Will the efforts of the 9/11 Commission and 9/11 victim families go to waste? The LA Times reports (free registration req'd):
"Despite his public support for restructuring the nation's intelligence community, President Bush has done little to ensure that reforms modeled on the recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission pass in the coming lame duck session of Congress.
And the legislation, which has run into stiff opposition from the Defense Department, is thought to have little chance of passage when a new Congress begins work next year."
POGO has been somewhat critical of aspects of the Intelligence reform legislation, especially the possibility of increased secrecy that could, however, be fixed (also see "The harm of too much secrecy," The Houston Chronicle, free registration req'd.) The bills currently have language that may expand a troublesome exemption to the Freedom of Information Act—the intelligence “sources and methods” exemption that the government abuses.
Yet, killing the needed reform of America's intelligence community is short-sighted and disingenuous of politicians--who all tout security as a priority--especially the White House.
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