American Morning
CIA lies and security breaches
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/09/intv.townsend.cia.art.jpg caption="Townsend says Congress should be careful issuing letters on intelligence matters."]
On Capitol Hill, a scathing letter has gone public. It’s from House Democrats who say the CIA hid intelligence from Congress and misled lawmakers for eight years after 9/11. Shockingly, the source is their boss, CIA Director Leon Panetta. It begs the question, should we expect the nation's top spy agency to keep some secrets?
CNN National Security Contributor and former Homeland Security Advisor to the Bush administration, Fran Townsend spoke to Joe Johns Thursday.
Joe Johns: Let's look at the letter that's been making the rounds so far, it says recently you testified that you've determined that top CIA officials have concealed significant actions from Congress from 2001 to this week. This comes from six democratic members of congress. What do you make of that letter?
Townsend: You know, Joe, I think because of the controversy over the Nancy Pelosi briefings, people are going to put these things together. This morning I spoke to both White House and CIA senior officials who confirm to me that these two issues, the Pelosi briefings, which Panetta made perfectly clear she had been briefed honestly and fully and this issue are completely unrelated. These are two separate issues. What happens is oftentimes the CIA and other agencies will go up and do briefings. They'll go back and realize they inadvertently left information out. Things they were unaware of that they didn't tell Congress. You want them to come back up. I suspect what happened here is, they realized there was something that was not included in the briefing and they did the right thing – they notified the Congress. We got to be careful with Congress issuing letters on intelligence matters and playing politics with the intelligence community. It may have just the opposite effect of what they want, which is full and complete information.
Johns: Let’s dig a little deeper on that. If you step away, back away from it, you know one thing, Pelosi challenged the veracity of the CIA. She challenged the fact that they were being truthful. Now you look at this letter that comes out. Even though we don't know all of the between-the-lines information, does it look like she is vindicated? Should she be vindicated? Or does it just look like her colleagues in the House are trying to make it look like she's vindicated.
Townsend: I think it's the latter, Joe. I think her colleagues are playing politics with this to try to make her look vindicated. CIA issued a statement through a spokesman yesterday making clear that Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, stood by his statement issued in May related to the Nancy Pelosi briefing. That's done. It's clear that she was briefed. It is clear CIA fulfilled their obligations there. This is a separate matter. That’s why I say it's very dangerous for the House of Democrats to be playing politics with the intelligence community; when you want them to do, if they’ve made a mistake as an oversight matter, is come up and tell you about it. I really think this is a pretty dangerous game they're playing.
Johns: There’s also a behind-the-scenes fight going on right now on Capitol Hill as to whether more people on the Hill should be privy to certain information that comes out of the intelligence community or whether just that gang of eight, certain specific individuals on Capitol Hill who get to see this stuff, should continue to see the stuff. Do you think that’s part of the politics of this letter coming out?
Townsend: I think you're right to raise it. I suspect it is. We should tell our viewers that the administration has issued a statement that the president’s senior advisor will recommend he veto the legislation if the briefing numbers are expanded. The reason for that is, we understand the more people that know, the more likely it is that critical information and classified information will leak. It's very dangerous. What you want is an effective oversight by the people who know the most and have responsibility in the area. That’s why there's the gang of eight. But you don't need 40 members all knowing this critical and classified information that may put lives at risk if it leaks.
We Listen – Your comments 7/8/09
Editor's Note: Wednesday’s American Morning audience voiced frustration at the state of the economy, believing that neither political party had the right answers. Some blamed the Bush Administration for the poor economy, and others suggested giving money to the people, wondering “how can I stimulate the economy without money.”
- William: It seems the two political parties have no answer for the economy. I think it is time to turn to the third party moderates. I think the typical CNN pitting of the left and the right in a standoff over the issues is no longer worthwhile. It is time to get away from the extremes of the two party system.
- Linda: It took 8 years of Republican rule to put the "finishing" touches in our economy. Yet, the MSM will keep pounding the right wing talking points of "where are the jobs"!! How idiotic do they think we are?? President Obama is expected to "fix" all our massive problems in 6 months. Also, speaking of idiotic, despite Sarah Palin’s demonstration of incoherence and incompetence, she is still being touted as a viable candidate!! Mark Sanford is merely "censured" for dereliction of duty, (in addition to his disastrous press conferences explaining his sexual and spiritual infidelity), when they voted to impeach Bill Clinton for much less. At least Clinton didn't disappear for a week, and call Monica his "soul-mate"!! All this stuff is merely another demonstration of how the media is still being controlled by the Republican party. Hopefully, the next important elections will show that the electorate has finally wised up to this nonsense, and give Obama and our Democratic congress a fair chance to fix the mess these people have gotten us into. By the way, we notice that "Gonzo" finally got a job. With a little "help from his friends" in Texas.
- Carl: I'm sorry, what was the Republican response to the recession they initiated? Was it let the free market correct the problem. Every time they criticize the Obama Administration by mincing words from top officials within the administration they show that they still have no plan to help the American public. Except Chuck Grassle who thinks his health insurance is above the American publics, and if we want the same insurance we should get a government job. You guys need to call these do-nothing, philosophical elitists on there plans for the problems our country faces when they step in front of your microphones and complain instead of offer ideas of their own.
- Mike: THINK JOE'S STATEMENT, SHOWS NEITHER OBAMA OR HE, DID ANY HOMEWORK ON THE ECONOMY ALTHOUGH THEY PLAYED THE 'BLAME GAME' SUPERBLY AND THEN COMPOUNDED THE ERROR WITH PELOSI'S 'STIMULUS" !!
