GOP says terror attack points out ‘systemic failure’ of US security under Obama
“These guys continue to be in denial,” Hoekstra says of the White House. “We’re just a couple of smart people away from having 300, 400, 500 Americans killed. We have to express our appreciation to the FBI and the New York Police Department for capturing this guy, but our focus should be on how he got to Times Square and almost blew up an SUV loaded with explosives. That’s not success in my book. Success would have been identifying this guy and making sure he didn’t get to Times Square.”
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent Washington Examiner
While the White House celebrates the capture of accused Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, some of the people most involved in fighting terrorism in the United States are very, very worried.
On Wednesday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs rejected the suggestion that Shahzad’s ability to travel to and from Pakistan, train with the Taliban, and place a car bomb in the heart of New York City represented a “systemic failure” of the nation’s security agencies. (That’s what President Obama said happened in the case of Detroit Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.)
Far from seeing failure, Gibbs saw reason for celebration. Shahzad was found quickly, he pointed out, with federal, state and local authorities working together. “So in many ways, we want to celebrate the success of, rightly so, of what law enforcement was able to do,” Gibbs said.
Tell that to Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. “These guys continue to be in denial,” Hoekstra says of the White House. “We’re just a couple of smart people away from having 300, 400, 500 Americans killed. We have to express our appreciation to the FBI and the New York Police Department for capturing this guy, but our focus should be on how he got to Times Square and almost blew up an SUV loaded with explosives. That’s not success in my book. Success would have been identifying this guy and making sure he didn’t get to Times Square.”
Help Make A Difference By Sharing These Articles On Facebook, Twitter And Elsewhere:
