Breaking down the White House Report (so you don’t have to)

Just read the Summary of the White House Review of the December 25, 2009 Attempted Terrorist Attack.

It goes on for way too long. Here’s Mike’s Summary of the Summary of the White House Review of the December 25, 2009 Attempted Terrorist Attack:

Cogent Points:

1) Because no single individual had personal responsibility for following up on this specific case, analysts failed to consult all available databases for information about Mr. Abdulmutallab. Because the intelligence community is set up with redundant systems and overlapping responsibility, this means more than one person failed to consult all available databases.

2) Because of a typo by a State Department employee, the fact that Mr. Abdulmutallab already had a U. S. visa went unnoticed. This is okay, however, because the State Department never would have revoked his visa because employees in the Counter-Terrorism community (see point 1) had not yet pulled together the relevant facts to show the man was a threat to the United States—his having a visa for a visit to the United States probably ranking high in that whole threat assessment.

3) Sifting data is hard work because little nuggets come buried in big piles of data. (Most of it in Arabic or other languages we don’t understand.)

Executive Action Plan:

1) Detail employees to actually take responsibility for following up and using all available resources in doing that follow-up. Also, learn to spell.

2) Detail bosses to set up committees to make sure employees are accountable for their work. When heads have to roll, we want lots of paper to show which heads it should be.

Mike’s suggestions:

1) Hire more analysts, preferably those who can understand the languages the terrorists use. (Deucedly unsporting of them not to speak English.) If there is too much data, put more people on the problem.

2) State Department: hire clerks who can spell.

3) Make sure one of the available databases is the list of everyone who has a visa to enter the United States; and/or those who are already here.

4) Do not worry about folks who complain about screening devices that look under clothes. They have a choice. Get screened or stay home. Travel is not compulsory. (Besides, folks already have given up complaining about TSA employees pawing their underwear in suitcases, so the hubbub over scanner picks hitting Facebook will die pretty quickly.)

5) Implement the rest of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, including screening cargo containers coming into the US.

Yes, I know. Next time I hit an airport it’ll be a full body cavity search for me. I hope they at least have warm hands.