(Washington, D.C.)–Congressman Jim Langevin today joined with his Democratic colleagues on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security to call for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately address its ill-equipped Office of Information Analysis, the unit charged with assessing terrorist threats against the United States.

The press conference follows a hearing held Thursday on bioterrorism when Paul Redmond, Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis at DHS, revealed that the Department’s intelligence analysis unit is totally unprepared to analyze information to address the threat of terrorism in the United States.

“I was greatly concerned to hear during last week's hearing that the intelligence analysis unit in the Department of Homeland Security in unable to perform its critical duties,” said Congressman Langevin.  “Failure of this office to operate quickly and efficiently undermines the purpose of this newly created federal agency and places our nation at risk for future acts of aggression.  DHS must address this gaping hole that exists in our national security network.”

Redmond’s testimony provided eye-opening information about the office that analyzes threat information, including: the hiring of only one person to assess bioterrorism threats; inability to hire additional staff due to lack of office space; and the office's inability to receive sensitive intelligence information because its computer systems are ‘not hooked up properly.'  (Please see the attached sheet for other shortcomings discovered)

“The information received and analyzed by this office provides the federal government, and ultimately states, with critical information needed to allocate resources appropriately to respond to terrorist threats against the United States,” added Langevin.  “I urge Secretary Ridge to immediately address the shortcomings in the Information Analysis office to bolster our nation’s preparedness.”

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VULNERABILITIES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS OFFICE

The intelligence unit has only hired one person, a microbiologist, to analyze the totality of the threat to America from bioterrorism and plans on having only 2 or 3 more persons assigned to this task.  

The intelligence analysis unit has only 20 current employees.  It has identified 21 other people it would like to hire, but cannot do so because of a lack of office space.

This unit is not currently receiving any top secret or highly classified intelligence information, which it is supposed to have access to by law, because its computer systems are not hooked up properly.

According to Mr. Paul Redmond, DHS Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis, this intelligence unit is “not privy to” information relating to biological weapons that may have been in Iraq and now have possibly proliferated, and the unit “is not far along on the project” to analyze the information about that threat.

During a recent hearing, Mr. Redmond, was unable to provide any recent intelligence information about the threat to our nation from bioterrorism.

Mr. Redmond stated that he “had not considered” the potential threat arising from the fact that cargo transported on United States passenger airliners is not screened for security.  He recommended screening cargo as soon as possible.  Yet, Secretary Ridge testified at a Homeland Security Committee hearing last month that the Department had no plan in place to implement a cargo screening program at U.S. airports.

In a disturbing admission, Mr. Redmond stated that his unit was not analyzing information about terrorist threats arising from “far right wing organizations.”   Although our intelligence agencies cannot collect information about these groups, if the FBI collects information about possible terrorist threats from a domestic group the Department of Homeland Security should be aware of it.  

The above information was provided by the Office of Congressman Jim Turner, ranking member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security