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| Wilson Committee Weighs More Steps to Combat Terrorism |
August 10, 2004 |
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| Lawmakers Examine 9-11 Commission Report
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson today joined her colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to examine the 9-11 Commission’s report.
Over the next two days, the House Armed Services Committee is reviewing the creation of a National Intelligence Director and the implications for Defense operations. The committee has oversight responsibilities over the U.S. Department of Defense.
Committee members heard testimony today from Chairman Thomas Kean, and Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the U.S. Also testifying will be Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz; Gen. Peter Pace, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Gen. Bryan Brown, Commander, Special Operations Command.
“The Commission’s report is valuable,” Wilson said. “It focuses principally on the problems of sharing information among government agencies and crafting a global strategy to prevent the continued growth of Islamist terrorism. The strategic context contained in the report is one of the most comprehensive I have seen since September 11th.”
“There are some matters that the Commission’s recommendation did not review in detail, including continuity of government, national emergency response, shortcomings in intelligence collecting, and the problem of ‘group think’.”
With respect to the organization of government the commission focused on the “connecting the dots” problem. But there is also the problem, highlighted by the recent Senate Intelligence Committee report, of “group think.”
“As we legislate reforms to strengthen our intelligence, we must address both of these challenges,” Wilson said. “As we establish new structures to share information and unify analysis and operational planning, we must also institutionalize imagination and empower iconoclasts. The commission recommendations focus on organizational unity not on peer review, competitive analysis, red teaming or war gaming to establish a climate of constantly questioning assumptions.”
Wilson also intends to ask questions about intelligence support of the warfighter. “There are two main customers for intelligence: policy makers and warfighters. If we reorient much of the intelligence community to better coordinate strategic intelligence for policy makers, we have to make sure the warfighter will still have access to the tactical intelligence they need on the battlefield.”
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