Javed Ali, Towsley Policymaker in Residence, joined with colleague Josh Kirshner to write an op-ed urging the creation of an anti-domestic terrorism commission, like the one established after 9/11.
In the CNN piece titled “We need a 9/11 Commission to fight domestic terror” published August 13, 2019, the authors state “domestic terrorism presents a significant homeland security challenge.” They warn that “our country still faces the possibility of additional attacks that will raise the same questions about why the government is not doing more to stop the violence.”
To mitigate the risks, Ali and Kirshner believe a commission could conduct a review of the threat and make substantive recommendations for the federal, state, and local levels.
The two propose five features such a commission should include:
- National level leaders
- Staffed by professionals who are non-partisan
- A charge to provide objective, fact-based analysis
- Established by Congress, and supported by the Executive Branch
- Operate transparently
Read their full vision for such a commission on CNN.com.
Javed Ali is a Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Policymaker in Residence at the Ford School for thefall 2018 semester and a former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC). He has over twenty years of professional experience in national security and intelligence issues in Washington, D.C., and began his federal government career in 2002. During that time, Ali worked in the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition to his role at the NSC, while at the FBI he also held senior positions while on joint duty assignments at the National Intelligence Council and the National Counterterrorism Center.