Special Report
Mirandized Security Risks
Gregory Craig resigned for all the wrong reasons. President Obama should instead ask Janet Napolitano, John Brennan, Eric Holder, and Dennis Blair to resign.
Remember Greg Craig?
Before his recently announced return to the private sector, Craig was White House counsel in the Obama administration, and also the President’s designated point-man on smoothing the way for fulfilling an ill-conceived presidential campaign promise: the closure of the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay by January 2010. It is widely acknowledged that the “resignation” Craig tendered in November of last year was the result of his failure to manage the difficult politics involved in shutting Gitmo down.
There were numerous indications along the way that Craig had fundamentally misread Congress and the American people on this issue. We were recently reminded of just how bad the miscalculation was: reports indicate that the administration will likely be backing down from the idea of putting 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed — currently held in Gitmo — on trial in New York City, because it rightfully believes Congress will not hand over the funds for such a misguided, politically suicidal endeavor.
But when it comes to Craig’s removal, one thing is more telling than Congress’s repudiation of his overtures. Craig was shown the door because of his failure to sell a bad policy that, were it to be realized, would jeopardize our national security and make us less safe.
Compare that outcome with the Obama national security team’s handling of Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian al Qaeda operative who attempted to blow up a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day. From the moment Abdulmutallab got on the plane to the moment he was Mirandized and allowed to lawyer up like a common criminal, key individuals with principal responsibility for preventing these incidents — Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano; Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan; Attorney General Eric Holder; and Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair — proceeded to mishandle the attempted bombing and its aftermath in trainwreck fashion:
Napolitano: Shortly after a few brave passengers thwarted Abdulmuttalab’s underwear detonation, Secretary Napolitano proclaimed on CNN: ”..the system worked. Everybody played an important role here. The passengers and crew of the flight took appropriate action.” This prompted widespread ridicule and bipartisan calls for her resignation. She subsequently backtracked, stating that the system clearly had not worked, and that her comments to the contrary were taken out of context.
Given that Napolitano began her tenure by replacing the word “terrorism” with the decidedly sterile phrase “man-caused disasters” in the DHS lexicon, and then proceeded to issue a report indicating that soldiers returning from service in Iraq or Afghanistan were a security threat, it is perhaps not surprising that, consistent with her inverted view of the threat landscape, this near-catastrophe was seen as a demonstration of success.
Brennan: Mr. Brennan initially suggested there was “no smoking gun” to indicate that Abdulmutallab intended to board a plane and blow it up. Brennan’s own report was released days later, indicating:
The information available to the CT community over the last several months — which included pieces of information about Mr. Abdulmutallab, information about [al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula] and its plans, and information about an individual now believed to be Mr. Abdulmutallab and his association with AQAP in its attack planning — was obtained by several agencies. Though all of that information was available to all-source analysts at the CIA and the [National Counterterrorism Center] prior to the attempted attack, the dots were never connected, and as a result, the problem appears to be more about a component failure to “connect the dots,” rather than a lack of information sharing.
But is it not precisely the job of the counterterrorism and intelligence community to connect such dots? As homeland security expert James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation aptly put it prior to the report’s release:
There is almost never a smoking gun. There was no smoking gun in 26 of the 28 terrorist attacks foiled by the US since 9/11 (Abdulmutallab and Richard Reid were stopped by dumb luck). We built the post-9/11 security system because we never expect to have a smoking gun, because we expect the administration to connect-the-dots.
Holder: The first FBI agents on the scene interrogated Abdulmutallab for about fifty minutes before the Holder Justice Department intervened from Washington and instructed a team of new agents to read Abdulmutallab his Miranda rights, after which he promptly stopped talking and did not start again for several weeks. As Thomas Joscelyn points out in the Weekly Standard, Abdulmutallab potentially knows a great deal about al Qaeda operations overseas and here in the United States, including those involving American recruits — he could have disclosed valuable intelligence on this much sooner had he not been Mirandized. Ironically, while this administration insists on, in the words of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, never letting a serious crisis go to waste, the Attorney General proceeded to waste this serious crisis in less than an hour.
