America is still vulnerable, says 9/11 commision

As the Pakistani Taliban demonstrated their ability to reach the US with the recent Times Square terror plot, key members of the 9/11 Commission have expressed frustration that more progress has not been made on their recommendations like sharing of vital intelligence. Almost six years after issuing a landmark report on terrorism, former 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas Kean and his deputy, Lee Hamilton said they were concerned by roadblocks to sharing intelligence and the plethora of Congressional committees that oversee the Department of Homeland Security.

"We were advised the other day that we should all feel pretty good about the (federal government's) accomplishments," Hamilton said on Wednesday while testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee. "The problem, of course, is that the attacks keep coming -- over Detroit (on Northwest flight 253), in Times Square, at Fort Hood," he was quoted as saying by CNN. He said the threat from Al Qaeda remains serious.

"The conventional wisdom for years has been that Al Qaeda's preferred method was a spectacular attack like 9/11. But the defining characteristic of today's threat seems to be its diversity." "The defining trait of today's terrorist threat is its diversity. As you well know, the Attorney General (Eric Holder) has stated that the Times Square attempted attack was directed by the Pakistani Taliban," he said, referring to the botched May 1 attack by Pakistani-American

Faisal Shahzad.

The attempted attack on an American airliner in December last year was the work of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, he said. In both of these cases, Al Qaeda affiliates thought previously as regional or local threats demonstrated their ability to reach the United States. "We're well aware of the threat emanating from the tribal regions of Pakistan. We've also come to appreciate the increasing threat of homegrown terrorism as some Americans have become radicalised," Hamilton said. He said that recognising the evolving nature of the threat, America needs to consider what policy recommendations should follow this new assessment.

"The public is willing to accept anything in the name of security. And they've accepted all sorts of inconvenience... The public is with us. And so what we need is technological and governmental will to get these things done," Kean said. Hamilton and Kean also lamented at the inability of Congress to streamline its oversight of Department of Homeland Security, saying it must answer to more than 100 committees and subcommittees, draining its resources. "I don't know of any tougher problem" than reorganising Congress, Hamilton said. "I know how difficult and sticky it is and what passion it arouses in Congress." But, he concluded, "You have to get your house in order."