Clarke Asked for the Cybersecurity Job (my title)

Frontline / PBS ^ | March 20, 2003 | Richard A. Clarke

[NonValueAdded]

In an interview for the Frontline feature on John O'Neill, Richard A. Clarke describes how he made the recommendations for the reorganization:

Q: [Frontline] "You tried to convince [John O'Neill], it has been written, to take your job. Can you tell me a little bit about that what happened?"

A: [Clarke] "Shortly after the Bush administration came into office, we were asked to think about how we organized the White House for a number of issues, including cybersecurity, computer security, homeland security, and counterterrorism. I was asked for my advice, and I proposed that the counterterrorism responsibility be broken off be a separate job, and that the cybersecurity job be broken off as a separate job. I said I had done counterterrorism for about a decade, and I wanted to start working on cybersecurity, which I think is terribly important. That was later approved by the president."

Also in that interview, Clarke says that in June, all of the agencies were alerted that something might happen:

Q: [Frontline] "A lot of people looked at Sept. 11, and said "Massive intelligence failure. Haven't seen an intelligence failure like this since Pearl Harbor." What's your opinion on that allegation?"

A: [Clarke] "I think it's a cheap shot. I think when people say, no matter what event it is, they say, "Oh, it was an intelligence failure," they frequently don't know what the intelligence community said prior to the event. In June 2001, the intelligence community issued a warning that a major Al Qaeda terrorist attack would take place in the next many weeks. They said they were unable to find out exactly where it might take place. They said they thought it might take place in Saudi Arabia.

"We asked, "Could it take place in the United States?" They said, "We can't rule that out." So in my office in the White House complex, the CIA sat and briefed the domestic U.S. federal law enforcement agencies, Immigration, Federal Aviation, Coast Guard, and Customs. The FBI was there as well, agreeing with the CIA, and told them that we were entering a period when there was a very high probability of a major terrorist attack. Now I don't think that's an intelligence failure. It may be a failure of other parts of the government, but I don't think that was an intelligence failure."

[Howlin]

This guy is the lying man's Forrest Gump.

[MEG33]

I can't understand "What"?

[Howlin]

Is this the John O'Neill that was the security guy for the WTC?

[MEG33]

Yes.

[dalebert]

How can he say its not an intel failure when thats exactly what it was. No one expected it. Why should they worry about aviation security after the glowing Gore report.

[OldFriend]

Perhaps Clark meant that the Clinton administration's top priority was aspirin factories, proving their commitment to fighting terror!

[cwb]

"Perhaps Clark meant that the Clinton administration's top priority was aspirin factories, proving their commitment to fighting terror."

Someone needs to point out that it was Clarke's own intel that labeled Al-Shifa not only as a VX plant, but it was he who also tied this plant to OBL (as an investor) and Iraq. For a guy who says there was no connection between Saddam and terrorism, it was he who made this very connection in 1998.

[OldFriend]

Poor guy, he's so deluded. Perhaps he ought to seek psychiatic help sooner rather than later.

[Ben Hecks]

"I couldn't believe these idiots applauded after Bob Kerrey had the nerve to chastize Foxnews for releasing a tape of Clarke's own words that run contrary to his testimony. If this doesn't show the partisanship of this commission (and crowd), than nothing will."

Stuffing the hearing room with left-wingers is an indication that this was all great theatre. C-SPAN replayed Kerry's VVAW testimony the other day and this is just a replay. We need to face it, the Commies have learned how to stage these things, get the actors in place and make sure the right people in the media pound it into the minds of the uninformed masses.