WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former 9/11 Commission Co-Chairmen Governor Tom Kean and Congressman Lee Hamilton, co-chairs of the Bipartisan Policy Center's National Security Preparedness Group, issued the following statement regarding the recent attempted terrorist attack:

"The attempted terrorist attack on Christmas day underscores that the threat of international terrorism remains strong. The 9/11 Commission recommended a Director of National Intelligence (DNI), in part, to facilitate the sharing of vital national security information. This episode shows the need to support and strengthen the DNI's authority. Reforming U.S. intelligence is a multi-year process requiring sustained support from the White House and the Congress."

The Bipartisan Policy Center's National Security Preparedness Group (NSPG), which is co-chaired by Congressman Lee Hamilton and Governor Tom Kean, is a successor to the 9/11 Commission. The NSPG has been conducting a five-year review of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act and the effectiveness of the DNI. The study is ongoing. Congressman Hamilton and Governor Kean have accepted an invitation to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on intelligence reform in February.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:

In 2007, former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell formed the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. The BPC acts as an incubator for policy efforts that engage top political figures, advocates, academics, and business leaders in the art of principled compromise. Currently, the BPC conducts projects in the areas of transportation, health care, energy and climate change, science, and national and homeland security. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/

SOURCE Bipartisan Policy Center

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