Page 341 - Security Program News Today

Not informing the proper individuals in the national security apparatus what these new names were. so what happened was the inspector general told that to the justice department. they scrambled, tried to figure out what was going on, they tried to account for all the thousands of people that have been on the witness security program. and while they were doing that, they realized that they could not account for two individuals, known or suspected terrorists, who entered the witness security progr...

Will, and all of a sudden they disappear. >> well, the people in charge of providing these new identities with the witness security program, which is two different divisions within the justice department, did not share that information with the agencies in charge of putting together the terrorist watch list. so after they had their new names, these individuals -- not just these two who they couldnt find, but all of them, could theoretically have flown on commercial airplanes. lets walk through s...

Would it be normal for individuals to then, after theyre put in the witness security program to leave the witness security program. would we not keep an eye on them? >> reporter: we would, and thats what the ig -- we should and thats what the ig reports with the department of justice. once they are given this new identity, no one else is going to know who they are. the fact that they werent put into the terrorist screening list, this is the big list that feeds other databases, its just wrong. th...

They were providing sensitive information to the u.s., all of a sudden disappear and the u.s. doesnt know where these terrorists are right now? this is a national security issue of significant importance. and im sure its going to cause a lot of heartburn for a lot of national security officials especially those at the justice department who were responsible through this marshals service and making sure that everyone knows where these terrorists are even if theyre cooperating. because you know wh...

Service was not sharing that information with other agencies before may 2012, information like their new names of these new witnesses. so good luck trying to spot them on the no-fly list. they could get ride on a plane. the justice department release add statement saying in part, the justice department agrees with the inspector generals report that the witsec program needed to be enhanced for terrorism-linked witnesses. the justice department underlines these two individuals are not in the unite...

Least for a while lost, yes, lost, by the u.s. marshal service. the justice department now says theyve been accounted for, but the incident raised an in an inspector generals report raises very disturbing questions. jake tapper broke the story earlier on cnn. tell our viewers what we know right now. this was very disturbing. >> the department of justice inspector general was researching the witness security program, what people probably know better from tv and movies, the witness relocation prog...

Especially when it came to 9/11, different security agencies having information, the fbi, cia, other agencies, but not sharing it. we talked about it a lot in the wake of the boston marathon bombings. now we have it again here in this report. the inspector general of the justice department finding that the justice department not only didnt know definitively how many known or suspected terrorists were admitted into the witness security program, but also that the marshal service did not share info...

Hands of wolf blitzer. hes right next door in "the situation room." take it away. >> jake, thanks very much. happening right now, terror suspects lost and found. they were in a federal witness protection program, but where are they now? damage control over at the white house has president obama takes steps to defuse scandals. can he save his second term agenda. an exclusive inside look at how the u.s. military now force-feeding hunger striking terror suspects at guantanamo bay in cuba, why defen...

And went on to say in the statement released today, quote, to date, the fbi has not identified a national security threat tied to the participation of terrorism linked witnesses in the witness security program. the justice department agrees with the inspector generals audit report that the witness security programs requirements for admitting and monitoring r participants needed on the enhanced. and the statement goes on to say that no terrorism linked witness has ever committed an act of terrori...

Who else is where and whats going on. and the unknown may be even more frightening than the known. right, jake? >> no doubt theres a lot of questions about the justice department and their recordkeeping when it comes to how many terror suspects are on this list, on the witness security program. the justice department in the coming days and weeks im sure will tais face a lot of questions. when our capitol hill producer ted barrett asked lawmakers about this today, of course, we just broke the sto...