Jul 22 2004

Graham Statement on 9/11 Commission’s Report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made the following statement on release of the 9-11 Commission’s report. “I was very impressed by the details of the report. They highlighted numerous occasions where intelligence regarding the 9/11 hijackers was not shared between agencies. This is a serious problem we must continue to remain aware of in our efforts to avert future acts of terrorism. “The Commission’s recommendation of a national counter-terrorism center where you have one-stop shopping for intelligence information is an idea I support. I am confident Congress will fully review and analyze all of their recommendations. “In meeting earlier today with Chairman Kean and Vice-Chairman Hamilton, I brought up the topic of what regimes support Al-Qaeada and other terrorist organizations? They indicated there are different levels of support, but the Commission made clear they support our government adopting a no-sanctuary policy. “It’s going to be my goal to not only support restructuring of intelligence agencies, but to be more aggressive dealing with countries that provide sanctuary and support to terrorists. Without a no-sanctuary policy it will be very difficult to control terrorist organizations.” #####