diseases. but i think we have to presidential candidate that takes on cancer and the challenge to conquer it would be well advised.

what do you fear the most in terms of the tax on the homeland? >> it is somewhat in the weeds but something that fbi director and i have talked about director of homeland is not a partisan issue but encryption, it's this dark communication space in which the terrorist can communicate freely without our ability to detect even if we have a court order. you have eight attackers, and a probably 20 coconspirators without any ability to detect that and stop it from happening. a form of federal prosecutor the

way you stop bad things from happening, is you get a quire wiretap and listen to communications, and then you intervene at the right time and stop the bad act from happening. in this case a terrorist attack, without our ability to monitor these communications, we can't stop it. so if they can communicate in darkness, and we can't shine a light on their dark communications, we won't have the ability to stop these terrorist events. and when terrorists occurred and there was no ability to the fact that we had no warning sign, in advance told me even before i even got briefed on that it was a dark space communication environment, in fact, it turns out they were using apps on the iphone that were telegrams, one

that's popular there are a bunch of others, but they were using. and i along with senator mark warner have proposedded the idea and we will be presenting the idea of the commission to put silicon valley experts, federal law enforcement, intdges intelligence community and homeland security on a mission to report to congress look the everyone 9/11 communication to have a technology solution. because right now they're not sitting down and not even talking to each other. i tried to play shuttle diplomacy between them, and it's -- it's a stalemate. i think if congress forces them to communicate and report recommendations and findings that's what he did, in fact, one of the chapters of my book involvings foreign fighters involved in dark space communications that is wherein when paris happened and san

bernardino what happened about a month or two after, after the fact so the active shooter, foreign fighter, because there's so many of them dark space communications, and finally -- it answer your question is radicalization overt internet. all of these internet communications coming out of iraq, syria, to kl police kill e officers luke in philadelphia, the attempt to kill military in chattanooga and hit military installationsing. we're seeing 220,000 tweets per day coming out of iraq, syria to do just that, and how we stop most of the stuff is -- phenomenal. wewe've had 79 isis related arrests in this country. it's hugely significant. so we stuck with a lot of bad things, but that's the case we don't know about, and i get the call from homeland security, fbi

on chattanooga or san bernardino. you know, that it didn't -- we didn't know about that one. that's what bothers me. the one we couldn't stop. >> what is beyond getting into these dark communications do we need to do to prevent another san bernardino another paris attack? what are we not doing? >> we said there's no specific and credible left that's the good news. but bad news is you don't know what you don't know. there are -- that i'm convinced in the united states we don't know about -- that are actively plotting. we just don't know about it. if we can't see their communications, that rises stake higher, and it's a foreign fighter that's trained in the art of jihad that can tack tack that to streets of paste or new york that can orchestrate a major attack. shopping mall, aviation attack

like the russian airliner. we always thought al qaeda had that capability. now we know isis is looking at external plots after the downing of russian airliner there's a chapter in my book that addresses that as well in addition to the active shooter. and that is terror by definition. you don't know where it's coming from. and people get killed even if it's just a handful of people leak in san bernardino it's still a significant event. i thought that was quite frankly a bit of a disgrace that that was not even acknowledged last night or the heroism of the first respond terse to san bernardino as i sat in the audience at the "state of the union." at least should have been recognized. >> very interesting. let me ask you, one last question and then open it up to

the audience. so, at the time of the snowden revelation there was significant deablght about how much damage he had done to u.s. national security and to the national security of our allies. looking become at immense growth in isis since then, how would you assess damage that he did, and what and how much -- how many years are we going to be dealing with that challenge? >> i mean, for a long time. you know, the dia defense intelligence agencies report the first of many on the actual damage and it's very costly to the united states military to our national security in the billions if not trillions of dollars and not to mention that the dark space phenomenal really is an offshoot of mr. snowden, because it's --

asked for develop for privacy reasons. now, i have to be careful. you know when i caulk to a technology company and apple, you know, they're in my district in austin, and they'll try to ask to have privacy, protect or attached to financial record or health care records, and we understand that. that's why i think it is a delicate balance between privacy and security when we look at this encryption issue. i don't think that simple amendment of the statute to allow that back door into device that the government could get access to is necessarily the answer. i think there's a technology solution ultimately to this that does protect privacy while providing security when we have probable cause to get a warrant by a judge. by a federal judge. than to open up those communications and see them. so this is i think one of the

greatest challenges of counterterrorism officials that we see quite some time. it's really kind of an offshoot of what mr. snowden did. >> let's u now open it to the audience for questions i ask you to identify yourselves if you have an a affiliation to please keep it to a question. start over here. thank you, to the microphone. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'm michael, with the secure identity biometrics association, we're concerned about terrorist travel. i know that house took up legislation in the fall to address these waiver program and how to counter terrorists from getting on a plane and coming to the u.s. what is the future state in your mind to address the vulnerabilities in the program? is there more that we can do?

