The Political Chase

9/11 Commission Report - Insufficient Progress

The members of the 9/11 commission submitted a report, which charged the Bush administration with “making insufficient progress” in trying to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The commission is a privately funded, bipartisan organization, formed after Congress ended sponsorship of the commission last year.

The report found “minimal” or “insufficient” progress in 7 of 13 areas surveyed. Ouch! That’s like getting a 53 on a final exam.

The White House’s response:

Asked about the report, Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman, said the Bush administration “appreciated all the hard work of the commissioners, and our focus is on building upon the steps already taken.”

“Focusing on the steps already taken” sounds like the administration will not even consider alternative solutions.

The commission obviously has a considerably higher level of concern than the administration and we know why. From the commission:

“The most striking thing to us is that the size of the problem still totally dwarfs the policy response,” said Thomas H. Kean, the former Republican governor of New Jersey and the chairman of the Sept. 11 commission. “We have no greater fear than a terrorist who is inside the United States with a nuclear weapon. The consequences of such an attack would be catastrophic for our people, for our economy, for our liberties.”

Now, to understand why, let’s take a look at a few statements the president made yesterday. First, his view on progress.

• We’ve killed and captured al Qaeda.
• Because we acted [against Iraq], the Iraqi people now live in freedom, and the people of the United States are safer.
• [W]e’re making steady progress.
• [Iraq] is making amazing progress from the days of being under the thumb of a brutal tyrant…It’s amazing progress when you think about it.

Second — the president “focusing on building on steps already taken,” or in other words, strategy.

• As we pursue the terrorists, we have a strategy to go forward.
• Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.
• [O]ur strategy in the war on terror is to deny the militants future recruits by replacing hatred and resentment with democracy and hope.

You decide whether the commission’s report should give you cause for concern.