The real "missed opportunity": not declaring war on al Qaeda six years earlier

OJ ^ | 7/214/04 | LOUIS J. FREEH

[pookie18]

With the benefit of hindsight, and with much speculation and conjuring, the 9/11 Commission has come up with 10 "missed opportunities" which, in a perfect world, could have derailed all or part of the 9/11 conspiracy. The list spans two administrations--one Democratic, the other Republican. Experience has taught us that it would take a huge stretch of the imagination to think that any of these opportunities could have been perfectly exploited, especially given the rules and laws in place at the time. Both the president and Congress recognized this with the swift enactment of the Patriot Act. Even so, sensibly the report is a far cry from much of the public rhetoric and sound bites generated by some of the commissioners over the past two years.

[Diogenesis]

Former FBI Director Louis Freeh opined that
Burger “was a public-relations hack, interested in how something would play in the press” .
The New Yorker, per http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200311030753.asp

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Dick Morris noted Berger “seemed to work overtime
at opposing tough measures against terror”,
advising vetoes of legislation aimed at crippling Iranian terror funding
and working to block antiterror sanctions.
Wall Street Journal, "While Clinton Fiddled", Dick Morris, http://www.opinionjournal.com/forms/printThis.html?id=95001824

---

Berger repeatedly rebuffed Sudanese offers to hand Osama bin Laden
to the United States in a deal brokered by a $900,000 contributor to Democrat campaigns.
Source 1 - National Review, "Clinton & Khobar", Rich Lowry


Source 2 - Washington Times, "Miniter Responds", Richard Miniter

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"Sandy, if you f&ck this up, Hill has three words for us: Fort Marcy Park."

[sgtbono2002]

Why hasnt Beger been arrested?

[CDHart]

Go to www.usdoj.gov and ask them.

Carolyn

[Diogenesis]

POSSIBLE REASONS FOR BERGER-BURGLAR BEING FREE TODAY.

1. The stolen Clinton-controlled FBI files.

2. The scores of Clinton punishers and enforcers.

3. The Clinton's continuing control of the IRS.

4. Secret deals of which know nothing yet.

5.

---

Edwards was correct: There are two Americas.

"WELCOME TO THE REAL AMERICA WHERE CRIMINALS GET TO BE
CELEBRITIES AND CELEBRITIES GET AWAY WITH MURDER."
"TO DIE FOR" Columbia Pictures

[ovrtaxt]

Hate to be Mr. Cynical, but I don't think he will ever receive appropriate justice for what he did.

The Bush Admin is trying like hell to NEVER EVER EVER revisit anything illegal that happened during the Clinton years. They don't want to be perceived as vicious and mean, like they supposedly were during the impeachment.

Even when Americans died due to their crimes.

[genefromjersey]

Freeh missed the boat on something-as he did back in 1993. The FIRST WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING was carried out by al-Qaeda "affiliates".It was an investigation that was "derailed" by the supervisor of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (who later became the much-oohed-and-aahed over NJ State Police Director,and,in that capacity,derailed the very effective state police interdiction of drug trafficking-for much the same reason: There were "people of color" involved in both.)

Read: "THE CELL" for an unvarnished look at the FBI in 1993 !

[BigWaveBetty]

What would have happened had the United States declared war on al Qaeda in 1998?

I know, I know!

There is only one thing that I agree with Richard Clark, post Bush administration, about that is we might have been able to thwart to at the very least make the 9/11 hijackers uncomfortable. If only we had alerted the public along with the appropriate government to this very serious looming problem. Clark neglects to tell us that had clinton made an issue of bin Laden/al Qaeda back in say,,, 1998, we would have been much better prepared. But no, we had to go save Albanian Muslims. Not that that's a bad thing of course, however to devote the bulk of his bully pulpit to telling us how Slobo was the new Hitler!!!!, while excluding any real effort in getting Pakistan to come along with us to end the Taliban and OBL is well, just so clintonberger. I also have to wonder if the media would have given the republicans in congress any real coverage if they had screamed loud enough. McCollum, former congressman from FL had alerted clinton and congress to what was up, guess he didn't fuss enough and he was busy as one of the prosecutors on impeachment. I put the bulk of the blame on clinton's administration.
75 posted on 07/23/2004 7:55:56 PM EDT by BigWaveBetty

While we are at this, the natural tendency to blame someone or some agency for 9/11 needs to be avoided. The courageous men and women of the FBI and CIA who put their lives on the line for our country every day are our heroes, not our adversaries. The men and women of the FBI--and the New York office in particular--have done an extraordinary job in pursuing and preventing terrorism over the decade preceding 9/11, saving countless lives by their courage and skill. They deserve our gratitude and respect. They also deserve, as do people in uniform, the laws and resources necessary to do what we expect them to do.

I agree completely Mr. Freeh, it was clinton's job to educate the public about this threat and then do what he certainly thought was too hard or too messy, not stuff he'd want to jeopardize his legacy over.

...the complex question that remains not fully answered is why the political leadership of our nation--which included presidents and Congresses--declared war back on al Qaeda only after that horrific day.

Don't try and lay the blame at the feet of GWB. The Bush administration did start communicating with Pakistan in early 2001, while just getting into office and the delay in senate confirmations on the cabinet (most especially Ashcroft)and that pesky Chinese spy plane problem where how many (20?) service men and women's lives were at stake. Seven months of what could be described as chaos as opposed to at least 3 years of clinton's term.

Face it Freeh, you weren't man enough to stand up to clinton or Reno. Since you knew how important it was why didn't you resign and tell the country what was happening.

