Ex-official tells of security agency flaws

Rose Siding

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Fri Mar-18-05 09:46 AM
Original message

Ex-official tells of security agency flaws

A former inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security says the fledgling agency ignored warnings of security lapses, and Congress didn't address shortcomings identified by federal investigations.

"he record indicates there could have been and should have been more vigorous oversight in the first two years, which are the most critical and formulative years," said Clark Ervin, the department's first inspector general, whose recess appointment expired in December and who was not renominated.

He said the agency treated as suspect investigations and audits by his office on spending, airport screening lapses, lost and stolen passports that allowed entry into the United States and consolidation of the terrorist watch lists.

"The reaction was either to ignore our findings altogether, or belittle it and say the problem was not as serious as we made it out to be, or to say the problem was already solved and the report was old news," Mr. Ervin said.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050317-112953-2929r.htm

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TahitiNut

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Fri Mar-18-05 10:11 AM
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1. Oversight is apparently not compatible with renomination ...

... in the lockstep, kiss-ass, yes-man Bushoilini regime. After all, IG means IGnore, right?

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Rose Siding

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Fri Mar-18-05 10:21 AM
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2. The agency is so huge and no one in Congress...

wants to relinquish power. It was given to a committee that was already in over its head.

snip>
Oversight authority for Homeland Security was given to the already existing Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, which had numerous oversight responsibilities and last year focused on legislating intelligence reform and recommendations from the 9/11 commission.
....................

What were they thinking? In their spare time they'd oversee the largest govt reorg in history?

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struggle4progress

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Fri Mar-18-05 09:52 PM
Response to Original message

3. kick for boondoggles

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