Skip to comments.
Hardball Tonight: Clarke - 9/11 Might Have Been Prevented
MSNBC ^
| Updated: 3:35 p.m. ET March 31, 2004
| Alex Johnson
Posted on 03/31/2004 1:03:36 PM PST by ironman
NEW YORK - Richard Clarke, President Bushs former chief counterterrorism adviser, said Wednesday that it was possible that he and his team could have prevented the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks if the Bush administration had paid more attention ahead of time to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terror network.
Clarkes comments, in an hourlong interview on MSNBCs Hardball, were a departure from the testimony he gave last week before the independent commission investigating the attacks, when he answered no to the question of whether there was the remotest chance that it would have prevented 9/11 even if everything he had called for had been implemented.
But Clarke told MSNBCs Chris Matthews that he hoped he and his team would have been able to take action to quash the attacks, which killed about 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, had the CIA and the FBI sufficiently coordinated the bits and pieces of information they had about the 19 Saudis who hijacked four planes and crashed them in the worst attack on U.S. soil.
Acknowledging that he was indulging in 20/20 hindsight, Clarke said it was likely that he could have made a difference had he known that some of the hijackers were in the country ahead of time and had drawn suspicion. The full interview is scheduled to air today at 7 p.m. ET on MSNBC-TV.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
TOPICS: Announcements; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bushknew; richardclarke
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 301-320, 321-340, 341-360 ... 481-496 next last
To: Darlin'
He thinks Clinton stopped Iraqi terrorism. Sheesh ! By doing what? Taking Oil For Food money?
321
posted on
03/31/2004 4:56:19 PM PST
by
eggman
(Social Insecurity - Who will provide for the government when the government provides for all of us?)
To: Carolinamom
poles = polls.........brain cells are over-heated.
To: All
THanks for posting this running commentary, I just couln't bear to watch, plus I think Chris Matthews is a real clymer, and Idon't like to up his ratings. Sounds like Chrissy gave this guy a real Verbal bj (if that is not too rude a way to put it).
323
posted on
03/31/2004 4:56:37 PM PST
by
Laverne
To: Right_in_Virginia
Why wouldn't President Bush be concerned about Iraq from the start?Indeed. The anthrax attacks all but sealed Hussein's doom, and rightly so, whether or not it can ever be proven that Iraq was involved.
324
posted on
03/31/2004 4:57:15 PM PST
by
Wolfstar
(Yo, "real" conservatives. Spain's election is clear. Jihadists are on Kerry's side. Are you?)
To: Miss Marple
I completely agree and shame on Matthews for given him a forum.
325
posted on
03/31/2004 4:57:19 PM PST
by
Darlin'
("I will not forget this wound to my country." President George W Bush, 20 Sept 2001)
To: TomGuy
Clarke also stated in another interview that he put his team on highest alert during the summer of 2001 What does that mean? That he had his staff sitting under their desks with their head between their legs?
326
posted on
03/31/2004 4:57:28 PM PST
by
My2Cents
("Well...there you go again.")
To: Carolinamom
Oh, boy..I sure hope Condi's ready for her testimony....Clarke needs his clock cleaned!
To: My2Cents
What staff did Clarke have? The maintenance crew?
To: Howlin
Bob Scheiffer from CBS blamed Monica Lewinsky!Man, these people aren't even a serious threat any more. They have been reduced to simply being hillarious!
329
posted on
03/31/2004 4:58:35 PM PST
by
My2Cents
("Well...there you go again.")
To: Darlin'
A movie!!!! He's NOT denying it! Damnit!
330
posted on
03/31/2004 4:58:38 PM PST
by
Howlin
To: Howlin
A MOVIE?!!! What the hell?!
To: Howlin
I'm sure the movie will come out just about....oh, let's see....November 1st?
332
posted on
03/31/2004 4:59:32 PM PST
by
Timeout
(Down with Donks!)
Matthews just played a tape of Lawrence Eagleburger calling Clarke "The Little Boy who Cried Wolf".
333
posted on
03/31/2004 4:59:42 PM PST
by
McGruff
(If this Sept. 11th commission has so much work to do, why are they on TV every day?)
To: Carolinamom
You make a very good point. I don't think anyone who watches this whole thing will be able to see through him completely. Did you just hear him say he hasn't authorized any movie "yet" ?
334
posted on
03/31/2004 4:59:48 PM PST
by
Darlin'
("I will not forget this wound to my country." President George W Bush, 20 Sept 2001)
To: Right_in_Virginia
How about that........Matthews asked him which country they will go into next, and Clarke says "If the same people are around, there is no telling."
Bipartisan, my white Southern butt!
335
posted on
03/31/2004 5:00:31 PM PST
by
Howlin
To: McGruff
Chris cut out the part where Eagleberger said "If one cries wolf often enough, he'll eventually be right about something!".
336
posted on
03/31/2004 5:00:33 PM PST
by
Timeout
(Down with Donks!)
To: Howlin
"MY publishers may be working on a movie, but I have not authorized one.....IF there is a movie...."
There WILL be a movie.
To: Howlin
Clarke knew nothing when he was employed...and he knows even less now that he only job is promoting his book and movie. Sheese...this worm makes my skin crawl!
To: Right_in_Virginia; Carolinamom
I just cannot get over how much I despise that guy.
339
posted on
03/31/2004 5:03:20 PM PST
by
Howlin
To: MNJohnnie
Might I add we also add that Gorelick should be testifying as she served under Reno - she should not be on the inquisitor's side of the desk.
Please ping me if you or someone else gets that thread going! Wonderful idea...thank you.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 301-320, 321-340, 341-360 ... 481-496 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson