Al Gore on Homeland Security 2000 Democratic Nominee for President; Former Vice President

Sub-sections under Homeland Security:
• Military Personnel
• Missile Defense
• Other issues under Homeland Security

Our government condones torture for first time in history

It is too easy--and too partisan--to simply place the blame on the policies of Pres. Bush. We are all responsible for the decisions our country makes. We have a Congress. We have an independent judiciary. We have checks and balances. We are a nation of laws. We have free speech. We have a free press. Have they all failed us? Why has America’s public discourse become less focused and clear, less reasoned? Faith in the power of reason--the belief that free citizens can govern themselves wisely and fairly by resorting to logical debate on the basis of the best evidence available, instead of raw power--remains the central premise of American democracy. This premise is now under assault.

Mass eavesdropping threatens integrity of Bill of Rights

Real danger to WTC is not terrorism, but rising sea levels

But if sea levels rose 20 feet worldwide, the site of the World Trade Center Memorial would be underwater.

Is it possible that we should prepare for other serious threats in addition to terrorism? Maybe it is time to focus on other dangers as well.

FBI targeted MLK with secret illegal wiretaps

For the last several years of his life Dr. King was illegally wiretapped. The FBI privately labeled King “the most dangerous and effective negro leader in the country” and vowed to “take him off his pedestal.” The government even attempted to destroy his marriage and tried to blackmail him into committing suicide. This campaign continued until Dr. King’s murder. The discovery that the FBI conducted this long-running and extensive campaign of secret electronic surveillance was instrumental in helping to convince Congress to enact restrictions on wiretapping. And one result was the Foreign Intelligence and Surveillance Act, [so] an impartial judge would verify that there was indeed a sufficient cause for the surveillance.

Bush is ignoring laws against domestic wiretapping

Just one month ago, Americans awoke to the shocking news that, in spite of this long-settled law, the executive branch has been secretly spying on large numbers of Americans for the last four years.

During the period when this eavesdropping was still secret, the president reassured the American people that, of course, judicial permission is required for any government spying on American citizens and that, of course, these constitutional safeguards were still in place. But, surprisingly, the president’s soothing statements turned out to be false. Moreover, as soon as this massive domestic spying program was uncovered, the president confirmed the story was true but in the next breath declared that he has no intention of stopping.

Bush is breaking the law and threatens our rule of law

Once violated, the rule of law is itself in danger. Unless stopped, lawlessness grows, the greater the power of the executive grows, the more difficult it becomes for the other branches to perform their constitutional roles. As the executive acts outside its constitutionally prescribed role and is able to control access to information that would expose its mistakes and reveal errors, it becomes increasingly difficult for the other branches to police its activities. And once that ability is lost, democracy itself is threatened and we do become a government of men and not laws.

Bush considers congressional authorization a useless bother

Bush has no right to imprison unaccused US citizens

• The president has declared that he has a heretofore unrecognized inherent power to seize and imprison any American citizen that he alone determines to be a threat to our nation, and that notwithstanding his American citizenship that person in prison has no right to talk with a lawyer, even if he wants to argue that the president has made a mistake and imprisoned the wrong person.
• The president claims that he can imprison that American citizen- any American citizen he chooses-indefinitely, for the rest of his life, without even an arrest warrant, without notifying them of what charges have been filed against them, without even informing their families that they have been imprisoned. No such right exists in the America that you and I know and love.

Bush allows torturing prisoners in breach of int’l law

This is a shameful exercise of power that overturns a set of principles that your nation has observed since George Washington first enunciated them during our Revolutionary War. They have been observed by every president since then until now. They violate the Geneva Conventions, the International Convention Against Torture and our own laws against torture.

After appearing to support legislation sponsored by Sen. McCain to stop the continuation of torture, the president declared that he reserved the right not to comply with the bill.

