Good intelligence is clearly critical to our ability to stop terrorist plots, and that is why I am very concerned about the decision to quickly charge Abdulmutallab in civilian court.

the idea that there is resistance on this is really troubling to me.

But you did have the authority to deploy people to these high-risk posts.

From my perspective, the State Department clearly had sufficient information to revoke Abdulmutallab's visa.

I guess what I am troubled by is it is still discretionary in a way.

What worries me about that approach is it seems to me to not really be risk-based and to encourage terrorists to travel through other countries or use citizens of countries that are not on the 14-country list.

The government should immediately identify and suspend the visas of all persons listed in the broadest terrorist database.

I think it is very troubling that it was not and that three key intelligence officials were not asked their opinion.

From my perspective, the State Department had sufficient information to revoke Abdulmutallab's visa.

It seems to me you would want to just build it into the system so that it is not a choice.

I would like to ask you, Mr. Healy, and you, Mr. Travers, I know you are looking at that standard, but in your judgment, is that standard too high for listing someone.

It is evident to me that you are going to get more information over a lengthier period of time than you are over just a few days.

It sounds deja-vu all over again.

Well, it seems to me that everybody in TIDE ought to be identified and then brought in for an interview and a determination made.

Our government's efforts to detect and disrupt terrorist plots must be strengthened.

That is not how I read the law.

We know that those interrogations can provide critical intelligence, but the protections afforded by our civil justice system as opposed to the military tribunal system can encourage terrorists to lawyer up and to stop answering questions.

I know it is probably not realistic to promise the American people that we will stop every attempted terrorist attack on our homeland, but I feel very strongly that must be our goal.

Should an individual who is known to associate with known terrorists be on at least the Selectee List for additional screening?

I think that it is unacceptable that fewer than half of the 36 countries currently participating in the Visa Security Program are now sharing all the information on dangerous individuals that is supposedly required to take advantage of…

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 fundamentally changed our intelligence community.

But my question is not the desirability of the policy. It is trying to establish authority.

Clearly, there needs to be one in Yemen.

It is my understanding that the request has been in your office for a year.

Do you believe that the Department has the authority to establish a visa policy that would require the suspension of all visas held by the individuals in the TIDE database pending further investigation?