Subplots to Watch at Obama's Terror Meeting

How tough will the president be on himself and his staff?
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 5, 2010 10:33 AM CST
Subplots to Watch at Obama's Terror Meeting
President Barack Obama speaks to staff members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force Headquarters in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

President Obama meets with his security chiefs today to dissect the failed Christmas terror plot—and deflect criticism over his initial, tepid response. Politico breaks down the burning questions:

  • Do heads roll? Janet Napolitano and Michael Leiter have both been mentioned as possible sacrifices, but insiders increasingly doubt that Obama’s handing out pink slips.
  • Will Obama cooperate with Congressional investigations? Obama doesn’t disdain Congressional oversight to the degree Bush did, but the White House has had its share of run-ins with the Hill and hasn’t been clear on which advisers might testify.

  • Will Leon Panetta and Dennis Bair lock horns? The CIA chief and director of national intelligence have been at odds all year over who really controls the nation’s spies.
  • Where does Obama stand on profiling? As a senator, Obama sponsored anti-racial profiling legislation. But the TSA’s new policy to require extra screenings for citizens of 14 countries—13 of them predominantly Muslim—sounds a lot like profiling. Will Obama try to justify the rules?
(More Barack Obama stories.)

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