Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC. Blair held meetings with Pakistani-Americans as the United States expands its drone attacks on militants in the South Asian nation, his office said Wednesday. (AFP/Getty Images/Mark Wilson)
We previously blogged about a DNI press release where he referred to suicide bombings as "new tactics." Today's testimony topped that gaf when he recommended to senators that the AQAP Christmas airline bomber should have been interrogated by a unit that has yet to form as opposed to the FBI.
Intel Chief Dennis Blair’s Embarrassing Walk-Back
“My remarks today before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs have been misconstrued,” Blair said in a statement just emailed to reporters. “The FBI interrogated Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab when they took him into custody. They received important intelligence at that time, drawing on the FBI’s expertise in interrogation that will be available in the HIG once it is fully operational.”
Intel Chief's Comments Infuriate Obama Officials
Obama administration officials were flabbergasted Wednesday when Director of National Intelligence Adm. Dennis Blair testified that an alleged Qaeda operative who tried to blow up a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day should have been questioned by a special interrogation unit that doesn't exist, rather than the FBI.
Intelligence Chief Slams Handling of Christmas-Bomb Case
The nation's intelligence chief said the man accused of trying to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day should have been questioned by a special interrogation team instead of being handled as an ordinary criminal suspect.
U.S. team should have questioned Nigerian: spy chief
The top U.S. intelligence officer said on Wednesday that a group set up to interrogate terrorism suspects should have been used when a Nigerian man was arrested in Detroit on suspicion of trying to blow up a U.S. airliner.
More cluelessness in the Obama administration?
Not only did Blair, Napolitano and Leiter go AWOL on civilian prosecution, they turn out apparently to be under-informed about the status of the HIG. It's not yet operational and couldn't have been called in, even if that had been a good idea. Blair issued a retraction.
Intel chief concedes errors in Christmas bomb case
The nation's intelligence chief on Wednesday conceded missteps in the government's handling of the Christmas Day airline bombing attempt, but his comments about the failure to use a special federal interrogation team may have amounted to a misstep of his own.
Right now, it is a very close race between Napolitano and Blair as to which one will resign first.
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