1.This Act may be cited as the
Success in Countering Al Qaeda
Reporting Requirements Act of 2008
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)Al Qaeda and its related affiliates
attacked the United States on September 11, 2001 in New York, New York,
Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, murdering almost 3000
innocent civilians.
(2)Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman
al-Zawahiri remain at large.
(3)In testimony to the
Select Committee on Intelligence of the
Senate on February 5, 2008, Director of National Intelligence
J. Michael McConnell stated, Al-Qa’ida has been able to retain a
safehaven in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) that
provides the organization many of the advantages it once derived from its base
across the border in Afghanistan
.
(4)The July 2007 National Intelligence
Estimate states, Al Qaeda is and will remain the most serious terrorist
threat to the Homeland
.
(5)In testimony to the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of
the House of Representatives on February 7, 2008, Director of
National Intelligence Michael McConnell stated, Al-Qa’ida and its
terrorist affiliates continue to pose significant threats to the United States
at home and abroad, and al-Qa’ida’s central leadership based in the border area
of Pakistan is its most dangerous component.
.
(6)The National Strategy for Combating
Terrorism
, issued in September 2006, affirmed that long-term efforts
are needed to win the battle of ideas against the root causes of the violent
extremist ideology that sustains Al Qaeda and its affiliates. The United States
has obligated resources to support democratic reforms and human development to
undercut support for violent extremism, including in the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas in Pakistan and the Sahel region of Africa. However, 2 reports
released by the Government Accountability Office in 2008 (Combating
Terrorism: The United States Lacks Comprehensive Plan to Destroy the Terrorist
Threat and Close the Safe Haven in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal
Areas
(GAO–08–622, April 17, 2008) and Combating Terrorism:
Actions Needed to Enhance Implementation of Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism
Partnership
(GAO–08–860, July 31, 2008)) found that no
comprehensive plan for meeting U.S. national security goals in the FATA have
been developed,
and no comprehensive integrated strategy has
been developed to guide the [Sahel] program’s implementation
.
(7)Such efforts to combat violent extremism
and radicalism must be undertaken using all elements of national power,
including military tools, intelligence assets, law enforcement resources,
diplomacy, paramilitary activities, financial measures, development assistance,
strategic communications, and public diplomacy.
(8)In the report entitled Suggested
Areas for Oversight for the 110th Congress
(GAO–08–235R, November 17,
2006), the Government Accountability Office urged greater congressional
oversight in assessing the effectiveness and coordination of United States
international programs focused on combating and preventing the growth of
terrorism and its underlying causes.
(9)Section 140(a) of the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(a)) requires
that the Secretary of State submit annual reports to Congress that detail key
developments on terrorism on a country-by-country basis. These Country Reports
on Terrorism provide information on acts of terrorism in countries, major
developments in bilateral and multilateral counterterrorism cooperation, and
the extent of State support for terrorist groups responsible for the death,
kidnaping, or injury of Americans, but do not assess the scope and efficacy of
United States counterterrorism efforts against Al Qaeda and its related
affiliates.
(10)The Executive Branch submits regular
reports to Congress that detail the status of United States combat operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a breakdown of budgetary allocations, key
milestones achieved, and measures of political, economic, and military
progress.
(11)The Department of Defense compiles a report
of the monthly and cumulative incremental obligations incurred to support the
Global War on Terrorism in a monthly Supplemental and Cost of War Execution
Report.
3.It is the sense of Congress that—
(1)7 years after the attacks on September 11,
2001, Al Qaeda and its related affiliates remain the most serious national
security threat to the United States, with alarming signs that Al Qaeda and its
related affiliates recently reconstituted their strength and ability to
generate new attacks throughout the world, including against the United
States;
(2)there remains insufficient information on
current counterterrorism efforts undertaken by the Federal Government and the
level of success achieved by specific initiatives;
(3)Congress and the American people can
benefit from more specific data and metrics that can provide the basis for
objective external assessments of the progress being made in the overall war
being waged against violent extremism;
(4)the absence of a comparable timely
assessment of the ongoing status and progress of United States counterterrorism
efforts against Al Qaeda and its related affiliates in the overall Global War
on Terrorism hampers the ability of Congress and the American people to
independently determine whether the United States is making significant
progress in this defining struggle of our time; and
(5)the Executive Branch should submit a
comprehensive report to Congress, updated on an annual basis, which provides a
more strategic perspective regarding—
(A)the United States’ highest global
counterterrorism priorities;
(B)the United States’ efforts to combat and
defeat Al Qaeda and its related affiliates;
(C)the United States’ efforts to undercut
long-term support for the violent extremism that sustains Al Qaeda and its
related affiliates;
(D)the progress made by the United States as a
result of such efforts;
(E)the efficacy and efficiency of the United
States resource allocations; and
(F)whether the existing activities and
operations of the United States are actually diminishing the national security
threat posed by Al Qaeda and its related affiliates.
