Published: September 11, 2008 01:29 pm      

Inhofe on national security: Reckless and out of touch

A large gap exists between the rhetoric of Jim Inhofe, who claims to be tough on national security, and the reality of how he has voted in the U.S. Senate. By stubbornly ignoring experts and the facts, Inhofe's national security "policy" has made us less safe.



The Bush/Inhofe foreign policy agenda has endangered America by diverting resources from the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the defeat of al-Qaeda. National Intelligence analysts now say bin Laden and al Qaeda are stronger than ever and plotting new attacks against the United States. But Jim Inhofe has a different point of view than military experts. "Having just returned from Afghanistan I can attest that we are making good progress on the ground there and I am encouraged by what I have seen." [US Fed News, "Sen. Inhofe Comments on Afghanistan Trip," 11/2/06].



"Jim Inhofe claims conditions are improving in Afghanistan, but experts find violence and instability to be increasing in the area," said Geri Prado, campaign manager for Andrew Rice. "Ignoring experts, commissions and voting against the best interests of national security is bad leadership and flat out reckless."



AL QAEDA, THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY, IS GROWING:

Al-Qaeda and the Taliban Are Increasing Their Coordination Across Afghanistan-Pakistan Border. "Al-Qaeda, which has been rebuilding in safe havens in Pakistan for over a year, has taken a prominent role in a new effort by the Taliban and other radical organizations to coordinate their operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 'We are seeing an increase in cooperation between the (Afghan) insurgents as well as the terrorists led by al Qaeda. They are increasing in their coordination,' said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, the top commander of NATO forces in eastern Afghanistan. 'They're cross-fertilizing their tactics, techniques and procedures and also again getting resourcing mainly from al Qaeda, who is the central player in the terrorism equation,' he told Pentagon reporters in a video link from Afghanistan." [Reuters, 2/26/08]

"Al-Qa'ida is and will remain the most serious terrorist threat to the Homeland, as its central leadership continues to plan high-impact plots, while pushing others in extremist Sunni communities to mimic its efforts and to supplement its capabilities. We assess the group has protected or regenerated key elements of its Homeland attack capability, including: a safe haven in the Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), operational lieutenants, and its top leadership. As a result, we judge that the United States currently is in a heightened threat environment." [National Intelligence Estimate, 7/17/07]



THE BUSH/INHOFE WAR IN IRAQ HAS CREATED AN OPENING FOR TERRORISTS IN AFGHANISTAN:

Violence in Afghanistan Increased 30% From 2006 to 2007. "Reporting to the U.N. Security Council, special representative for Afghanistan Tom Koenigs said while there was a dip in violence in the last two months, the number of violent incidents was still up 30 percent from last year. 'The sad result is a significant increase in the numbers of civilian casualties -- at least 1,200 have been killed since January this year,' Koenigs said, noting the United Nations had recorded 606 roadside bombs and 133 suicide attacks, up from 88 suicide bombs by the same time last year." [Reuters, 10/15/07]



Suicide Bombings in Afghanistan Have Surged Since 2001. "Suicide bombings, an Al Qaeda tactic, were never seen before 2001 in Afghanistan. Yet they jumped five-fold from 21 in 2005 to 139 in 2006, and they have increased by an additional 69 percent so far in 2007." [Center for American Progress, "The Forgotten Front," 11/07]



INHOFE IS VOTING AGAINST SOLUTIONS TO KEEP US SAFE AT HOME:

Inhofe Has Voted Against Funding For Port Security Over a Dozen Times. Since 2003, Inhofe has voted against increased funding for port security 16 times. Inhofe voted against increased funding to hire more inspectors to scan incoming containers and increased funding for the Coast Guard. [S. Con Res. 83, 3/16/06, #59; S. Con Res. 83, 3/15/06, #47; HR 2360, 7/13/05, #177; SC R 18, 3/17/05, #64; HR 4567, 9/14/04, #179; HR 4567, 9/9/04, #171; HR 4567, 9/9/04, #169; HR 4567, 9/8/04, #166; HR 2555, 7/24/03, #300; HR 2555, 7/23/03, #295; HR 2555, 7/23/03, #294; HR 2555, 7/22/03, #291; S 762, 4/3/03, #120; S 762, 4/3/03, #119; S 762, 4/2/03 #115; HJR 2, 1/16/03, #2]