White House reacts to security critique (Clarke)

Interest Alert ^ | 3-21-04

[jmstein7]

The White House late Sunday denied charges of a former anti-terror adviser that President Bush was not properly focused on the threat of al-Qaida.

As CBS "60 Minutes" program was featuring former adviser Richard Clarke's accusations, contained in a new book, that Bush ignored warnings about al-Qaida but after the Sept. 11 attacks was eager to link Iraq and the terrorist organization, the White House offered a number of rebuttals.

Bush specifically told National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that he was "tired of swatting flies" and wanted to go on the offense against al-Qaida, the White House said.

White House officials met frequently between March and September 2001 to devise ways to deprive al-Qaida of the support of Pakistan and the shelter provided by the Taliban, the statement said.

The anti-al-Qaida strategy was ready for implementation on Sept. 4, 2001, the White House said. Since 16 of the 19 airliner hijackers were already in the country by June 2001, even neutralizing al-Qaida leader Osama bin-Laden would not have halted their plans, the statement said.

Clarke, the White House said, did not advocate any plan to take on al-Qaida inside the United States and never made the Bush administration aware of security assessments made by the Clinton administration about the possible use of airplanes as weapons.

[lmr]

A Liberal friend of mine called me to call this to my attention as the program was airing. I don't care, this guy has an axe to grind. All "Former" Administration officials do. This all goes back to the Daschle claims of "What did Bush Know and when did he know it?" Let's not rehash that tripe again, because it doesn't matter.

[Galtoid]

Just keep it up, CBS. Keep up all this drivel. Bush's numbers will climb into the stratosphere by mid-summer. No decent American wants the president to be trashed like this. This guy (the former official) has a major ax to grind, and by the time Rush gets through with him tomorrow, the story will simply go away. Every time the Dems/libs/media try this kind of smear campaign, it blows up in their faces. This is no exception.

[BlueAngel]

I wish the White House would mention the Clinton administration and their lack of reponse to the terror attacks in the 90's, not to mention letting Bin Laden get away.

The White House must fight back and hard!

[tomahawk]

Clarke is a liar, and also out of the loop.

He's trying to sell a book.

That about sums it up.

[BigLittle]

Seems to me this guy is shouting FIRE! two and one half years after the fact. How can it be, if what he is saying is true, that he has been silent until now?

[cricket]

At least Fox has pointed out that this effort if political and that he is supporting John Kerry.

These people are shameless in their politics; but what else is new.

. . .and sure he criticizes the Clinton Administration -though not Clinton per se of course. . .but in the end, these people and the media hacks get what they want.

The debate 'framed' with Bush hanging front and center.

[txhurl]

Not really. It's know confessed amongst the Rats that any investment in Kerry '04 is throwing good money after bad. Stay tuned for some serious campaign dissipation, thru April.

[freekitty]

This guy, Clarke, is nothing more than a flake.

[mwfsu84]

What would liberals have us do? They cut the budget on intelligence. They despise John Ashcroft and The Patriot Act. They left Bush with a threadbare military. They want to us to get the UN's permission before we act. I'm sorry, but I believe many of them have more sympathy for the prisoners in Gitmo than they do our soldiers in Iraq.

This is the party that we trust to our national security?

[newgeezer]

Clarke's story might have some credibility, if not for the fact he's hawking a book.

[olliemb]

In the 60 minutes interview did Clarke get asked anything about Clinton and Bin Laden? I watched some of the interview and I don't recall gasping Leslie Stahl asking thim that question.

[gal522]

Did anyone see the interview? I missed it. How did he come across overall?

[newgeezer]

How can it be, if what he is saying is true, that he has been silent until now?

Hey, it takes a while to settle on one version of a juicy story, write it, edit it, get it published and distributed.

[Howlin]

gasping Leslie Stahl

She was quite the drama queen tonight, wasn't she?

[Howlin]

Hey, it takes a while to settle on one version of a juicy story, write it, edit it, get it published and distributed.

Eva has an interesting theory about this guy.

Eva, can you post it here?

[Rokke]

Ping

[Just mythoughts]

So is this latest want-a-be famous and rich, Clarke, related to the former General want-a-be president Wesley Clarke?

[SoCalPol]

I spoke to 4 Dems today and they had to agree, Clinton
had 8 years to get bin Laden and if Bush had Iraq on
his mind from day 1, why did he go into Afghanistan first
and way later on Iraq. Richard Clarke is making a fool
of himself and on the way trying to make a buck on his
book on the blod of victims of the terrorist.

[pointsal]

How much is the PR budget for this book sale campaign?