Condi Rice's editorial response to Richard Clarke's accusations

www.IowaPresidentialWatch.com ^ | 3/22/2004 | Condoleezza Rice

[IPWGOP]

Clarke: White House’s response

Condoleezza Rice's editorial, written in response to Richard Clarke's accusations. The full editorial is also www.iowapresidentialwatch.com

"The al Qaeda terrorist network posed a threat to the United States for almost a decade before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Throughout that period -- during the eight years of the Clinton administration and the first eight months of the Bush administration prior to Sept. 11 -- the U.S. government worked hard to counter the al Qaeda threat.

During the transition, President-elect Bush's national security team was briefed on the Clinton administration's efforts to deal with al Qaeda. The seriousness of the threat was well understood by the president and his national security principals. In response to my request for a presidential initiative, the counterterrorism team, which we had held over from the Clinton administration, suggested several ideas, some of which had been around since 1998 but had not been adopted. No al Qaeda plan was turned over to the new administration.

We adopted several of these ideas. We committed more funding to counterterrorism and intelligence efforts. We increased efforts to go after al Qaeda's finances. We increased American support for anti-terror activities in Uzbekistan.

We pushed hard to arm the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle so we could target terrorists with greater precision. But the Predator was designed to conduct surveillance, not carry weapons. Arming it presented many technical challenges and required extensive testing. Military and intelligence officials agreed that the armed Predator was simply not ready for deployment before the fall of 2001. In any case, the Predator was not a silver bullet that could have destroyed al Qaeda or stopped Sept. 11.

Full story ...

[Enduring Freedom]

Some said Clarke's just looking to sell more copies of his book and/or possibly hoping for a job with Kerry or a future Democratic president.

"He probably thinks that the Democrats have a chance this time and so he's trying to suck around for another job," Alexander Haig (search), former secretary of state under President Reagan, told Fox News on Monday.

"This is an outrage to claim President Bush is responsible for nine years of total incompetence in confronting international terrorism that he [Clarke] was a part of," especially when "the Clinton administration did nothing but warn, warn, warn and throw a few rockets" at terrorists.

Bush, however, "has a firm grasp on the global threat that is confronting the United States, the free world and nations that believe in the rule of law," Haig continued

[GraniteStateConservative]

They say it's the principle of the matter. NSAs have never been asked to speak to commissions. They say it's a separation of powers issue. She has answered questions written to her, I think. She just doesn't want to speak and be sworn in beforehand.

[kellynla]

Condi Rice makes a good case for the Bush Administration but the airlines and airports to this day have failed to provide adequate deterrence for future bombings.

It was only after 9/11 that Air Marshals were placed again on planes, that reinforced cockpit doors were installed. And to this day there are no inspections of cargo, checked in luggage, checking of airline and/or airport employees. Any employee cleaning up a plane after a flight could leave a bomb on board. And a bomb could be placed inside cargo or checked luggage.
If all of these problems had been corrected beforehand there would not have been a 9/11. Period!
I think I will continue to refrain from flying commercial airlines, thank you.

[DrDeb]

Condi Rice has spoken to members of this committee and has agreed to do so again -- it's just that she has and will continue to do so in private!

[Carolinamom]

What would be his [Clarke's] motive?

Try this: As a civil service employee and having served several administrations, he was not easily subject to being fired. Clinton PROmoted him, but Bush DEmoted him. Clarke tried to get a job w/Homeland Security, but he did NOT get the job. Gen. Haig said this morning on FN that Clarke was "sucking up" to get a job w/a possible Kerry adm. He is presently team-teaching w/Kerry's advisor.

See a hint or two here for seething revenge and a possible future job?

[Quilla]

President Bush was in office eight months prior to September 11, 2001. The GAO held the keys to the White House as long as possible and the Florida fiasco delayed a smooth transition (along with a bit of vandalism by the out-going Clinton staffers). The new FBI director had been on the job less than two weeks. And prior to President Bush taking office, airport security was traded for campaign dollars by Gore.

How Gore aborted air safety

[familyofman]

"These people have no loyalty to America. They have allegiance to the RAT party and the evil socialism it espouses."

That type of blanket statement is difficult, if not impossible, to prove. Especially when you consider that Clarke was first in the Bush I administration & was held-over by WJC.

[redhawk]

From what I've found online, she met with the commission informally around Feb 7th but is refusing to testify under oath. I understand National Security enters into this, but she's a very articulate woman, I think she could make a strong case.

http://www.news24houston.com/content/headlines/?ArID=25625&SecID=2

[familyofman]

"Once advised that there was no evidence that Iraq was responsible for Sept. 11, the president told his National Security Council on Sept. 17 that Iraq was not on the agenda and that the initial U.S. response to Sept. 11 would be to target al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan."

I think Condi just said that there was/is no link between 9/11 and Iraq.

[7thson]

BS! John Dean is a snitch and a liar, which has been proven time and time again. John Dean was never worried about Nixon, the Presidency, or the United States. He was and has always been, mainly concerned about his own arse! Clarke is an embitted bureaucrat who got downsized. Even though nobody followed up on any of suggestions, Clinton stroked his ego, telling him he is the main man. Bush and Co., came onboard, saw the pathetic job he was doing and demoted him. He couldn't stand it! If it was so damned important, than why wait and write a book and hit the netwokrks, bashing President Bush during the election season? If he was so alarmed, why not scream it from the rooftops as soon as we struck Iraq?

[Quilla]

At least no link discovered in that six day period.

[section9]

Dammit, Gritty, it was edited because of our legal agreement with the Washington Post, where it originally appeared.

Now I have to make another abuse report!

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[GeorgeWashington777]

Give me a fricken break! I just listened to VP Cheney a little bit ago! And he said that after only two weeks of this administration that Clark was no longer in the loop.

And the fact that he was in the loop for over the eight previous years and failed to do anything substantitive after the 1st WTC bombing the EAfrican boming, the Cole bombing and all the other atrocities commited while he was in charge.

The man wants to understand the terrorist and never did anything succesful while he did have the pwr and yet he comes out now with a political motivated/it's obvious. I'd love to ask him some questions of what was done while he was in the loop.

[WOSG]

A thought occurs in reading Condi Rice's excellent explanation of Bush's active stance at removing Al Qaeda *before* 9/11:

The timing of 9/11 was somewhat lucky, in that while there are complaints that we should have stopped it (silly - how do you stop bank robbers or killers or terrorists with hidden plans?), what is Bush *had* moved against bin Laden seriously before 9/11?

Clearly, if Bush had launched a major strike at Al Quaeda in Afghanistan, the idiots would have *blamed Bush* for inciting Bin Laden to attack us! Never mind that the plot was hatched in 1999 anyway, they would have used that as an excuse.

Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

[piasa]

Clark's been in for 30 years... puts him way before Bush1.

[piasa]

No- she is saying that at that time they had no conclusive evidence that Iraq planned 9/11.

There is ample evidence of Iraqi involvement with al Qaeda, particularly since 9/11.