Several top former U.S. government officials have been selected to carry out an independent review of the FBI’s ability to detect and combat terrorism.
Former Attorney General Ed Meese, former Congressman and Ambassador Tim Roemer, and national security expert Bruce Hoffman were appointed to serve on the commission, which "will conduct an independent external review of the FBI’s implementation of the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission and consider how the bureau is addressing the evolving threat of terrorism today," according to an announcement Monday by retiring Rep. Frank Wolf (R., Va.).
Wolf explained the commission’s goals in a press release:
Wolf authored the language requiring the review, which was first included in the FY 2013 Omnibus Appropriations bill and reaffirmed in the FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations that was recently signed into law. The idea was first introduced by Wolf in 2011 in a stand-alone bill with Rep. Peter King (R., N.Y.).
Wolf has been a longstanding leader in Congress on addressing the threat of terrorism. In 1998, he authored the language creating the National Commission on Terrorism, also known as the Bremer Commission, whose final report released in 2000 highlighted the threat from bin Laden and al Qaeda. Wolf also served as chairman of Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations subcommittee from 2001-2006, and worked with former Director Robert Mueller to provide funding for the FBI’s post-9/11 counterterrorism initiatives. Wolf’s northern Virginia district was home to many of those killed in the Pentagon on 9/11 as well as the first American killed in the war in Afghanistan, Michael Spann.
"I cannot think of three more qualified individuals to serve on the commission," Wolf said. "They are all men of integrity and have significant credibility and expertise on counterterrorism policy."