9/11 Commission Hearing on NOW (1:30 pm) C-Span 3:

[Vadem]

Just beginning afternoon session. Zelikow reading more of the Staff's statement now re Sandy Berger.

[wicket]

1. Keep us cube rats updated!

Thanks :)

[Vadem]

4. telling of the bombing of the Sudan factory and Clinton's

efforts to continue to strike Al Caeda to destroy the infrastructure.

[TXvote]

2. Link to listen

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspanradio.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CSR&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Who is this guy speaking now?

[Vadem]

5. Philip Zelikow, the person who wrote a book with Condi and

was in the White House during 9/11. The widows want him out due to big time conflict of interest.

On edit, he is on the 9/11 Commission, head of deciding what gets seen from the White House by the Commission. Fun, eh!

[sadiesworld]

7. Self-investigation is a republican prerogative.

[G_j]

Philip Zelikow

'Whitewash': 9/11 Commission Rocked by Bizarre Revelations That Commission Officials Gave Evidence to Own Inquiry

www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0115-11.htm

<snip>
Philip Zelikow, the commission's executive director, worked on the Bush-Cheney transition team as the new administration took power, advising his longtime associate and former boss, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, on the structure of the incoming National Security Council.
<snip>

[DustMolecule]

8. Here's more information about the Zelikow issue

<snip>
The 9-11 Family Steering Committee and 9-11 Citizens Watch, two separate groups, are demanding the resignation of Philip Zelikow, executive director of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, after information surfaced over the weekend that he participated in Bush administration briefings prior to Sept. 11 on the threat al Qaeda posed to the country.


"We believe that the very integrity of the commission is at stake here, and that he should resign immediately," Kyle Hence, co-founder of Citizens Watch, said Monday.


On Saturday, the Family Steering Committee wrote a letter to the commission arguing that Zelikow has a conflict of interest because he could potentially be held culpable for failing to heed warnings about al Qaeda prior to Sept. 11.


"It is clear that should never have been permitted to be a member of the commission, since it is the mandate of the commission to identify the source of failures," the committee wrote. "It is now apparent why there has been so little effort to assign individual culpability. We now can see that trail would lead directly to the staff director himself."
<snip>

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0304/032204c1.htm

[Vadem]

6. Zelikow still reading staff report on Clinton's admin. and

his efforts to strike with cruise missiles. Why in the hell don't they get to Bush's admin and what he did before 9/11?

[Rockholm]

9. I LOVE The Inflections Of His Speech

Highlights the specific words he wants us all to remember. Ah, concern here, thoughtful questioning there. What a sham this guy is.

[G_j]

10. yep n/t

[buycitgo]

11. he's a pedant, speaks like one.....not to mention

it sounds like his voice is being played back at a slightly slower speed

reminds me of Will Ferrell doing Janet Reno

[swag]

16. It's all that nitrous he's been huffing. n/t

[leftchick]

12. SOOOO this continual listing of action by the Clinton administration...

sure is a huge contrast to what chimpy did which was ZERO!! Think the murkins will notice?

[Vadem]

13. He is skipping the Millemium plots, going directly to USS Cole..

Doesn't want to discuss Clinton's successes, of course.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

14. Yeah, what's with that?

Is there any way the citizens of the US will be able to read this for themselves?

[Vadem]

15. Wow, criticizing Bush admin.

Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld felt the Cole prob. was stale and wouldn't do anything about now. They offered no solutions.

[G_j]

17. Rumsfeld too busy with staff transition

and dealing with Russia over nuclear arms treaty

[indie_voter]

19. AKA, not focused on terrorism like Clarke said.

[Vadem]

18. Rumsfeld said the military plans after 9/11 were not

satisfactory and they would need more plans. I thought they doing so very much before and after 9/11.

[rocktivity]

20. Is CLINTON on the list?

If people are trying to give him all the blame, maybe HE'S the one who should be testifying.

:headbang:
rocknation
NYC Peace March Pics

[truthspeaker]

21. he is testifying in private later

pay attention! ;)

[Vadem]

22. Well, DOD stated the same thing Albright did, i.e, that US

would not have supported any large scale military operations BEFORE 9/ll happened, and that's why they also did nothing about the Cole!

[Vadem]

26. Cohen said Clinton shared his feeling that terrorism was major...

problem and that Clinton was willing to spend money to support fighting it.

