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Counter-terror programme wasted money, stepped
on civil liberties: US senate panel
Thursday October 04, 2012 08:11:42 AM,
RIA Novosti
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Washington: A US government programme
designed to boost security after the 9/11 attacks has instead
encroached on the personal lives of citizens while providing
almost nothing of value, a scathing Congressional report said
Wednesday.
The report by the US senate permanent subcommittee on
investigations finds more than 70 "fusion centers" created by the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pool intelligence
produced reports that were "oftentimes shoddy, rarely timely,
sometimes endangering citizens' civil liberties…and more often
than not unrelated to terrorism".
One senior Homeland Security official interviewed by investigators
said while some of the information was useful, "There were times
when it was, 'what a bunch of crap is coming through.'"
The report says up to $1.4 billion was used to fund the fusion
centers, and it highlights some questionable expenses, including
luxury vehicles and high-priced gadgets like "shirt button"
cameras and big-screen TVs.
It is based on a two-year investigation into how the centers were
run and the quality of reports that were produced.
"It's troubling that the very 'fusion' centers that were designed
to share information in a post-9/11 world have become part of the
problem.
"Instead of strengthening our counterterrorism efforts, they have
too often wasted money and stepped on Americans' civil liberties,"
said Republican Senator Tom Coburn, the subcommittee's ranking
member who initiated the investigation.
The fusion centers have been described by Homeland Security
Secretary Janet Napolitano as "one of the centerpieces" of the
nation's counterterrorism efforts.
DHS spokesman Matt Chandler said the report is "out of date,
inaccurate and misleading".
Chandler said fusion centers "play a key role by receiving
classified and unclassified information from the federal
government and… helping law enforcement on the frontlines better
protect their communities from all threats".
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