During her Senate confirmation hearing for the director of national intelligence (DNI) position, Tulsi Gabbard asserted that the tragic events of September 11th could likely have been averted if not for the issue of government "stovepiping." This practice involves the direct delivery of intelligence to high-ranking officials without wider dissemination, hindering effective communication and collaboration.
Senator Roger Wicker, during the hearing, raised the widely acknowledged intelligence failures surrounding 9/11, highlighting the surprise nature of the attack despite the prior bombing of the World Trade Center. He directly questioned Gabbard about the role of stovepiping in this failure.
Gabbard unequivocally affirmed the senator's concerns, elaborating that post-9/11 analyses clearly demonstrated stovepiping at multiple levels of government. She emphasized the lack of information sharing between agencies like the FBI and CIA, describing it as "ships passing in the night." Gabbard argued that integrating these intelligence streams would have significantly increased the likelihood of preventing the attack.
Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence, testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Senator Wicker further probed Gabbard about the potential for future stovepiping issues, particularly in light of her proposed plans to streamline the DNI office for increased efficiency. He expressed concern that such restructuring could inadvertently recreate the vulnerabilities that existed in 2001. Gabbard acknowledged these concerns and underscored the importance of her proposed "fresh look" at the DNI's operations to ensure it fulfills its intended purpose.
Security measures surrounding the US Capitol Building. (Fox News Digital)
Gabbard's political trajectory, from serving as a Democratic House representative for Hawaii to leaving the party and subsequently endorsing Donald Trump, adds another layer of complexity to her nomination. Her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee represents a crucial step in this process, although reports suggest she may not yet have the necessary votes to advance to a full Senate vote.
Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on her nomination. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