[Vadem]

31. Cohen states all public leaders must be accountable.when

things go wrong. Calls Congress on refusing to fund terrorism stating that Congress said Admin. was speaking hyperbole to boost their funding.

[maddezmom]

23. did Zelikow infer that they wanted to go into Afghanistan before 9/11?

that's the first I've heard of that.

[tishaLA]

24. Here come Cohen

but he's a repug. I don't know whether I can watch.

[Vadem]

36. Yes, he is a repug that Clinton appointed as Secty Defense n/t

[Vadem]

25. William Cohen, Secty Defense under Clinton, up now...n/t

[kaitykaity]

28. Thanks for the heads up.

That other guy just wasn't happenin' for me.

[G_j]

37. Cohen

(a Republican)

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/admin/cohen.htm

President Clinton fulfilled his wish for a bipartisan Cabinet by appointing Republican William S. Cohen to head the Pentagon. The former senator from Maine is anything but a yes-man. In Congress, he demonstrated an independent streak, criticizing some of the administration's defense policies, including the presence of U.S. troops in Bosnia. But he also criticized pet GOP defense projects, including the B-2 stealth bomber. As secretary, Cohen's most critical challenges include reconfiguring the post-Cold War military and responding to the sexual harassment and assault charges that have plagued the armed services.


Sworn in: Jan. 24, 1997 (nominated Dec. 5, 1996, confirmed Jan. 22, 1997)

Succeeded: William J. Perry

Previous occupation: U.S. senator from Maine 1979-97; U.S. representative (R-Maine-2) 1973-79; member, Senate Armed Services Committee, Governmental Affairs Committee, 1979-97; member, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 1983-91 and 1995-97, vice chairman, 1987-91; board of directors, Council on Foreign Relations from 1989-97, chairman, Middle East Study Group, 1996; author; mayor, Bangor, Maine, 1971-72; Bangor City Council, 1969-72; instructor, University of Maine, 1968-72, Husson College, 1968; assistant Penobscot County (Maine) attorney, 1968; attorney, 1966-72.

Education: Bowdoin College, 1962 (B.A. in Latin), and Boston University Law School, 1965 (L.L.B. cum laude).

Hometown: Bangor, Maine

Date of Birth: Aug. 28, 1940
<snip>

[Emboldened Chimp]

27. Cohen going back to Reagan's Admin

saying he drafted legislation while a senator to combat terrorism, but was eschewed by the Pentagon. Interesting...

[tishaLA]

30. What was that smattering of applause for?

I zoned out for a min. Hard to believe with his dulcet tones.

[Catherine Vincent]

34. Good on him.

It's like the commission is going only as far back as Clinton. What, there was no terrorism before Clinton?

[GregD]

29. KPFA has it online

Not sure if anyone announced it, but www.kpfa.org is streaming the hearings for 2 days.

[proud patriot]

32. Streaming Live ...Link HERE

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan3_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

[Emboldened Chimp]

33. Now talking about Congress cutting funds

for combating terrorism during Clinton's admin. Says they cut tens of millions from Nunn-Luger...

[tishaLA]

35. Who was Clinton's first Sec of Defense?

Christopher?

[Vadem]

38. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was Cohen... Clinton appointed more

Repugs than any Dem. president I'm aware of. I was P.O.ed over his pug appointments.

Oops, I was wrong.

Sworn in: Jan. 24, 1997 (nominated Dec. 5, 1996, confirmed Jan. 22, 1997)

Succeeded: William J. Perry


Thanks c_j!

[G_j]

43. Christopher

secretary of state, I believe

[kentuck]

109. Was it Les Aspin...

He later died...

[maddezmom]

39. Cohen: Clinton Admin did far more than other prvious admin to combat

terrorism.

[Adelante]

41. Where are you watching?

There's something else on C-Span and the shrub is everywhere else?

[Vadem]

45. C-Span 3 is where the hearing is being shown.

[maddezmom]

47. CNNInternational

but also have it on CSPAN3

[Adelante]

57. Thanks

When I went out this morning it was on C-Span1. I have terrible sound on C-Span3 always for some reason.

[Avalux]

52. Here's the link

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan3_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

[BlueStateGirl]

40. Is * saying anything worth cutting away for?

[Adelante]

44. Is this fuck

deliberately doing this now so they interrupt the hearings?

[chelsea0011]

42. Bush interrupts hearings for babble speak

Has he no shame. He is nowhere ever and now he has something to say.

