QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL

Preventing Future Attacks Inside the United States

Designated Commissioners: Fred Fielding and Jamie Gorelick

Background: This panel represents the heads of the key intelligence offices of the
government responsible for collecting, analyzing, warning and operating against the
terrorist target. We want to use this hearing to sort out which of these offices is
responsible for analysis and warning and how they have rationalized their seemingly
duplicative responsibilities.

1. Please explain to us which of you is responsible for providing warning of terrorist

attacks against the United States and how you are providing that warning now as
opposed to before the attacks of 9-11?
2. Who is in charge of raising and lowering threat levels - yellow, orange, red, etc.?
What are the criteria for changing threat levels?
3. When an attack is looming, which of you is responsible for warning the appropriate
officials in the private sector of possible attacks on the transportation sector, the fuel
sector, or the health and emergency care sectors? Who is responsible for these alerts?
4. Who is responsible for transmitting threat information to state and local law
enforcement agencies and other agencies? For example, if your offices were
functioning prior to 9-11, which of you would have been responsible for warning the
NY City Port Authority to evacuate the World Trade Center South Tower when it was
clear that terrorists had hijacked multiple aircraft and had already hit the North
Tower? Who is responsible today in such a circumstance? Can warning be provided
in 20 minutes? How do you guard against duplication of effort and multiple, mixed
messages?
5. How have you jointly coordinated your information security and information
technology investments to allow the free flow of information across your offices and
among the many agencies and departments that have relevant information on
terrorism? How have you established secure communications links with state and
local governments?
6. How many of your offices man 24 hours watch centers? How are these centers linked
with each other and with other centers around Washington? How many watch center
are necessary?
7. All of you are based in the Washington area. How are you ensuring that training,
best-practices, and equipment are getting to your respective field components and
being used appropriately? How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the field?
8. Which of you is responsible for performing strategic analysis that in the future would
help to determine how terrorists may plan to attack the United States like the use of
commercial aircraft as weapons? What steps have you collectively taken to "red
team" your analysis?
9. What institutional changes are you making to ensure that we have all the best minds
focused on analysis that will help us avoid the next terrorist attack? How are you
incorporating the views of experts from outside government into your analysis?
10. Each of you heads an organization that is a member of the Intelligence Community.
What guidance has the DCI provided to you? What has he done to ensure that you
have the resources to perform your responsibilities?
11. What is the role of the Homeland Security Council in guiding and overseeing your
collective analytic, operational and warning activities? How is this oversight
performed?
12. Which Congressional Committees have oversight of your activities and how have
they influenced your planning to date? What has been the impact of Congress on
your activities?
13. How are you currently mobilizing to help with counterterrorism efforts regarding the
upcoming summer Olympics and the US Presidential election?
 Panel Participants Summary
Preventing Future Attacks Inside the United States

President of the United States President of the United States

National Security Advisor Homeland Security Advisor

Rice Gordon

Director of Central Intelligence Secretary, Department of Homeland

Tenet Security
Ridge

Director, Terrorism Threat Integration

Center Under Secretary of Homeland Security
Mr. John Brennan for Information Analysis &
Infrastructure Protection Directorate
Libutti

Assistant Secretary for Information

Analysis
Mr. Patrick Hughes (Lt. Gen., Ret.)

President of the United States President of the United States

National Security Advisor Attorney General

Rice Ashcroft

Director of Central Intelligence Director, Federal Bureau of

Tenet Investigation
Mueller

Deputy Director of Operations

Mr. James Pavitt Counterterrorism Division
Mr. John Pistole

Director, Counterterrorist Center

(Under Cover)