Smart Security and CIA 9/11 report

[The Straight Story]

SMART SECURITY AND CIA 9/11 REPORT -- (House of Representatives - November 17, 2004)

GPO's PDF

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The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Renzi). Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, the worst attacks on this country's soil took place on September 11, 2001, when planes hijacked by terrorists slammed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. The last plane which crashed into a field in Pennsylvania was likely headed for the very building in which we are now standing, the U.S. Capitol.

Shortly after these devastating attacks, the House and Senate intelligence committees requested that the Office of the Inspector General at the Central Intelligence Agency provide a comprehensive report on the events surrounding 9/11.

In June, 2004, an 11-member team from the CIA's Office of the Inspector General completed its report after a 17-month investigation. Congress, however, still has not received this important report.

According to several intelligence officials, the CIA report is potentially damaging to the White House because it details pre-9/11 failures by members of the Bush administration. According to one official, ``What all the other reports on 9/11 did not do is point the finger at individuals and give the how and what of their responsibility. This report does that.''

Unfortunately, even though the CIA team finished its exhaustive report in June, it has yet to make its way to the House and Senate intelligence committees here in our Congress.

My colleagues, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman), the chairman and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote to the CIA in early October asking for delivery of this crucial report. They received no reply. Several sources in the intelligence community have stated that the reason for the delay has been the White House itself, which wanted the document released only after the November presidential election.

This should surprise no one.

What should surprise everyone is that the failure to deliver this report on time is unprecedented. The CIA has never failed to submit a report to Congress or delayed a report's submission for purely political reasons.

Mr. Speaker, the truth behind 9/11 is too important for the Bush White House to use for partisan applications. President Bush officially opposed the creation of the independent 9/11 Commission in the first place. Only when public opinion became unwieldy did he relent and allow its creation.

Then, after the Commission was created, the President opposed providing it with enough time to complete its congressionally mandated investigative report. He relented only after public opinion weighed in against him.

President Bush initially refused to allow National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice to testify before the Commission, then relented under public pressure. Then he refused to testify before the Commission himself but relented under public pressure but only behind closed doors and with Vice President Cheney by his side the whole time.

Mr. Speaker, there has to be a better way to respond to the threats America faces than by hiding behind closed doors. Instead, our government should depend on openness and transparency. That is why I have introduced H. Con. Res. 3792, a SMART Security Platform for the 21st Century. SMART stands for sensible multi-lateral American response to terrorism. SMART Security embodies a government that is fair, open, and transparent. SMART Security treats war as an absolute last resort. It fights terrorism with stronger intelligence and multi-lateral partnerships, and it controls the spread of weapons of mass destruction with aggressive diplomacy, strong regional security arrangements and vigorous inspection regimes.

SMART Security will defend America from future terrorist attacks by relying on the very best of America, not our nuclear capability but our capacity for multi-national leadership and our commitment to peace and freedom around the world.

If we fail to maintain the democratic principles upon which the country was founded, then we will have lost more than any terrorist could ever have taken away.

SMART Security is tough, pragmatic and safe. It depends on a government that is open, honest and transparent, and it is the right choice to keep Americans truly secure.


http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r108:59:./temp/~r1085ufIp1::

[Carolab]

1. This is just excellent

and sounds a lot like what Kerry was proposing.

Think it has a chance? Is there a petition we can sign to show our support for it and also to press for the release of the missing information from the 9/11 report?

[The Straight Story]

2. Not Sure Honestly

Was just reading through the information for this term on http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r108:@FIELD(FLD003+h)+@FIELD(DDATE+20041117)
and it caught my eye. If you get more info, keep us up to date!