Marathon Pundit: Boehner statement on Detroit attack and Obama response

Congress is on its Christmas break, but that has not prevented the House Minority Leader from speaking out on the Detroit near-miss terror attack.

"It's time for the President to halt terrorist transfers to other countries, including Yemen, and to reevaluate his decision to close the prison at Guantanamo.”

Washington - Congressman John Boehner (R-Ohio) issued the following statement today on the attempted airline terrorist attack as well as the Obama administration's response:

The terrorist plot to bring down Northwest Airlines Flight 253 exposed a near-catastrophic failure at every level of our government. News reports suggest our government had intelligence in hand that this attack was coming, yet did not piece all the information together and take the necessary actions to prevent it. The system clearly did not work, and I’m glad the President finally acknowledged that yesterday.

Just as troubling is the administration's treatment of this matter as a mere law enforcement issue. We’re fighting a war on terror, and this was a terrorist act. Our first priority should be gaining intelligence to help prevent the next attack. The threat we face is real, and we don't need to downplay it. We need to do a better job of connecting the dots and putting in place a homeland security and intelligence plan that helps prevent future attacks before they ever get off the ground. We know al Qaeda is plotting more attacks, and our security depends on gaining critical intelligence and connecting those dots.

The administration's response following this attempted attack is consistent with its dangerous decision to close the terrorist prison at Guantanamo Bay and bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other 9/11 terrorists to trial in the United States through civilian courts, rather than the military commissions already in place. We know the decision to close this prison has not stopped al Qaeda from plotting attacks on Americans, turning these terrorists over to other countries is not working, and we shouldn't import them into the United States. It's time for the president to halt terrorist transfers to other countries, including Yemen, and to reevaluate his decision to close the prison at Guantanamo.

All year long, Republicans have asked the question: What is this administration's overarching strategy to confront the terrorist threat and keep America safe? The American people deserve answers to this question, and Republicans will push for the type of aggressive oversight to give them confidence that their government is doing everything it can to detect and stop future attacks, rather than just responding to them after they happen.