9/11 panel co-chairman promotes international cooperation, civil rights

The co-chairman of the 9/11 commission outlined how the government can develop a more effective counterterrorism strategy on Wednesday, but warned against creating an intrusive, overly expensive "homeland security industrial complex."

Government agencies must be better at identifying threats, sharing intelligence, promoting integration of efforts, and building international cooperation, said Lee Hamilton, former Democratic congressman and vice chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Hamilton gave a keynote speech during a forum in Washington sponsored by the Council for Excellence in Government.

While he gave his speech, Senate and House conferees met on Capitol Hill to hammer out a final agreement on overhauling intelligence programs.

The House and Senate have significant differences in portions of intelligence legislation related to immigration, border controls and how much power a new national intelligence director should hold.

Hamilton and former N.J. Gov. Tom Kean, who was chairman of the commission, sent conferees a letter Wednesday asking them to drop the most contentious portions of legislation that do not directly relate to the commission's 41 recommendations.

"We believe we are better off with broad bipartisan agreement on key recommendations of the commission in support of border security than taking up a number of controversial provisions that are more central to the question of immigration policy than they are to the question of counterterrorism," the two men wrote.

During his speech Wednesday, Hamilton emphasized the need for international cooperation and protection of civil rights while pursuing counterterrorism goals.

"Every single action you take in counterterrorism is strengthened if you have international help," he said. The United States needs a "sustained counterterrorism coalition" that works multilaterally and bilaterally on counterterrorism efforts, especially through the United Nations, NATO and the Group of Eight industrialized countries, he added.

"You cannot secure your own skies without securing international aviation," Hamilton continued. "You cannot get the best intelligence without assistance from international partners."

Once intelligence reform legislation is passed, Hamilton will focus on pushing foreign policy recommendations made by the commission.

"The great challenge to American foreign policy in the decades ahead is how to relate to the Muslim world," he said.

Hamilton cautioned, however, that the government must guard against overly intrusive and expensive homeland security efforts, adding that one of the toughest challenges facing policymakers is setting priorities.

"Don't kid yourself, homeland security is expanding the role of the government hugely--not just in money, not just in people, but by intrusion into your life," he said.

"We are now developing in this country a homeland security industrial complex," Hamilton added, making reference to former President Dwight Eisenhower's admonishment to the country in 1961 about a growing "military-industrial complex."

The results on how homeland security funds are being spent so far are "decidedly mixed," according to Hamilton.

"Too often," he said, "pork and politics, not priorities, are dictating where the money goes."