This matters far more than some guy in "tighty whities"

[Northern Perspective]

The Guckert stuff is fun. Phony reporter, non-existent credentials, shill media outlet (like Elaine in that Jerry Seinfeld episode: "Fake. Fake. Fake. Fake.") But it's a distraction, (especially when you factor in the titillating gay sub-text). Sex sells. We've seen it all before.

But I'm curious. Why is there so little outrage (at least so far) on the revelations of last week regarding the outright lies of the administration in their testimony (Rice under oath) to the 9/11 commission?

(It comes from documents de-classified on Thursday).

Contrary to statements (ie.that Aug.6th memo was "historical" in nature), the Bush WH had dozens of specific warnings. The FAA people had scrambled military aircraft (through NORAD)dozens of times (in the period from April to September) to perceived threats in accordance with existing protocols. Yet, on that day, nothing happened. The new FAA "anti-hijacking co-ordinator" didn't know he had authorization to do so (he's been in air-traffic control since 1964). He observed the anomalies of the aircraft approaching that morning (altitude, airspeed, etc.), thought enough of them to call NORAD, yet refused to give the order to "scramble".

There are a number of people - among them, Randi Rhodes, Al Franken - hinting darkly at the possibility of a larger conspiracy. And if not "conspiracy", then unprecedented incompetence and negligence, heretofore unreported.



And Richard A. Clarke? Well...

Posted on Sun, Feb. 13, 2005

2001 papers: Al-Qaeda cells in U.S.

Recent disclosures fuel debate about warnings' being heeded.

By Scott Shane

New York Times News Service


WASHINGTON - A strategy document outlining proposals for eliminating the threat from al-Qaeda, given to Condoleezza Rice as she assumed the post of national security adviser in January 2001, warned that the terror network had cells in the United States and 40 other countries and sought weapons of mass destruction, according to a declassified version of the document.

The 13-page proposal presented to Rice by her top counterterrorism adviser, Richard A. Clarke, listed possible actions to combat al-Qaeda, focusing on Osama bin Laden's base in Afghanistan. (cont'd)

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/breaking_news/10885554.htm

"Mr. Clarke was seeking a high-level meeting to decide on a plan of action. Dr. Rice and other administration officials have said that Mr. Clarke's ideas did not constitute an adequate plan, but they took them into consideration as they worked toward a more effective strategy against the terrorist threat.

The proposal and an accompanying three-page memorandum given to Dr. Rice by Mr. Clarke on Jan. 25, 2001, were discussed and quoted in brief by the independent commission studying the Sept. 11 attacks and in news reports and books last year. They were obtained by the private National Security Archive, which published the full versions, with minor deletions at the request of the Central Intelligence Agency, on its Web site late Thursday."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/politics/12clarke.html

(excerpts)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/politics/12ctext.html

[blondeatlast]

1. There is plenty in Latest Breaking News.

You can smell the vitriol in there.

Here's a link on edit; very intersting ideas in there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1228046&mesg_id=1232331

[Northern Perspective]

5. Thanks for the heads up on that

...I guess I'm surprised it isn't on the front page of every American newspaper. OR are people expecting this to really take off this coming week?

For example, it was the first time (that I know of) AAR actually suggested conspiracy(the "c word", as Randi Rhodes put it).

[expatriot]

2. There have been so many lies that we are pretty much talking to ourselves.

It's sad but true, there is a wall between people who know Bush is an evil liar and those who think he is an honest Christian.

[Ashamed_American]

3. You're right,

there is a wall. And the mainstream media has taken on the task of adding bricks, concrete, steel and whatever else it'll take to make the wall as thick as ever.


www.BlackEyedSundays.com

[hootinholler]

4. Is the actual report(s) available on the net?

I posted my latest 'stoopud idea' in this thread.


-Hoot

[Northern Perspective]

7. From the horse's...uh...mouth

http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB147/

[hootinholler]

11. Thanks for that but...

It doesnt' mention the 52 warnings... Where did the number 52 come from? Is there a list of the warnings somewhere?

-Hoot

[babylonsister]

12. The FAA had the 52 warnings but they didn't

communicate with other agencies, so no one connected the dots. That doesn't mean the blivet didn't have ALL that info in his possession and chose to ignore it.

Edit to add this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1225763

[AndyTiedye]

9. What does it take for people to figure it out?

MIHOP

[librechik]

6. Gannongate is like "crack for the liberal media"

according to Rachel on AAR's Unfiltered.

We can't help ourselves.

[stillcool]

8. I thought this story would be big....

I emailed the 'memo' to relatives in NY. One thing this admin. seems very good at is delaying 'bad news', long enough to take the sting out. Their manipulation of the media, and concentration on message is the only clear policy they have.

[proud patriot]

10. I'm outraged

I put it on my car .

"52 warnings , we could have stopped it , bush failed on 9/11"

[nickgutierrez]

13. It's a common Bush Crime Family tactic - the news-dump

They'll take as much bad news as they can and pile it onto the media on a Thursday or Friday night. This time around, they just happened to dump a whole bunch of crap at the same time as the Gannon story broke, and with the gay sex overtones to that story it's obviously the one that everybody's going to pay attention to.

I'm outraged about this. A lot of us are, but unfortunately, it's not the big story right now. Perhaps when the Gannon story slows down a bit (hopefully not stopping - this one has enough loose ends to be massive in its own right), this one will get its due attention.

[dsc]

14. Why would being in air traffic control

clue you in on having the authority to scramble aircraft. He would know that the aircraft had been scrambled in the recent past, but wouldn't know who did it. Though he should have been told. It seems like the first thing he should have been told.

[Northern Perspective]

15. ATC was his starting point

Point is that it seems a bit ingenuous of someone to claim that he didn't know the responsibilities of the job to which he was promoted - when he'd been in and around the industry and its institutions, org charts, communications, procedures and protocols for almost 40 years.

The other point is that there were approx. 60 such incidents in the time period between April and September, all of which had resulted in military interception, ie."shadowing". But not this one.

Some more about the FAA's failure...a report signed by the widows of 911 (the "Jersey Girls")

http://www.911independentcommission.org/021105advocatesfaamonograph.htm

"Notably missing from this monograph is any information pertaining to NORAD’s failure to timely scramble jets, which leads us to wonder what else is being withheld from the public."

The failure - in every direction - is profound.