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Bush Team Reveals Clarke as Formerly Anonymous Defender of White House Policies
TBO.COM ^

Posted on 03/24/2004 3:25:24 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Mar 24, 2004

Bush Team Reveals Clarke as Formerly Anonymous Defender of White House Policies By Scott Lindlaw Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House, intensifying its effort to discredit Richard Clarke, took the unusual step Wednesday of revealing he was the anonymous official who had defended President Bush's anti-terrorism strategy in August 2002. In a new book, Clarke accuses the administration of giving too little attention to the threat posed by al-Qaida until the day of the Sept. 11 attacks. But in the 2002 discussion with reporters, Clarke outlined a multi-pronged approach for confronting al-Qaida that he said the White House had developed over several months leading up to the attacks.

"Dick Clarke, in his own words, provides a point-by-point rebuttal of what he now asserts," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "This shatters the cornerstone of Mr. Clarke's assertions."

Asked about his White House briefing comments, Clarke said he had chosen to "put the best face" on Bush's policies while working for him in 2002.

"I think that is what most people in the White House in any administration do when they're asked to explain something that is embarrassing to the administration," Clarke told the commission investigating the terrorist attacks.

Just before Clarke began testifying Wednesday afternoon, McClellan read lengthy excerpts of the Aug. 4, 2002, briefing that Clarke gave reporters.

McClellan quoted Clarke criticizing the Clinton administration. "There was no plan on al-Qaida that was passed from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration," Clarke said.

At the time of the original briefing, the White House had insisted that journalists refer to Clarke only as a "senior administration official." But on Wednesday, the administration changed the terms. Fox News asked the White House for permission to reveal Clarke as the source, and the White House agreed, McClellan said.

After Fox aired its report, White House officials told other members of the news media they, too, could identify Clarke as the source.

Clarke was a top counterterrorism official for both the Clinton and Bush administrations. He said in the 2002 briefing that President Clinton had a strategy for tackling al-Qaida, but that it languished for years because that administration could not resolve several thorny issues.

Bush officials reviewed those policies when they came into office, and decided to "increase CIA resources, for example, for covert action fivefold, to go after al-Qaida," Clarke said in 2002.

Bush embraced a plan for the "rapid elimination" of al-Qaida, shifting from the Clinton administration's policy of seeking to "roll back" the threat over several years, Clarke said at that earlier briefing.

The decision to reveal Clarke as the source in the August 2002 illustrated the White House's determination to blunt Clarke's attacks on Bush in an election year.

"Let's remember why we are having this conversation, because Mr. Clarke made assertions that we have said are flat-out wrong," McClellan said. Moreover, in his book, "Mr. Clarke certainly decided on his own to go ahead and rebuild conversations that were considered private previously," the spokesman said.

Asked at the commission hearing Wednesday whether he intended to mislead journalists and their readers in 2002, Clarke said no.

"When you are special assistant to the president and you're asked to explain something that is potentially embarrassing to the administration, because the administration didn't do enough or didn't do it in a timely manner and is taking political heat for it, as was the case there, you have a choice," he said.

One "choice that one has is to put the best face you can for the administration on the facts as they were, and that is what I did."

---

On the Net:

Transcript of Clarke's briefing with reporters in August 2002: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,115085,00.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 911commission; richardclarke
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1 posted on 03/24/2004 3:25:24 PM PST by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
2 posted on 03/24/2004 3:28:10 PM PST by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: Sub-Driver
"Let's remember why we are having this conversation, because Mr. Clarke made assertions that we have said are flat-out wrong," McClellan said.

THE TRUTH IS COMING OUT! :)

3 posted on 03/24/2004 3:29:54 PM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (I feel more and more like a revolted Charlton Heston, witnessing ape society for the very first time)
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To: facedown
What about Clinton's impeachment? It seems nobody was willing to recall that was happening. After all, Clinton spent more effort defending himself & coordinating his defense amongst top aides etc. than anything else.
4 posted on 03/24/2004 3:30:07 PM PST by Steven W.
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To: Sub-Driver
PRICELESS !!
5 posted on 03/24/2004 3:30:54 PM PST by Saundra Duffy (For victory & freedom!!!)
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To: Sub-Driver
The White House, intensifying its effort to discredit Richard Clarke, took the unusual step...

