FORMER WHITE HOUSE TERRORISM ADVISOR: BUSH ADMIN WAS DISCUSSING BOMBING IRAQ FOR 9/11 DESPITE...

DRUDGE ^ | 3/19/04 | Drudge

[leadpenny]

Reminds me of scenes in "Primary Colors."

[cyncooper]

Yes, this has "clinton legacy repair team" written all over it.

They know the Bush administration cannot reveal classified information and so on, so they probably don't fear an outright refutation that has documentation to back it up.

We are at WAR and they do this. BTW, Clarke is wrong of course. The Clinton administration (that is the regular intelligence people who really cared) was concerned that bin Laden had in fact linked up with Saddam.

[dawn53]

But wait a minute!!!

Didn't AQ just prove that Iraq and they were linked?

Weren't the Madrid bombings by AQ in retaliation for the Spanish helping us in Iraq?

If AQ is not connected to Iraq, they why did they bomb Madrid for being in on the Iraqi war????

[VRWC_minion]

Bush aides push war with Iraq
By Joseph Kay
20 October 2001


http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:wwiNw4pDMmsJ:www.wsws.org/articles/2001/oct2001/iraq-o20.shtml+Negroponte+letter+iraq&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[BurbankKarl]

more See BS

[cyncooper]

It was probably on their list of terrorist nests that they decided then and there would be dealt with. They prioritized and history tells us they went after the Taliban first.

Bravo, Bush administration.

[zippoman]

Clinton is behind this.

It appears to me that he's been more connected to Republican administrations than Clinton.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/bush_advisors_clarke.html

Oct. 9 — Richard A. Clarke was appointed today by President Bush to be the Special Adviser for Cyberspace Security within the National Security Council.

He will be charged with protecting the nation's telecommunications and information technology infrastructure against a terrorist attack. Experts have warned that hackers and terrorists could try and cripple systems — computer networks that monitor a city's water supply or air traffic, for example — to create further chaos.

Should such a crisis take place in cyberspace, Clarke would coordinate efforts with the private and commercial sectors to bring the affected systems back to normal.

Similar to his previous position as National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism, Clarke will remain on the president's National Security Council. In his new role, he report to both National Security Advisory Condoleezza Rice and newly appointed Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge.

Clarke is a career member of the federal government's Senior Executive Service, having started there in 1973 in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Since May 1998, Clarke was the first National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism.

In that position, he led U.S. government efforts on cyber-security — and on counter-terrorism, continuity of government operations, domestic preparedness for weapons of mass destruction, and international organized crime.

In the role of counter-terrorism czar, he will be replaced by retired four-star Gen. Wayne A. Downing. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge will serve above Clarke and Downing in the new role as the president's Homeland Security adviser.

Clarke became well-known for his use of the phrase "electronic Pearl Harbor," when predicting the implications of a cyber-terrorist attack. Critics say he overstates the threat, perhaps as a tactic to win greater attention, support and resources for government computer defense capabilities.

In the elder Bush's administration, Clarke was the Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs. In that capacity, he coordinated State Department support of Desert Storm and led efforts to create a post-war security architecture. Clarke was appointed to the National Security Council staff in 1992.

In the Reagan administration, Clarke was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence.

[StriperSniper]

Someone posted, "Al Qaeda" as one of the first replies on one of the first Breaking News threads after the 2nd Tower was hit.

Yeah, but that's because we're FReepers, we can't expect government to be as smart as we are. ;-)

[Keith]

yes...we had little in common with Stalin but many merchant marine men died making the run to Murmansk in WW II...

[leadpenny]

Good find. Downing must not have stayed long after Ridge took over because he has been with NBC since before we invaded Iraq.

[petercooper]

It will go over about as well as O'Neil's claims..

[geopyg]

---It was probably on their list of terrorist nests that they decided then and there would be dealt with. They prioritized and history tells us they went after the Taliban first. ------

Exactly. With no HARD evidence you have to consider all options. Stike/not strike. Sooner/later. A few missles/all out war. Osama bin laden, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Palestinians(?), North Korea, France.

With the rage and anger of all Americans at the time I'm sure the felt need for a quick strike to someone (anyone) was strong. Remember all the complaining about why the President wasn't "doing anything" about it? I think that's 'cuz the animal instinct was to "get somebody". I was thanking God in those days that Bush was at the helm. (Still am!)

[demlosers]

This is nothing more than the security vetting process and one would expect Iraq to come up in 9/11 security meeting. There is nothing here.

[leadpenny]

It was actually Osama that Catspaw had posted after I went back and looked. I don't think AQ or Osama were household words with me pre 9-11.

I am amazed at the knowledge and expertise on FR.

[OldFriend]

Your link regarding Clarke is a must read.

[leadpenny]

He's probably revealed some classified data also.

Great pic. LOL!

[optik_b]

Why didn't we go after Saudi Arabia when 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, Osama is a Saudi and the funding for the Taliban and Islamic fundamentalists was coming out of Saudi Arabia?

[Political Junkie Too]

Another reason why we have Executive Privelege.

The president ought to be allowed to have a freeform discussion where brainstorming and free association can lead to ultimate policies and decisions.

To break down the discussion into specific moments without considering where the thoughts lead is dishonest.

-PJ

[Oldeconomybuyer]

..."They were talking about Iraq on 9/11. They were talking about it on 9/12," says Clarke...

As they should. The discussion should have continued on the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th ... I'm confident they were also talking about Syria, Saudi Arabia, "Palestine", North Korea, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, and others who might have been complicit in 911.

[optik_b]

This guy was a bufoon more worried about cybersecurity attacks while Al Qaeda was planning incredibly violent real attacks. The retirement of Richard Clarke was appropriate to the reality of the war on terror.