Bipartisan House Passes Intel Bill On Eve Of 9/11 Anniversary

In a 384-14 vote, the House voted nearly unanimously Friday to pass legislation that keeps federal entities vital in the America’s national security efforts funded through FY2012 . 

Given that the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack on America is just two days awe, the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY2012, originally introduced by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), ensures agencies like the CIA, FBI, DEA, along with the Departments of State, Defense, Energy and Justice, among others, have the capabilities to operate and continue to keep the country protected from terror threats. 

“This bill makes smart choices that will help eliminate wasteful spending while still ensuring that our intelligence community personnel have all the tools they need to keep America safe,” Deomcratic Whip Steny Hoyer said in a statement. “As we approach the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and confront new threats to the homeland, we are reminded of the challenges we face and honor the brave men and women in the intelligence community who work around the clock to protect us.”

Aside from authorizing agencies vital to the nation’s national security, the bill would require officials to provide Congress with detailed information about the mission that ultimately ended in the death of Osama bin Laden. 

Biden: Media Overplaying Violence In Iraq

During a meeting in Baghdad this morning with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden touted the security condition of the war-torn nation.

“Notwithstanding what the national press says about increased violence, the truth is things are still very much different,” he said. “Things are much safer.”

Biden referred to a series of attacks last Wednesday that killed 55 Iraqi civilians in different parts of the country as “dismal.”

The Vice President’s visit to Iraq, his fifth since taking office, purposely coincides with the withdrawal of the last U.S. combat brigade from there. The U.S. now has a total of 50,000 troops in Iraq…

Obama Promises to Bring Iraq War to "Responisble End"

President Barack Obama spoke today in Atlanta to the Disabled American Veterans, an event effectively marking the end of combat operations in Iraq, which is officially set to end on August 31.  Obama praised the troops and asked the nation to show respect for their sacrifice.  The president emphasized that his administration has “brought more than 90,000 of our troops home from Iraq,” making good on his campaign promise to bring the war to a close.  However, as the war in Iraq winds down, the war in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly more deadly to American troops.  Obama asked for support for the war in Afghanistan, saying, “if Afghanistan were to be engulfed by an even wide insurgency, al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates would have even more space to plan their next attack,” and that “as President of the United States, I refuse to let that happen.”

-Philip Bunnell