Oh, its a defensive White House, desperately flailing away.

6 posted on 03/24/2004 3:31:56 PM PST by Plutarch
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
By Joe, I think you are correct.

TBO, Fox News and CNN. Will there be more?
7 posted on 03/24/2004 3:32:41 PM PST by Republican Red ("I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,")
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To: Sub-Driver
Will this be reported on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC & MSNBC?
8 posted on 03/24/2004 3:34:47 PM PST by Old Grumpy
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To: Sub-Driver
Clarke said he had chosen to "put the best face" on Bush's policies while working for him in 2002.

Bottom line...he's now making money off lies.

What scum.

9 posted on 03/24/2004 3:35:07 PM PST by Right_in_Virginia
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To: Plutarch
Oh, its a defensive White House, desperately flailing away.

Hardly. Clarke is a bald-faced liar, and proved it today.

Don't turn into a jellyfish.

10 posted on 03/24/2004 3:38:18 PM PST by sinkspur (Adopt a dog or a cat from an animal shelter! It will save one life, and may save two.)
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To: Old Grumpy
Will this be reported on CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC & MSNBC?

It's already on CNN.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1104683/posts <-- Link

11 posted on 03/24/2004 3:38:42 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: Sub-Driver
On Special Report with Brit Hume just now, Jim Ingle stated that the original request from the government not to identify the "government source" that released this information (Clarke) was made by NSA.

Ingle went on to say that he went to the White House to request that NSA remove the restriction. They did so for him, and the other five correspondents in the original conference call.

Senator Bob Kerrey's statement to the contrary is BS.

12 posted on 03/24/2004 3:43:15 PM PST by glock rocks (molon labe)
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To: sinkspur; Plutarch
I believe a sarcasm tag was missing...
13 posted on 03/24/2004 3:44:14 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: Sub-Driver
His stories remind me of some lies I was asked to forward back in the mid-80's. I was a quality assurance manager for an electronics manufacturer. We designed and manufactured parts for space electronic applications.

I was asked by management to falsify test records regarding burn-in and other environmental testing for semiconductor devices. When it came time to present the data to the military qa reps, I was conveniently "sick" that day and I had told my boss of my intentions in advance.

I was "laid-off" a few weeks later.

If you are asked to lie, there are easy ways to avoid the 'problem'!
14 posted on 03/24/2004 3:44:44 PM PST by lawdude (Liberalism: A failure every time it is tried!)
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To: Frank_Discussion
Maybe, but the chicken-littles are out in full force today.
15 posted on 03/24/2004 3:46:57 PM PST by sinkspur (Adopt a dog or a cat from an animal shelter! It will save one life, and may save two.)
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To: sinkspur
This is true.
16 posted on 03/24/2004 3:49:05 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: Sub-Driver
Goodbye, Mr. Clarke.

See you in the Rat hole.
17 posted on 03/24/2004 3:53:40 PM PST by Enduring Freedom (Guess How We Ended Japanese Kamikaze Attacks?)
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To: Sub-Driver
I love it. CNN had to give Fox News credit for breaking the story.
18 posted on 03/24/2004 3:55:54 PM PST by narby (Who would Osama vote for???)
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To: Cboldt
Heard it on CBS with the reporter admitting he attended the phone conference!
19 posted on 03/24/2004 4:00:28 PM PST by Semper Paratus
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To: Sub-Driver
Listen to the way this guy is trying to weasel out of getting caught. Betcha Hillary wrote this script for the jerk!
20 posted on 03/24/2004 4:03:31 PM PST by ladyinred (democrats have blood on their hands!)
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