WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) today introduced legislation to require an annual comprehensive report on the status of U.S. efforts and the level of progress achieved to combat and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates under the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, no single report by the Executive Branch effectively assesses the ongoing status of efforts against al Qaeda and the overall battle against violent extremism.
“The previous Administration repeatedly told the American people that the United States was making significant gains in the fight against violent extremism, but these claims of success were not backed by sufficient information or transparency. In many cases, events on the ground contradicted these assertions.” said Senator Casey. “We now have a new Administration in place, but they should be held equally accountable for the progress of their efforts against Al Qaeda and splinter groups. This legislation will provide the American people with the information they need to assess whether or not we are winning this ongoing battle.”
“Nearly eight years have passed since the September 11th attacks, but the terrorist threat has not,” Senator Bayh said. “Al-Qaeda poses an ongoing danger to the security of the United States and our allies. While there has been progress against al-Qaeda’s core leadership, the group continues to plan attacks against us from Pakistan’s ungoverned tribal regions. The recent events in Pakistan, where another district recently fell under the sway of the Taliban, underscores the danger that al-Qaeda will continue to find safe haven in regions lacking effective governance. Our bill will ensure that Congress and the American people receive an accurate accounting of how our government is countering al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies using every tool in our arsenal— military, intelligence, economic, diplomatic, political, law enforcement, strategic communications, and public diplomacy.”
The report required under the Success in Countering Al Qaeda Reporting Requirements Act of 2009 would provide and document the following:
• A detailed assessment of the scope, status and progress of U.S. counterterrorism efforts in fighting al Qaeda and its affiliates abroad, including a specific list of the President’s highest global counterterrorism priorities and an assessment of where al Qaeda poses the greatest threat to global security;
• A description of U.S. counterterrorism activities (political, economic, military, intelligence, etc.) including a description of efforts to counter terrorist recruitment and financing and support public diplomacy efforts;
• A cross-cut analysis of the budgets of all Federal Government agencies as they relate to counterterrorism funding to battle al Qaeda and its affiliates abroad;
• An analysis of the extent to which specific Federal appropriations have provided a return on investment on efforts to combat and defeat al Qaeda;
• Statistical assessments by the National Counterterrorism Center on the number of al Qaeda members killed, injured or taken into custody.
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