As we inch toward the nine year anniversary of September 11, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a stark reminder that the United States and the international community have a long way to go in confronting the very real and very dangerous violent Islamic threat. The first step toward combating this threat is admitting is exists. The second step is putting in place a mechanism to combat this lunacy and stamp it out. Unfortunately our most recent intelligence failure was comingled with a far greater wrong – a failure of integrity on the part of the Administration.
When word of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's botched Christmas Day attack reached the international community via news channels, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announced to the American people and the world, "And one thing I'd like to point out is that the system worked."
When more news arrived that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had been flagged by the intelligence community, Ms. Napolitano stated "The comment is being taken out of context….What I'm saying is once the incident occurred, moving forward, we were immediately able to notify the 128 flights in the air on protective measures to take, immediately able to notify law enforcement on the ground, airports, both domestically, internationally, all carriers." Finally, Ms. Napolitano arrived at the conclusion that "Our system did not work in this instance….No one is happy or satisfied with that. An extensive review is under way"
As an American tax-payer, I'm really displeased that this happened. But to me the most disappointing aspect of this attack was the total lack of integrity shown by the Administration. Obama said little to nothing as Napolitano tried to sell the American people on a gross mischaracterization of America's security posture. After stating "This is an isolated incident," Obama kept his head down hoping that the Hawaiian trade winds and his pals in the press would let this inconvenient truth blow out to sea. Thankfully it did not and now questions need to be answered.
Obama's and Napolitano's tough talk about review and answering questions regarding the December 25th breakdown all ring hollow. The answers do not need to be asked because they have already been answered. The intelligence community indentified Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab as a threat, his father told the CIA that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had become radicalized, and the CIA provided his information to the National Counter Terrorism Center.
Additionally, Newsweek reported (Newsweek Report) that Obama and the heads of DHS, FBI, and the intelligence community were briefed on the Christmas day threats three days before the attack, and that on Dec 29 a report provided to journalists stated "A senior administration official asserted that in the wake of the attempted underpants attack, it had become clear to the president and top advisers that before Christmas the U.S. government was in possession of "bits and pieces" of information, which, if they had been properly knitted together, "could have ... allowed us to disrupt the attack or certainly to know much more about the alleged attacker in such a way as to ensure that he was on, as the president suggested in his statement, a no-fly list."
But for the Obama administration, the real intelligence that they are concerned about collecting is who will get the blame. The Newsweek article stated, "Presidential aides are concerned that Obama will somehow be unfairly accused of dropping the ball on the fight against terrorists in Yemen—a country where, in fact, the evidence suggests that Obama, as early as last summer, ordered a significant increase in U.S. intelligence activity." Yemen is of course where Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had ties to Al Qaeda and is being identified as Al Qaeda's new hideout.
Obama's additional problem here is that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is no longer a product of the intelligence community. He is now in the custody of the criminal justice system, has probably lawyered up, and will not be saying another word to intelligence officials ever again – so much for beefing up intelligence efforts in Yemen. This should come as no surprise to anyone though who has been listening to Obama's rhetoric about the intelligence community. After the failed Christmas Day attempt, he blasted the intelligence community for their failures. After CIA agents were killed in Afghanistan, he lauded the intelligence community and complimented them on how well they were doing. It is sad that Obama can get away with such contradictions and no one in the left leaning press corps says a peep about it. Good things folks in the intelligence community are. Linked here is an interesting article that demonstrates folks in the intelligence community are tired of the posturing. (Spy chiefs turn on President Obama after seven CIA agents are slaughtered in Afghanistan)
I have never liked Obama or his policies. I think he is a Communist and believes in the power of the government over the individual. But having said that, Obama is my President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Intelligence Community. I should have faith in the fact that he will keep me safe and my family safe. But now I don't. For the first time I am truly afraid for the security of my country. Obama's naïve belief that the UN and collective security will deliver us from evil men is a pipe dream of the worst sort. Additionally, his executive order giving INERPOL officers immunity from American laws and placing them above the Constitution is another frightening erosion of American Sovereignty. The only hope and change he has brought is smoke and mirrors. His administration is full of tax cheating bullies, power mongering ideologues who prosecute Navy SEALS and CIA officers but acquit criminals who threaten people at polling stations. I have no faith in this administration to lead.
For far too long the power players in Washington and other international capitals have fooled themselves into thinking that somehow the West is at fault for this onslaught of Islamic violence. Nonsense. Nothing could be further from the truth and it's time to for nation states in the Islamic world to begin taking accountability for their actions and omissions. Civilized peoples should not have to live in the shadow of fear of uncivilized thugs claiming legitimacy from God. I do not have faith that Obama will do anything or has the capacity to do anything against this scourge. But I do have faith in knowing how I will vote in 2010 and 2012. It is time to unseat a government that is now giving away, not only the financial security of our children, but also the national security of our children. I leave you with an executive order spitting on your 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment Rights. I find it funny that the man who signed this Executive Order was a Constitutional Law professor.
For Immediate Release December 17, 2009
Executive Order -- Amending Executive Order 12425
EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -
AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER 12425 DESIGNATING INTERPOL
AS A PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ENTITLED TO
ENJOY CERTAIN PRIVILEGES, EXEMPTIONS, AND IMMUNITIES
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (22 U.S.C. 288), and in order to extend the appropriate privileges, exemptions, and immunities to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), it is hereby ordered that Executive Order 12425 of June 16, 1983, as amended, is further amended by deleting from the first sentence the words "except those provided by Section 2(c), Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of that Act" and the semicolon that immediately precedes them.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 16, 2009.
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