CNN American Morning - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: AMERICAN MORNING 07:00

HEADLINE: Interview With Sen. Pat Roberts About 9/11 Commission's Findings; Relatives Of Lori Hacking Speak Out; Howard Dean Speaks About Democrat Party's Message

GUESTS: Sen. Pat Roberts, Lance Hacking, Thelma Soares, Howard Dean

BYLINE: Bill Hemmer, Heidi Collins, Jack Cafferty, Michael Holmes, Fredricka Whitfield, Carrie Lee

HIGHLIGHT:
Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, has been briefed on the 9/11 Commission's findings and recommendations. Relatives of Lori Hacking discuss the details about the missing jogger. Former Democratic Presidential Candidate Howard Dean speaks about his party's message before next week's Democratic National Convention.

BODY:
HEMMER (on camera): And again, a few hours from now, 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, the commission investigating the 9/11 attacks unveils its final report. That happens today.

Here is some of what we know. The report, almost 600 pages long, 1,500 footnotes, is expected to outline 10 operational opportunities missed by U.S. officials to detect or unravel the plot of 9/11. It will recommend the creation of a cabinet-level intelligence chief along with major changes in both the structure and the culture of the FBI.

In addition to this, a source telling CNN, that report concludes the main reason the U.S. was unprepared for the attacks was because intelligence responsibilities were spread too widely across the government. Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, has been briefed on the findings and the recommendations. He is our guest first up this morning.

Senator, good morning to you.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Good morning.

HEMMER: I want to go back to the surveillance videotape from yesterday. Based on the findings of the 9/11 Commission, how did what we see right now happen on 9/11?

ROBERTS: Well, we weren't prepared. The commission, I think, does a good job. It doesn't blame either president; it said mistakes were made. And it listed four failures: a failure of imagination, a failure of capability, a failure to really appreciate terrorism as a real threat-I think that's the one that certainly pertains to your videotape-and then also a failure of really not putting terrorism as a priority with a cold war mentality.

But the most important thing about this report: It doesn't look in the rearview mirror and point fingers of blame. It gets on beyond that and makes recommendations.

We just finished, as you know, a 511-page report on the Intelligence Committee, and we made conclusions that beg for reform. These are the reforms.

These are going to shake up Washington. This is a sharp poke in the ribs to Congress to get our act together and also the executive. I think it's a good report.

HEMMER: Also in that report it's recommending the House and the Senate get together on an Intelligence Committee, create one committee as opposed to two separate. Are you opposed to that?

ROBERTS: Well, basically, they recommended two choices: either have a House and Senate committee that has real clout, or put one together. So, we'll have to determine that.

We're going to have this 9/11 Commission come to the committee in September and give their full report. And by that time, we'll be able to check all of the details. We already started hearings yesterday on lessons learned and what we do in regards to the reform of intelligence.

But I will tell you that this report is going to cause a little concern up here in terms of people who really care about turf, and it also is going to call for major change in the intelligence community. So, this isn't tinkering around; this is a major reform after a major report by the Intelligence Committee.

HEMMER: Well, you just stepped right into the next area, regarding turf and turf battles in Washington. Is it even logical to think that lawmakers in both chambers of Congress will tear down the walls of division between them and come together on a committee like this?

ROBERTS: Well, let me just give you an example. Tom Ridge at the Homeland Security Agency has appeared before 80 different committees in the Congress. That's ridiculous.

I had a bill two or three years ago to solve that. It got nowhere. I won't say that it is probable, but it is definitely possible. This is a work in progress. And as I've indicated with the 9/11 Commission, it has such bipartisan support, if we're going to get this job done, this is a real catalyst to get that job done. And on the Intelligence Committee, we're ready to accept that challenge.

HEMMER: All right. In that report, you mentioned your previous answer about Congress being fingered in this, as well. Also, recommendations talking about a national counter-terrorism center, a national intelligence director. All of this would have to pass through the walls of Capitol Hill.

Is this a good idea, or is it just more bureaucracy?

ROBERTS: Well, now that's-you know, that's a good question. On the national intelligence director, there are several members that have bills to do that. We've just had a hearing on that yesterday in the Intelligence Committee.

In regards to a national counter-terrorism center, that's-basically, we ought to be able to do that because that would be an expansion of what we call the Threat Information Center and the Homeland Security Agency. They call that TTIC.

But basically, it says all intelligence would be funneled through this center so that everybody would know what's going on, and the analysts would have a better product, and our first responders in all the communities around the country would know what's going on.

I think these are doable things. But as I say, this is sort of a sharp elbow in the side of the Congress to say, let's get our act together. And the Intelligence Committee stands ready to do that.

HEMMER: Senator, the reality is, it's July 22nd. It's an election year. We're diving thick into it on Monday morning in Boston with the Democrats meeting there.

Can you even say today whether or not these laws will be passed before this election, or is it safer to say 2005 is a much greater target?

ROBERTS: Oh, I think 2005, I think, is the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. And it's also the recommendation that Senator Rockefeller and I have agreed after we hold these wise men and women hearings, have the 9/11 Commission in.

We're in the midst of a very volatile and very tough campaign. A lot of-you know, politics is not a bean bag, but there are a lot of hand grenades been, you know, tossed around.

So, I think we ought to educate ourselves, learn the details of this report. And I would imagine that the major action would take place after the election. And that's probably proper.

HEMMER: Senator, thanks. Pat Roberts, Republican from Kansas. Thank you for your time this morning.

ROBERTS: Thank you, sir.