What precipitated the switch? Because the Justice Department is being run by an Attorney General who insists on using our criminal justice system to handle terrorists, interrogations must now stand up to more stringent, defendant-oriented rules of evidence to obtain a conviction. The result: the same ideology that had driven Holder to try the 9/11 perpetrators in Lower Manhattan made it harder to gather timely, accurate intelligence and possibly stop future attacks.
Blair: Dennis Blair is the Director of National Intelligence. According to the DNI website: “the Office of the DNI’s goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of United States interests abroad. “
Given that integration is in the job description, it is more than a bit alarming that Blair, when testifying before the Senate on the Detroit flight incident, indicated that the so-called High Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG), rather than the FBI, should have taken custody of Abdulmutallab. As Blair put it:
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Pingback| 2.3.10 @ 6:21AM
Mirandized Security Risks « Socialism is not the Answer links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Appleby| 2.3.10 @ 6:31AM
Obama and his posse are having great difficulty accepting the fact that they ARE TheMan now. I hope they stop trying to [bleep] TheMan before we are all blown to Kingdom Come.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 2.3.10 @ 7:08AM
This is an administration who simply changes direction like a kite in the wind. The plans are not plans, words are used as weasel words, and no one knows what's going on but them. In essence, it sounds like a Bolshevik plot.
Stephanie| 2.3.10 @ 11:09AM
AND he's not an idealogue. ( did I spell that correctly)
Faffnir| 2.3.10 @ 2:56PM
Should be ideologue.
Al Adab| 2.3.10 @ 2:59PM
His ideas are his ideology or is it the other way around? The misspelling gives a good insight into the President. He is what Eric Hoffer called a "True believer".
Faffnir: Wagner would be proud
Alan Brooks| 2.3.10 @ 9:37PM
"AND he's not an idealogue. ( did I spell that correctly)"
Don't forget, cat is spelled with a c, not a k.
JohnMD1022| 2.7.10 @ 10:49AM
With the Mohammedan in Chief it's always just words. They don't mean anything.
He won't do anything to upset his brother Musselmen. It's all OK with him. After all, they have just as much right to possess nuclear weapons as if they were legitimate, civilized nations. It makes no difference what they say. That's just rhetoric. Under all the brusque talk Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is really a nice fellow and quite moderate.
We need to send him a hammer so he'll be ready to help Jimmuh Cahtuh build junky houses.
Melvin| 2.3.10 @ 7:34AM
Oh yes, Appleby darn straight many of us are either going to be murdered in a hail of bullets in a shopping mall or have to take a shower from a nuclear device.
But you know the sad part about it is? We are not even be enabled to protect ourselves because that stupid twit of a Homeland Security Chief and "Forest Gump" Attorney General will be throwing us in jail and charging us for domestic terrorism.
But do we think for one moment that we will receive the best lawyers that tax payer money can buy the way we have supplied that fat head Sheik and his cohorts? No, not at all we'll probably get some real estate attorney.
"Buzz cut" Janet couldn't run a pig farm, without the pigs gettin loose.
Ewen Allison| 2.8.10 @ 3:42PM
Ronald Reagan said that only by sticking to our principles would we defeat the Soviet Union. The Soviets threatened our very existence. Terrorists threaten who we are as a people. The want to undermine our courage to stick to our principles. If we lose those, we lose who we are as a nation. Have the courage of your convictions! When it comes to fighting terrorists, I'm with Reagan.
Pingback| 2.3.10 @ 7:42AM
Special Report: Mirandized Security Risks « My Thomson Gitmo links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
martin j smith| 2.3.10 @ 7:58AM
With the suggestion that others should resign or perhaps be fired I have one more person that should resign--Obama himself. At best, Obama is incompetent, at the worst, he is a trojan horse infiltrating our nation with very destructive policies. If there is ( and I pray not ) a successful terrorist attack-- note that an Al-qaeda threat has been predicted to occur seeon--Impeachment should be considered for Obama and other so called security folks. Enough of this garbage.
Bondagebreaker| 2.8.10 @ 11:13PM
Martin , I could not agree with you more . Three more years with this man as president of the United states is a horrible thought at best . A friend of mine wrote me an e mail and is concerned that we will not have another election in this country . My concern is shared with her . He is a muslim and that will spark a take over of our country and wipe out any possibility of a election . Only one year in office and Obama has set this country back over a hundred years . What will He do un three more years ? God help us all . Call me a nut but that's just how i see it .
