Mukasey ‘surprised’ by scope of terrorist threats
cnn politics
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Attorney General Michael Mukasey has been taken aback by the scope and variety of potential terrorism threats facing the United States, he told reporters Friday at an informal meeting in his office.
“I’m surprised by how surprised I am,” said Mukasey, who as a federal judge presided over terrorism-related trials in New York.
“It’s surprising how varied [the threat] is, how many directions it comes from, how geographically spread out it is,” he said.
Mukasey issued no warnings, made no pronouncements and offered no suggestion of increased danger or newly detected plots.
He would not discuss specifics of potential threats, which remain secret.
The attorney general said that after meeting with his European law enforcement counterparts last week in Slovenia, he understands their degree of anxiety as well.
“They’re all concerned, and they’re all looking for ways to cooperate with the United States and with one another,” he said.
The attorney general used the occasion to once again urge congressional passage of a measure to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. An initial update, termed the Protect America Act, expired last month.
“I never thought I’d see that [expiration] happen,” Mukasey said. “The danger doesn’t fade.”
He also referred to the terrorism updates he receives in early morning national security briefings.
The people I hear about every morning, their fatwas do not have an expiration date,” Mukasey said.
The House has refused to bow to administration pressure to pass a version of the law that exempts telecommunications giants from legal action for taking part in the government’s program to eavesdrop without a warrant when one of the parties is inside the United States.
Critics said the program violated the law, and phone and Internet companies face as many as 40 lawsuits related to their participation.
The Senate has passed a version that includes retroactive immunity for the telecom companies.
Mukasey said Friday that he is open to “a creative compromise” but that he has no “particular basis for hope.”
“I’m hopeful, but if someone asked me for a reason, I’d be stuck for an answer,” he said.
When the law first lapsed several weeks ago, some intelligence may have been lost, but that the problem has been rectified, Mukasey said.
“There were a couple of days where we weren’t working as smoothly [with the telecom firms]. That has since been put back together,” he said.
“I don’t know what intelligence we missed,” he added.
Asked about the latest taped comments from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Mukasey shook his head. “Am I alarmed? I’m alarmed, I guess. I wish he weren’t in a position to issue them.
Wild Thing’s comment…………
Uh..this is our AG?? He sounds like Gomer Pyle…..”Surprise, Surprise”
So why doesn’t he “URGE” them to seal the darn border?
Sometimes I wonder if lawyers are really that smart or if they were just lucky enough to pass the bar?
And how many times did it take them to pass it?
I swear I’m smarter than this man.
Gee, all he had to do was read Brigette Gabriel’s articles at “American Congress For Truth” or “Jihad Watch” or “Religion of Peace” like we bloggers do.
Then maybe he wouldn’t have been so “surprised”.
What surprises me is that we haven’t been hit more often, what with these putzes running things.
What DO they do out there in the Swamp???
I wonder how the terrorism trials ended up that he presided over. Mukasey’s statements continue to prove that he is at the beginning of a learning curve on reality. And this simpleton is US Attorney General!!
Lynn, you are smarter then he is, a lot smarter. He is a figure head I think and nothing more, it must be what it is.
Yankeemom, I agree, for as little as they say they know no wonder the enemy has had all the help they need to set things up and plan.
Tom, yes, it doesn’t look like Mukasey would do any of that right either.