No event has shaped international events of recent years more than the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Tragically, less than four years later, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. In less than five years, the United States has experienced its worst terrorist attack and worst natural disaster, both in terms of the number of lives lost and in the costs needed for reconstruction.

Both events have clearly indicated that there are tremendous threats to the security and well-being of Americans in their own country. Furthermore, these events have demonstrated the...