Pingback| 2.3.10 @ 8:05AM
Must Know Headlines 2.3.2010 — ExposeTheMedia.com links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
JBobs| 2.3.10 @ 9:02AM
Dream on Mr. Lerner. You assume that the president gives a damn... he doesn't.
Louis Jenkins| 2.3.10 @ 9:04AM
Resign? The real citizens of this country will be doing the resigning. Resign from the pact that these clowning leaders have formed, resign from the outlandish way our Pretender n Chief is spending federally printed funny money, resign from an educational system that is ineffective, and resign from statist health care.
I resign from the Jihad Terrorist Target Program that Janet and Obama have instituted. I resign from the mantra that people who believe in the Constitution are right wing terrorists. I certainly resign from the Spread the Wealth ideology, and though the IRS confiscates part of my income, my money belongs to me to do with as I see fit and as my beliefs dictate.
As said above-those dufus clowns need to be fired. It begins this year.
Klabautermann| 2.3.10 @ 9:08AM
Why are people getting so wee weed up? We should be moving "away from the politics of fear" according to Janet Napolitano. This is similar to the policy of President Carter who steered us away for the "inordinate fear of communism." Remember how successful that policy was? The President's team is on top of this issue. The President is aware of the problem. As he said, "Certain immediate lessons are clear, and we must act upon those lessons decisively. We need to step up security at our airports. We must reexamine the effectiveness of our intelligence networks. And we must be resolute in identifying the perpetrators of these heinous acts and dismantling their organizations of destruction." (09/19/2001) They are working of this issue. They have created a High-Value Interrogation Group. Oh no, my mistake. They have conceived of a High-Value Interrogation Group. (Did Blair perjure himself was he testified before congress that, "We did not invoke the HIG in this case; we should have?") The first responsibility of these people is to protect their bureaucracies and their president. The real threats are Bush's CIA who torture alleged man-caused disaster perpetrators, Navy Seals who abuse suspected man-caused disaster perpetrators, and according to Napolitano's report returning service members. The man-caused disaster perpetrators are our first line of defense in the war to protect our civil liberties. (For the benefit of people with special needs, this comment contains a high level of sarcasm.)
Saleboter| 2.3.10 @ 9:40AM
Strike one - Fort Hood
Strike two - Detroit bomber
Strike three - ???????????
Hydraulic Tools | 2.3.10 @ 10:41AM
Manufacture Hydraulic Tools, offer from hydraulic crimping tool, cable cutter, pipe bender, gear puller, hole digger and hand pumps.
Oldefarte| 2.3.10 @ 11:57AM
Why is it surprising to anyone that this President does not have the administrative/managerial capability to run our government properly? His one and only job prior to being elected with any significant experience was a a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER in Chicago [which is akin to a street hustler for a welfare organization]. Why are you people shocked ast what is now happening in this country? WAKE UP, AMERICA!!!!!!!!
Anthony| 2.3.10 @ 12:10PM
For a moment I thought Mr. Lerner was doing a movie review with the picture of Obama and Napolitano together. It's one of my favorite movies, to, Abbott and Costello meet al Qaeda. Coming once again to an American city near you.
reads1| 2.3.10 @ 12:29PM
Amen OLDFARTE. The younger generation of students of Colleges of Socialist Professors, are primarily responsible for this Presidency. (Not that McCain would have helped!) They knew this guy had NO experience at anything, nor any accomplishments in any endeavor, that he was an associate of radicals, a student of socialism, and a so-called worshipper in the church of heathenism under an ignorant preacher, totally unaware of the meaning of "Christianity!"
They followed the "Pied Piper of Hamelin" and all the children will suffer a future unlike any ever experienced in this once great country!
We should all remember that several past leaders of History have been popular and worshipped while leading their countries into oblivion.
HANG ON TO YOUR GUNS AND YOUR BIBLES!!
Bondage breaker | 2.8.10 @ 11:21PM
Hi reads1 . I could not agree with you more . The end time's are on us . People better get to know God and His plan . No matter what the leaders of this world are planning , It will not upset Gods plan for this worlds future. He is in control, No DOUBT about it .