- Gary: more talk about another stimulus package...GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE, GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE!!! I AM OUT OF WORK!! HOW CAN I STIMULATE THE ECONOMY WITHOUT MONEY...GIVE IT TO THE PEOPLE!
How do you feel about the state of the economy? Is the stimulus working for you? What has President Obama and Congress done well regarding the economy? What would you like to see them do differently?
2009: A different kind of Gary
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/08/palace.gary.art.jpg caption="(Getty Images) The marquee at the decaying Palace Theater advertises the Jackson Five July 7, 2009 in Gary, Indiana."]
By Stephen Samaniego – Producer, CNN's American Morning
After spending a few days in Gary, Indiana one thing is clear: this is not the same town Michael Jackson grew up in. When Michael was born back in 1958, Gary was a thriving steel town with a population of almost 180,000 people.
When I was speaking with Gladys Johnson, the former principal of Garnett Elementary School where Michael attended, she spoke of a place where new schools were being constructed, people were buying land and building new homes, and people had good paying jobs that afforded them a decent life.
Today, things are different. Jackson’s elementary school has been torn down, most of the houses built are now crumbling and the unemployment rate is in the double digits.
Driving through the streets of Gary, I could see the shell of what it once was. Gordon Keith, the former owner of Steeltown Records, told me about the exploding music scene that Gary hosted. While driving around with Gordon, he would point out an abandoned building, a pile of rubble or even an empty lot that used to be a music club or watering hole that would showcase local talent.
I stopped by Mr. Lucky's, the bar where the Jackson Five performed when they first formed. It was shuttered and appeared to have bullet holes through the front door and part of the roof had collapsed into the front of the former bar.
It is clear that Gary, Indiana has seen better days but the people that remember its glory days are still there and remember what it used to be.
Bomb parts smuggled into 10 federal buildings during test
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/08/goa.bomb.art.jpg caption="A GAO report cites lax security in federal buildings after investigators got bomb compenents past guards."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Plainclothes investigators sent to test security at federal buildings in four U.S. cities were successful in smuggling bomb components through guard posts at all 10 of the sites they visited, according to a government report.
The investigators then assembled the bombs in restrooms and freely entered numerous government offices while carrying the devices in briefcases, the report said.
The buildings contained offices of several federal lawmakers as well as agencies within the departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security, which is responsible for safeguarding federal office buildings.
CNN obtained the report late Tuesday, ahead of its expected release Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, conducted the tests to check on the effectiveness of the Federal Protective Service .The FPS protects federal buildings by having about 1,200 federal law enforcement officers oversee an army of 13,000 private security guards.
In a videotape obtained by CNN, a covert GAO inspector places a bag containing bomb components on an X-ray machine conveyor belt and then walks through a magnetometer at an unidentified federal building. Unlike some covert tests that use simulated explosives, the GAO used actual bomb components in the test and publicly available information "to identify a type of device that a terrorist could use" to damage a building.
Wal-Mart making its debut in India
In the Holy City of the Golden Temple an American retail giant is hoping to strike gold.
Walmart has finally made its way to India, in a joint venture with one of the country's best-known companies: Bharti Enterprises. But not everyone can shop here. This is a wholesale store aptly named "Best Price Modern Wholesale." Here only licensed business people, hotels or institutions are allowed in.
India's strict business rules forbid foreign companies from direct retail for fear multinational corporations will wipe out the little guy. For some businesses…it can mean visiting up to 25 different places everyday just to stock the shelves. The store also appeals to Sundar Singh, who owns a small store in a nearby village. He says, "I travel 40 kilometers, but I save a lot of money and get good quality of products. I visit this place four to five times a week."
But not everyone is excited about the new store in the Punjab's Amritsar. Small distributor Pawan Sharma is worried. He says his business has dropped by 15-percent in the month Wal-Mart has been open. But the Bharti-Walmart partnership says with more than one-billion people to serve, there's room for everyone to do good business here.
Bharti-Walmart is planning to open 15 stores across India within the next few years.
Two Michael Jackson fans beat the 1-in-182 odds
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/07/06/intv.mj.tix.winners.montanya.maousos.art.jpg caption="Montanya (left) couldn't believe her luck after winning the coveted Michael Jackson memorial tickets."]
More than a million people signed up online to say good-bye to the king of pop. One-point-six million fans thought they hey had no shot. Late last night close to 9,000 die hard Michael Jackson fans got the e-mail they were hoping for, saying they'd won two tickets to the star-studded tribute at the Staples Center in Los Angeles tomorrow.
Two fans who beat the one-in-182 odds, Deka Montanya and Nick Manousos spoke with CNN’s Alina Cho and Kiran Chetry Monday.
Alina Cho: I should mention, Deka that you are the lucky winner and Nick is the boyfriend of the lucky winner so you get to go Nick. I just want to say, Deka I read your twitter post here, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG I got tickets to the Michael Jackson memorial service. Does that pretty much sum up how you feel about this?
Deka Montanya: Yeah, I didn't quite know what to think. I opened the e-mail, I showed it to Nick and I was like is this real? We just stared at it for a minute. And then Nick’s like oh my gosh. I twittered it because I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what else to say. Just oh m gosh oh my gosh I got it. It wasn't expected. It was completely unexpected.
Chetry: So now you guys have to kick it into high gear, make your plans, figure out how to get down there. You're in San Francisco; you've got to get down to LA. I’m sure flights aren’t easy t o come by. There's going to be a lot of people flying into LAX. How are you planning on get there?
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