Washington Week Show - # 4149
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Washington Week Show # 4149 - Homeland Security, Foreign Conflicts, Global Warming. Host Gwen Ifill, with guests include Gloria Borger, Pete Williams, Martha Raddatz, John Harwood. Composite footage (unclean) with Washington Week title and text : FBI directors being questioned at hearing; people standing in line at Customs terminal; rubber stamp; fingerprints being taken; U.S. President George W. Bush speaking to the press; Pakistani or Indian soldiers patrolling border; suicide bombing aftermath, destroyed vehicle, debris; nuclear power plant, zoom into factory smoke stacks releasing gray smoke.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
U.S. President George W. Bush addressing the nation: "Based on everything I've seen, I don't believe anyone could have prevented the horror of September the 11th. Yet we now know that thousands of trained killers are plotting to attack us and this terrible knowledge requires us to act differently." Gwen Ifill begins the segment with the announcement by the President to create an entirely new cabinet position: Dept. Homeland Security. President Bush speaking at an event in Iowa: "This is going to be a tough battle because we're going to be stepping on some people's toes, I understand that. You see, when you take power away from one person in Washington it tends to make them nervous, and so we're just going to have to keep the pressure on the people of the United States Congress to do the right thing, I believe it is going to happen." Gloria Borger of CBS News discusses how the idea of creating a new cabinet level position came to be. Footage of Colleen Rowley at hearing.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Pete Williams of NBC News addresses the complaints that Colleen Rowley leveled against the FBI/law enforcement, stating that the hierarchical process will not be changed much but the creation of the new department will aid in creating a central place for intelligence to be disseminated. Gwen Ifill asks about the timing of the announcement. Gloria Borger explains the political motives behind the timing of the announcements.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Pete Williams of NBC News recounts how testimony by FBI Director Robert Mueller suggests the FBI was not consulted regarding the new cabinet creation. Gloria Borger of CBS News understands why the FBI would feel this way and despite the administration's penchant for being very tight-lipped about the flow of information, was done to prevent any defense of the new proposal. Williams addresses a question regarding the fact that some of these agencies going into Homeland Security have international and other objectives that may not mesh with "homeland" priorities. Gwen Ifill asks Williams asks how the INS fingerprinting process of foreign visitors will help secure the borders from foreign terrorists.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Pete Williams of NBC News explains the INS process for those visiting the United States for more than a month, how that process has been lax, and how "high risk" visitors will be treated going forward. Gloria Borger of US News and World Report notes that the FBI and CIA will not fall under the purview of the new department and that a rivalry will still exist between them. Pete Williams acknowledges this, but the hope is that having the new department will help quell the information sharing issues between the two.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Gwen Ifill asks whether the creation of this new department (Homeland Security) could have prevented the September 11th attacks in the first place. Pete Williams of NBC News gives an example of how it can help prevent future attacks through coordinated efforts. Gloria Borger agrees. John Harwood of the Wall Street Journal asks about the ability of the government to create HS in the midst of war. Williams believes this will not be a problem.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Gwen Ifill introduces segment on India and Pakistan. Martha Raddatz of ABC News details the reason why the United States deployed envoys to cool the tension between the two countries. She explains why, despite the similarities to the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, the India-Pakistan feud could be more dangerous.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Pete Williams of NBC News asks why U.S. personnel was evacuated. Martha Raddatz of ABC News explains that such moves were made as precaution should tensions turn to war, exacerbated by the shooting down of an unmanned drone. Gloria Borger (US News and World Report) notes the Bush administration criticized the Clinton administration for being too involved in the Middle East, yet they are now being drawn in.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Gwen Ifill introduces final segment: the threat of global warming. John Harwood (Wall Street Journal) details the mixed messages the Bush administration is sending out by releasing the report and then the President playing down the findings. He also explains what the political fallout may be.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Pete Willams of NBC News asks John Harwood of the Wall Street Journal what prompted the Bush administration's global warming report to come out in the first place. Harwood notes it comes out every year. Gwen Ifill asks if there can be anything gleaned from this as to how the White House operates. Harwood answers by pointing out the the growing influence of Karl Rove, so to expect a more politicized image to materialize.
Washington Week Show - # 4149
Gwen Ifill thanks her panel of guests, wraps up the show. Credits roll.