| "We're going to do things better". Boy howdy, how come no one thought of that before? |
| Because President Obama is smart, unlike that stupid Republican (but I repeat myself) George W. Bush. |
| I thought they were just another man-made disaster ... |
A misspelling of Mr. Abdulmutallab's name contributed to the State Department's failure to revoke his visa after his father, a Nigerian banker, told U.S. embassy officials in Nigeria of his concern over the radicalization and disappearance of his son, according to the review.
The White House review also stated that personnel at the National Counterterrorism Center and the Central Intelligence Agency "did not search all available databases" to uncover critical information. To help prevent such lapses in the future, Mr. Obama said that visas issued by the State Department would be checked against extremist databases even after they are issued, not just at the time they are requested. Mr. Abdulmutallab already had a visa when he was recently added to a terrorism watch list.
Mr. Obama outlined changes not only to intelligence analysis, but also to the nation's second line of defense: airport screening. The president said the Department of Homeland Security would "aggressively pursue" advanced screening technology, including acquiring $1 billion worth of new technology, including bomb-detecting equipment and imaging machines that have raised privacy concerns because they can show a person's body underneath clothing. Before Christmas, the government had allocated $1 billion for such technology, including 300 body scanners to be deployed this year. That number might be expanded in the wake of the Christmas plot.
Mr. Obama said he would avoid policy changes that would curtail civil liberties or freedom of movement: "We will not succumb to a siege mentality."
With his remarks, Mr. Obama sought to strike a balance between toughening his response to terrorism and rebuffing critics who are demanding wholesale changes to his national security policies. "We will define the character of our country, not some small band of men intent on killing innocent men, women and children," the president said at the White House.
He also called for unity amid sniping over the effort to ignite explosives aboard a jet from Amsterdam to Detroit.
"Now's not a time for partisanship. It's a time for citizenship," he said. "That's what it means to be strong in the face of violent extremism."
| Particularly when Bambi screws up. I remember how well the Dhimmicrats stopped the sniping when Dubya made a mistake over a terrorist act. |
Mr. Obama pledged to improve the government's ability "to collect, share, integrate, analyze and act on intelligence."
He also said the Department of Homeland Security would strengthen partnerships abroad to tighten security at airports with links to the United States, and he ordered the Department of Energy and its national scientific laboratories to work on a next generation of screening technology.
The president didn't call for the firing of any national security or intelligence official, even though he had pledged to hold accountable those who failed in their jobs.
Many had criticized Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center who didn't cut short a ski vacation after the bombing attempt. Counterterrorism chief John Brennan took personal responsibility for that decision. "I said you deserve this vacation. You should be with your son," Mr. Brennan said.
Mr. Obama ordered changes at every national security agency involved with the Christmas Day bombing intelligence failure. He told the State Department to review the criteria for issuing and revoking visas and evaluate possible technology enhancements.
The Central Intelligence Agency must issue new guidance to ensure reports are distributed in a timely fashion and strengthen the procedures of handling terrorism watchlist data. CIA Director Leon Panetta ordered his agency to disseminate information on suspected extremists within 48 hours, review information on individuals to gauge whether they should be placed on a watch list, and boost the number of analysts focused on Yemen and Africa, said agency spokesman George Little.
President Obama ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which manages the main terrorism watchlist, to review its terrorism database and determine whether known or suspected terrorists have visas to enter the U.S.
He directed the National Counterterrorism Center to prioritize and "exhaustively" pursue all terrorism threat tips, and identify follow up action to be taken by other agencies. The National Security Agency was ordered to train employees on the watch-listing process and how to work with the organizations responsible for watch-listing.