September 30, 2014
By Bryant Jordan
WASHINGTON – The chairman (click here) of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will ask the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the U.S. Secret Service's failure to prevent a knife-carrying intruder from running through the White House before being apprehended.
U.S. Rep. Darryl Issa, R-California said he did not think the Secret Service could adequately investigate its own failures.
"It is the considered view of the chair, and I believe in concurrence with the ranking member [Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland], that an internal investigation by the Secret Service is not sufficient," Issa said. "I will be working on a letter to the ... Department of Homeland Security asking for a more aggressive and grater independent investigation."
Issa, whose call for an outside investigation was supported by Democrats, spoke during a hearing where Secret Service Director Julia Pierson conceded that the White House force failed in the mission that day.
"I do not know [why security protocols were not followed], and that is one of the main issues I hope to resolve in the course of this investigation," he said....
I am sure she is very talented, but, she was not able to maintain morale and discipline at the same time. She seemed like a minimalist in all that was happening. A sincere security person wouldn't be a minimalist. In order to secure anything adequately there has to be a maximal view of the circumstances and to apply policy, practices and protocols.
The incident on 2011 was extremely disconcerting. There wasn't anything that could be done with the shooter, but, at the same time realizing the opening in the trees would allow a danger there were measures that could be taken. At the very least a sharpshooter on the White House could have been equipped with high powered visual instruments that would allow the discovery of someone on Constitution avenue.
If nothing else put a spy drone out there and have someone spotting trouble.
The picture to the left was one I remembered when the 2011 incident first came to the attention of the public. This is what a First Lady does on the Truman Balcony. She reads while enjoying the sun and breeze, a spot of tea and privacy.
