political scientist
Political scientist and author of Circle in the Sand: The Bush Dynasty in Iraq
PROFILE
Christian Alfonsi
Guest
FROM Christian Alfonsi
Which Way, L.A.?
September 11: Advance Warnings and the War in Iraq Seven years after the 9/11 Commission's best-selling report, co-chairmen Lee Hamilton and Thomas Kean have issued a report saying the US is still not prepared for a major catastrophe. Though only Hamilton and Keane issued the " Report Card ," ten years after September 11, many questions remain. What about efforts to warn the Bush Administration about al Qaeda? Why did President Bush accuse Saddam Hussein? Has US intelligence strategy been improved?
To the Point
September 11: Advance Warnings and the War in Iraq The co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission claim in a " Report Card " that the nation is still not as secure as it should be, partly because intelligence lacks coordination. Lee Hamilton and Thomas Kean say first responders couldn't find each other on radios; Congressional oversight of homeland security and intelligence is "dysfunctional;" privacy, civil rights and the treatment of prisoners need further attention; and transportation security is a major concern. What about intelligence prior to 9/11? What did President George W. Bush know and when did he know it? Why did he insist that Saddam Hussein was involved? We talk with a former 9/11 Commission member, a former FBI agent who turned whistle-blower and a historian of two Bush Presidencies involved with Iraq, and hear how US intelligence has been updated since September 11.
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To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.