19 May 2002
Cheney, Rice Respond to Past and Present Terrorist Threats
(Intelligence is often general and not "actionable," they say) (690)
By Howard Cincotta
Washington File Staff Writer
Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza
Rice said that officials are constantly assessing intelligence reports
about possible terrorist attacks against U.S. targets, but most of the
information is too general in nature to identify a specific time,
place, and target for such attacks.
Appearing on several television interview programs on May 19, Cheney
and Rice said that the United States was well aware that al Qaeda
posed a threat prior to September 11, but that none of the reports
anticipated the use of hijacked planes against the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon.
On the program ABC This Week, Rice pointed out that the United States
remains in a heightened state of alert, with much improved security at
airports and much greater vigilance by the American people. As an
example, she cited the thwarting of the attempt of the alleged shoe
bomber to blow up a commercial jetliner.
Nevertheless, Rice said, there is a need for better coordination, or
"fusion of intelligence," among such agencies as the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). She pointed
out that every morning now, the FBI and CIA directors sit down with
the national security adviser, homeland security director, and the
president and vice president
Vice President Cheney, appearing on the NBC television program Meet
the Press, said, "What's been lacking, I think, was effective
coordination between our international intelligence collection
operations and our domestic law enforcement, as well as our ability to
analyze data and figure out what it means and then communicate it to
policymakers in a relevant fashion. We're now building that
capability."
Cheney warned that the prospect of a future terrorist attack against
the United States remains high. He also observed that if organizers of
suicide bombers in the Middle East perceive their actions as
successful, they could direct such attacks against the United States
or other open societies.
On the television program Fox News Sunday, Cheney noted that, within
al Qaeda itself, only a very small number of people actually know what
is planned. "Even in the September 11 attack," he said, "there is some
suggestion that some of the people who were actually on the planes,
some of the hijackers, did not know it was a suicide mission."
Cheney said Americans should stay vigilant but go on about their
lives. "The terrorists win if they shut down our country and don't
even attack. We're doing everything we can with the Homeland Security
Office to make us a tougher target. And I think we've had significant
success there."
In addition to security at home, Cheney said the United States and the
coalition must continue a "sustained effort over time" in Afghanistan
and around the world to identify and destroy the terrorist networks.
Cheney said that looking back before September 11, Administration
officials never received "actionable intelligence" that could have led
to steps preventing the September 11 attacks. An August 6, 2001,
Presidential Daily Brief, for example, noted the possibility that al
Qaeda might hijack commercial jets, but it was based on earlier
reporting and intelligence, Cheney said -- and terrorist hijackings of
planes have taken place for more than 30 years. None of the reports,
according to Cheney, anticipated the use of planes as weapons against
specific targets.
While it is important to protect the sources and methods of
intelligence gathering, Cheney said, the Administration wants to learn
everything possible from the events that led to September 11.
"We want to work with the intelligence committees," Cheney said on Fox
News Sunday. "They can safeguard intelligence. We want an
investigation. We want to know what happened in the run-up to August
6. It's a valuable lesson to the future. But it's absolutely essential
that we do it in a way that protects and preserves our capabilities to
deal with security in classified information."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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