Near the beginning of his first year in office, Mr. Obama took down the CIA's responsibility for the interrogation of "high valued [enemy] detainees." He had decided that such interrogations should be the charge of the FBI. Taking down existing interrogation teams was one thing. That was done almost immediately. Putting teams back in place was, apparently, something else more challenging, so much so that six months after Obama ordered the change, at the time of the Christmas Day airplane bomber, no such interrogation units had been created. In other words, the War on Terror had no priority at all within the current administration. None. So, the Christmas Day Bomber was read his Miranda rights and moved through the system.
Four months later, we are in a similar circumstance. There is a serious question as to whether or not High Valued Detainee Interrogation units exist as of this late date. Rooting out an answer to this question is complicated by an Administration bent on resisting full disclosure on this subject. In fact, the Administration's opaque anti-terrorist policies are becoming a serious issue. Two examples:
1. In answer to questions as to the use of high valued detainee interrogation units, the New York Times reports this Administration response: ". . . . . though the use of the HIG are complicated when applied to an American citizen allegedly attempting to commit an act upon American soil, sources tell ABC News that HIG expertise and resources are being used with Faisal Shahzad." As you re-read this statement, observe what it does not say. Is a high valued interrogation unit in-charge of questioning this enemy of the State? One would think a simple "yes" or "no" would be an appropriate answer, in this case. Instead, we get "the expertise and resources of HIG" are being utilized. If Midknight Review charged that these FBI high valued interrogation units are NOT in place and are not, therefore, being used, nothing said in the Times article would contradict that statement.
Understand that since the April 2009 decision to take down CIA responsibility and transfer interrogation assignments to the FBI in the form of "high valued detainee interrogation" units, nothing of the kind has actually happened -- over a year has passed since that Obama decision. A full year. The Fort Hood jihadist killer was captured but not interrogated by HIG units because no such units exist. The Christmas Day bomber was captured but not interrogated by HIG units because no such units exist. On Feb 23 of 2010 (Luke Air Force Base, Glendale, Arizona) two men rammed a gate at the base entrance. One is killed in the ensuring shootout, the other survived. He was not interrogated by HIG units because no such units exist. And now, the young Pakistani turned Times Square bomber is captured but not interrogated by HIG units because no such units exist. In May of last year, terrorists purchased guns and explosives in a planned jihadist attack on a temple and Jewish center in the Bronx. No one was interrogated by HIG units because no such units exist. In September of '09, a New York plot to detonate explosives in a subway tunnel was broken up. No one was interrogated by HIG units because no such units exist.
In fact, the Times Square bomber was on both a no fly list and a terrorist watch list. At least, that is what the Administration is telling us. Before being put on the no fly list on Monday of this week (!!), he made 13 trips to Pakistan and no one in the Administration's terrorist task force knew about the existence of this young man. During the time he was flying to Pakistan for the purpose of jihadist training, no one was aware of him. Why? And why should we not be critical of an Administration that is pretending that a Muslim jihadist enemy does not exist ?
How did the Administration's terrorist task force lose physical sight of this young man while in pursuit? After receiving a phoned one way reservation to Pakistan, made by this young man while IN THE PROCESS OF running from the FBI who were in hot pursuit, the Emirates air company thought his reservation "suspicious" and notified the FBI. Understand that had his car bomb exploded, this Muslim jihadist would have gotten away and the "blame game" would be red hot. To make matters worse, he bought all of the explosive for his car bomb 8 weeks ago USING REQUIRED IDENTIFICATION and no one knew of his threat.
This is not a success, rather, it is the worse kind of failure topped only by what would have happened had the bomb detonated. The dumbest of luck is the only detectable anti-terrorist strategy we can see.
2. Our second example, mentioned above, is the Fort Hood shooting. Before we write another word, understand that Senators Susan Collins and Joe Lieberman have issued subpoenas to the Obama Administration for failure to be forth coming with regard to the Fort Hood Shootings. The Hill gives this report: " ' We have signed and are serving subpoenas today [April 19].' Acting as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Lieberman [and Susan Collins, senior member of Homeland Security Senate Committee] issued the subpoenas after a noon deadline came and went with no resolution. The subpoenas were issued to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Attorney General Eric Holder." The Administration has refused to honor Committee requests for information regarding Fort Hood and NO ONE KNOWS WHY. Obama/Holder defend themselves by saying they are protecting elements of the prosecution case against the murdering Muslim in custody. Really? Look, this is not a complicated case. THE MAN HAS CONFESSED TO KILLING and there are more than 30 eyewitnesses to the killing. This is truly a "slam dunk" for the government and yet, they pretend to be serving American interests by keeping its people in the dark.
As to the specifics of the Fort Hood case. The shooter, a Muslim who was documented as being extremely critical of the United States for at least a year prior to the mass murder of 13 soldiers and the wounding of 32 others, was actually well known within certain of the secret service community. The government had followed his email postings for six months before the killings. He gave a speech months before his evil deed in which he spoke of cutting off heads - a pro-radical Islam speech that was ignored by those who listened (military medical personnel) and the Department of Defense. Midknight Review does not understand why Obama feels the need to be defensive of such misconduct on the part of those who knew better, but he clearly does. Nor, do we understand why Obama refuses to cooperate with the Homeland Security Committee. Are they not ALL on the same team ? This is a lose lose situation for the Administration and the way it is handling the situation, it may blow-up in its face before the mid-term elections.
Editor's note: please excuse the rather poor flow of this post. The editor is busy cleaning his pool and getting ready for summer.
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