[robbedvoter]

55. It's "earlier this day" - the librul media decided to cut the 9.11

Watching Richard Clarke on Charlie Rose (captions) :"Bushco hardly waits for me to endorse John kerry - so they cansay this was all part of a partisan thing."

[Adelante]

61. Outrageous!!

:grr:

[alfredo]

46. Bush just preempted Cohen's testimony!! He is acting like he is a bold

leader, hitting on his 'goals' for the future in a pretend cabinet meeting. This is total bullshit!! contact CNN and let them know we knew what they and bush are doing.

[Adelante]

50. What happened to C-Span? nt

[proud patriot]

51. Watch It Here ...LINK

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan3_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

[Adelante]

68. Thanks

That settles my troubles. :)

[proud patriot]

78. You're welcome

:hi:

[Sparkly]

53. Grrrrr!!!!

I can't believe CNN keeps cutting away!! I don't get CSpan 3 and when I called CSpan, I was told they *have* to cover the House and Senate because it's in their "mission statement."

This is SO infuriating!! The most important event in years and the media isn't showing it -- yet THREE networks showed the Chimp's speech the other day. Unbelievable.

[robbedvoter]

48. I see W preempted TV coverage. Cohen talking on pacifica

This is the guy who was helping the Contras, had Wes Clark replaced at NATO and made the sliming shorus with Shelton.
Interesting how all stations - CNN, MSNBC are covring W WHICH IS NOT EVEN LIVE!!!!

[Catherine Vincent]

58. The jackass didn't say anything. (Bush*)

[ellie]

49. I'm listening

on NPR since I don't get CSPAN 3.

[nomatrix]

54. he just said they are wrong

to be patting themselves on the backs about no terrorist attacks in the past 2 years on US soil. He said a mouthful there.

[robbedvoter]

59. Last thing he said on TV - before they cut off to W

Still expect him to backstab Clinton now.

[diamond14]

56. "road runs through Baghdad, and RIGHT THROUGH Jerusalem"

Cohen said it right up front: Jerusalem is THE PROBLEM....and we must discuss Israel up front and honestly...and stop the deceit coming out of bush* and sharon.....

[maddezmom]

60. it was a bold statement

glad he said it.

[Adelante]

62. He was sounding very strong

The few minutes I could actually hear him. I'm kind of surprised.

[tishaLA]

63. Three occassions where they thought they had

UBL, but it was not substantive enough info. Very interesting.

[tishaLA]

69. Now about "Wag the Dog"

saying the pharmaceutical bombings was not a wag the dog scenario. "The president never used the military to serve a political purpose. ...I would never allow the military to be used for a political purpose...That accusation emerged again when we decided to attack Saddam Hussein...I got a call the day taht operation was launched. I got a call from Speaker Gingrich...tehre was a rage in the House..this clearly had to be politically inspired. ...I went to the well of the House and testified for three hours that the President never sought to use his power for political purposes".

Amazing.

Edit: Sorry about typos and ellipses. I was typing what I could get.

[Vadem]

74. Good job and fast typing! n/t

[Vadem]

64. Three different occasions when they were ready to attack

militarily on Bin Laden but all intelligence said they didn't think they had enough--one time they considered shooting down an airplane that they thought Bin Laden was on.

[Nashyra]

67. Cohen is rocking

just brought up the accusations against Clinton ala "Wag the Dog" and saying that Clinton never never used the military to mask personal difficulties.

[Cush]

65. Cohen is talking about 'Wag the Dog'

and about the poisonous tone at the time and how Clinton was criticized for his attacks against the camps

[G_j]

71. Clinton "true to his word"

no wag the dog, Gingrich accusations

[maddezmom]

Cohen: Clinton never used the military for politcal purposes

The charges of "Wag the Dog" are false.

[ellie]

66. Ha!

Did you hear that? He just mentioned the wag the dog accusations lobbed by the repukes. He said he wouldn't have been a part of anything like that.

[Nashyra]

72. He is nailing the congress and the senate

for what they did to Clinton

[Lex]

75. Mentioned Newt Gingrinch, didn't he?

I couldn't quite hear (streaming at work)--didn't Cohen specifically call Newt Gingrinch's name out when he was condemning the "Wag the Dog" bullshit aimed at Pres. Clinton?

If so, sweet.

[leftchick]

85. yes indeedy...

the REPUKE congress is to blame!!!