like your thoughts on that. thank you. >> we talked a lot about syrian refugees and throw of the iraqi refugees that were arrested recently but really visa waiver was always a bigger sort of issue that we were most concerned about that is buzz you have 5,000 foreign fighters that travel to the region that have western passports that could sessionally get into the united states without a visa. so our bill address that. and we added iraq, syria, sudan, and iran which was to the administration they weren't happy -- because the business interests. it would stifle in some respects to iranian deal from the business side. they have to apply for visas but we fell from a national security perspective that was importanted it that. we are working in our committee on expanded visa waiver security

program. that sort of developmental stages but or there a lot of things we can be doing in addition to just even looking at the social media and the applicants which we know in the san bernardino case not even important to note that it was inaccurately reported that pakistani wife had social media, public jihad postings that was inaccurate and, however, there were private comoongses about it. that he she need predication and warrant to see that we didn't know about. i do think it is a lesson learned that we ought to be looking at social media postings for people who apply for visas particularly in countries of interest like pakistan. any employer goes up beef -- before they hire somebody, pretty fundamental stuff. and rather than taking their

word for it and in the interview, i think that investigative work is necessary in the social media age that will protect and to your point, travel, homeland security is about -- in large part about identifying the threats. keeping the threats outside of the united states, but travel. keeping people, bad people outside of the united states and bad things from coming in. you mentioned border there's a chapter in my book about the southwest border and the latest issue to beat that even talks in an alarming way really that pakistani smuggled into the hem store and can't get the manifest on, and smuggle across the sws border into the united states. and that's coming from isis.

i always take my interviews words to heart. when they say things like that. whether they have the capability to do it, that's the question. but when they say it, you know, it gets my attention. yes. [inaudible] >> how much has homeland security focused on terrorist induced because or there other home lanked threats with nothing to do with terrorism but misfortunates, accidents, at this moment, in my opinion we have regulation that seriously distort allocation of bank within the economy weakening dramatically the economy in a fairly short-term. but who takes care of that type of risk? isn't it not a risk that wants focus on terrorism use and forget about other type?

>> instance of the national debt is greater threat to the national security in that's been mentioned as well. i think that goes to the mission statement of the department. the department is formed after 9/11. horrific terrorist attack that was a mission of the department perhaps -- that would be more in lines with the mission of the treasury you know department. in terms of what you're talking about, but not to minimize the threat as well. i just think that the department was stood out by congress to address the threat of terrorists. >> hi -- and i'm a nurse and i'm a mom and l.i. graduate. my question is you know, i know it be terrorism and nuclear threats, are there more advanced

technologies by some of oured a adversaries that are sophisticated technologically stretched. as nurse i know about laser and dangers they can do to human tissue, and you know, we saw "star wars" since i'm a mom so i'm wound are there any threats beyond obvious ones from person from new york real time target? >> from a technology standpoint i saw the movie as well. i have five teenages so a lot of homeland security issues myself. [laughter] but -- there are a lot of technology threats, and like any you know we don't get a kinetic threat of isis but try to stay in front of that trigger but a lot of technology threats, a lot of bioterror threats that we chat

from my book that deals with a smallpox outbreak. we have an entire global population that's not inoculated to smallpox that killed 100 million people. that's a serious concern. cybersecurity is from a consequential standpoint is a huge issue. it can cause enormous damage, there's a chapter in the bock about quantum computing and whoever develops that first is atomic bomb, that is a powerful from the computer quantum computing a huge step forward for whoever gets to it first. and then the ability to use it. but you know whether it's power grid, financial institution, energy sector all of those things are vulnerable to a cyberattack in a destructive way. like what we saw with north

