Bush briefed al Qaeda threat before taking office

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23271734.htm

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - CIA Director George Tenet faced tough questioning on Wednesday from the national commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, with one panel member saying a classified plan to eliminate Osama bin Laden and protect the nation was totally inadequate.

Commission member Bob Kerrey, a former Democratic senator, zeroed in on what he said were severe shortcomings in the plan adopted by the Bush administration to fight bin Laden's al Qaeda organization just days before Sept. 11.

"I was briefed this morning on that plan. I would say fortunately for the administration it's classified because there's almost nothing in it," he said. snip

A report from commission staff released before the hearing also said there was confusion both during the administration of former President Bill Clinton and of President George W. Bush about whether the CIA was authorized to assassinate bin Laden.

Members of the National Security Council under Clinton said they wanted bin Laden killed but CIA officials on the ground thought the policy was to try to capture him.

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[jean]

1. Yahoo has a similar headline

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=564&e=1&u=/nm/20040324/ts_nm/security_commission_dc_21

[louis-t]

2. yahoo story freeped? 695 votes, under 4.

edit to add, I love the Kerrey quote "it's a good thing for B*sh that it's classified because there's almost nothing in it", and the yahoo story talks about B*sh saying creating the Homeland Security dept. is making us safe (Clinton's idea).

[oasis]

3. A member of the 9/11 victims group said that Ashcroft cut the budget

for counter terrorism by $58,000,000 when Bush came to office. She made the comment during a break in the commission hearings today.