Jim O'Brien| 2.3.10 @ 3:02PM
Obama and Holder are giving aid and comfort to the enemy, which is treason. When the terrorists detonate a dirty bomb (radioactive) in Washington, DC, killing hundreds of thousands, or explode an EMP device over St. Louis, shutting down our communications and our economy, Obama would Mirandize and try the foreign enemy combatants in the U.S. judicial system, as if they were American citizens.
The House should impeach Obama quickly, so his trial can be held in the Senate before the terrorists destroy the U.S. Capitol.
Nick| 2.3.10 @ 3:02PM
It took Bubba the pervert 8 years to wreck our defenses enough to let the attacks of September 11th, 2001 to happen.
How long will it take President Dither?
Jim O'Brien| 2.3.10 @ 3:14PM
Obama has already prepared the way for the terrorists to attack. Our defense has already been weakened, in part by his pretense since taking office that the threat is no longer an issue. He wanted us to think Bush "caused" terrorism. As four senior officials testified in Congress today, an attack within a few months is "certain". They didn't say "maybe". There have already been two terrorist attacks in the U.S. that we know of since Obama took office: Fort Hood and the attempted bombing of the NW airlines. jet. We are sitting ducks while we have this incompetent, treacherous fool in the White House, surrounded by his sorry, incompetent lackeys.
Anthony| 2.3.10 @ 3:47PM
Obama, Emanuel and Axelrod are the lowest of the low. Napolitano, Brennen and Holder are just 3rd rate political hacks, doing the bidding of these dangerous leftists fools.
When not blaming Bush/Cheney for everything under the sun, these Alinsky radicals misrepresent Bush/Cheney policies, as Axelrod did on MTP, in his comparison of the shoe bomber, Richard Reid being tried in a civilian court.
When not misrepresenting Bush/Cheney policies, they hide behind these same policies, that these bozos have been forced to keep in place, because the policies were/are RATIONAL AND SOUND.
Obama is a classless, arrogant, spoiled and most of all, dangerous fool. Before he is kicked out of office, thousands more Americans will die, and not from Anthropogenic Global Warming, either.
Taylor Granfall| 2.3.10 @ 4:32PM
I am really looking for responses from fellow conservatives - real, small government, fiscally responsible conservatives who want the best for America - but welcome any comments that you might have.
OK - here goes - Does anyone else have a reaction to this text from an Obama speech - here are the excerpts:
"Another American President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his second State of the Union message, urged America to look to the future, to meet the challenge of change and the need for leadership that looks forward, not backward. "Throughout the world," he said, "change is the order of the day. In every nation economic problems long in the making have brought crises to [of] many kinds for which the masters of old practice and theory were unprepared." He also reminded us that "the future lies with those wise political leaders who realize that the great public is interested more in Government than in politics." So, let us, in these next 2 years-- men and women of both parties, every political shade-- concentrate on the long-range, bipartisan responsibilities of government, not the short-range or short-term temptations of partisan politics. The problems we inherited were far worse than most inside and out of government had expected; the recession was deeper than most inside and out of government had predicted. Curing those problems has taken more time and a higher toll than any of us wanted. Unemployment is far too high. . . . This recovery will bring with it a revival of economic confidence and spending for consumer items and capital goods-- the stimulus we need to restart our stalled economic engines."
"The permanent recovery in employment, production, and investment we seek won't come in a sharp, short spurt. It'll build carefully and steadily in the months and years ahead. In the meantime, the challenge of government is to identify the things that we can do now to ease the massive economic transition for the American people."
"Education, training, and retraining are fundamental to our success as are research and development and productivity. Labor, management, and government at all levels can and must participate in improving these tools of growth. Tax policy, regulatory practices, and government programs all need constant reevaluation in terms of our competitiveness. Every American has a role and a stake in international trade."
"We will also act to improve the quality of life for Americans by curbing the skyrocketing cost of health care that is becoming an unbearable financial burden for so many. And we will submit legislation to provide catastrophic illness insurance coverage for older Americans."
The challenge for us in government is to be worthy of them-- to make government a help, not a hindrance to our people in the challenging but promising days ahead.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COMMENTS. PLEASE POST OR EMAIL THEM TO ME . . . I'M TRYING TO GET A REAL HANDLE ON WHERE WE ARE GOING AS A COUNTRY.
