WASHINGTON, DC-The U.S. Senate adopted an amendment by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) 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 legislation, based on a bill they introduced in April, was adopted as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that the Senate passed last night.
“I am pleased that the Senate has adopted this important amendment to provide the American people with the information they need to assess whether or not we are winning the ongoing battle against terrorism,” said Senator Casey. “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. 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.”
“Passage of this amendment means the executive branch will be required to keep the American people fully informed of progress against al Qaeda and related terrorist groups,” Senator Bayh said. “Nearly eight years have passed since the September 11th attacks, but the terrorist threat has not. The challenge of al Qaeda and its terrorist allies remains one of the greatest threats to the security of the United States. The group continues to plan attacks against the United States from Pakistan’s ungoverned tribal regions, underscoring the danger that al Qaeda will continue to find safe haven in regions lacking effective governance. It is vital that Congress and the American people receive an accurate accounting of how successfully our government is countering this threat, using all our available resources, including military, intelligence, economic and diplomatic tools.”
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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