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Time for FBI Director Mueller to Step Down
by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700
Copyright
April 27, 2013
All Rights Reserved.
Proving that he’s two-years overdue for
his retirement, it’s time for President Barack Obama to ask 68-year-old FBI
Director Robert Mueller to step down and look for his replacement. When
Boston was racked by twin-terrorist bombings April 15, it didn’t take long to
figure out that the FBI had already investigated, interrogated and cleared
Chechen-born terrorist 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev before he left for Chechnya
for advanced terrorist training. Six months after getting back to Boston,
the Cambridge-based terrorist detonated with his 19-year-old younger brother
Dzhokhar two pressure cooker bombs filled with shrapnel, killing three and
injuring 250. Mueller recently had egg on his face falsely accusing
Mississippi resident Paul Kevin Curtis of the ricin letter-attack on Obama.
While it’s easy to finger the wrong suspect, it’s egregious incompetence failing
to follow-up tracking a dangerous terrorist before he struck.
Since appointed by former President
George W. Bush Sept. 4, 2001, Mueller’s low-key approach helped him
survive over the last 12 years. Taking office only a week before
Sept. 11, Mueller’s claim-to-fame was helping intercept a number of potential
terrorist attacks before the April 15 twin blasts rocked the U.S. law
enforcement and intelligence communities to the core. Mueller told Sen.
Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) April. 22 that the FBI knew nothing about Tamerlan
Tsarnaev because his name was misspelled. At Russia’s suggestion,
the FBI interviewed Tamerlan in 2011, clearing him of radical activities, before
returning from Chechnya and bombing the Boston Marathon. Had Mueller
followed-up with Tamerlan, Boston’s twin blasts would have been prevented.
While it’s difficult for the FBI to track down all terrorist leads, a little
follow up with Tamerlan would have prevented the worst terrorist attack on U.S.
soil since Sept. 11.
Mueller found out the key to survival
in Washington is staying out of the news. As long as he spots elected
officials the lights, cameras and action, he keeps out of the spotlight himself.
“I believe he is well liked, even though I find fault with a lot of his
policies, or how he does things,” said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), making
more excuses. No one who messes up this badly deserves to keep his
job, in or out of government. “I think he’s well-intentioned . . .
Iit’s kind of difficult for me to criticize him even when there is a screw up,”
showing the kind of mediocrity that leaves the U.S. several paces behind many
European and Asian countries. While playing it low-key should go
down should be an everyone’s Washington Survival Playbook, retaining Mueller
reinforces to America’s enemies that the U.S. is a weak and incompetent country.
Mueller’s incompetence is precisely why he must accept responsibility and step
down.
Mueller had zero law
enforcement background before taking over the FBI only a week before Sept. 11.
Having worked at a U.S. attorney in California’s Northern District [1998-2001],
Mueller knew almost nothing about law enforcement. When Obama considers
his replacement, he should try to coax former Los Angeles Police Chief Bill
Bratton out of the private sector. Bratton understands law enforcement,
organized crime and terrorism inside out, possess all the experience and talent
needed to be an outstanding FBI director. While Mueller’s term doesn’t end
until Sept. 4, 2013, the switch is needed now. Because of Boston , it’s
appropriate for Barack to ask for Mueller’s resignation. ‘I thought [the
FBI] did fabulous in getting to the bottom of the Boston bombing, but as great
as that was, it was embarrassing to bring in a guy who had nothing to do with
the ricin mailings,’ said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), knowing little about
Boston.
Had Gohmenrt done his homework, he’d know that the Boston Police
tracked carjacking victim “Danny’s” cellphone, tracking the Mercedes SUV April
19 to Watertown. Following the Boston bombing case, it’s not rocket
science to figure out the FBI could have prevented the bombings by following-up
with Tamerlan. “I think he has been successful because he hasn’t been a
press hog,” said Grasley, showing, if nothing else, how low the bar's set for
the FBI. Surely Grassley holds the FBI Director to a higher standard
than muteness. Mueller knows he had Tamerlan in his sights, let him go and
failed to prevent the first major terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland since
Sept. 11. Mueller took no responsibility for the Nov. 9 ,2009
attack at Fort Hood, Texas by 39-year-old Army Psychiatrist Maj. Nidal
Malek Hasan, killing 13 and injuring 30. FBI officials downplayed
Hasan’s relationship with al-Qaeda’s Yemen chief Anwar al-Awlaki
Mueller needs to immediately resign for the egregious mistake of letting
26-year-old Boston-based Chechen terrorist Tamerlan Tsnaraev slip through the
cracks. Staying out of the limelight isn’t enough during a dangerous time to
continue Mueller’s tenure at FBI. Elected officials must expect more from
themselves and bureaucrats responsible for U.S. national security. No one on
Obama’s Homeland Security team can be there because they take a low-key
approach. Flashing his true feelings, Grassley spoke vaguely about Mueller’s
term, “Is to make sure we don’t get into this J. Edgar Hoover syndrome that no
one guy is indispensable,” leaving the door open for a switch. To show he takes
the FBI job seriously, Obama should signal for a switch and start the search at
the earliest possible time. Given how Mueller dropped the ball in Boston, the
public needs reassurance knowing that if someone on the National Security Team
falls asleep at the switch, they’ll get replaced fast.
John M. Curtis a>
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved. |
