CIA chief defends actions, says al-Qaida still a threat

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CIA chief defends actions, says al-Qaida still a threat

Thursday, February 7, 2002

By MICHAEL HEDGES
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

WASHINGTON -- CIA Director George Tenet warned yesterday that events such as the Winter Olympics remain likely targets for terrorists, while Senate critics grilled him over the agency's failure to prevent the terrorist attacks Sept. 11.

In his first public testimony since the assaults on New York and Washington, Tenet told the Senate Intelligence Committee members, "Al-Qaida leaders still at large are working to reconstitute the organization and resume its terrorist operations."

The al-Qaida organization run by Osama bin Laden remained an "immediate and serious threat," Tenet said. "High-profile events, such as the (Winter) Olympics ... also fit the terrorists' interest in striking another blow within the United States that would command worldwide media attention."

He added, "We know they will continue to plan; we know they will hurt us again. ... We have to minimize their ability to do so because there is no perfection in this business."

Tenet, as leader of the United States' top intelligence agency, was held accountable by some committee members for what they called a string of recent intelligence failures.

"All of us owe the American people an explanation as to why our intelligence community failed to provide adequate warning of such a terrorist attack on our soil," Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., told Tenet, referring to the attacks Sept. 11.

Tenet sought to defend the agency, saying CIA work had stopped terrorist operations over the past year. "We know we stopped three or four American facilities from being bombed overseas," he said. "We know we saved many American lives."

As for a failure to detect the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, Tenet said, "We never had the texture that said the day, time and place of the event inside the United States that would result in Sept. 11.

"It was not the result of the failure of attention and discipline and focus and consistent effort, and the American people need to understand that."

Tenet said the war on terrorism, "has dealt severe blows to al-Qaida and its leadership." Nearly 1,000 al-Qaida operatives in more than 60 countries have been arrested, and terrorist operations have been disrupted, he said.

President Bush publicly voiced his support for Tenet, who was appointed CIA director by President Clinton, soon after the September attacks. In the months since, the CIA director has kept a low profile in Washington. Given their first public opportunity to question Tenet, senators took a tough tone yesterday.

"Why were we utterly unaware of the planning and execution of the Sept. 11 attacks? In other words, what went wrong?" asked Shelby, a longtime CIA critic.

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said his constituents wondered over cafe meals why so-called American Taliban John Walker Lindh could meet with bin Laden, but the CIA couldn't get close to him.

"You'd better tell everybody at the cafe that it's not true," Tenet said, hinting that the CIA had penetrated bin Laden's inner circle. He offered to elaborate in a closed session with lawmakers.

That closed session took place late yesterday.

In the open hearing, Tenet was forced to admit he had no idea where bin Laden was today, or whether he was alive or dead. He did say that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is likely alive and inside Afghanistan.