03-22-2004, 09:36 AM
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#12 (permalink)
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This vexes me. I am terribly vexed.
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Stuff that backs up his claims
http://www.americanprogress.org/site...RJ8OVF&b=39039
All backed up by internal government documents, not rhetoric.
Quote:
PRE-SEPTEMBER 11 - Reno Makes Counterterrorism DoJ's Top Priority
5/8/98 - Mission statement from internal FBI Strategic Plan dated 5/8/1998 in which the Tier One priority is counterterrorism [...]
4/6/00 - Official annual budget goals memo from Attorney General Janet Reno to department heads dated 4/6/2000 detailing how counterterrorism is her top priority for the Department of Justice. In the second paragraph, she states, "In the near term as well as the future, cybercrime and counterterrrorism are going to be the most challenging threats in the criminal justice area. Nowhere is the need for an up-to-date human and technical infrastructure more critical."
PRE-SEPTEMBER 11 - Ashcroft Shifts Direction Away From Counterterrorism
5/10/01 - Ashcroft New DoJ Budget Goals Memo: Official annual budget goals memo from Attorney General Ashcroft dated 5/10/2001 (directly compares to the 4/6/2000 Reno memo). Out of 7 strategic goals described, not one mentions counterterrorism, a serious departure from Reno.
8/9/01 - [...] Attorney General Ashcroft's new priorities for DoJ were highlighted. Specifically highlighted by Ashcroft are domestic violent crime and drug trafficking prevention. Item 1.3 entitled "Combat terrorist activities by developing maximum intelligence and investigative capability" is passed over [...]
Late August 2001 - [...] In this request, FBI specifically asks for, among other things, 54 translators to translate backlog of intelligence gathered (line 3 under Foreign Language Services, cost of $5.1 million), 248 counterterrorism agents and support staff (line 14 entitled CT field investigations, cost of $28 million), and 200 professional intelligence researchers (line 16, entitled Intelligence Production, at a cost of $20.8 million). FBI has repeatedly stated that it has a serious backlog of intelligence data it has gathered but simply does not have the staff to analyze or translate it into usable information. [...]
9/10/2001 - Official FY2003 Dept. of Justice Budget Request To White House: Official FY03 DoJ budget request from Attorney General Ashcroft to OMB Director Mitch Daniels, dated September 10, 2001. This document specifically highlights only the programs slated for above-baseline increases or below-baseline cuts [...] [T]his document shows that Ashcroft was planning to ignore the FBI's specific requests for more translators, counterintelligence agents and researchers, mentioned above. It additionally shows Ashcroft was trying to slash funding from counterterrorism and grants and other homeland defense programs before 9/11.
POST-SEPTEMBER 11: Ashcroft Still Ignores FBI Counterterrorism Requests
Post 9/11 - Budget Document Detailing OMB Rejection of FBI Counter-Terror Request: Internal document showing that FBI requested $1.499 billion for counterterrorism for the post-September 11 emergency supplemental but received just $530 million from the White House, despite serious counterterrorism needs.
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