9-11 Commission Warns U.S. Still Vulnerable 10 Years After Attacks

Seven members of the 9/11 commission accused lawmakers Wednesday of leaving the U.S. vulnerable to attacks by failing to implement the recommendation the commission made in 2004.

“We are safer but we are not as secure yet as we can or should be,” Chairman Thomas Kean told the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) in Washington, D.C.

The commission’s original report contained 41 recommendations to improve US security. Due to insufficient progress, however, the committee issued a new report Wednesday detailing nine commission recommendations that remain unfulfilled and are causing a gap in the country’s security. 

Among those failures was the stubbornness of Congress.

“Reformation of congress was a frustrating thing to ask but we still asked for it,” Commissioner Fred F. Fielding stated. “However, they did not make the bicameral committee we requested and instead are maintaining the status quo.”

One lawmaker, however, responded by accusing the administration of dragging its feet on cracking down on so-called “lone-wolf” terrorists operating inside the U.S.

“I am troubled that the White House has not named a lead federal agency to coordinate disparate efforts to combat homegrown terrorism,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. “I urge the Administration to establish a unified front against this important and evolving threat.”

Commission Vice Chairman Lee H. Hamilton related that the nation’s detection system falls short in critical ways. While the US has improved its security check on those who arrive in the country, there is still an ineffective system that monitors who leaves the country or remains in the country with expired visas. Hamilton revealed that this is exactly how two 9-11 attackers were able to escape capture. 

Another failure of the commission that all panelists agreed upon was their inability to place full control of the entire intelligence community in the hands of the Director of National Intelligence.

Overall, panelists revealed that there are still many communication issues within the government, ambiguity with how to deal with detainees, under developed cyber security and ineffective research and testing performed by Transportation Security on explosive-detection equipment.

“The commission laid out recommendations in a functioning reality,” Hamilton deplored, “and I have no idea why it has not been done.”

While the report seems very grim, panelists did agree that the US is extensively safer than it was 10 years ago.

“We have definitely seen progress but we can’t pat ourselves on the back too strongly,” Hamilton warned. “We haven’t solved the problem and this is great criticism of the US government.”

China: "Hope to increase economic growth by 8%" in 2009

Minister Counsellor and Head of the Political Section for the Embassy of China, Weilin Kuang discussed "China's Development and its Role in the World," today at a Humanity Peace and Security meeting for the Korean Peninsula Issues in Washington D.C.

Weilin Kuang said in his opening remarks: "Over the last 30 years the economic progress China has made is truly remarkable…over 200 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty."

However, despite China's progress in the economic market, Kuang noted some challenges facing China: "Although we are the third largest economy in the world our GEP is behind the 100th largest economy in the world."

Talking about the current economic crisis, Kuang said: "China is faced with very serious economic difficulties and challenges."

Talking about China's relations with the world, Kuang said: “After 30 years of reform China's relations with the world has changed. China needs the world, and the world needs China."

Kuang stated that maintaining and building on external relations is vitally important to help China get through this economically demanding period.

Speaking of hope for China, Kuang said: “I am confident that a rising, confident and more prosperous China will make positive contributions to the world…China hopes to increase its economic growth by 8 per cent this year and I am very hopeful."

In regard to US-China relations, with the new Obama administration, he said: "We hope to see a continuation of these two dialogues…we have put our ideas to the US side, now its their turn, the ball is in their court…I am confident a formula can be formed to allow these two dialogues to continue…it is up to the United States to make a position."

"We have seen positive signs from President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton…I hope more can be done to move forward and expand talks…face-to-face talks could be very helpful to help express mutual understanding," he concluded.