|
Edited on Thu Jan-01-04 10:01 PM by TruthIsAll
08/24/02 ... The Bush administration is responsible for failing to ... back on efforts that the Clinton administration had ... in this direction, and ignoring government reports ... www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/kellner/papers/sept11kell.htm - 101k - Cached - Similar pages snip The U.S. media completely ignored these and other reports concerning how the Bush administration had shut down or undermined operations against the bin Laden network initiated by the Clinton administration. An explosive article by Michael Hirsch and Michael Isikoff on “What Went Wrong” published in the May 28 Newsweek, however, contained a series of revelations of how the Bush administration had missed signals of an impending attack and systematically weakened U.S. defenses against terrorism and the bin Laden network. According to the Newsweek story, the Clinton administration national security advisor Sandy Berger had become “'totally preoccupied' with fears of a domestic terror attack and tried to warn Bush's new national security advisor Condoleezza Rice of the dangers of a bin Laden attack.” But while Rice ordered a security review “the effort was marginalized and scarcely mentioned in ensuing months as the administration committed itself to other priorities, like National Missile Defense (NMD ) and Iraq.”
Moreover, Newsweek reported that John Ashcroft, U.S. Attorney General, was eager to set a new rightwing law and order agenda and was not focused on the dangers of terrorism, while other Bush administration high officials also had their ideological agendas to pursue at the expense of protecting the country against terror attacks. Ashcroft reportedly shut down wiretaps of Al Qaeda-related suspects connected to the 1998 bombing of African embassies and cut $58 million from a FBI request for an increase in its anti-terrorism budget (while at the same time switching from commercial to government jets for his own personal flight). On September 10, when Ashcroft sent a request for budget increases to the White House, it covered 68 programs, none of them related to counter-terrorism. Nor was counter-terrorism in a memorandum he sent to his heads of departments stating his seven priorities. According to Newsweek, in a meeting with FBI chief Louis Freeh, he rebuffed Freeh's warnings to take terrorism seriously and turned down a FBI request for hundreds of additional agents to be assigned to tracking terrorists. <5> In the Newsweek summary:
It wasn't that Ashcroft and others were unconcerned about these problems, or about terrorism. But the Bushies had an ideological agenda of their own. At the Treasury Department, Secretary Paul O'Neill's team wanted to roll back almost all forms of government intervention, including laws against money laundering and tax havens of the kind used by terror groups. At the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld wanted to revamp the military and push his pet project, NMD. Rumsfeld vetoed a request to divert $800 million from missile defense into counterterrorism. The Pentagon chief also seemed uninterested in a tactic for observing bin Laden left over from the Clinton administration: the CIA's Predator surveillance plane. Upon leaving office, the Clintonites left open the possibility of sending the Predator back up armed with Hellfire missiles, which were tested in February 2001. But through the spring and summer of 2001, when valuable intelligence could have been gathered, the Bush administration never launched even an unarmed Predator. Hill sources say DOD didn't want the CIA treading on its turf.
A Time magazine cover story later in the summer by Michael Elliot, “The Secret History” (Aug. 4, 2002), provides more detail concerning how the Clinton administration had together a program to attack Al Qaeda in November 2001, when the contested election battle in Florida was raging. The Clinton administration was not able to implement the plan, however, because: “With less than a month left in office, they did not think it appropriate to launch a major initiative against Osama bin Laden.” Clinton administration officials claim that Bush's National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice was fully informed of this plan, and that Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger stressed the need for a major initiative against bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but nothing was done. Moreover, the head of anti-terrorist operations in the Clinton administration, Richard Clarke, who stayed on for the Bush administration, had himself drawn up the plan and urged its implementation when the Bush team took office. Unfortunately, fighting terrorism was not a priority in the Bush administration, and so the plan for attacks on Al Qaeda went through the usual 1001 layers of bureaucracy, finally reaching Bush and his inner circle in early September, too late to prevent the September 11 attacks.
As these revelations unfolded in summer 2002, Democrats and others called for blue-ribbon commissions to study intelligence and policy failures that made possible the September 11 terrorist attacks. Republicans, led by Vice-President Dick Cheney, predictably attacked the patriotism of anyone who ascribed blame to the U.S. government concerning the September 11 attacks. Moreover, according to Democratic Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle, Cheney had repeatedly urged him not to hold hearings on U.S. policies or failures that led to the September 11 attacks. Bush administration spokespeople attacked as well California Senator Dianne Feinstein who retorted in a memo:
I was deeply concerned as to whether our house was in order to prevent a terrorist attack. My work on the Intelligence Committee and as chair of the Technology and Terrorism Subcommittee had given me a sense of foreboding for some time. I had no specific data leading to a possible attack.