4.Annual counterterrorism status
reports
(a)Not later than July 31, 2009, and every
July 31 thereafter, the President shall submit a report, to the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Armed Services of the
Senate, the Committee on Armed
Services of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate, the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, the
Select Committee on Intelligence of the
Senate, and the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives, which contains, for the most recent 12-month
period, a review of the counterterrorism strategy of the United States
Government, including—
(1)a detailed assessment of the scope, status,
and progress of United States counterterrorism efforts in fighting Al Qaeda and
its related affiliates and undermining long-term support for violent
extremism;
(2)a judgment on the geographical region in
which Al Qaeda and its related affiliates pose the greatest threat to the
national security of the United States;
(3)an evaluation of the extent to which the
counterterrorism efforts of the United States correspond to the plans developed
by the National Counterterrorism Center and the goals established in
overarching public statements of strategy issued by the executive
branch;
(4)a description of the efforts of the United
States Government to combat Al Qaeda and its related affiliates and undermine
violent extremist ideology, which shall include—
(A)a specific list of the President’s highest
global counterterrorism priorities;
(B)the degree of success achieved by the
United States, and remaining areas for progress, in meeting the priorities
described in subparagraph (A); and
(C)efforts in those countries in which the
President determines that—
(i)Al Qaeda and its related affiliates have a
presence; or
(ii)acts of international terrorism have been
perpetrated by Al Qaeda and its related affiliates;
(5)the specific status and achievements of
United States counterterrorism efforts, through military, financial, political,
intelligence, and paramilitary elements, relating to—
(A)bilateral security and training
programs;
(B)law enforcement and border security;
(C)the disruption of terrorist networks;
and
(D)the denial of terrorist safe havens and
sanctuaries;
(6)a description of United States Government
activities to counter terrorist recruitment and radicalization,
including—
(A)strategic communications;
(B)public diplomacy;
(C)support for economic development and
political reform; and
(D)other efforts aimed at influencing public
opinion;
(7)United States Government initiatives to
eliminate direct and indirect international financial support for the
activities of terrorist groups;
(8)a cross-cutting analysis of the budgets of
all Federal Government agencies as they relate to counterterrorism funding to
battle Al Qaeda and its related affiliates abroad, including—
(A)the source of such funds; and
(B)the allocation and use of such
funds;
(9)an analysis of the extent to which specific
Federal appropriations—
(A)have produced tangible, calculable results
in efforts to combat and defeat Al Qaeda, its related affiliates, and its
violent ideology; or
(B)contribute to investments that have
expected payoffs in the medium- to long-term;
(10)statistical assessments, including those
developed by the National Counterterrorism Center, on the number of individuals
belonging to Al Qaeda and its related affiliates that have been killed,
injured, or taken into custody as a result of United States counterterrorism
efforts; and
(11)a concise summary of the methods used by
National Counterterrorism Center and other elements of the United States
Government to assess and evaluate progress in its overall counterterrorism
efforts, including the use of specific measures, metrics, and indices.
(b)In preparing a report under this section,
the President shall include relevant information maintained by—
(1)the National Counterterrorism Center and
the National Counterproliferation Center;
(2)Department of Justice, including the
Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(3)the Department of State;
(4)the Department of Defense;
(5)the Department of Homeland Security;
(6)the Department of the Treasury;
(7)the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence,
(8)the Central Intelligence Agency;
(9)the Office of Management and Budget;
(10)the United States Agency for International
Development; and
(11)any other Federal department that maintains
relevant information.
(c)Each report required under this section
shall be—
(1)submitted in an unclassified form, to the
maximum extent practicable; and
(2)accompanied by a classified appendix, as
appropriate.