A contentious "Rightwing Extremism" report that warned of military veterans as possible recruits for terrorist attacks against the U.S. was not authorized, has been withdrawn and is being rewritten, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Capitol Hill lawmakers.
"The wheels came off the wagon because the vetting process was not followed," Ms. Napolitano told the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. "The report is no longer out there," she said.
"An employee sent it out without authorization."
The last line had me ROFL. There wasn't any anonymous rogue employee at the Dept of Homeland security like Janet Napolitano says there is. She knew full well what was being sent out and authorized it. If she doesn't know what is being broadcasted on all channels out of the department that she runs, she is incompetent.
She goes on:
"It was not authorized to be distributed. It had not even completed its vetting process within the department.
There was a vetting process done on the report the media started torching it before it was officially released and lawyers warned that it shouldn't be distributed by DHS. Did Napolitano listen to anyone of these "vettors"?
No, I'm afraid that she didn't.
Even some Democrats were taken aback by the report:
Rep. Christopher Carney, Pennsylvania Democrat, said that as a veteran he "took offense personally," and his constituents were offended by the report as well.
"It really hit home hard to me and in our district," Mr. Carney said. "It's not a good start when I go to town hall meetings and I hear people calling for your resignation."
Ms. Napolitano said the report titled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," is not the only report she has seen that says veterans are targets for recruitment by racist and other hate groups.
"It was an assessment, not an accusation," Ms. Napolitano said.
"It didn't say that," Mr. Carney interrupted.
She tries to put the blame on an anonymous person in her department releasing the report before it was supposed to and that "appropriate personnel action is being taken" to resolve the issue. Unless that "appropriate personnel action" includes a her resignation letter, it won't resolve the issue.