In fact, I was so concerned that I contacted Vice President Cheney's office that same month to urge that he restructure our counter-terrorism and homeland defense programs to ensure better accountability and prevent important intelligence information from slipping through the cracks.
Despite repeated efforts by myself and staff, the White House did not address my request. I followed this up last September 2001 before the attacks and was told by 'Scooter' Libby that it might be another six months before he would be able to review the material. I told him I did not believe we had six months to wait. <6>
more...
.....................................................................
Republicans Still Can't Keep Us Safe
... write national energy policy while ignoring the known ... Our enemies saw Bush's weakness and attacked, killing 3,100 ... Sure the Clinton military did well in battle ...
www.liberalslant.com/mh121903.htm - 23k - Cached - Similar pages
BuzzFlash presents Southern Style - If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix ...
... It wasn't Clinton who had warnings of 9/11 on ... fix" we are in reveals that the Bush administration is ... fix problems that are not problems and ignoring the real ...
www.buzzflash.com/southern/2002/07/18_southern.html - 26k - Cached - Similar pages
The Consortium
... While Clinton and his predecessors can be faulted for ... George W. Bush deserves blame for ignoring the more ... 2001, just 11 days after Bush's inauguration, former ...
www.consortiumnews.com/2002/011202a.html - 35k - Cached - Similar pages
Blogs for Bush: Comment on Bush, Dean & the 9/11 Connection
... of stink that would have ensued had Clinton decided to ... any investigations that might not paint Bush in a positive light - even if it means ignoring the many ...
www.blogsforbush.com/MT/mt-comments.cgi?entry_id=286 - 25k - Cached - Similar pages
The Dubya Report - Homeland Insecurity
... seems to be ignoring the recommendations ... according to government sources." Clinton ordered bombing ... inconsistent and contradictory Bush administration foreign ...
www.thedubyareport.com/terrorism.html - 34k - Cached - Similar pages
The Dubya Report - What a Difference a Day Makes
... that Mr Bush was no better than Mr Clinton). ... April-May 2001, Effectively ignoring the work of the ... Commission and the Hart-Rudman Commission, Bush announces that ...
www.thedubyareport.com/terrorisanship.html - 43k - Cached - Similar pages
GWBushWatch.com - Keep a watchful eye on George W. Bush
... ilk would have been doing if it were Clinton or Gore ... Bush administration officials told former Sens ... Gary Hart, D-Colo., and Warren Rudman, RN.H., (commission co ...
www.gwbushwatch.com/Jan_9_2002.htm - 27k - Cached - Similar pages
The Daily Rant: Well...
... supposedly has the Bush administration ignoring 'detailed' plan ... When getting into office, Mr. Bush decided to ... Rudman report, and everything that Clinton did. ...
www.jaycaruso.com/archives/000629.html - 28k - Cached - Similar pages
Sixteen Words...and Counting
... They kept ignoring everything concentrating on endless whoring ... cuts; once possible because the Clinton economy was ... now necessary because the Bush economy is ...
www.mikehersh.com/printer_Sixteen_Words_and_Counting.shtml - 21k - Cached - Similar pages
Blog :: Gary Hart :: Restoring the American Republic
... beyond the 1.3 billion dollars that President Clinton originally invested ... 11 inquiry, and the negligence that Bush and co ... are guilty of in ignoring your and Sen ...
www.garyhartnews.com/hart/blog/archives/000004.php - 95k - Cached - Similar pages
The media pundits are finally asking questions about the Bush ...
... into the public record,” Bush said, ignoring the fact ... commissioned by (organ glissando, B minor) Bill Clinton. ... House from the first Bush Administration until ...
www.geocities.com/mahabarbara/ - 94k - Cached - Similar pages
Now It's Russ's Political Page
... to feeding at the trough and ignoring the problems ... George W. Bush remains unwilling to stand up ... and Muslims by continuing President Clinton's vigorous efforts ...
www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1131/dec01.html - 73k - Cached - Similar pages
CNN.com - Transcripts
... very tough political things about Senator Clinton and others ... The Bush people faced the same issue in the ... any finger-pointing to be done about ignoring the signs ...
www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/18/tt.00.html - 70k - Cached - Similar pages
September 11, 2003
... The US is isolating itself from the rest of the world by ignoring the UN and ... President Bush just came to Office, I think former President Clinton could do ...
www.keithboykin.com/arch/000832.html - 30k - Cached - Similar pages
The Poor Man: December 2003 Archives
... day after that, they started blaming Clinton, covering their ... Thank you to President George Bush who freed my ... Ignoring the fact that, on further review, this ...
www.thepoorman.net/archives/2003_12.html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
Booze Cabinet
... in sharp contrast to what happened w/bill clinton during his ... blankly at the wall, or at laura bush's vacant grin ... you're doing is you're ignoring the tremendous ...
http://www190.pair.com/dfh/barchive5503.html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
TAP: Web Feature: Tapped:. by . May 13, 2002.
