Linda’s Reviews > Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice > Status Update

“The fact that the Commission chose to make no stronger recommendation (re the Patriot Act) after hundreds of hours of hearings, resulting in a massive report, at enormous cost to the American taxpayers, struck me as gutless political dodgeball rather than noble national service.” Plus they got free press interviews in a spotlight.

“Some people in our country seem more concerned about respecting the dignity and privacy of criminals and terrorists than they are about having an airport full of people obliterated, or a completely booked hotel blown to bits.” That’s why we have regular school and church shootings.

No new 9/11 strategy was created even though our government officials knew there were ‘glaring vulnerabilities’. “From my perspective, it was buried.” Because chaos offers the opportunity of power creation.

So the Clinton National Security Council (NSC) offered feedback about barely missing major terrorist attacks in 1999, and recommended destabilization of al Quaeda 17 months before the 9/11 attack by using 4 methods: immigration violations, minor criminal infractions, visa restrictions, border controls. We’re afraid of using these tools because ….it’s better to look nice than stay alive?

Further, if the government refuses to let intelligence agencies spend necessary funds updating computer equipment (42 information systems at the FBI, further deepening the communications divide) in favor of saving the spotted owl, don’t be surprised that you can’t catch terrorists getting terrorists trained in commercial aviation. And then innocents die in planes. Because you were blind AND cheap.

Finally getting to the part where the Attorney General lays into the grandstanding blowhards of the 9/11 Commission. Government busybodies congratulating themselves for going ‘above and beyond’ in keeping agencies from sharing intel shouldn’t be allowed to shoot messengers saying, ‘lack of communication left us vulnerable to enemies, and you helped’.

al Quaeda training manual: Use the benefits of a free press to stalk victims. Exploit the judicial process. Lie about what and who they know to authorities. Concoct stories about torture and mistreatment.

Just sounds like political warfare used every day, actually.

“Yasein Taher had been voted the friendliest person in his class in 1996. A former captain of the school soccer team, he married his childhood sweetheart, a former cheerleader. Five years later, Taher was in Afghanistan training to be a terrorist.”

“Fragmentation on the part of the terrorist activities mandates integration on the part of law enforcement so we can work together to see the entire picture of how and where they are trying to attack us.”