FOXNews.com: Navy to order security review, as questions mount over shooter's access

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Navy to order security review, as questions mount over shooter's access Sep 17th 2013, 16:51 Published September 17, 2013 FoxNews.com Navy Secretary Ray Mabus plans to order a review Tuesday of security at Navy and Marine facilities, as questions mount over why the Navy Yard shooter -- an ex-reservist with a troubled past -- had a security clearance and how he was able to bring a shotgun into the military building.  "This is very, very hard to understand," former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Fox News.  The decision to order a review comes as a forthcoming Defense Department inspector general audit is expected to show security problems at Navy installations.  But the incident has once again raised concerns about the quality of the background checks being done for those in sensitive government positions, particularly for contractors. Shooter Aaron Alexis had been working as a defense subcontractor, and had his security clearance renewed just two months before the rampage -- despite a history of troubling and violent behavior. Twelve people, in addition to the gunman, were killed in the shooting.  Several officials have said Alexis' clearance is another indication that U.S. government background checks are falling short. Similar concerns were raised after NSA leaker Edward Snowden used his top-secret security clearance to gain access to, and then share, highly classified documents.  "The same thing with Snowden, now we see it here," former Navy SEAL Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News. He said a big problem is the background check process for contractors. "The backbone of the government is contractors. We have to have a better system in vetting these people that come on board," he said.  According to a 2012 report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, more than 4.9 million people had security clearances in 2012. Of them, more than 1 million were contractors.  Bob Strang, former co-chairman of the New York Anti-Terrorism Task Force, said the government is going to have to spend more money on its background checks.  "They're bidding these things out, they're getting a rock-bottom price, and they're having non-agents do the (background checks), and this is what we get," he said.  Giuliani said there are simply too many security clearances going out.  "At 4 million, it's impossible to vet accurately," he said.  At the same time, Giuliani noted that a security clearance does not automatically give anybody the ability to carry a gun into a secure military installation.  "No one cleared him to have guns," Giuliani said.  He said the real concern is that this is "not a well-defended facility."  The forthcoming IG report is expected to cite security problems with contractor access to military facilities.  Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has seen the report, and it details "critical flaws" in this practice.  Sources, though, also said that the specific problems the report explored do not pertain to the kind of access card Alexis had for the Navy building in Washington.

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