LIEBERMAN POINTS TO CIA IG FINDINGS AS DEMONSTRATING VALUE OF 2004 INTELLIGENCE REFORMS

WASHINGTON – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., commended the release of a report by the Central Intelligence Agency Inspector General that reviewed the CIA’s accountability with respect to the 9/11 attacks. The report highlighted flaws and weaknesses in the CIA’s leadership and management of counter-terrorism activities prior to 9/11. It found that the CIA focused on operational and tactical issues without developing a coordinated, interagency strategic plan.

“Although years have passed since September 11th, we can still learn from the failures in our government’s counterterrorism preparations leading up to that horrific day. That’s why I made sure our 9/11 Commission bill mandated the disclosure of the CIA Inspector General’s report,” Lieberman said. “The report reveals that CIA officials were aware of the threat posed by Al Qaeda and worked hard to defeat it, but that leadership failed to implement a strategic and focused response. It confirms the findings of the 9/11 Commission regarding the need for improved leadership, coordination and information-sharing for the intelligence community, and validates the reforms we enacted in 2004 when we created the Director of National Intelligence and National Counterterrorism Center. These findings serve as useful benchmarks for improving our intelligence and counterterrorism capabilities. But the report should not in any way diminish or disparage the hard work that our intelligence officials are doing to protect the nation today.”

Senator Lieberman led Senate efforts to enact the “Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act” (H.R. 1), which was signed into law on August 3, 2007. The Act included a provision to make a declassified summary of the CIA IG report publicly available no later than 30 days after the date of enactment, and today’s release is in response to the mandate.

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