Congress is complicit in not overseeing Bush

And, in the case of the majority party, the whole process is largely controlled by the incumbent president and his political organization. So the willingness of Congress to challenge the executive branch is further limited when the same party controls both Congress and the administration. The executive branch time and again has co-opted Congress’ role. And too often Congress has been a willing accomplice in the surrender of its own power

Calls for special counsel to investigate Bush lawbreaking

1. A special counsel should be immediately appointed to investigate what many believe are serious violations of law by the president.
2. New whistleblower protection should immediately be established for members of the executive branch who report evidence of wrongdoing.
3. Both houses of Congress should hold comprehensive hearings into these serious allegations of criminal behavior on the part of the president.
4. The extensive new powers in the Patriot Act should under no circumstances be granted until there are adequate and enforceable safeguards.
5. Any telecommunications company that has provided the government with access to private information concerning the communications of Americans without a proper warrant should immediately cease and desist. Source: Al Gore’s speech on Constitutional issues , Jan 16, 2006

   Pre-9/11 warnings were as strong as Millennium threats

   Al Gore, from a speech in 2004:

   "[CIA's] George Tenet wrote, 'The system was blinking red,' when Bush was presented with a CIA report with the headline, more alarming and more pointed than any I saw in 8 years of daily CIA briefings: 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike in the US.'

   "The only warnings of this nature that remotely resembled the one given to George Bush were about so-called Millennium threats predicted for the end of the year 1999 and less specific warnings about the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. In both cases these warnings were followed, immediately, the same day--by the beginning of urgent daily meetings in the White House of all the agencies and offices involved in preparing our nation to prevent the threatened attack.

   "By contrast, when Pres. Bush received his fateful and historic warning of 9/11, he did not bring together the FBI and CIA and other agencies with responsibility to protect the nation, and apparently did not even ask follow-up questions about the warning."

   Source: The Truth (with jokes), by Al Franken, p. 37-38 , Oct 25, 2005

   We should focus on bin Laden, not Iraq

   No challenge is more critical than the situation we confront in Iraq. Regardless of your opinion at the beginning of this war, isn’t it now obvious that the way the war has been managed by Bush has gotten us into very serious trouble? We have to be crystal clear about terrorism. It is deadly. It is real. It is imminent. But in order to protect our people, shouldn’t we focus on the real source of this threat: the group that attacked us and is trying to attack us again - al Qaeda, headed by bin Laden Source: Primetime speech to the Democratic National Convention , Jul 28, 2004

   Troops are stretched thin and exhausted

   Our troops are stretched thin and exhausted not only because Secretary Rumsfeld contemptuously dismissed the advice of military leaders on the size of the needed force - but also because Bush’s contempt for traditional allies and international opinion left us without a real coalition to share the military and financial burden of the war and the occupation. Source: Speech on Iraq, with MoveOn PAC at NYU , May 26, 2004

   OpEd: Supported Star Wars in 2000 to avoid looking weak

   In the 2000 presidential race the national security question became whether we needed a "Star Wars" defense shield; if so, what size, how sophisticated, and how much money should we spend? Bush supported it because he wanted to appear strong on defense, and Gore supported it because he didn't want to appear weak. The American people were caught in the middle, basically without an alternative view. Source: A More Perfect Union, by Jesse Louis Jackson, p.409 , Oct 15, 2001

   The best technology makes U.S. military the best

   Q: What is the proper role for the military?

   GORE: The US has to be strong in order to promote peace and stability. We need to make sure that our personnel are adequately paid and that their pay is comparable to the competition from the private sector. I have supported the largest pay raise in many a year. I support another one now. I also support modernization of our tactical weaponry. I think one of the ways we’ve been able to be so successful in Kosovo and other places is by having the technological edge. Now, readiness. I propose $100 billion for this purpose.

   BUSH: We have an opportunity to use the great technology of the United States to make our military lighter, harder to find, more lethal. We have an opportunity to keep the peace. I’m going to ask the secretary of defense to develop a plan so we’re making sure we’re not spending our money on political projects, but on projects to make sure our soldiers are well-paid, well-housed and have the best equipment in the world.

