The word from FBI Director Robert Mueller is that another terrorist attack is “inevitable.” Senator Bob Graham, Chair of the intelligence committee, is saying another attack is “almost certain.”

The warnings about the inevitability of a new terrorist attack come less than a week after some lawmakers questioned how much the Bush Administration knew about the September 11th attacks before they happened.

Some in Congress are calling for an investigation and hearings to determine what information the administration had before September 11th and how that information was used. They say in order to detect future attacks, it is necessary to understand why intelligence failed to prevent the 9/11 attack.

But the Vice President is arguing that the nation is in a state of war, and now is not the time to be questioning the administration. It is hard enough to protect the nation from terrorism, Cheney argues. Dragging intelligence officials into lengthy hearings and interviews would only hamper the effort.

Is the Bush Administration hiding behind the War on Terror to avoid criticism? Or does the greater need for national security trump the need to know what happened in the weeks and months leading up to September 11th?

Guests:

Jim Walsh, political scientist and research fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government

Larry Wortzel, counter intelligence and counter terrorism expert with the Heritage Foundation
Wayne Madsen, investigative journalist

former security specialist for the National Security Agency and State Department