Feh on you Freeh.

[mrtysmm]

The conversation may not have been exactly like that....but I'm sure it's close. Somebody desperately didn't want those papers made public....and Berger had to fall on the sword. Now what? Will the justice department have the guts to persue this? Will Berger be held responsible? Will we ever find out who was behind this fiasco?

[Diogenesis]

He was not trying to "fall on the sword", but rather to change the Official federal record
and thereby steal from the American people the Truth.

In the process, millions have also learned that stealing and destroying CODE documents is apparently no big deal
these days, and high school counselors now inform students
that the Archivists' job is to report to the Clintonistas first.

[OldFriend]

And we have Richard Clarke who had an opportunity to help his country and instead chose to help it's enemies.

There must be a way to label these people the traitors they are.

The evil emanating from Clinton seems to have permeated every single aspect of our government.

[mewzilla]

Or DOJ is waiting till after the election to charge him.

[BenLurkin]

Will never happen: because of all the dirt, sleaze and skeletons in Wash DC. Everybody's dirty or is associated with someone who is.

[hoosiermama]

Read "The Third Terrorist" You'll understand even better why! The FBI was totally inept. (possibly because of the wall) Hope it's improved.

[BigWaveBetty]

Thanks hoosiermama, not sure I want to know more.

Just what I know about what Pickard (and Freeh) did to John O'Neill is enough to make steam shoot out of my ears.

[BigLittle]

Don't try and lay the blame at the feet of GWB. The Bush administration did start communicating with Pakistan in early 2001, while just getting into office and the delay in senate confirmations on the cabinet (most especially Ashcroft)and that pesky Chinese spy plane problem where how many (20?) service men and women's lives were at stake. Seven months of what could be described as chaos as opposed to at least 3 years of clinton's term.

Also, let's not lose sight of the delay in transfer of power due to the Gore moves after the election, and the 'monkey-wrenching' by the outgoing dems of systems and procedures that could have smoothed the transition and gotten us ahead of the curve earlier.

I also ponder what our world would be like today, if Clintoon had focused on our vulnerabilities in his final days, rather than pardons, arsenic content in water and the rest of the crap he did at the end.

[Nita Nupress]

Edwards was correct: There are two Americas.

Or DOJ is waiting till after the election to charge him.

Will never happen: because of all the dirt, sleaze and skeletons in Wash DC. Everybody's dirty or is associated with someone who is.

If DOJ is waiting until after the election to bring charges, then there may be no more "President Bush" after the election to make sure charges are filed at all.

I like to think of myself as an intelligent, reasonable person, as do most of us here.  Many of us may not agree 100% with Bush (Close the friggin' borders!), but we're smart enough to know that if John F'ing Kerry and PrettyBoy Edwards get elected, al Qaeda and other terrorists will be cheering and doing cartwheels.  Bush is an honest man and needs to be re-elected if we are to survive as a nation. This election is crucial.

 Having said that, I feel this urge so say something else. 

If Sandy Bergler gets away with this felony, I'm going to have a very difficult time rewarding Bush for ignoring this. He's been ignoring Clinton's criminal activity every since he first took office.  It began with his "turning the other cheek" when he got to the White House and found all the destruction of public property.  (Remember the porn, the defaced walls & carpets, and the broken keyboards?) 

That was one thing, and I understood at the time why he did nothing.  But he's been ignoring Clinton's criminal cover-ups every since!

Exactly why I should reward Bush by going to the voting booth in November if he does not stand up to Bergler's criminal behavior?  He cannot ignore this.  No matter where it takes us -- Chinagate, the TWA 800 bombing/ cover-up, the OKC bombing/cover-up, revelations that Clinton was going for a 3rd term, whatever -- Bush needs to draw a line in the sand and stop being an enabler when it comes to Clinton's criminal activity.

It would be easy to dismiss my ranting as coming from some emotional female, but I would like someone to come along and answer my question in an intellectually honest, self-reflective manner without injecting emotions into the conversation. 

Exactly why I should reward Bush by going to the voting booth in November if he does not prosecute this criminal behavior by Berger & Clinton?

[gaspar]

Overlooked in all this is the fact that Osama Bin Laden was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the first Trade Towers bombing. And he was done so by Mary Jo White. Any time after 1993 that Clinton wanted to call a grand jury to indict Bin Laden (the proverbial ham sandwich) it could have been done. The fact that Clinton claims there was no legal justification for nabbing OBL in 1995-96 is a blatant lie.

[BigWaveBetty]

Also, let's not lose sight of the delay in transfer of power due to the Gore...

Won't lose sight anytime soon. That fat algore bastard ruined my Thanksgiving and then my fun with Christmas shopping.

Really no need to ponder about clinton, nothing was EVER going to happen regarding terrorism related to OBL.

What's the reason the dems are fighting so hard to make Iraq the war we shouldn't have fought? Because it brings attention to clinton's eight years of fecklessness.

And how do we know clinton would never have done anything? This quote from him in a lefty book of essays on "Imperial Crusades" (who for an unknown reason to me) is arguing against the war on Afghanistan.

"Is it clear that all Taliban members were accomplices of Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden? And if they were accomplices, is it not true that the better legal systems of the world do not punish accomplices to a crime as severely as the criminals themselves?" link

See, no matter what, that worthless flesh bag would find an excuse not to go forward. And now we know Burglarpants was his biggest cheerleader for advancing fecklessness.

[Diogenesis]

Many think as you.