korea and sony attack or iran with saudi arabia and energy company shutting it down or russia and -- china stole 20 million national security clearances including mine. and that, there's a technology left that we have to stay in front of as well. we need the private sector we gets a leverage of the private sector to find those answers to those. we did pass -- i was happy to see after a lot of years of hard work a land mack cybersecurity bill with congress that provides for information sharing with liability protection from the federal government to the private sector and back and also between private to private. so let's say, you know, jpmorgan ans chase can now share malicious codes to protect themselveses from attacks

without the threat of the lawsuit. that's going to facilitate of left of sharing thftion. so before lasers and what you're talking about, but to the point that technology threats are real, and that we have a science and technology that office within the department itself that really tries to stay in front of these threats and weapon of mass introduction units, but i really think in -- i emphasize to the department the need to really leverage private sector for a lot of these solutions to those problems. >> brian over here. >> yeah, one of the big stories in the past week was the capture of el chapo which appears to maybe had something to do with sean penn we can thank him for that.

i wanted to know you mentioned earlier the border, the cartels down there, obviously, extremely very violent and dangerous. what threat do you sew and what's your perpghtive right now on the threat. we know drugs come, but the other aspects of that bioculture coming here. >> and others and officials here, i want to applaud and commend, you know, mexico for extraditing him. the last time he was captured, i urged ab ambassador a good friend of mine to extradite him because of his history of corruption and breaking out, of course, that's exactly what happened. and now they understand that supermax president of the united states is where he needs to be, and so it was really glad to see that. and there are multiple federal

jurisdictions told he can stand trial in all of them. but ting -- i think the threat of the drug cartel in terms of drug and corruption can never be underestimated they're present in all 50 major cities in the united states, they've infiltrated united states i think isis right now and i've been focused on drug cartels because i live in a state that's on the border for quite stiement and i e sou threat where the boarder is not secure and ability for them to come in and network inside the united states. and any time wherever you see drugs going in latin america, up, you see the corruption, and you see the violence. and that's -- you know that's what you see. and doesn't get reported as much as it should but a law

enforcement is a serious problem. and i think it starts with how we deal with our latin america neighbors to the south and mexico in dealing with these threats but also in securing thed border. i have a board ire security bill that we'll be talking about at my retreat. we have a republican retreat meeting today and that's going to be one of our topics of discussion about are we going to put that on the floor and try to pass it? >> let me ask a follow-up to brian blake's question, and broin brian does work there, john walter so we follow these issues closely in 2012, authored a study that looked at iran growing role in central america and talked about -- growing presences and possibility of hezbollah and iranian agents working with drug

cartel and impact on our country an that region. what direction is that? have you followed that at all? >> sure. not to -- chapter is devoted to that. >> be shameless. [laughter] >> but it's -- there is a connection between iran and venezuela and latin america and triborder area. there are reigning operatives down there. you know, these era terror flights that call from between tehran and to damascus are real. we don't know or what are on those flights. we have the saudi ambassador plot to assassinate, to the iranian operator thought he's dealing with the drug cartel number, in fact, it was a d. a. undercover agent fortunatelies that really conducted at the highest level of the iranian government.

and i think with you looking at the sanctions and hundreds of billions of dollars that will go to iran, you can't kid yourself if that's not beginning to go into their economy. but it's also beginning to go under terrorist financing. they're largest state sponsor of terror. i think that deal is a dangerous one buzz it's beginning to put a lot of money into terrorist financing operations not only in the middle east where they've heavily engaged and potential between saudi and iran has never been great or but their influence here in western hemisphere and the threat to the united states. they have killed americans in thest pass and will try to do so in the future. >> over here -- thank you for coming. [inaudible]

speaking of north korea, i'm talking about holistic missile capables so belong to homeland security because it's a danger from outside. can you comment on that? how much do you think that's a threat? >> high energy bomb but it was they tried to give optic, appearance that it was. but it was a pretty significant did detonation that north korea, it was a warning shot. showing muscle and power on the part of north korea, and the idea that their range, they are developing intercontinental ballistic camibilities not some you can argue --

