Rick Scott calls for accounting of U.S. vetting protocols for foreign military students

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is calling for a hearing to examine "inadequacies" in U.S. officials' methods of vetting foreign nationals participating in military training on U.S. soil.

A second lieutenant from the Royal Saudi Air Force shot and killed three people and wounded eight others during a Dec. 6  attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The gunman — who was ultimately killed by responding law enforcement officers — was a student in a naval aviation training program open to military personnel from around the world.

On Thursday, Scott requested a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with leaders from the FBI, Departments of State and Defense, and U.S. intelligence agencies in attendance to drill into the purpose, guiding policies and vetting protocols of the training program.

"It’s clear that there were failures in the vetting of this individual," Scott said in a news release. "What’s not clear is how the vetting process works, who does the vetting, and how much we’re able to monitor foreign nationals training in the U.S. We need to seriously reconsider the value of training foreign nationals on U.S. military bases, but in the meantime, it’s important that we get to the bottom of what went wrong so we can figure out how to improve the vetting process.”

The FBI Jacksonville Field Office is leading the investigation into the shooting and it said on Twitter on Thursday it was still working to determine if the shooter acted alone.

"Our urgent, unified goal is clear: to determine if the shooter acted alone or if anyone assisted, provided support for, or had knowledge of his attack in advance," the FBI statement said.

More that 600 personnel from 30 FBI field offices across the country are on the ground in Pensacola assisting with the investigation, the FBI said.

What Rick Scott wants to know about the vetting process for foreign military students

Scott has asked federal leaders to answer — in a classified session if necessary — the following questions:

• There are many agencies involved in this program; who is ultimately responsible for ensuring the safety and security of our men and women in uniform?
• Do U.S. law enforcement or intelligence agencies perform the vetting of foreign nationals training on U.S. military bases, or do we outsource that to the home country? 
• What process was used to vet the terrorist who committed this attack at NAS Pensacola? 
• What countries participate in this program and what is the strategic significance of these relationships? 
• Do participants of this program have to provide fingerprints, and are they interviewed/background checked during the visa process?
• What is the rate of visa denial/approval for participants of this program?
• Is there any reason why the training of foreign nationals can’t occur in their home country? 
• Are U.S. law enforcement or intelligence agencies allowed to track the social media accounts of foreign nationals training, or seeking to train, on U.S. military bases? 
• Did this individual go through a standard background check before purchasing a handgun? 
• Once a foreign national arrives in the U.S., do American intelligence agencies continue to monitor their activities? 
   

Gaetz responds in the House:Rep. Matt Gaetz says Pensacola NAS shooting exposes 'serious failure' in vetting foreign military students

In a press release announcing his hearing request, Scott called the NAS Pensacola shooting a "terrorist attack" that was "entirely preventable." Federal investigators, however, have made clear that the shooter's motives are still under investigation, as are any ideologies or relationships that might link him to terrorism.

US Defense Secretary says vetting review is underway

In the wake of the fatal shooting, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said he had initiated a review of the program's vetting process. The U.S. Navy has grounded approximately 300 Saudi aviation students training in Florida while the vetting is ongoing.

In a U.S. House of Representatives hearing Wednesday, Esper told Rep. Matt Gaetz the Saudi Kingdom had also launched a review of its internal vetting procedures.

The aviation training program falls under the umbrella of Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity. Officials have reported the program helps build relationships with U.S. foreign partners and allies, makes joint operations with participating more efficient and fosters American democratic values in other parts of the world.  

Kevin Robinson can be reached at krobinson4@pnj.com or 850-435-8527.