Team Obama’s Terror Policy: Why The System Isn’t working

What is going on with Team Obama’s terror policy?  His counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennen has been making a string of gaffes in trying to defend the administration’s handling of the Christmas bomber case.  His claim that Republican Congressmen were briefed about the Christmas panty-bomber, Abdulmutallab’s  Miranda rights, prompted the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Peter Hoekstra to charge that he’s “completely blown his credibility”. And now, Rep. Peter King is calling Brennen an “egomaniac” for his absurd and demeaning assertion that criticism of the administration helps al Qaeda..

Not good:

“An egomaniac” — that’s how Rep. Peter King of New York, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, describes John Brennan, President Obama’s deputy national-security adviser, after reading Brennan’s op-ed in USA Today that says criticism of the administration’s handling of the failed Christmas Day bombing serves the “goals of al-Qaeda.” It is “the most mindless, self-serving, and irresponsible statement that a homeland-security adviser can make,” King says.

It shouldn’t be surprising to Brennen that there would be criticism in the wake of two major intelligence failures in one year; the Ft Hood Massacre and the Christmas Day Bombing. Why are they lashing out?

There is something rotten in the state of Obama, and AJ Strata thinks he knows what it is; a change in the rules of engagement and surveillance methods that loosened scrutiny of what the administration deemed mere “extremists” as opposed to proven al Qaeda terrorists.  His well thought out analysis, based on a speech Brennen made last August,  is well worth a read:

In the case of the of the Ft Hood Massacre, ongoing terrorist task force investigations into Major Hasan were mysteriously shut down around the time a 3rd FIS Court request would be needed by the FBI to ascertain if the man was a threat to America. In the end the administration used some lame excuse to not continue to monitor Hasan – and he went on to kill 13 people and injure 30 more.

In the case of the Christmas Day Bomber on Flight 253, the administration was unable to connect a large number of visible dots, as if some new barrier had been erected that did not allow information to come together so the threat could be detected.

I knew these failures had to do with policies pushed by Holder, Brennan and Obama. All are on record opposing the hair trigger concerns of the Bush administration when alarms went off in the NSA. Their consistent claim was we could protect our nation and our civil liberties – as if we have a false choice between the right to privacy or right to life – and life loses!

But I could not put my finger on what exactly changed, until I went back to an August 2009 speech by the civi liberty ideologue who is pretending to be the President’s national terrorism advisor – John Brennan (H/T Daniel Pipes via Powerline). Last summer Team Obama was putting the final touches on their new and improved strategy to supposedly keep America safe. Including a lame national security plan that put Global Warming right up there with al Qaeda. Brennan was out touting these changes, with no clue about the disasters that were building – disasters they had just taken their eyes off of.

You could almost say “they took their eyes off the ball”. Read the whole thing.

Previously:

Republican Congressmen Deny They Were Told The Pantybomber Was Given Miranda Rights

Video: Senator Kit Bond Slams Obama Administration’s Loose Lips On Intelligence

Was The Intelligence Gained By The Obama Administration From The Xmas Panty Bomber, “Actionable” or “Perishable”?

The Buck Stops With Obama Bush

Where Does The Buck Stop In The Knickerbomber Intelligence Failure?

Janet Napolitano Echoes Obama

Video: Ralph Peters On Deadly Political Correctness

Krauthammer: “Political correctness is not just a moral abomination, it’s a danger”

Obama’s Weird “Shout Out”

How Did The Army Miss All The Red Flags?