AZ_VET| 2.3.10 @ 6:38PM
Ali Blabber is not an FDR by any stretch of the imagination. In the 30s the country was in a depression due to uncontrolled speculation and buying on the margin. Our own greedy speculators helped cause the "Great Depression.
FDR was also facing the rise of the Nazis and Hitler in Europe. Ali is not facing such problems. Ali is unqualified to be president - no skill and no experience to lead this country.
His own choice of advisers shows his ignorance and incompetence unless you compare his administration to the Chicago political machine - destroy your opposition.
Taylor Granfall| 2.3.10 @ 6:47PM
Thanks, AZ Vet. What do you think about the contents of that speech? The particulars are frightening, no? Is the content just veiled socialist language? Promise - or threat - of public healthcare? By government being a "help," is he suggesting that government should run all social life? International trade - is he talking globalization? By saying "it won't happen right now," is he trying to pawn this off on others so as not to take the blame for himself? Am I reading too much into it? What do you think?
eRtwngr | 2.3.10 @ 5:12PM
I was listening to a debate on talk radio whether two Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Tankers should be allowed into Boston harbor on 2/11/10. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino had asked that they not be allowed in due to security concerns. But others say it's perfectly safe, that there's plenty of security and so on.
Read more at "Could Al Qaeda Blow Up LNG Tankers on 2/11?" http://bit.ly/avi4Qt
AZ_VET| 2.3.10 @ 6:21PM
Folks, remember the Peter Principle. Well it starts with Ali blabber and goes down hill. What can we expect when the inmates are running the asylum. Good grief, they are only there to collect a paycheck and SNAFU the operations of a great form of government. Remember it's not the form of government that's broken; it's the people in it.
Yosemeti Sam| 2.4.10 @ 1:37AM
What about holding terrorist trials on a man-made island - an aircraft carrier?
Made in America - yet afar from Club Gitmo.
LOL.
Pingback| 2.4.10 @ 9:50AM
The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Bill | 2.8.10 @ 2:48PM
Did Bush try terrorists in civil courts on U.S. soil and then sentence them to serve their sentences in the U.S. prison system?
Hint: This is a yes or no question.
AfriSynergy| 2.8.10 @ 3:31PM
Obama is correct to handle the Christmas underwear bomber within the Justice Department. We have elements within our own CIA and other ally intelligence agencies that are out of control and are operating under the concept of THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. This means they will kill Americans to attain their goals and continue to carryout their agenda.
Umar Mutallab was, most likely, enabled by Western intelligence in London and then in Yemen. It is foolish to believe every media report that says "al-Qaida said this or al-Qaida said that". This is a psyops game played at the highest order and the faster the American people realizes this and know who's behind it, the faster this war that some Republicans were indicating would go on for the next 50 or 100 years, will end.
Umar should not be allowed to talk to the questionable entities of the military or the CIA. It is best that the Justice Department continues to handle this and that Obama not tell the "DO NOTHING BUT OBSTRUCT" Republicans anything.
The Israelis benefit from any increase in terrorist incidents in the US. They have failed with the Palestinians and have inciting them to fight for survival. This is not the path Americans must take. Let's not forget that Benjamin Netanyahu once stated that the 9/11 attacks have helped the Israelis more than anything. Now they are encouraging that Americans use up their treasures and become more bankrupt as they kill hundreds of thousands of Iranians as was done with the Iraqis. It's time to wakeup and learn who's zooming you.
T. West
CART/AfriSynergy
Bart Rice| 2.9.10 @ 2:01AM
This is somewhat off point, but someone please tell me why no one has put on YouTube the video of Janet Napolitano urging a witness to perjure herself during the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill affair. Or has someone done so? Please let me know.
Pingback| 2.10.10 @ 3:34PM
The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
RetAF| 2.11.10 @ 10:09PM
"Headquarters, this is unit 23. We're in position at the World Trade Center. As soon as the planes hit the towers and we have the evidence we need, we'll place the suspects under arrest."
That makes sense...
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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The American Spectator : Mirandized Security Risks | Drakz Free Online Service links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Converse | 8.12.11 @ 4:02AM
is good