say possibly california without a lot of accuracy, though, is my understanding. but you know, at the same time when kerry said why are we dong capability with iran in this deal? because i say i'm the going to continue to ramp up production by cbm's and we saw they just tested you know, just recently tested these. and they're developed. they're called intercontinental because they're designed to deliver the reason they're design is to deliver a device across continent and this deal had no impact on that capability. and that connection between iran and north korea is real. and his network of pakistan to iran, and sharing of nuclear technology to north korea, that is real when it goes become to ak, the grandfather or god father of the --

iran, pakistani atomic bomb sharing that with iran and north korea. so they constantly share technology, iran, and north korea. i think it's a serious threat and i appreciate your understanding that -- too often people compartmentalize because that is homeland security threat to reach the united states of america. and so you know we're very -- we're very concerned about it. >> how far of an influence is china -- it >> china could have a lot of inflounce. we have been on the house or flue this week, the sanctions against iran but also the north korea. if forced to do business with north korea they're going to do justice with us and those sanctions work for a long time. we look at those to negotiate

with them. cheney vice president cheney told me it's one of the biggests mistakes of the bush's white house that they attempted to negotiate and they got taken advantage of it. i would argue that iranian deal is very similar. to that negotiation -- [inaudible] >> strategies so regarding cyberissues one way to address cyberthreat seems to be expanding and improving the technology work force, and yet today employers continue to struggle to fill upward of a million well-paying tech jobs additionally one of the biggest cyberas a rule inerts is employing known as the negligence user to have the proficiency of both private and federal employees? >> a great question. boils down to the work force. and we have a cyberwork force

bill that we passed to encourage and enhance centers of excellence for cybertraining. i think a lot will be market driven, though, because you look at a lot of upcoming in my hometown of austin we have startup cybercompanies in the future. it is very bright for any young person that wants a promising career that's an area not going away. it's just gong to grow. but your point, it's hard to compete with the private sector with these jobs. it's really important that the nsa and dhs that homeland has expertise and work force necessary to protect the nation from siesh cyberattacks. so we're looking at a some innovative creative ways to do that maybe a scholarship program

where you do certain number of years committed to the federal government before you can leave and go to the private sector. it's a great training. ground but i think maintaining a strong cyberwork force is a huge challenge in the federal government. because there's so much money to be made than private sector on it. so we're always looking at innovative wayed to that. but i think there's a certain amount of patriot i. too that drives it. people sincerely go to work for homeland security department or nsa in cyberspace because they feel they're protecting the border. >> how did our government improve efforts to encounter

isis in social media? >> we're not doing a good job. i've talked to monica in the white house about this just the orr day. we don't have the counternarrative, state department has a program that is not -- you know with the the united states government, with the united states flag it's not beginning to hit had the market share that you want it to actually listen. so talked about how to turn the state department. i'm on foreign affairs committee to talk about programs that deal with it's not it shall u.s. government counternarrative but rather it's a narrative from an audience that the audience over there will listen to from leaders of that that will appeal to that audience.

.. the best way to do that is to employ their religious leaders to counteract and counter that narrative that it is not a glamorous thing to do, to go to syria, it is not a romantic journey. we are going to have a hearing in my community in february with

women and their parents who have been exploited by basis. is not a romantic journey. it is not an online dating service. when they get there they find out women are not treated very nicely. under sharia law women have no rights. i think the more we can get that message out there and counter that even in the united states when you get these radical internet messages come to at syria, two messages, come or kill where you are, that is what they say, come to syriac and join the fight or kill where you are. the thing that doesn't make sense to lot of us is how could win in be enticed by this and travel to syriac and be with isis when we know you and i know what the consequences are but they don't. they are young and naive.

the counter narrative is so important and we are losing that. they win, they are winning right now in the social media propaganda every day. this has gone beyond, osama bin laden was very primitive, the world today, most of them are in their 20s, very sophisticated savvy on the internet and they know how to exploit it really well. the propaganda narrative is very attractive to young military age male that wants to join a fight. wants to be something greater. they call it losers to lions in nypd, the lone wolf in the united states, that attract someone in the united states to want to go over it their to be something greater, greater cause and join a fight.

