An ex-spy tells eastern Iowans the U-S needs to do more intelligence-gathering to avoid another nine-eleven-style attack. Former C-I-A agent Robert Steele says the Bush Administration is not maintaining control of the still-deadly situation. Steele says the White House is not making sensible decisions but is being driven by secret deals with the oil companies and others it’s trying to please, rather than the American public. Steele predicts there -will- be another attack like the September 11th tragedy unless significant changes are made. The Homeland Security Bill, proposed by the President and passed by Congress, does not make America safer. He says in the 38-billion dollars worth of “handouts,” exactly 200-million dollars for intelligence. Steele says there’s nothing in there for state and local intelligence, counter-intelligence and “real” security. He says the program is being run by an “idelogical minority” and a military industrial complex that makes things that don’t work.Steele says U.S. leaders need to get serious about funding the homeland security initiative. He says funding needs to be taken from the current 38-billion to 75-billion a year while giving state and local leaders the power to detect, prevent and disrupt terrorism in their neighborhoods. Steele spoke recently to the Dubuque Area Committee on Foreign Relations.
