UPDATE (For more information...http://www.politico.com and here at The Hill):
President Barack Obama said a failure to connect and understand the intelligence that the United States already had led to the Christmas Day bombing plot, adding, “Ultimately, the buck stops with me. As president, I have a solemn responsibility to protect our nation and our people, and when the system fails, it is my responsibility.”
Rough transcription, liveblog. They're talking fast, so I can't get it all down, but most:
John Brennan:
It was known that AQ was going to strike Yemen and U.S. There was a stream of intel, including the Underpants Bomber's father. Fragment of intel were available before Christmas Eve. But why weren't they pieced together? What went wrong?
It was systemic, human errors. Errors were not primary cause. It was mostly systemic, across agencies/organizations. After 9/11, sharing should have increased. Over past 8 years, most issues were resolved. This was not a failure to share. They had the info, all had access. It wasn't a failure to collect, it was a failure to connect.
No one intel agency was assigned the duty. Intel fell thru the cracks. There were shortcomings in watch list system, so Abdul boarded. It's not broken, but how intel is fed into that system needs fixing. But how?
Obama directive, that's how. Corrective steps. 4 broad areas:
Assign responsibility re: All leads to threats.
Intel reports, esp. those with U.S. threats, distrib rapidly
Progress, day to day efforts improved. Longer term challenge of I.D.ing intel...
Strengthen criteria for watch list.
All staff will be held accountable. National security staff will monitor progress and report in 30 days, every 30 days. In every instance in past year, the security community has done outstanding job. It was this one instance that we didn't rise to same level of competence and success. I let him down. I am his assistant, and I told him I/we will do better.
Napolitano:
Recommendations: Strengthened screening requirements from outside U.S. At airports in U.S., additional law enforcement and behavior detections, K-9 teams, both seen and unseen.
Needs to be reevaluation, etc. of watch list via DHS and intel. community. Especially no-fly and selectee lists.
DHS works day and night with NCTC and other intel, dedicated men and women, to safety of US. We had a systemic failure here.
Partnership on aviation screening tech. between DHS and Dept. of Energy. Use expertise of national labs/effective technology, for known threats, and anticipate new ways to board aircraft.
Screening tech: More will be deployed. Overseas, we had none, so we have to do more to encourage foreign authorities to do that. It's an international issue.
We have to strengthen law enforcement capacity: Number of federal air marshals.
Work with State Dept., strengthen standards for international security/aviation security. We've been meeting with officials/counterparts everywhere on this re: new standards/procedures.
Changes will help prevent another attack like the attempted one on Christmas.
Q: Who is held accountable?
Gibbs: President takes responsibility. He asked for reviews, action. Buck stops with him. Dynamic process has been started, will continue for next 30 days and long after that. Corrective action is taken. Technology was contained in Recovery Act.
Q: What was most stunning thing?
A: Brennan: We knew from stream of info he had terrorist tendencies. We didn't match up intel about Nigerian with Abdul and his plot.
AQ in Arabian Peninsula is connected to AQ Pakistan. Didn't know they progressed to launching individuals here.
Napolitano: Renewed importance on intel and how threat streams are followed through. Improving airport security around the world.
Helen Thomas: Who screened? Motivation?
Napolitano: Screening was done by Dutch authorities. Motivation: Brennan: They're dedicated to murder, AQ. They attract people like bomber, motivated by religious drive. AQ has agenda of destruction and death. AQ organization uses banner of religion in corrupt way.
Helen: Why?
Brennan: That's a long issue.
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