[Vadem]

70. He spoke for 3 hours before Congress telling them that at no

time did Clinton try to wag the dog to avoid impeachment proceedings after the Desert Fox attacks on Saddam Hussein.

[Sparkly]

76. Dayum

I'm so glad he got that in. The hypocrisy of the people who were outraged at Clinton's judicious use of the military yet cheer for Bush's irresponsible war.

[Cush]

73. Cohen is shooting down the RW talking points

[Vadem]

77. Kerrey questioning Cohen now. Let's see if he attacks him...

as he did Albright.

[Emboldened Chimp]

79. Didn't take long, did it?

This guy is such a putz.

[Sparkly]

81. Nope

He's asking questions that have already been answered: why wasn't the military used earlier, more, etc.? Complete with dramatic "but they were SO BAD"'s just for emphasis.

[Vadem]

82. He's grandstanding, as usual. Ask him a question, already! n/t

[robbedvoter]

80. Bob kerrey still doing karl's work. Guy slaughtered civilians in Vietnam

and is now showing his criminal nature.

[Nashyra]

83. Kerrey is an unmitigated asshole

he is nothing but a lackey, he is one demensional and it just goes to show what a fucking idiot Daschle was for appointing him after Cleland resigned.

[tishaLA]

91. Yup.

I just don't gt him. Is this supposed to be a show of his "independence"?

[robbedvoter]

96. Shame on Cleland for resigning too. No excuse.

Shame on Daschle, shame on kerrey - Zell Miller must be jealous! :-(

[Vadem]

84. Cohen recommended Gen. Zinni, praising him over Gen. Shelton,

Chief of Jnt. Chiefs. Zinni was made to retire after he said that we would need 200,000 troops in Iraq.

[Nashyra]

87. Kerrey should be relieved of duty

Kerrey is a fucking jackass!!!!! What the fuck is he trying to do. Has he been promised something? He is a fucking PNAC

[leftchick]

94. kerry is a delusional pompous fucking ass...

he is making no fucking sense! Someone shut his trap PLEASE!!

[underpants]

88. Cohen saying no one pre-9/11 could have gotten support to attack

CLinton OR Bush.

Kerrey is openly arguing with him.

Cohen:Not one country would have been with us to attack Afghanistan without 9/11.

[robbedvoter]

101. They did not have positive info it was OBL on Cole

Why didn't Powell, Condi, Rummy keep investigating?

[maddezmom]

86. love it Cohen is turning the questions back at Kerrey

[Nashyra]

92. I am ready to go through

the fucking roof. Kerrey is nothing but a traitor pure and simple. I hope when Clinton testifies that he eats Kerrey for lunch. Egotistical self centered bullshit son of a bitch.

[G_j]

93. wtf is with Kerrey? (yelling)

he thinks NATO, Congress, the American ppl would have supported invading Afghanistan before 9-11

[tishaLA]

89. Bob Kerrey in his meandering fashion

making a statement posing as a question. He's just repeating what he said to Powell! WTF? "I do't understand why the military wasn't given a priority in the fight against UBL...I don't understand why the military wasn't given a dominant role and I wonder if you think the military was under-utilized (gawd what a phraseology) in the fight against militant Islam."

Cohen: Fatwa was against me too. Could have put massive force in Afghanistan against the support of Pakistan and the neighboring countries. General Zinni...commander of CENTCOM...made a number of reccomendations...helped (in dealings with Musharaff) to stop millenial attacks. ...They weren't "risk averse"...we had lethal authority. Sandy Berger said we werent sendig a legal summons to him, we were trying to kill bin Laden....there was never a recommendation that came that said let's take military action and let's to it. Do you think it's reasonable, Sen. Kerrey, ...for Pres. Clinton to come to congress and say we want to go do this. (Chatter) In Kosovo, everyone was saying it's a bad idea and we had to endure without the support of congress. And Pres. Clinton, and Pres. Bush could not have gone to congress to make this request. Clinton had the allies, NATO, but I dare say there is not a single country that would have allowed him to go to war with Afghanistan and congress would not have allowed it either.

[hedda_foil]

90. Kerrey seems to be channeling the spirit of Scoop Jackson

(The "Democratic" idol of the neocons.)

[Bozita]

97. Too bad his name is Senator Kerrey

Some folks don't know that there were two.

