MeetingofTeam5:SamBrinkley,SusanGinsburg,TomEldridge,andJanice,
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Kephart-RobertswithVice-ChairmanHamiltonandChrisKojm
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NotesTakenbyBenRhodesDeadline:LeebeganbyaskingtheteamiftheywereonscheduletomeettheCommission'sdeadline.SusanGinsburgrepliedthattheycouldhave something bythedeadline.Currently,theyaredistractedbydocumentrequestsandpreparationforhearings,andhavenotconcentratedonputtingtheirnarrativetogether.Documents/Subpoenas:SusanGinsburgsaidthereweredelaysindocumentproductionfrommultiplesources.Theteamisnegotiatingwithseveralagencies-State,DHS,Do.I,DoDandCIA-andthediscussionshavebeentime-consuming.Shesaidtheproblemisnotthewillingnesstocooperate,butratherthetimespentindiscussion,andthelackofdocumentsinsomecases.Forinstance,theINSdoesnothavemuchattheseniorleveloncounter-terrorism,andthustheteamisdependinguponinterviewsforitsnarrative.TheTeamisalsowaitingforaresponsetoarequestforminutesfromlowerlevelINSmeetingsonterrorism.TheTeamisyettoevaluatesomedocumentsfromDoJandFBI,butsofarsogood.TomEldridgeaddedthatStatehasbeenverycompliant.SusanGinsburgconcludedthatshedoesnotrecommendasubpoena.ShefeelsthattheTeam'sproblemsarebeingattendedto,withtheexceptionofDoDandthedetaineeinterviewissue.LeeurgedtheTeamtokeephimorChrisabreastofanyproblems,andsuggestedthatheand/orChairmanKeancouldintervenepersonally(shortofasubpoena)ifaproblemarises.Report:TheTeamisworkingtowardsthreedocuments-apre-9lllassessment,a9/11narrative,andanassessmentofpost-9lllactionsandrecommendationsforthefuture.Theonlyonetheyarecurrentlyworkingonisthepre-9lllassessment.TheTeam'hastwobenchmarks:thehearinginJanuary,andPhilipZelikow'sfirst-draftdeadlineofMarch1.SusanGinsburgsaidtheTeamhasaheavyload,contributingtotheDecember8hearingandtheJanuaryhearing.SamBrinkleysuggestedthatthestaffstatementfortheJanuaryhearingwouldbeusefultowardsdraftingthereport,andsuggestedatime-managementstrategytoTeammembers.Leesaidthereporthasdifferentaudiences.Theextendedmonographwillbegearedtowardsexperts.TheExecutiveSummaryisforadifferentaudience-thegeneralpublic,andalotoflocalandstateofficialswhoneedtobebetterinformedaboutborderprotection.ThustheExecutiveSummaryshouldbewrittendifferently-simpleandclear,withoutmuchWashingtonjargon.LeesaidtheTeammustexplaintheproblem-howtherearemillionsofpeoplecomingin_____~andoutofthecountryandthousandsofmilesofborders.TheTeamhastoworkinrisk-management-whatdomanagersonthisproblemconfront,andwherecantheybestapplyresources?Costisabigissue.
Recommendations:TheTeamraisedtheissueofvettingrecommendationswithCommissioners.LeesaidhispreferenceisfortheTeamtoprovidetheCommissionwithguidance.HesaiditisbetterfortheTeamtoidentifythekeyrecommendationsthenfortheCommissionerstosortthroughfiftyorsixtyrecommendations.LeesaidtheTeamshouldbepreparedtooffertheCommissiontheprosandconsofkeyrecommendations.LeesaidtheTeamwouldhavetoevaluatestepstakensince9/11.Forinstance,howareagenciesrespondingtoDHS?IsDHSdoingthejobofcoordination?HoweffectiveisthePATRIOTAct?Whatisbeingdoneaboutdisruptionsinthevisaprocess?HesaidthisisaproblemforAmericanforeignpolicy,andhehaswrittentoSecretaryPowellaboutit.Watchlists:SusanGinsburgsaidwatchlistswouldbeanareaoffocusfortheTeam.Todothis,theTeamislookingmorebroadlyattheintelligencecommunity.Thereisstillnosingleagencyresponsibleforthesewatchlists.TTICdoesnothaveacleardirectivetoassumethisresponsibility.