we are not doing an affective job. i am glad you brought up that point. at the end of the day it comes down to ideology. we win at the end of the day because their ideas are modern, progressive and right, their ideas are sixth century a.d. for the most part using sophisticated technology to enhance it. the win in the end but we are not doing an effective job right now. >> host: a couple minutes left, let me ask two questions. first, we have seen unfortunately think back to the elections in spain a number of years back there was a horrific terrorist attack as prime minister aznar face reelection and have been attempts by terrorist groups and others to try to make a statement on the eve of major elections around the globe. we seen that in iraq,

afghanistan, is that something you worry about? secondly, when the new president is sworn in on january 20th, 2017, what institutional advice, what changes would you urge him to make in structure of the federal government to meet the threat you outlined? >> guest: the next president will inherit a more dangerous world than when mr. obama took office. that is my opinion. there are so many hot spots whether it is russian aggression, chinese cyberhacking to isis itself, the threat of radical islam throughout, global phenomena now. how do you tackle that issue? it goes beyond containment but rather destroying the threat overseas, not doing very good

job of doing. it is dealing with isis. and the reality is isis rated the glee head. and a lot of people have simplistic notion that you carpet bomb, in one candidate's words bomb the shit out of them. there's a military peace to this that is critical, there is a political piece, civil war in syria and bashar al-assad has to be part of the solution as well. the russians play constructive role, the russians will have homeland security problem of their own, dealing with the

political situation on the ground in syria is equally as important and there is an economic diplomatic peace to this there's a counter narrative piece to this. one simple solution of pushing a button and the whole thing is over with, military peace is important to have the military strategy. and not leading as a superpower. and the super power, they respected this. they don't know they were confused, they want them to love you or want to respect and if not to fear. i don't think we have any of that right now. there's a lot of chaos. the next president will have to bring some order to this, some

leadership and fix these problems. the military strategy is lacking. i think it can be done. i talked to the military leaders, the rules of engagement may be changed as well. but i think you can have a military strategy that nations would follow, they tell me the ambassadors from these countries that you don't have a strategy. you want indigenous ground forces, we are prepared to do that if you had a strategy and bashar al-assad was part of the solution. sunni arabs won't do anything to help defeat crisis if they think it will empower bashar al-assad. it is very complicated. at the end of the day isis course sunnis and sunni extremists that were a product that were a product of prime

minister maliki's actions and disenfranchising them. there is a military strategy that is put in place but you got to back that up, a political solution and reconciliation with in war-torn countries. and diplomatic solutions as well. that would be my advice if i were the next national security adviser, whatever might world next to the administration would be. you have to be smart about this, don't take the bait that you drop a bomb and solve problems. that is part of it obviously. it is not the end all. >> is there a threat looming toward the -- >> you want to influence the

political ground. and any particular partisan affiliation, they don't care whether you are republican or democrat, they want to kill americans. there's a chapter in my book, the influence of foreign money, for incorruption, and more likely scenario. >> host: thank you -- >> i want to give her -- let's keep it brief. >> talking about facebook. approaching out word in a way that is in-your-face feminism as many people in america do which is the antithesis of what many in the middle east believe, is that taunting people in that

area. >> i am just amazed because they were so backwards, sixth century a.d. rudy giuliani should be a book, women have nowed be a book, women have nome a book, women have no role in this society. pla 79 a lot changed throughout the middle east after the fall of the shock, the ayatollah, the saudis react accordingly as well, the shi'ite world was impacted and sunnis reacted in a fundamentalist way going backwards in pain. i have been over this part of the world and it is very strange

to see that code of conduct and societal, the way they treat women not to mention the mutilation, the things they do to women, no human rights at all, human rights violations and not talked about enough. they talk about threats to the homelands and human rights violations to women when that part of the world's. it is a great note to end on and we need to pay more attention to that. >> i think chairman mccaul thought their minds every one of your new book failures of imagination, the deadliest threat to the homeland, how to thwart them. all the proceeds go islam wounded warrior project. thank you for your services.

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> coming up in a few minutes on c-span2, 10:45 which is a minute or so away, secretary of state

john kerry speaking at national defense university talking about 2016 foreign-policy just a couple minutes away on c-span2. also at noon eastern the chair of the house budget committee tom price at the brookings institution, discussing priorities for the next budget cycle at noon eastern. at 7:00 p.m. earl ray delivers his state of the state address in charleston. >> featured this weekend on american history tv on c-span2, saturday night at 8:00 on lectures in history arizona state university professor brooks simpson on the president's wartime role including wars waged without formal congressional declaration. >> the president's job to educate, to educate, i know you don't understand this. there's not any reason