Janet Napolitano: stop investigating Vets and Pro-Lifers and focus on terrorists

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, ” The System Worked” before ” The system Failed”

HUH?????????????

√WASHINGTON (AP) — 12/28/2009
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the aviation security system failed when a young Nigerian man with a powerful explosive hidden on his body was allowed to board a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day. Napolitano says investigators are examining Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (OO’-mahr fah-ROOK’ ahb-DOOL’-moo-TAH’-lahb) was allowed the flight despite being on a terrorist watch list.

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Secretary Napolitano & Robert Gibbs on “Meet the Press”
By Meet the Press

DAVID GREGORY: But first, good morning, live from Lexington, Kentucky, where I’m spending some time over the holidays with family. And while families around the nation celebrated Christmas on Friday, we came very close to coping with tragedy as a deadly act of terror was attempted on board a U.S. airliner. Yesterday, federal officials charged 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab with trying to destroy Northwest Delta Flight 253 bound from Amsterdam to Detroit. And joining us now live from San Francisco for the very latest on the investigation in the situation is the secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano.

Secretary Napolitano, good morning and welcome back to MEET THE PRESS. Let me start by asking you, the suspect allegedly was carrying a compound on his body of PETN. That was the same chemical compound that the “Shoe Bomber,” Richard Reid, had on him some eight years ago. The fact that he had this very same compound, does this, to you, represent a failure of security to detect?

SEC’Y JANET NAPOLITANO: Well, I think we don’t know enough to say one way or the other in that respect. The forensics are still being done, the investigation is still underway. I think the important point here is that once the incident occurred, everybody reacted the way they should; the passengers did, the flight crew did. And literally, within an hour, additional measures had been instituted not only on the ground here in the United States, but abroad and, indeed, on the 128 flights that were already in the air from Europe.

MR. GREGORY: Is this suspect a part of al-Qaeda?

SEC’Y NAPOLITANO: Again, we don’t know. There’s allegations that have been made public in the criminal complaint, but the FBI now has that matter. It’s under investigation and we shall see. What we are looking at is literally how he got on the plane, to make sure that the screening procedures were followed; and if they were followed, whether they need to be changed. And then, again, making sure that on the ground the, the air environment remains a safe environment, which indeed it is.

MR. GREGORY: Let me just clarify, though. Is your suspicion, based on intelligence you’re seeing and information that he’s providing, is your suspicion that he is part of al-Qaeda?

SEC’Y NAPOLITANO: You know, David, I, I, I don’t want to speculate on that. Again, the, the FBI has that under investigation. We’ll ascertain whether or not he is what he, he allegedly says he is. But what we are focused on, again, is screening, making sure that mitigation measures are in place at airports across the country. And one thing I would say to the traveling public over this holiday season as they return home is to get to the airport a little bit earlier, because there will be some additional measures, and to say we, we won’t do the same thing at every airport, because one of the things we try not to be is predictable in this regard. So if you see screeners at one airport doing one thing but not doing it at another, at another airport, that’s not because anybody’s doing anything wrong. Indeed, they’re following our protocols.

MR. GREGORY: Based on what you know so far, in terms of how much and what he had in his possession in terms of explosives, was it sufficient to bring down the plane had he succeeded?

SEC’Y NAPOLITANO: Oh, I think we’re far from knowing that. The forensics as to what he actually had have yet to be complete. And stepping back from this case, what it takes to actually bring down an airliner depends not only on the chemical and the amount, but where a person is on the plane, how it’s detonated, all sorts of questions on that score. So the minute he began setting himself on fire, which is what it, it looked like, the passengers acted quickly. And indeed, that’s part of what I keep saying, is security is everybody’s responsibility. The passengers and the flight crew deserve our praise, and the system went into full alert mode leaning forward, literally, within, within a, within minutes, an hour of the incident occurring in the air.

MR. GREGORY: Right. But, Secretary Napolitano, the question is whether the system really did do everything that it should have done. He was on a terror watch list. His father had raised concerns about him being radicalized to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria. He was not on a do not fly list, which is a, a separate kind of cataloguing of threats. Do you think the fact that he was on a watch list should have triggered a secondary screening in the airport in Amsterdam?

SEC’Y NAPOLITANO: Well, this is the way it works. He was on a TIDE list. There are over a half a million people on that TIDE list, and that information was shared throughout the federal family. There’s no question about information sharing here. There had never been any additional information supplied that would move him to what’s called a Selectee list, where you are–where you do that kind of secondary screening, or indeed to the No Fly list, which requires specific, credible, derogatory information. Now, I think one of the things we will do–because that’s a system that has been in place for a number of years. One of the things we will do is go back and look and say, well, maybe in this day and age, with the kind of environment we have, we should change some of those protocols. But right now he, he was on a, a generic list, if I could use that phrase, but we did not have the kind of information that under the current rules would elevate him.

MR. GREGORY: Final question, Madame Secretary. Given this incident, given an attempt to use an airplane as a weapon yet again, what does it say about the nature of the threat that terrorists generally, but more specifically al-Qaeda, if that’s in fact the case, still poses to the United States?

