Unlock Watch Bulletin Free from White House
Your guide to Washington and the world for the 2024 election of the United States
The writer was a ranking member of the US House Intelligence Committee after 9/11. He is the author of the protection of madness: why we face difficult national security problems make us less safe ‘
Washington This week’s major National Security team of the President Donald Trump used an unclassified messaging application to discuss sensitive military operations and to add a journalist by accident. Although the political fall is in the spotlight, the more danger is located abroad – the allies are in a place where the United States has been trusting in the US most sensitive intelligence. This confidence can create dangerous blind spots in detecting threats.
I first saw how intelligence failures cause the disaster. As a rating member after 9/11 of the House Intelligence Committee, I helped investigating the warnings of the most harmful divisions in modern history and the missed warnings against the weapons of Iraq. Since then, the intelligence community worked hard to share information and strengthen the analysis.
But these gains are fragile. More than a quarter of Americans have not been born on 9/11, and the relevance of this moment has decreased for many. Today, we are distracting again – as partisan battles, economic uncertainty and political rises, as our enemies are watching. Can we face another major attack on American land? My answer is yes.
Russia’s cyber interference with US officials to expand US officials from US officials China’s cyber espionage and geopolitical maneuvers, these enemies are already using American vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, work and al-Qaeda remain active.
9/11 classes were painful: Happiness invites disaster. The threats we face are real and require solvent action to prevent another attack. So what should we do?
Wake up first. National security is not only the government’s case – it also requires a knowledgeable and engaged community. Americans need to recognize the risks we face today and require accountability from leaders to ensure security.
Second, we must double in intelligence and intelligence sharing. Five eye partnership with England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have prevented terrorist sites against the United States. However, the latest reports show that some allies have revalued intelligence cooperation with Washington. It should be a national priority to restore confidence with our allies and strengthen intelligence sharing agreements.
Third, the United States must strengthen the main areas of the federal and state response. The Department of Homeland Security was established to serve as an integrated defense against a large number of threats after 9/11. However, DHS, immigration application and sources were directed to the rules of emigration, and we witnessed part of the qualified specialists of other national security agencies. When the loss of institutional expertise needed to prevent terrorist attacks to prevent expensive projects – as the proposed “Golden Dome for America”, we will not be able to resolve today’s most current threats.
Fourth, Congress must return to the game. The Congress must restore the leadership of the bipartisan over intelligence and defense before the movement of another tragedy. Deputies ensure that national security does not be sacrificed for short-term political battles, must forculate critical cyber security and anti-terrorist programs.
Finally, we must use all the elements of national power. The commission on the National Defense Strategy I managed not only to prevent military power. This requires a approach to each other, which adopts diplomacy, economic strategy, intelligence and technological innovation, plus partners and allies.
There are bright memories for walking in the morning of the United States in the morning on September 11, the building was the target of 93rd flight. Only the crew of his passengers and the crew prevented the countless others from saving the countless others. In this case, Capitol, the senate and home intelligence committees operating on a bipartisan, merged to protect the country.
Now, for more than two decade, the risk of violating new warnings and intelligence is a serious risk of sharing sensitive plans in the application of undesigned messaging. The question is, we repeat our mistakes or worse, will we make further mistakes?