   Source: St. Louis debate , Oct 17, 2000

   Help with landmine removal; ban them in 2006 but not now

   On land mines: “Gore has said he supports the current policy” [which is to spend tens of millions per year assisting with landmine removal, but to not sign the treaty banning mines]. “Gore adds that he intends to sign the treaty in 2006,” said a land mine expert. “But disturbingly, Gore has said recently that we may need to re-negotiate some parts of the treaty. Bush has not spoken out on the issue.” Source: National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” , Sep 7, 2000

   Keep America strong for challenges of newly free world

   I will keep America’s defenses strong. I will make sure our armed forces continue to be the best-equipped, best-trained, and best-led in the entire world. In the last century, this nation more than any other freed the world from fascism and communism. But a newly free world still has dangers and challenges, both old and new. We must always have the will to defend our enduring interests, and we must strengthen our partnerships with Africa, Latin America, and the rest of the developing world. Source: Speech to the 2000 Democratic National Convention , Aug 18, 2000

   Build-down military to smaller but more effective

   Since World War II, there have been several build-downs that have strained America military readiness. In contrast, the current Administration’s handling of the post-Cold War build-down has yielded a force that while smaller, is more agile, more powerful, and more effective at countering new strategic threats. The build-down can now be matched by a careful investment in further transforming the forces and endowing them with the cutting edge technology they will need to succeed in their missions. Source: AlGore2000.com Press Release, “Strengthening” , May 27, 2000

   Prepare for challenges of the information-age battefield

   To achieve the reconfiguration of America’s armed forces that will best prepare us to win on the information-age battlefield, Al Gore believes we must set our sights on 4 key challenges:
   1. Recruiting, training, and retaining a professional all-volunteer force of the highest caliber;
   2. Taking full advantage of America’s technological edge by arming our troops with the most advanced weaponry and deploying the most sophisticated intelligence and information systems;
   3. Developing and implementing new military strategy, updating operational concepts, modernizing organizations, and innovating systems -- in short, transforming the armed forces to meet future challenges; and
   4. Continuing to streamline and innovate in the Defense Department, producing more efficient management and releasing resources for critical defense needs.
   Source: AlGore2000.com Press Release, “Strengthening” , May 27, 2000

   Use military as last resort, only when effective & shared

   On when America should use its military:Gore has defined clear criteria for such decisions, based on the following factors:
   • Is the mission in our national interest;
   • Is military force the only option that can solve the problem;
   • Have we exhausted all other options;
   • Will military force solve the problem;
   • Do we have allies who are ready to share the burden; and
   • Is the mission’s cost proportionate to the objective we seek.

From day one: Transform to 21st century military strategy

Al Gore will use the Quadrennial Defense Review in the first few months of the new Administration to set a course for military strategy:
1. Defining a Military Strategy for the Future.
   • America must maintain its nuclear strength.
   • We must be ready to counter and repel cross-border invasions by conventional forces.
   • We also must ensure we can defend our cyberspace, and protect the nation against such asymmetrical threats as chemical and biological weapons, [as well as] combating terrorism.
2. Develop New Operational Concepts & Organizations for a 21st Century Military Strategy.
   • Gore will modernize & transform the armed forces into a versatile “information age” force that fully exploits America’s strategic advantages in people and technology.
3. Transform the Forces for a Forward Engagement Strategy.
   • With his long experience in defense matters, Al Gore will set defense priorities from Day One, providing clear strategic and policy guidance.

Forward Engagement: address problems before crises arise

Gore explained that America has entered a new Global Age, where we are not only faced with “classic” security threats, such as regional instability, ethnic rivalries, nuclear weapons, but also “new” security threats. These new challenges, including terrorism, drug trafficking, weapons proliferation, environmental disruption and disease, no longer respect national borders.

“At the dawn of the 21st century, we need a foreign policy that addresses the classic security threats - and understands the new ones as well,” Gore said. “We need to pursue a policy of ‘Forward Engagement’ - addressing problems early in their development before they become crises; addressing them as close to the source of the problem as possible; and having the forces and resources to deal with those threats as soon after their emergence as possible.”