... than anything, explains why neither the Clinton Administration nor ... is this: While it's unclear that Bush should have ... 9/11, and more or less ignoring a report ...
www.prospect.org/webfeatures/2002/05/tapped-s-05-13.html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
Blog for America : Gen Dean Breaks 5,000 | September 09, 2003
... from outgoing members of the Clinton terror-fighting ... the specific warnings given to the Bush administration in ... August of 2001 instead of IGNORING the warnings ...
http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/001394.html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
DOWNSIDE LEGACY AT TWO DEGREES OF PRESIDENT CLINTON
... to be one global community while ignoring dire threats ... that he warned of dangers in Clinton's new Russia ... He briefed top Bush administration officials, as well ...
www.alamo-girl.com/03157.htm - 94k - Cached - Similar pages
The Chicken Hawks' Iraq Quagmire and other stuff
... and the US of deliberately ignoring his findings ... her Republican colleagues' loyalty to Bush, Congress ultimately ... like this happened on Clinton's watch, wouldn ...
http://chattanooga.net/~cdp/bushwar/bushwar0703.htm - 42k - Cached - Similar pages
Back to Iraq 3.0: July 2003 Archives
... did have warnings, b) blame it on Bill Clinton. ... the number of people who believe Bush actually lied ... But he’s forgetting (or ignoring) the Iraqi civilians ...
www.back-to-iraq.com/archives/2003_07.php - 80k - Cached - Similar pages
The Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public ...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... Gary Hart and Warren Rudman, cochairs of an ... of Central Intelligence under President George Bush, outlined his ... A11 reported that President Clinton would commit ...
www.ksg.harvard.edu/presspol/Research_Publications/Papers/Working_Papers/2002_7.pdf - Similar pages
Barbra Streisand
... Qaeda and Saddam Hussein...ignoring the fact ... of the presidential transition, Clinton's National Security ... the terrorist attacks, the Bush administration ignored ...
www.barbrastreisand.com/statements_subArchives.html - 67k - Cached - Similar pages
Killtown's: 9/11 coincidences and oddities page!
... had been made as early as the Clinton administration, but ... to turn over "the entire briefing" Bush received in ... who accuses her bosses of ignoring warnings of 9 ...
http://thewebfairy.com/killtown/oddities/post911.html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
get donkey!: May 2002 Archives
... Speaker Newt Gingrich, who had joined Clinton in creating ... Neill simply "retired" back in August -- ignoring the well ... thing I do fault the Bush administration for ...
http://getdonkey.com/archives/2002_05.php - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
The Center for Security Policy
... to either attacking the US or ignoring the directives ... How do we help President Bush understand that he's ... Clinton gets elected, there's a major attack, and he ...
www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/ index.jsp?section=static&page=events-freedomflame-thompson - 84k - Cached - Similar pages
Liberation News Service: July 2003 Archives
... bask in Lynch's return while ignoring the continuing ... of this meeting); 2) Clinton-Gore National Security ... The Bush administration ignored the issue of terrorism ...
www.mindspace.org/liberation-news-service/archives/2003_07.html - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
April 2003 Nebraska Report
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
... Bush Administration deliberately chose not to act on warnings of Al ... recent trip to Colombia demonstrates, both the Clinton and the Bush Administrations have ...
www.nebraskansforpeace.org/2003/april03report.pdf - Similar pages
International Terrorism International Terrorism
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... Bush Jr.’s Executive Order 13224 defines terrorism as “an activity that— (i ... Albright stated when she was secretary of state in the Clinton adminis- tration ...
www.ablongman.com/partners_in_polisci/sampchps/herr.0785.04.pgs142-193.pdf - Similar pages
NWC Review Summer 2002.vp
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
... 21st Century (also called the Hart-Rudman Commission), which ... antedated his forcing President Clinton in 1993 to ... that in 2001 the Bush administration installed ...
www.nwc.navy.mil/press/Review/2002/summer/pdf/art1-su2.pdf - Similar pages
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
