[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8081]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   LETTERS TO PRESIDENT OBAMA, GENERAL JONES, DIRECTOR MUELLER, AND 
        DIRECTOR PANETTA ON STRENGTHENING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 2010

  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I want to share the following letters that I 
have sent to President Obama, National Security Advisor General Jones, 
FBI Director Mueller, and CIA Director Panetta last week urging the 
implementation four bipartisan proposals to strengthen our national 
security.
  Following the failed attack on Times Square in New York City, it is 
more important than ever that we implement these proposals that would 
make our country safer.

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                                      May 5, 2010.
     Hon. Barack H. Obama,
     The President, The White House,
     Washington DC.
       Dear Mr. President: In light of the attempted terrorist 
     bombing in Times Square in New York City, I urge you again to 
     implement four bipartisan steps that would help make our 
     country safer. If we fail to learn the lessons of the 
     attempted attacks on Christmas Day and Times Square, we will 
     continue to repeat the same mistakes that compromised our 
     preparation for and response to these two incidents. The 
     latest attack underscores the need for the rapid adoption of 
     bipartisan solutions that strengthen our national security.
       As you know, I have repeatedly urged the administration to 
     bring back the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission--Lee Hamilton 
     and Thomas Kean--for a six-month review of the progress that 
     has been made in implementing the commission's 
     recommendations. To date, I have seen no effort by the 
     administration on this front.
       I have spoken with Lee Hamilton and he believes this is a 
     good idea. In fact, Mr. Hamilton underscored the need for 
     this when he told ABC News yesterday that, ``the 9/11 
     commission recommended that you had to have biometric 
     evidence, documentarian evidence of people coming in and 
     exiting [the country.] We've done a pretty good job on the 
     first part of it people entering the country. But with regard 
     to those exiting the country we simply have not been able to 
     set up a system to deal with that and it showed in this 
     case.''
       Given our failure to prevent both alleged terrorists--
     Faisal Shahzad and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab--from boarding 
     their flights, it is critically important that our 
     transportation security structure have strong leadership and 
     coordination. In both cases, the alleged terrorists slipped 
     through security despite appearing on the ``no fly'' list.
       I have repeatedly urged the administration to support 
     legislation to establish a more professional and independent 
     administrator of the Transportation Security Administration 
     (TSA), by setting a 10-year term, akin to the appointment 
     process for the director of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation (FBI). In fact, I introduced legislation, H.R. 
     4459, in early January to do this. After two withdrawn 
     nominations, the position remains vacant and the 
     administration continues to oppose efforts to professionalize 
     this position.
       In the wake of the attempted Christmas Day bombing, there 
     were many serious questions regarding the administration's 
     deployment of the new High Value Detainee Interrogation Group 
     (HIG). Five months later, these same questions surround the 
     administration's response to the Times Square attack. The 
     Washington Post noted in its editorial today, ``Nor has [the 
     administration] said whether its High Value Interrogation 
     Group (HIG)--a group of law enforcement and intelligence 
     experts specially trained for terrorism cases--was up and 
     running and deployed in the Shahzad case.''
       I have repeatedly urged the administration to collocate the 
     HIG at the National Counterterrorism Center to facilitate 
     information sharing anc cooperation among intelligence 
     agencies. Again, I have seen no effort by the administration 
     to do so.
       Perhaps most importantly, I have repeatedly urged the 
     administration to create a ``Team B'' opf outside advisors to 
     bring ``fresh eyes'' to U.S. counterterrorism strategy. The 
     team would represent a ``new approach to counterterrorism'' 
     which focuses not just on connecting the dots of 
     intelligence, but which seeks to stay a step ahead in 
     understanding how to break the radicalization and recruitment 
     cycle that sustains our enemy, how to disrupt their network 
     globally and how to strategically isolate them. This would 
     help us better anticipate the type of threats that occured on 
     Christmas Day and in Times Square.
       Counterterrorism experts, including respected Georgetown 
     University professor Bruce Hoffman, have publicly endorsed 
     this proposal. They understand the need for a group of 
     outside experts to challenge assumptions across the 
     intelligance community to help us better prepare for future 
     attacks. In liight of the increasing pace in attempted 
     attacks on U.S. soil, I believe this should be implemented as 
     quickly as possible.
       I cannot understand why the administration continues to 
     refuse to adopt these proposals. In light of the latest 
     attempted attack, I urge your action on these proposals--each 
     of which would receive broad bipartisan support from the 
     American people.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
     Member of Congress.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                      Washington, DC, May 6, 2010.
     General James Jones,
     National Security Adviser, The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear General Jones: Enclosed is a copy of the letter I sent 
     to President Obama yesterday urging him, again, to implement 
     a series of bipartisan measures that would strengthen our 
     national security.
       In the wake of the attempted terrorist attack in Times 
     Square, these proposals are timelier than ever. If we fail to 
     learn from the mistakes of the attempted Christmas Day and 
     Times Square attacks, we will be unable to anticipate and 
     prevent future attacks.
       Again, Jim, I urge you to ask the president to implement 
     these much-needed proposals to protect Americans. I would 
     appreciate your letting me know if you will recommend that 
     the president implement these measures.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
     Member of Congress.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                      Washington, DC, May 6, 2010.
     Hon. Robert S. Mueller III,
     Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Mueller: Enclosed is a copy of the letter I sent 
     to President Obama yesterday urging him, again, to implement 
     a series of bipartisan measures that would strengthen our 
     national security.
       In the wake of the attempted terrorist attack in Times 
     Square, these proposals are timelier than ever. If we fail to 
     learn from the mistakes of the attempted Christmas Day and 
     Times Square attacks, we will be unable to anticipate and 
     prevent future attacks.
       Again, Bob, I urge you to ask the president to implement 
     these much-needed proposals to protect Americans. I would 
     appreciate your letting me know if you will recommend that 
     the president implement these measures.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
     Member of Congress.
                                  ____



                                     House of Representatives,

                                      Washington, DC, May 6, 2010.
     Hon. Leon Panetta,
     Director, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC.
       Dear Director Panetta: Enclosed is a copy of the letter I 
     sent to President Obama yesterday urging him, again, to 
     implement a series of bipartisan measures that would 
     strengthen our national security.
       In the wake of the attempted terrorist attack in Times 
     Square, these proposals are timelier than ever. If we fail to 
     learn from the mistakes of the attempted Christmas Day and 
     Times Square attacks, we will be unable to anticipate and 
     prevent future attacks.
       Again, Leon, I urge you to ask the president to implement 
     these much-needed proposals to protect Americans. I would 
     appreciate your letting me know if you will recommend that 
     the president implement these measures.
       Best wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Frank R. Wolf,
     Member of Congress.

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