A perceived lack of coordination in the federal government's warning notification processand inconsistent messages regarding threats to the homeland have led to an erosion of confidencein the information conveyed to the Nation. Congress is now considering legislation( H.R. 1817 , The Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for FY2006) toreform the Homeland Security Advisor System to allow for greater confidence in the threatinformation conveyed to the Nation.
Since September 11, 2001, numerous federal government organizations have notified thepublic of threats to the Nation. At times, warnings have been issued in a government-widecoordinated manner; other times this has not been the case. In each situation that has led toincreasing the threat level, a number of organizations have made public pronouncements regardingthe nature of the threat prior to, during, or after the raising of the alert-level. The informationconveyed to the public often has been inconsistent regarding the threat or the timing of a suspectedattack. This lack of coordination and unity in message has led to a dilution in the American public'sbelief in the pronouncements and a questioning of the utility of the Homeland Security AdvisorySystem (HSAS). The focus of this paper is the federal government's coordination efforts in publiclyalerting the Nation of threats to the homeland. The report reviews past warnings and changes in thealert level, organizations that have made public statements regarding threats to the Nation, andexamples of how this lack of unity might lead to confusion and misinterpretations of the threat level.Options for Congress are provided regarding delineation of roles and responsibilities and whichgovernment entity should be held accountable for warning the Nation of threats to the homeland .
This paper may be updated based on future National threat notifications or changes in thenotification system. For a discussion and options regarding the Homeland Security AdvisorySystem's (HSAS) level of detail with respect to disseminated warnings, Department of HomelandSecurity's suggested protective measures, coordination of the HSAS with other current federalwarning systems, or the costs associated with threat levels changes see CRS Report RL32023 , Homeland Security Advisory System: Possible Issues for Congressional Oversight .