Christmas Day for many Americans was peaceful. The national holiday brought families together as it regularly does, sharing laughter and gifts inside the comfort of their warm homes. But while Americans were enjoying holiday meals and opening gifts under the Christmas tree, a 23-year-old Nigerian man was boarding a Detroit-bound plane with plans to ignite a package of concealed explosives.  He fully expected it to be his last day on earth – and the last day for many innocent Americans.

The Christmas Day bomber’s would-be catastrophic attempt failed. But the realization of what could have been is chilling. The attack exposed a massive failure in the way we connect our intelligence to specific actions that can protect our country. And in the wake of this intelligence and homeland security failure, America’s leaders need to step back and recognize two key mandates that rest on their shoulders:

#1 We Need to Connect the Dots
While the Christmas Day attack exposed serious failures in several areas of our intelligence and national security system, one of the most egregious was the failure of our intelligence and homeland security agencies to work together in sharing pieces of critical national security information. Preliminary reports indicate that some government agencies had critical information about the Fort Hood shooter from last year, Major Hassan, as well. Sharing information is not a matter of courtesy.  It is not a favor.  It is the duty of the intelligence community.  Lives depend on it. Structurally, systemically, and psychologically our intelligence agencies have not met this mandate. 

To achieve a true competence in government and to adequately protect our homeland, we must have strategic cooperation and communication between government agencies.  I have introduced legislation called the Interagency Cooperation Commission (ICC) Act. This legislation, H.R. 2207, would bring together officials from the Administration, Congress, and outside experts to recommend legislative and regulatory changes to improve the coordination of federal activities for major undertakings such as thwarting terror attacks.

The U.S. has strong counterterrorism tools and we have bright and capable Americans serving in the intelligence community but the government has to use them effectively each and every time.  Interagency reform is critical to achieving a zero-mistakes mission.

#2 We Need to Make “Security First” Decisions
On Christmas Day there were approximately 95 Yemeni terrorists currently at Guantanamo Bay, some of which were on track to be transferred back to Yemen.  Fortunately, earlier this week, the Administration announced that it will halt transfers of detainees to Yemen.  This is a positive step, but I have doubts such a step would have been made had a terrorist with a bomb not make it aboard a plane destined for Detroit. The Administration must go further.  It must make “security first” decisions and those decisions must be proactive, not reactive.

I’ve long argued that closing the Guantanamo Bay facility would be a monumental security mistake, and I’ve sponsored legislation to stop this mistake. Bringing terrorists to the United States sets precedence for our nation – in the rights that we will afford terrorists in the future and in the security of our nation for future generations. Even the ‘low-risk’ detainees at this facility have the potential for further violence, as we saw in 2008 when an ex-Guantanamo detainee killed and wounded many in a suicide bombing attack.  Just this week, the Pentagon released a report stating that 1 in 5 detainees freed from the Guantanamo Bay facility return to militant activity, up from 14% in the last accounting. The protection of American citizens and justice for the families of those lost on 9/11 ought to be the number one priority for us. Bringing these detainees to the United States places a target on our backs right here in our own communities.  

As James Carafano, one of the nation's leading experts in defense and homeland security writes, "[The Christmas Day bomber] must have been recruited by someone. He must have worked with a bomb maker. He must have had a ‘terrorist travel agent.’ That is at least four people working to kill Americans, and it adds up to a full-blown terrorist cell." 

Thus far, we only have one of these terrorists in custody. The failed Christmas Day attack will not be the last terrorist plot against the United States. America’s leaders have work to do.

Poison Prevention

Did you know a child is poisoned every 30 seconds in the U.S.? According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), over 2 million calls are made each year to poison control centers, and 1.2 million of those calls are made due to poison exposure by young children under the age of five. Among the products referenced in the calls were everyday household items like personal care products such as mouthwash and baby oil, cleaning substances and over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen.

January is National Poison Prevention Awareness month, a time to become educated on how to best avoid potential poison accidents around the home. The AAPCC offers the following tips to reduce the risk of poison exposure in your home:

Store poisons safely.

• Keep medicines and household products locked up where children cannot see or reach them.
• Store poisons in their original containers.
• Use child-resistant packaging, but remember nothing is child-proof!

Use poisons safely.

• Read the label. Follow the directions on medicines and products.
• Lock products and medicines after using them.
• Is it medicine? Call it medicine, not candy.
• Children learn by imitation. Take your medication where or when children can't watch.

Teach children to ask first.

• Poisons can look like food or drink. Teach children to ask an adult before eating or drinking anything.

If you think someone has been poisoned, call 1-800-222-1222, and you will be directed to your nearest poison control center for assistance. For more information, visit the AAPCC's website at http://www.aapcc.org.

If so, tell him how he did in responding to you. Take the 2009 Fourth District Constituent Response Survey online now.

Follow this link to take the survey.

Find out how to get rid of unsolicited commerical email with these resources from the Federal Trade Commission.

Follow this link to find out.

Stimulus Watch: More Phantom Zip Codes

Read Congressman Forbes' latest blog posting on transparency and accountability in tracking federal stimulus dollars.

Follow this link to read.

Other News

Dec 23, 2009
Forbes Announces Trade Assistance Approved for IP Paper Mill
 

Dec 15, 2009
Forbes Announces Congressional Spring Internship Program in Chesapeake

Dec 10, 2009
Forbes Calls for Answers on Impact of Fly Ash on Health