Chertoff dodges AG question

MOBILE | On the eve of the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff stood in a Coast Guard hangar, parrying a barrage of questions about his next possible job.

The secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave no hints about speculation that President George W. Bush might tap him to replace former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who resigned on Monday.

“The president will make the decisions he will make and will make any announcement when he chooses to do so," Chertoff said Tuesday.

“As for me, I am proud to be at the helm of this department, where I have spent 3 ½ years."

Gonzales, who had been pressured by members of Congress to resign, announced his intentions unexpectedly on Monday.

Chertoff’s name was floated almost immediately as a possible replacement, even though detractors said his confirmation hearings would likely be contentious, given his role in the federal government’s highly criticized post-Katrina effort.

Such an appointment would also create another cabinet-level position to fill at Homeland Security.

Asked whether he wanted the job, Chertoff said, “I think I have given all the answers I am going to give as far as press speculation goes on who will fill that job."

Asked if he has talked to the president since Gonzales’ resignation, Chertoff said, “Same answer."

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala., joined Chertoff on Tuesday for demonstrations of the Coast Guard’s Deployable Operations Group.

The group, which combines existing Coast Guard capabilities into an integrated response team for major disasters, was formed using lessons learned from Katrina, Chertoff said.

Chertoff and company also saw the rollout of the new Integrated Public Alert and Warning System information network.

IPAWS, as it is known, was created by a presidential executive order in 2006 directing the Department of Homeland Security to improve the dissemination of emergency messages.

The system essentially expands the familiar weather alerts broadcast on radio and television to a variety of other electronic platforms, including cell phones, the Internet, e-mail, beepers and paging devices.

Riley, who demonstrated how to sign up for the system online, said IPAWS is a leap forward in disaster communication.

“This brings us into the 21st century," he said. “This will be just as important in future storms after landfall as before.

“After a storm hits, communication becomes even more important, and it is often the most difficult to communicate when all the lines are down and there is so much confusion."

On the Net: Visit www.alabama.mystateusa.com to receive warnings about weather conditions and possible disasters. Reach Tommy Stevenson at tommy.stevenson@tuscaloosanew.com or 205-722-0194.