President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve directed the chiefs of U.S. intelligence agencies to attend a White House briefing and strategy session scheduled for Tuesday, January 5.
Obama ordered a review of what he characterized as "human and systemic failures" that allowed the accused bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, with alleged links to al-Qaeda, to board the plane in Amsterdam for the transatlantic flight bound for Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Some law enforcement and intelligence professionals believe Obama's intelligence pow-wow is "nothing more than a politically-motivated "dog and pony show" to dissuade criticism of the White House's tepid reaction to international terrorism.
"Obama and his minions want to have it both ways: they want to attack and denigrate intelligence officers -- even prosecute them -- and at the same time they expect intelligence agencies to provide actionable information on terrorists and terrorist groups," said former military intelligence officer and NYPD detective Mike Snopes.
"They are responsible for prohibiting CIA officers from using criminals, drug traffickers and terrorists as informants, and they are responsible for the lack of communication between law enforcement and intelligence officials," he said.
"The U.S. government -- all three branches -- has kicked covert operations to the wayside and then they wonder why we have these anti-terrorism failures," he added.
Covert actions are used to influence political, military, or economic conditions or situations abroad, where it is intended that the role of the US Government will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly. These might consist of propaganda activities, support to political or military factions within a particular country, technical and logistical assistance to other governments to deal with problems within their countries, or actions undertaken to disrupt illicit activities that threaten US interests, e.g. terrorism or narcotics trafficking.
Since the end of the Cold War, the number and size of covert action programs have shrunk substantially, reflecting the extent to which they were prompted by the superpower struggle. Nonetheless since the war on terrorism, these programs continue to be undertaken to support ongoing policy needs.
When the US Congress addressed whether the United States should undertake covert action at all, some lawmakers expressed the view that there is no longer a need for covert action, and that, on balance, it has caused more problems for the United States than it has solved. The government, they argue, has been frequently embarrassed by such operations and been criticized domestically and abroad as a result. Also, it is argued, covert actions comprise a minute part of the intelligence budget, but require a disproportionate share of management and oversight.
Most Washington insiders, including many of the former cabinet-level officials who addressed the subject, believe it is essential for the President to maintain covert action as an option. Citing examples such as the need to disrupt the activities of a terrorist group, hamper the efforts of a rogue state to develop weapons of mass destruction, or prevent narcotics traffickers from manufacturing drugs for shipment into the United States, the proponents argue that the United States should maintain these capabilities short of military action to achieve its objectives when diplomacy alone cannot do the job.
Experts conclude that responsibility for paramilitary covert actions should remain with the CIA. CIA has extraordinary legal authorities and an existing infrastructure that permits the secure conduct of clandestine operations, whereas the military does not. Giving this function to the military would also involve it in a controversial role that would divert attention from other important responsibilities. The military should provide support to paramilitary covert actions as needed but should not be given responsibility for them.
With respect to any changes needed to improve the existing capability, the US Congress notes only that covert action programs of the future are apt increasingly to involve technologies and skills that do not appear to exist within the current infrastructure. More attention should be given to these deficiencies.
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, US State Department, US Congressional Record, National Security Institute, National Association of Chiefs of Police
He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He's a news writer and columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he's syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.
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Comments
Yes, the WH was already briefed in October, according to Newsweek's Isikoff, by the Saudis, specifically warning of this underwear technique out of Yemen.
Responsible citizens and agency staff will just get on with the job, since we're de facto leaderless. Let him go play golf.
If Mike Snopes says that's the case then it must be true. ;)
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