SEC’Y NAPOLITANO: Well, I think, stepping back from this case, what we see is that al-Qaeda remains a source of threat streams to the, to the world and indeed to the United States. And while this case does not appear specifically connected there, that leadership, that organization, that training, much of it emanates from the Afghanistan-Pakistan area. And indeed, that is, that is why al-Qaeda and going after al-Qaeda is such an important part of the president’s Afghanistan strategy.

MR. GREGORY: All right, Secretary Napolitano, I know your time is limited this morning as you’re getting back to Washington. Thank you very much for being with us.

Joining us now, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. He’s live from the White House this morning.

Robert, good morning. Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS. The president, of course, is vacationing with family on this holiday weekend in Hawaii, and I know that he’s been kept abreast of developments as they’ve occurred over the past several days. What’s his priority now in terms of what he would like to know, what kind of accountability he would like to see as a result of this?

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NOTE- No “Speculation” when it comes to actual terrorists – but much “Speculation” on Innocent American Citizens as noted in the story below from April 2009

Homeland Security on guard for ‘right-wing extremists’
WorldNetDaily

WorldNet Daily WASHINGTON – In April of 2009, a newly unclassified Department of Homeland Security report warns against the possibility of violence by unnamed “right-wing extremists” concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty and singles out returning war veterans as particular threats.

The report, titled “Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” dated April 7, states that “threats from white supremacist and violent anti-government groups during 2009 have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts.”

However, the document, first reported by talk-radio host and WND columnist Roger Hedgecock, goes on to suggest worsening economic woes, potential new legislative restrictions on firearms and “the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.”

The report from DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines right-wing extremism in the U.S. as “divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups) and those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”

“[T]he consequences of a prolonged economic downturn – including real estate foreclosures, unemployment and an inability to obtain credit – could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past,” the report says.

It adds that “growth in these groups subsided in reaction to increased government scrutiny as a result of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and disrupted plots, improvements in the economy and the continued U.S. standing as the pre-eminent world power.”

“Proposed imposition of firearms restrictions and weapons bans likely would attract new members into the ranks of right-wing extremist groups as well as potentially spur some of them to begin planning and training for violence against the government,” the report continues. “The high volume of purchases and stockpiling of weapons and ammunition by right-wing extremists in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country continue to be a primary concern to law enforcement.”

Most notable is the report’s focus on the impact of returning war veterans.

“Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to right-wing extremists,” it says. “DHS/I&A is concerned that right-wing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize veterans in order to boost their violent capacities.”

The report cites the April 4 shooting deaths of three police officers in Pittsburgh as an example of what may be coming, claiming the alleged gunman holds a racist ideology and believes in anti-government conspiracy theories about gun confiscations, citizen detention camps and “a Jewish-controlled ‘one-world government.'”

It also suggests the election of an African-American president and the prospect of his policy changes “are proving to be a driving force for right-wing extremist recruitment and radicalization.”

The report also mentions “‘end times’ prophecies could motivate extremist individuals and groups to stockpile food, ammunition and weapons. These teachings also have been linked with the radicalization of domestic extremist individuals and groups in the past, such as the violent Christian Identity organizations and extremist members of the militia movement.”

“DHS/I&A assesses that right-wing extremist groups’ frustration over a perceived lack of government action on illegal immigration has the potential to incite individuals or small groups toward violence,” the report continues.

The report states the DHS will be working with state and local partners over the next several months to determine the levels of right-wing extremist activity in the U.S.

Last month, the chief of the Missouri highway patrol blasted a report issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center that linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism, assuring that such reports no longer will be issued. The report had been compiled with the assistance of DHS.

The report warned law enforcement agencies to watch for suspicious individuals who may have bumper stickers for third-party political candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin.

It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.

Chief James Keathley of the Missouri State Patrol issued a statement that the release of the report, which outraged conservatives nationwide, prompted him to “take a hard look” at the procedures through which the report was released by the MIAC.

“My review of the procedures used by the MIAC in the three years since its inception indicates that the mechanism in place for oversight of reports needs improvement,” he wrote. “Until two weeks ago, the process for release of reports from the MIAC to law enforcement officers around the state required no review by leaders of the Missouri State Highway Patrol or the Department of Public Safety.”

“For that reason, I have ordered the MIAC to permanently cease distribution of the militia report,” he said. “Further, I am creating a new process for oversight of reports drafted by the MIAC that will require leaders of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Department of Public Safety to review the content of these reports before they are shared with law enforcement. My office will also undertake a review of the origin of the report by MIA
Read Report Here

Also Read Muslims of America (MOA) terror training exposes a “chilling” training video

READ: Homeland Security Improperly Collected Intelligence on Pro-Lifers and other U.S. Citizens

Read: Security incident aboard AirTran Flight 297 suggests terror “Dry Run”

Read: One third of FBI Terror Watch List are innocent people