Days after the death of Osama bin Laden, two men were arrested in New York City as they attempted to purchase a hand grenade, guns and ammunition for an attack on a Manhattan synagogue while disguised as Orthodox Jews. It was one of at least 39 terrorist plots against the United States that have been foiled since 9/11. And though the attack was averted and bin Laden is lying dead in a watery grave, the terrorism threat remains, and much must be done to continue ensuring America’s defense in a …
Yesterday, the FBI arrested Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari for the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. His arrest marks the 38th successfully thwarted terrorist plot against the United States since 9/11. The FBI, with the help of concerned citizens, should be applauded for stopping the plot before it was able to mature. At the same time, it also highlights key failures of Congress and the Obama Administration in homeland security. According to the FBI, Aldawsari, a 20-year-old Saudi citizen and student at South Plains College in Lubbock, Texas, sent …
This week, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate are set to vote on reauthorization of three key counterterrorism provisions—two found in the PATRIOT Act and one in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. These provisions include: Roving surveillance authority, which is used by investigators, working within the law, to track a suspected terrorist as he or she moves from cell phone to cell phone. Business records orders under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, where business records and similar items are required to be disclosed …
Last night, despite a strong majority vote in favor of the bill, the House of Representatives fell seven votes short of the two-thirds they needed to suspend the rules and pass three key counterterrorism amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Many of the headlines you will read today will say things like “Patriot Act Extension Fails in House,” but the reality is that much of the PATRIOT Act was already permanently enacted. Of the three amendments to FISA at issue in last night’s vote, two were part of …
Analysis provided by Heritage Action for America House Cloakroom Report: February 7th - 11th Analysis: The House returns from their district work period week to discuss a variety of issues. Deliberations will begin on the Continuing Resolution package under the guidelines that the House Budget Committeeunveiled last week and what spending cuts will need to be made. Full and subcommittee hearing action will heat up through the middle of the week on issues such as unrest in Egypt and Lebanon, regulatory impact on jobs, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac reform, US trade policy, and the general dismal …
On Friday, May 21, 2010, Admiral Dennis Blair (ret.), the Director of National Intelligence resigned. What really matters in his resignation, however, is not Dennis Blair but the Obama Administration’s chaotic counterterrorism strategy—one that is proving incapable of effectively preventing acts of terrorism against Americans. President Obama has made it clear to the American public that he has changed course on counterterrorism matters. Terrorism is now viewed largely as a matter for law enforcement, not an actual war on terrorism. His actions demonstrate this new strategy. For example, he would …
This past Saturday evening at 6:28 p.m., a white male in his 40s drove a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder into Times Square, parked, departed the vehicle, and slipped down a nearby alley. Within minutes a t-shirt street vendor alerted authorities about smoke emanating from the vehicle and, after pedestrians had been cleared from the area, a bomb squad discovered that the SUV was packed with what was intended to be lethal incendiary materials. The device inside the SUV has since been described by investigators as “at the bottom of the food …
On December 25th there was a clear failure to connect the dots that could have prevented Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from boarding a plane bound for the U.S with a bomb strapped to his body. However, as explained last week at Heritage by former Homeland Security Advisor, the Hon. Kenneth Wainstein, the U.S. would not have even been in the position to try and piece together this intelligence information before the Patriot Act lowered the walls between intelligence and law enforcement. Immediately after 9/11, intelligence operators realized that they possessed too …
The President of the United States tomorrow will inform the Congress on the State of our Union, as he is constitutionally mandated to do. The past 12 months have seen our country head down a dangerous course, and The Heritage Foundation can only hope that the President will use this time of reflection, coming on the heels of a stunning electoral loss, to change direction. You must recognize, Mr. President, that the State of the Union is not good. You need a new approach and fresh domestic and foreign policies. …
Days before President Obama plans to present his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Osama Bin Laden sent his own message to the American people. According to CNN “A new audio tape allegedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden claims responsibility for an attempt to blow up a plane en route to Michigan on Christmas Day and warns the United States of more attacks.” The report added, “The tape, which aired on Al Jazeera on Sunday, says ‘the United States will not dream of …
