Toledo Blade
Friday, January 8th, 2010
WASHINGTON – President Obama yesterday ordered
intelligence agencies to streamline how terrorism threats are pursued
and analyzed, saying the government has to respond aggressively to the
failures that allowed a Nigerian man to ignite an explosive on a
jetliner on Christmas Day.
Mr. Obama directed the Homeland Security Department to acquire $1
billion in advanced-technology equipment, including body scanners, for
screening passengers at airports.
He said intelligence reports involving threats would be distributed
more widely among agencies. He instructed the State Department to
review its visa policy to make it more difficult for people with
connections to terrorism to receive visas, while making it simpler to
revoke U.S. visas when questions arise.
“We are at war,” Mr. Obama said, releasing an
unclassified version of a report on the attempted attack. He pledged
not to “succumb to a siege mentality” sacrificing
America’s civil liberties for security, but he called for
expanding the criteria for adding people to terrorism watch lists.
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