Graham: U.S. Security Infrastructure That Should Prevent Paris-Style Attack 'Under Siege'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the Paris attack today just underscores how the U.S. needs to “expect and must prepare for more attacks like this in the future” — and the Obama administration needs to make some changes now.

“Simply stated, radical Islam – through extreme violence and intimidation – is trying to replace our way of life with theirs,” Graham said. “I have no doubt they will ultimately fail, but the question is how many will be injured or killed before that day arrives?”

“Here at home, we must use this horrific attack as an opportunity to reevaluate our own national security posture. I fear our intelligence capabilities, those designed to prevent such an attack from taking place on our shores, are quickly eroding,” the senator continued.

“Through a combination of poor policy choices made by the Obama administration regarding detention and interrogation policies, and budget cuts approved by the Congress with President Obama’s support, I believe our national security infrastructure designed to prevent these types of attacks from occurring is under siege.”

Graham said Obama should “immediately change his interrogation and detention policies as we are gradually losing the ability to detect, disrupt and prevent future terrorist attacks.”

“In addition, it is time to restore the necessary funding to our intelligence-gathering and national security operations,” he said.

“I fear we can expect and must prepare for more attacks like this in the future. ISIL is well-funded and has an entrenched command structure that is actively inspiring terrorist attacks throughout the world. And while President Obama has the right goal in destroying ISIL, I fear the policies he is using are grossly insufficient and leave our homeland increasingly exposed.”

Graham stressed that “we should acknowledge that radical Islamists have no limits when it comes to destruction and the taking of human life.”

“That is why it remains imperative that we never allow radical Islamic terrorists to acquire weapons of mass destruction,” he added. “While today’s attack in Paris involved conventional weapons, I fear the terrorist attacks of the future could be even more lethal and even more tragic if these organizations acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. Denying them this capability is the challenge of the time.”