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Maine's King and Collins Question Counter-Terrorism Efforts

Maine's two U.S. senators asked questions and raised concerns about United States counter-terrorism efforts during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Under consideration is the nomination of Nicholas Rasmussen to be the director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

Independent Sen. Angus King says the agency needs to be thinking long term, not just dealing with day-to-day crisis situations.

"In the day-to-day work, you're focusing on threats and attacks and dealing with fires around the world, and that is your basic mission," King said, "but we have to be thinking more strategically and long term, it seems to me. We cannot simply kill these people and then call it a solution to the worldwide terrorism problem."

Republican Sen. Susan Collins joined King and other committee members in praising Rasmussen and the staff of the National Counterterrorism Center. She says the agency is crucial to preventing another terrorist attack on the United States.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.