Monthly Archives: January 2010
Terror Chief Michael Leiter Wasn’t Vacationing Through Attack
Contrary to a new report, National Counterterrorism Chief Michael Leiter was not schussing down the slopes on Christmas Day when the Nigerian underpants bomber struck on a Detroit-bound flight. “That’s called not-so-friendly fire from the IC looking for a fall guy,” says one spook at the NCTC, located in Virginia near the...
Obama Slams Failed Intelligence, Calls for Reform
In response to what President Obama called a “mix of human and systemic failures” within the intelligence community leading to the failed Christmas Day airline bombing plot, the White House today announced a series of steps to thwart future plots, including revamped screening of overseas airline passengers, revamped procedures for reporting on persons holding...
Lapse of Estate Tax Raises Doubts About Democrats
As tax season gets underway, congressional Democrats are facing criticism for their failure to renew the estate tax. The tax, a levy on the wealthiest Americans, expired on the first of the year because Democrats were unable to find support for even a temporary continuation of the tax while they debated a longer-term solution....
Obama and Congress Probe How The Airport Screening System Failed
The failure of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to flag Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab before he took his seat on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit has prompted several federal reviews to ascertain what went wrong with the post-9/11 procedures specifically designed to spot potential terrorists before they attack. Meanwhile, there is...