[Spazito]

95. Kerrey is an incredible asshole!

Cohen brought out that Kerrey was adamantly against Kosovo but the President(Clinton) was able to persuade the American people that it was the right thing to do and as a consequence saved over a million lives. Kerrey is throwing a temper tantrum cause he didn't get his way re Kosovo and he is going to make every Clinton witness pay.

[Nashyra]

Why does Kerrey get so much time?

Cohen is doing a great job for Clinton.

[tishaLA]

98. Kerrey thinks he's a pit bull

Instead, he just seems arrogant.

"What was the military objective on August 20, 1998?"

"Did you consider putting a special ops team there rather than relying on sattelite?" (wow he talks fast. both do. In fact, he talks like a character from a 40s film, like someone who plays the rough)

[DustMolecule]

99. He didn't talk so fast when he was 'questioning' Powell

eom

[Vadem]

100. ABC Thompson back to the USS Cole...Cohen said, as

Albright said, that they didn't have absolute proof that it was Bin Laden.

[Vadem]

102. Jamie Gorelick up questioning now (she's a Dem)...n/t

[robbedvoter]

103. Thompson's job is to exculpate Bushco. Did it with Albright too

"Do you think Bushco should have started his adminisration with a war?"

[Vadem]

105. Righto! n/t

[Cush]

104. Gorelick: We are having 'selective' leaks on info

talking about how we could have gotten Bin Laden, but we were over- ruled by the higher ups

[robbedvoter]

106. Gorelick: what's with the leaks from CIA? Did they know? Didn't?

Was Tenet telling them a different story?

[Cush]

107. talking about the Asprin Factory

They had evidence that they were going to be used to manufacture Chemical Weapons and that it was built under heavy security

[maddezmom]

108. Lehman up now

trying to pin the blame on the Clinton admin.

[Vadem]

110. Cohen says the war on terrorism will not be won on the battlefield...

but by the sharing of information and good police work.

[G_j]

112. Iraq "aside"

"a big aside" .... well as Clarke says, there are terrorists there NOW

[diamond14]

113. Cohen has repetitively slammed bush* war and policies....and his

remarks about Israel being the root of the problem are poignant....

Cohen has continuously explained in great detail, why the bush* all-war-all-the-time-and-everywhere approach is NOT the right approach to terrorism...and we cannot overcome terrorism unless we realize that Israel IS THE PROBLEM...."We must engage the Israel problem RIGHT NOW and not wait until after the November elections."

Cohen is a brave testifier....a real NATIONAL HERO to stand up to bush* and his minions....

[Vadem]

111. Tim Roemer questioning Cohen now... n/t

[robbedvoter]

114. This is a good guy. Why do we only have 2 good people on that commission?

All the rest are nazis - starting with Bob Kerrey!

[Vadem]

115. Roemer says Indonesia very important to us in the future...

asking what we can do to educate the madrasses; Cohen says we need very agressive diplomatic actions...Arab world looks through two lenses--how we treat tthe Iraqis and how we handle the middle Eastern conflict.

We must stand up to human rights, not by using clubs; give people a sense of hope, economic, educational... We must be engaged...

[Vadem]

116. Cohen was released and thanked for his testimony...Applause

when he left. Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz up next! Is that Gen. Myers there also?

[Eurobabe]

117. Evil has just entered the room

Rummy

[Guaranteed]

119. AND Wolfowitz, his Igor nt

[webtrainer]

121. w/ Wolfowitz and Gen. Myers too

yicky

[milkyway]

127. I know what you mean. I got a chill when I first got a

look at Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz.

[Cush]

118. time for Rummy

[Zookeeper]

120. Also being broadcast on MSNBC...

with interruptions. Like Bush addressing his cabinet. (That couldn't have waited?)

[Vadem]

122. Sworn in: Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Gen. Myers. Rummy...

speaking now. Whoooeeeee

[gulfcoastliberal]

124. Skeletor

Gloating over the Spain attacks.

[Emboldened Chimp]

123. Ugh, Wolfowitz too!

Double Evil!

[leftchick]

125. PLEASE start a new thread!

rummy's will be LONG!

[Vadem]

128. Do the Mods start the new thread?

[rocktivity]

126. RUMMY'S UP!!!

Time to start a new thread, perhaps?


:headbang:
rocknation
NYC Peace March Pics

[Vadem]

129. I've alerted the Mods to start a new thread....n/t

[Vadem]

130. New thread started here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1273769#

[Moderator]

131. Locking for discussion here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1273769#