Sensible increases in defense spending

2000: suppressed 1,400 overseas military ballots

Nation-building is part of world leadership

GORE: I don’t think we agree on that. I would certainly also be judicious in evaluating any potential use of American troops overseas. But the world is changing so rapidly. Like it or not, the US is now the natural leader of the world. All these other countries are looking to us. Now, just because we cannot be involved everywhere and shouldn’t be doesn’t mean that we should shy away from going in anywhere. But there is a difference [with Bush] here. This idea of nation building is kind of a pejorative phrase, but think about the great conflict of the past century, World War II. And acting upon the lesson of WWI, in the aftermath of WWII, we laid down the Marshall Plan; we got intimately involved in building NATO and other structures there. We still have lots of troops in Europe. And what did we do in the late 40’s and 50’s and 60’s? We were nation building.

BUSH: One of the lessons between WWI and WWII is we let our military atrophy.

US military is best in history of the world

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is unfair & hasn’t worked

A: The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has not worked. Furthermore, I believe that, as a matter of basic fairness, the policy should be changed. It is unacceptable that patriotic men and women who serve their nation with distinction are not only discharged, but suffer persecution and even violence. They should be allowed to serve their country without discrimination.

No soldier should have to rely on food stamps

Personnel: better pay; housing; family services; healthcare

People are the military’s most important investment. To ensure the best continue to serve, Al Gore is committed to:
• Reward Men & Women in Uniform with Competitive Pay.Gore supported the 4.8% pay increase [in 1999]. Gore supports another 3.7% across-the-board pay increase this year.
• Reform the Military Housing System. Ensure that all military members and families live in adequate, affordable housing. Gore will put the private sector to work building, owning and managing housing for the military.
• Improve Family Services. Gore would upgrade childcare facilities, improve educational opportunities for children, and invest in continuing education and employment services for military spouses.
• Invest in Health Care. Gore would fully fund the military health system and improve the TRICARE managed health program by cutting waiting time and expanding access to and reimbursement of civilian healthcare providers.
• Get Our Soldiers Off Food Stamps Now.

$1.2 billion in new education money for veterans

Gore’s plan would increase monthly payments to veterans and families by 25%, from $536 to $670. Gore said that would be the largest increase in their education funding since the program began 16 years ago as part of the GI Bill. Benefits also would be indexed to inflation and veterans could use the money for other types of learning during school breaks. Gore said no new money would be needed to pay for the increased benefits since they would be covered by the money available from the Veterans Administration. “We don’t give our veterans anything,” Gore concluded. “You have earned what you get with blood, sweat, and tears.”

Appointees must ENFORCE allowing gays; not AGREE with policy

Today, Gore suggested that he would apply a test of whether an appointee would follow orders. He said he would not demand that an appointee believe in allowing gays to serve openly, but he would ask for a commitment that he or she enforce that policy. Describing a hypothetical interview with a potential appointee, Gore said that a person would not be disqualified if he or she was uncomfortable with the policy. But he said that after asking the person to explain the reservations, he would “then ask, ‘Give me the reassurance that of course you’re going to do your best to implement it.’ And of course that goes without saying, because officers do that in our military.”

Full-scale “Star Wars” is unrealistic & too expensive

Nuclear unilateralism will hinder arms control

Gore said that the Clinton administration was already negotiating for bilateral cuts in nuclear arms and was considering a limited missile defense, but said the kind of approach recommended by Bush was misguided. “Reductions alone do not guarantee stability,” Gore said. “If you’re not careful, you could have a reduction of missiles and a more dangerous world.”

Build less powerful SDI; to keep ABM treaty & START III

The ABM Treaty is a prerequisite for the deeper reductions in nuclear arms that we are seeking in START III, which is under discussion with the Russians as we speak. [Further missile reductions] are possible only through careful negotiation. [SDI defending against rogue states] can co-exist with the ABM Treaty, if that treaty is adjusted. It can be compatible with further arms reductions.

Focus SDI on rogue states

The administration has been working on the technology for a national missile defense system designed to protect all 50 states from a limited attack at the hands of a rogue state. We believe, however, that it is essential to do this in a way that does not destroy the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The national missile defense system that the president will review this summer is intended to meet threats from proliferant states like North Korea while preserving strategic stability.

Test Ban Treaty is the tide of history; ratify it