Bob Kerrey Said No Evidence Of Ashcroft Threat Assessment

[BGrier]

Isn't this simply dishonest? CBS News reported this threat assessment on July, 2001 and Ashcroft himself was asked about it. Although Ashcroft claimed he didn't know the source of the threat, he obviously acknowledged that there was such an assessment.

How can Kerry say with a straight face there's no evidence this happened? Anyone?

[truebrit71]

1. I thought it had been widely reported...

I know that it has never been thoroughly explained, but I am as confused as you as to how Bob Kerrey could say something like that???

[BGrier]

3. Sorry. Kerrey was asked on Franken's show.

Kerrey was asked on Franken's show by a caller. The caller also asked about rumors that Willie Brown was warned by Condi Rice.

Kerry replied that he had heard of both allegations and that there was no evidence to support either.

Odd - considering the CBS News still has a story on their web site about the threat assessment dated July, 2003.

[sangh0]

5. There's no doubt that Ashcroft said there was an assessment

however, that doesn't mean that there really was an assessment.

[BGrier]

7. The FBI?

Doesn't the FBI acknowledge there was an assessment? Who's lying?

[sangh0]

12. You're right

I forgot about that.

[izzie]

9. I tend to think there was none

These stories are always out like the ones that the govt people were out of the building when it went up in Ok.It is almost like we wish someone knew so dream up these things.

[walkon]

8. Not widely reported

as evidenced by my google search. One report on FAUX says first warnings re: commercial airline use was in May, 2001. CBS appears to be main, only?, source for this info. Main point is that the warnings were not terror related but due to other threats on Ashcrofts's life. Evidence for his using private flights due to some knowledge of Al Queda plans is probably weak to non-existent. I think this is the basis for Kerrey's answer.

[BGrier]

13. Other Threat?

Other threats on Ashcroft's life? That doesn't make sense. How many people know Ashcroft's flight schedule? Was there an Ashcroft stalker in the reservation department of United Airlines?

You may be right that he didn't actually use private flights but that doesn't mean there wasn't a threat assessment. At the very least, they need to tell us what the assessment was based on.

If the goal of the commission is to avoid rampant conspiracy theories, they need to address these things more completely.

[harrison]

2. It was also reported on ABC news. So Kerrey says there is

nothing to this?

[Ganja Ninja]

4. Here's the CBS story and link.

(snip)

(CBS) Fishing rod in hand, Attorney General John Ashcroft left on a weekend trip to Missouri Thursday afternoon aboard a chartered government jet, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.

In response to inquiries from CBS News over why Ashcroft was traveling exclusively by leased jet aircraft instead of commercial airlines, the Justice Department cited what it called a "threat assessment" by the FBI, and said Ashcroft has been advised to travel only by private jet for the remainder of his term.

"There was a threat assessment and there are guidelines. He is acting under the guidelines," an FBI spokesman said. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department, however, would identify what the threat was, when it was detected or who made it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/26/national/main303601.shtml

Either they were lying then or lying now or lying constantly.

[revcarol]

6. I thought his answer was weird.

Should we be hollering and screaming about the extra expense Ashcroft's plane costs? What's the deal here?

[Ganja Ninja]

10. It's time to put Asscrack on the stand and ask him.

I don't care what agreements have been made these guys need to answer for this. If he won't testify, if any of them don't cooperate 100% then they should be marked down as being uncooperative and evasive. We deserve answers and shouldn't have to guess about what was going on before or after 9/11.

[izzie]

11. That type of stuff was cut out years ago.

But the Bush people like to live like the Royals.