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issueisalsodisseminationofthewatchlists,whichisstilldonelargelybytheFBI-DHS'sroleinthisisnotyetformed.ThreatAssessment:LeesaidtheTeamwillhavetoaddressthethreat.Whataretheweakspotsinbordersecurity?SusanGinsburgsaiddetaineeinterviewshaveawealthofmaterialonthis.TheTeamsaididentitysecurityisabigproblem-terroristsaregoodatfalsifyingdocumentsandadjustingtheirstatusoncetheygetintothecountry.US-VISIT:LeeaskedaboutUS-VISIT.TheTeamsaidthatAsaHutchisonisrunningtheprogramatDHSandwilltestifyatthehearinginJanuary.Leeaskedifthetechnologyisready.TheTeamsaiditis,butdisseminatingittoeveryportofentryisadifferentissue.Potentialproblemsarecostover-runsandthroughput.Thesystemisestimatedat 3-10billionandwillbephasedinincrementally.SamBrinkleysaidUS-VISITisthelargestsystemsintegrationinthehistoryofthe
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-largerthananythingDoDhasdone.LeesaidtheTeamhadtobeawareofthecostofanythingtheyrecommend.TheTeamsaidtheyaretalkingtopeopleatOMBaboutUS-VISIT.VisaAuthority:Leeaskedwhohasauthorityforvisas-StateorDHS?'TheTeamsaidthatStatedoes,butthereissomestatutorychangetakingplaceandsomeauthorityisbeingcededtoDHS.DHShasanOfficeofVisa-Enforcementandissendingpersonneltosomecountries(eg.SaudiArabia).VisaInterviews:Leeaskedifthenewinterviewstandardsareagoodidea.TomEldridgesaidno,hethinkstheyareover-inclusive.Greaterscrutinyisneeded,butthereareseriousdisruptionsinplaceslikeSouthKorea.Leeaskedaboutprofiling.WhydoweneedtoscrutinizeblondwomenfromSweden?TomEldrigdesaidwehadtoconsiderthepossibilitythatalQaedawoulduseblondwomenfromSweden.DHS:LeeaskedaboutDHS.TheTeamsaidtheyhaveheardsomebadthings.LeesaidhehearsDHSisamess.HeunderstandsthatsettinguptheDepartmentisexceedinglydifficult.Butwehavetobeardown-Energyisover20yearsoldandstillamess.
Ports/PushingPerimeterBack:Leeaskedaboutports.SamBrinkleysaidTeam7wastakingports.Leeaskedaboutpushingtheperimeterbackingeneral.TheTeamsaidthereweregoodideasapplicabletocargoandpeople.Forinstance,the trusted-shipper programand trusted-traveler programsfacilitateentryforlegitimatecargo/travelers.Philosophically,youhavetothinkaboutkeepingbadthingsandbadpeopleoutofthecountry-notjustslowingeverythingdown.Thisdemandspre-screeninginhost-countries.SamBrinkleyandTomEldridgesaidcurrenteffortsatpre-screeningatmajorportsinSingaporeandAmsterdamwouldbeinstructive.CivilLiberties:LeesaidhewantstheTeam-andCommission-tolookatcivilliberties.HesuggestedthereportbytheLawyersCommitteeforHumanRights.HesaidtheAmericanpeoplewillhavetobepreparedformoreintrusivenessandlessprivacy.TomEldridgesaidtheTeamislookingattheuseofimmigrationlawsagainstterrorism-inparticular,thesweepsofimmigrantsafter9/11.TheTeamislookingtowardsthequestionofhowwewouldrespondtoanotherattack-thepost-9/11sweeps,hefeels,didnotyieldanything.9/11:Leeaskedabout9/11-couldthehijackershavegottenintoday?SusanGinsburgsaidtheyareevaluatingthehijackersdocumentationandmethodsofadjudication.SheraisedthepossibilitythattheTeammighthavenewfindingsthatdifferfromoraddtothe
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ointInquiryReport.Leesaidthereportwouldhavetoanswerthequestion:aretheAmericanpeoplesafer?Eveniftheanswerisjust somewhatsafer thatwouldmakeadifference
scaredthehelloutofpeople.LeesaidhehasneverrecalledtheAmericanpeoplebeingsoconcernedwiththeirownvulnerability.TheCommission-broadly-willhavetoeducatepeopleaboutthethreat.IsitjusttoNewYorkandWashington,ordopeopleinSwitzerlandCounty,Indiananeedtobeconcerned?.Focus/InterfacewithCommissioners:LeesaidtheTeamwillreallyhavetofocustheCommission'sworkonborders-mostCommissionershavehardlylookedattheseissuesandtheywillneeddirection.LeeinvitedtheTeamtocallhimwithanyoftheirconcerns.Leeisalsoanxiousthattherecommendationsbepoliticallyfeasible-hedoesnotwanttotakesomethingonthathasnochanceofpassing.TheCommission'smustbepracticalandpragmatic.
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