Senators: Administration keeps Congress in dark on intel: (Related to Detroit Air, Ft Hood & NYC fai

The Obama administration has failed to keep congressional intelligence officials in the loop on the investigation into the botched Times Square bombing, as required by law,

the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate intelligence committee charged in a letter this week.

"Having to fight over access to counterterrorism information is not productive and ultimately makes us less secure. The lack of information has "caused serious friction in the relationship of the committee, on both sides of the aisle, and the executive branch."

wrote Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein and Vice Chairman Christopher S. "Kit" Bond in a letter to President Obama on Thursday.

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times, the senators say U.S. intelligence agencies have repeatedly refused to provide relevant information on the probe into suspect Faisal Shahzad that would allow the committee to conduct oversight activities without hampering the ongoing investigation. Senate intelligence staffers were told that the Department of Justice had instructed the agencies not to convey information on the Times Square plot without its approval

But a spokesman for the Department of Justice said FBI, Homeland Security Department and counterterrorism officials have conducted several briefings on the incident with various congressional committees, including a May 11 briefing with the Senate Intelligence Committee. Spokesman Dean Boyd said that briefing "was highly classified and no other Senate committee has received a briefing like" that one.

Mr. Boyd also said the Justice Department has not told intelligence officials not to cooperate with lawmakers. "The Justice Department did not order anyone in the intelligence community to withhold information from the Senate Intelligence Committee in connection with the attempted bombing," Mr. Boyd said. "In fact, when the Justice Department was notified by certain intelligence agencies that they were planning to make calls to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, the Justice Department encouraged those agencies to do so." Congressional oversight of intelligence matters has long been a thorny issue in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, often playing out as tug-of-war between the administration and lawmakers who are tasked with holding it accountable.

In the case of the failed New York City bombing attempt, in which a Pakistani native tried to detonate an SUV in Times Square, the senators said the Obama administration has refused to provide the committee with FBI reports that are widely circulated within the intelligence community. The senators said the "great majority" of their information came through public press conferences and media accounts that sometimes continued inaccurate information.

Dissatisfaction with the administration on oversight matters goes beyond the intelligence panels. Last month, Sens. Joseph Lieberman and Susan Collins, the top members of the Senate panel on homeland security, issued the administration its first congressional subpoenas over the shootings at Fort Hood. The senators accused the FBI and the Pentagon of ignoring repeated requests for information on the November shooting, in which an Army psychologist allegedly killed 13 people.
Source: www.washingtontimes.com...

I don't even know what to write anymore, that hasn't been written already. You know like Obama is a Man-Child and shouldn't be in the office of President. He hasn't a clue.

But anon72. You can't blame everything on Obama. No I can't. This story was out on Saturday in the Washington Times-Hes the President-he knows now. There should be boxes of info with attached FBI agents to answer any questions (allowed by law) at the front door of Congress. 10 to 1 we'll be reading next month how the same thing is occurring and hasn't been resolved.

Obama's (actually ours) luck will run out and a lot of us Americans are going to be dead. Maybe then you nay-sayers will finally come around and work on getting this moron President out of office and all of the little dems followers in Congress.






[edit on 5/24/2010 by anon72]

[edit on 5/24/2010 by anon72]

[edit on 5/24/2010 by anon72]

I am wondering when the MSM will start to get some guts to go out and start actually doing some reporting and making news of it.

Our press is laughable. They either miss the story entirely (on purpose or otherwise) or come along a few months (sometimes years) later.

No wonder the people are seathing and P.Oed at the Dems and the Media.

I swear it's like Bush never left! I'd like to know exactly what it will take to wake people up to what is happening.

I thought this was a thread from the past about how Bush kept the congress in the dark. Darn it...I wanted to bash bush.

And to those whose messiah is in the office atm. Just more of the same and even more corruptness.

I'm aftraid a precedent has been set and the media-now in bed with Obama, is willing to do what is right/correct.

I think Bush, and others, have shown them that it will be a long time a coming if any punishment is to be given for any misdeeds on the POTUS part.

May as well stonewall them as long as possible. I am beginning to thing the Terroist have allies in the White House. Not just in name anymore.