December 14, 2009
Mr. David Sweetwood
28 Charters Circle
Donnelly, Idaho
83615
Dear David:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the recent attack at Fort Hood. I share your concern and welcome the opportunity to respond. I, too, was shocked and distressed to learn of the violence at Fort Hood. As a father of five, my heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones or whose loved ones were injured in the attack. The frustration and concern you expressed is shared by many individuals. The associations and actions by Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan prior to this violent attack are alarming. His behavior and rhetoric with fellow staff members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was certainly questionable and should have been addressed. The inaction of his supervisors needs explanation. Additionally, I am particularly astonished to learn of his communications with a radical Muslim cleric who has ties to al-Qaeda; communications that were intercepted by the U.S. intelligence-gathering agencies. The circumstances and evidence available thus far surrounding the shooting at Fort Hood suggests a clear breakdown of interagency intelligence sharing and response. As you know, President Obama has called on Congress to delay any Congressional investigations until the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Army investigators conclude its criminal investigation. However, I support a full and thorough Congressional investigation into this horrific event as soon as possible. As directed in the Constitution, Congress has the authority and responsibility of oversight and investigation. If the events at Fort Hood were a result, in any way, of institutional limitations or deficiencies of information sharing and preemptive action, Congress must not delay in establishing the necessary corrections that could prevent future attacks. The Senate Homeland Security Committee recently held a hearing as part of a committee investigation of the November 5 attack at Fort Hood, Texas, focusing on what Major Hasan's possible motives, whether the government missed warning signs that should have led to expulsion, and what lessons we can learn to prevent future attacks. While I am not a member of the committee, I look forward to reviewing the panel's findings. In addition, the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee plan to hold similar hearings on this issue. These committees are making necessary preparations for public hearings, but remain in the beginning stages of their investigations. In the post-9/11 climate, we as a nation must remain vigilant and resolute in our determination to work together to make our nation safe. Securing our nation against traditional foes and the threat of terrorism is an ongoing conflict that has introduced new challenges for the United States government. As we move forward, our nation must remain capable of adjusting to meet these evolving threats. Please rest assured that I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress in supporting legislation that protects the safety of all Idahoans and Americans from those who wish us harm. Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website,
http://crapo.senate.gov.
Sincerely, Mike Crapo United States Senator
