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American Morning
Interview with Jane Harman
Aired July 17, 2002 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: To the president's blueprint for a safer America, Mr. Bush wants Congress to act quickly on his new strategy for Homeland Security. This morning, a House committee releases its report on Homeland Security after reviewing U.S. intelligence dating back to 1983.
California Representative Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat on the committee, is with us live this morning from Washington -- good morning to you. Thanks for getting up for us.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Good morning.
HEMMER: I know a lot of this report is classified. There will be a summation released in about three hours' time. What did you find over 19 years now?
HARMAN: Well, since 9/11, we have developed a totally new record to look back on the performance of the NSA, the National Security Agency, the FBI and the CIA pre-9/11. And what we found was some successes, lots of good people but real gaps in performance, things like inadequate use of modern technology, inadequate language skills, inadequate recruitment of human spies to penetrate these very tough targets like al Qaeda, inadequate focus on counterterrorism. These are big deals, and they need to be fixed now if we want to prevent another 9/11.
HEMMER: Now, I mentioned that you are going back to 1983, and the assault on U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon was essentially your starting point. That's my understanding anyway. Did you find these gaps over a 20-year period, or only recently, would you say?
HARMAN: No, we found them over a 20-year period. Terrorism -- modern terrorism against U.S. targets started in 1983, and this has gone on over four administrations. Porter Goss, who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, says what changed on 9/11 was the audience. There is now a total focus on this and a total focus on reform, and that's a very good thing. And it has given the impetus to all of these agencies to change substantially, and that's absolutely critical if we are going to prevent the next 9/11.
HEMMER: Given that, then, your suggestions from your committee will be what?
HARMAN: Our suggestions are just the public suggestions -- we have about two dozen classified suggestions, which we can't release today -- but much more and much better language training, much more and much better recruitment of human spies -- we have to change the guidelines that we use to recruit those spies, and in fact, the CIA is required by law to change those guidelines and hasn't -- new systems at the National Security Agency so that we get actionable information that gives threat warnings to people, not just a lot of noise out of the skies, and a focus in every agency on counterterrorism.
Addressing the FBI, that has been a great law enforcement agency, but it has not done a good job of prevention, and preventing the next terrorist act is what has to be a high FBI priority.
HEMMER: You heard the president yesterday, the Homeland Security strategy right now, this is such a mammoth project. Estimates put it at $100 billion between federal money, state money and private money. As you look at this and try to get a handle on it, how wide is the gap of agreement between what the White House is proposing right now and the critics on Capitol Hill?
HARMAN: Well, I was with the president yesterday when he presented the strategy. I am very -- I am very positive about the strategy. Now, we need good legislation. I am a cosponsor of that, too. I think that the gap is that a lot of people think this new department is too big. I think the answer is that Congress should have input, and we need a strong White House coordinating role.
But the bottom line, how we'll be judged, is whether or not we get good information to first responders, police, fire, emergency technicians, in our localities. They are the ones who have to protect us. Every act of terrorism is local.
HEMMER: Just a minute left here. Two things I want to hit on. The TIPS program, civil libertarians are saying no way, this is not going to work. Big brother is watching too many places. The White House is saying it's simply a national neighborhood watch group. Do you have a problem with it?
HARMAN: Well, we have to rebalance our need for increased security with protecting our civil liberties. I think we have to look carefully at all of this stuff. Congress looked carefully at the Patriot Act, but I am in favor of changes in law so that we can keep America safe.
HEMMER: And a yes/no answer here. Will it be done by the anniversary, September 11, 2002?
HARMAN: That is certainly what I hope. I think that that will honor the families of the victims, and that will state that America can act quickly when she is threatened, and there has never been a bigger threat against America.
HEMMER: Jane Harman, Democrat from California, thanks -- good luck. You've got your work cut out for you.
HARMAN: Thank you -- bye-bye.
HEMMER: All right.
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