Joe Lieberman

The attack of November 5, 2009, was a tragedy and we're very grateful for the efforts that you've made.

I think your suggestion is really an excellent one.

It was also a terrorist attack in my opinion.

What Senator Lieberman and I have suggested in our letter to Secretary Gates is that same kind of focus, squarely admitting what the problem is.

Do you think the Services should issue a similar type of pamphlet with the same kinds of recommendations to address the threat of violent Islamist extremism, because that is the reality.

I think it's also critically important... that we recognize the specific threats posed by violent Islamist extremism to our military.

I am encouraged by that because obviously we know that the Islamist extremist terrorist movement is operating, and others who want to threaten our security, operating globally.

Please take back both to the Department and then to any individual case where a chief of mission says, 'No, I do not want the Visa Security Program,' that they have to find room.

We have to continue to remain vigilant and to work together at all levels of government.

I think, I hear there remains a serious turf battle... between the Directorate of National Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency.

I really want to urge you to not find any excuse acceptable by the chiefs of mission for not having a Visa Security Program.

Those are two big steps forward, and I appreciate them.

The refusal or slow walking in sharing information with us is really not acceptable because of the higher priority that we have to give to homeland security.

The bombing that was attempted on last Christmas Day, was another wake-up call for our law enforcement officials.

We are prepared to be the bad cops here. This is really important, and we are counting on you to make sure it happens.

The goal is to have an integrated intelligence community that is more than the sum of its parts.

My guess is, if you ask the American people what they would want us to do, they would say, I want you to protect my security. I am willing to give up a little of my privacy for that.

But we can do better, and that is part of our job to continue as the oversight committee to push on this.

Yes, but what about the case that we had with Abdulmutallab.

I do not want to diminish privacy concerns, but to me, they must be secondary to the quest--just as you said, one mistake and people get killed.

So now, that information would go immediately to that person from the embassy?

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Committee to discuss intelligence reform and interagency integration.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do legislatively to expedite that process for you.

So we have the equipment to do that kind of search now across the databases?

I thought--it may have been because of his personal background, too--he was asking reasonable questions.