Hardball Tonight: Clarke - 9/11 Might Have Been Prevented

MSNBC ^ | Updated: 3:35 p.m. ET March 31, 2004 | Alex Johnson

[tirednvirginia]

I'm glad I missed it. Tell me, what do you think Imus' assessment will be tomorrow? Will he still say he "likes" Chris Matthews? This was suppose to be a be a real "hardball" interview.

[rocklobster11]

The key lines by Ben Veniste are:

And so it seems to me that if that information had percolated up, if there had been an all-hands meeting at the White House with the cabinet, if they would have shaken the trees to find anything that they knew in this extraordinary threat environment, where we were hearing that something spectacular was going to happen.

Perhaps if their photographs had been put on television, if airports had been alerted, if the security measures that we might have put in place had been put in place, perhaps we could have interrupted 9/11.

[Political Junkie Too]

Remember all the WH computers that were damaged, hard drives missing, etc., by the departing RATS?

Remember how the Clinton Administration held up releasing transition funds to the Bush team because of the Florida election results contest in court?

The Bush team lost at least a month of organizational time prior to being sworn in, and then was obstructed by Senate Democrats when Bush tried to put his team in place.

And then 9/11 happened.

-PJ

[shrinkermd]

I thought Clarke to be much more circumspect in his portrayal of the President and his Administration. Also, Clarke was careful not to reveal his underlying anger and contempt for both. His previous interview with Stahl had a different emotional connotation.

Clarke tried to avoid any direct conflict with the President. He also changed one assertion—he now feels the Commission could determine whether 911 could be prevented.

Clarke, between the lines, suggests that Tenet’s daily briefings with President Bush were insufficient compared to Clarke’s briefings of President Clinton. This point underlies and is foreground for much of what Clarke experiences and believes. It was both a professional and narcissistic blow to no longer brief POTUS.

In some ways Clarke changes his role as political gadfly (even though he is) to one where he suggests that President Bush was not properly informed. Seemingly, he is searching for a way to reduce the conflict with the current Administration in every which way yet still imply, if only they had listened to him everything would have been much better.

The big point for both Mathews and Clarke is the immorality of the Iraq War. What both seem to believe is there is a neo-conservative cabal (Jewish and gentile “Vulcans”) who led us into war.

As a person on the primitive Protestant end of the religious continuum, I remain convinced that one of the benefits of this war was the reduction of the Iraq financially supported homicide/suicide bombers. That this is never mentioned by the RATS and others suggests they hesitate to betray their underlying conviction that not only does Israel not have a right to exist but it deserves all the murderous rage it receives. I can think of no other primary motive that continues and persists over time in explaining the minority view on this war.

As to Clarke’s demeanor, he is a quick study and very controlled, but comes across as elitist and arrogant even though these are mistakenly assumed key personality characteristics that is explained by the Meyers/Briggs/Kiersey “mastermind” personality. I have described this personality elsewhere on other threads.. His personal and professional vulnerability is that he actually failed in 8 years to do what he set out to do. What is worse he spent inordinate time on Y2K and other issues involving cyber terrorism I do not think he can tolerate failure of any kind and his projection of omniscient capability is his biggest strength and, if penetrated, his biggest vulnerability.

People of his temperament are good at anticipating dangers but not consequences. Like the woman who knifed her boyfriend and was shocked when blood splattered over her clean floor, Clarke did not anticipate his political attacks would be met with political means.

[MNJohnnie]

Sickening Senator Corzine was on Hannity's show today and would not disagree with Clarke. Corzine said the Bush administration was obsessed with Iraq, blah blah blah. He also said that people who go rustling around in documents belonging to the Senate Intelligence Committee are the bad guys. The content of the memo wasn't political in his opinion, but whomever leaked it was being political.

Yeah, I heard that too. Sentor Slime was more concenred with how the memo got out then what the memo SAID! The Democrats demonstrate daily why they are UNFIT for power at ANY level on ANY issue.


The good news is President Bush doesn't seem to be taking a "hit" because of the Clarke testimony. The numbers for him aren't moving up but at least Kerry's are coming down.

Ah actually Bush is up to 51% in the latest CNN/Gallup POST CLARKE poll. A 7 point GAIN since in the last 3 weeks. Clarke is not hurting Bush, he is killing Kerry

[Wolfstar]

I have always thought that the anthrax came from Iraq by al Queda couriers and letter writers.

I believe so, too. I also believe that it would have been criminally negligent for ANY sitting president not to take down Hussein after the anthrax attacks — whether or not concrete proof of his regime's involvement could be found. The danger of a repeat and perhaps far more deadly bioweapons attack was just too acute in the immediate post-9/11 and post-anthrax attacks world.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Clarke works in the national security sector.
Clarke doesn't like president Bush's Iraq policy.
Clarke becomes the darling of the parasitic left.
Clarke writes a book to make president Bush look bad.
Clarke testifies at the 911 commission.
Clarke goes on TV.
Clarke plays Chrissy like a violin.
Clarke tries to make himself look like a hero.
Clarke finds his book on the NY Times bestseller list.
Clarke's agent works with HBO on a TV movie.
Clarke counts his money.
Clarke marries his domestic partner.
Clarke lives unhappily ever after.
Clarke is forgotten by history.

[ironman]

Fortunately my anger at Clarke has subsided somewhat as I think his 15 minutes are about up. General impressions, he's an egomaniac, and disloyal. He should not have written a book for profit, breaking all precedent w/ past national security staff. Maybe he could have written an academic article in some National Security journal. But a book, tour, TV, and now possibly movie has overly politicized something that should not have been. Shame on him.

[cyncooper]

From the article/thread you linked citing that Blacker disputing some of Clarke's "memories" it mentions the situation room guy who also does not share Clarke's evidently unique recollections:

NSC spokesman Sean McCormack, who was with Mr. Clarke in the White House Situation Room the day after the terrorist attacks, yesterday disputed several passages in Mr. Clarke's book describing the events that transpired in that room

[Wolfstar]

Clarke is forgotten by history.

Definitely. At most, he'd be a footnote somewhere. One thing the media and the Left/Dems can NEVER take away from George W. Bush and the key figures in his first term is their place in history. In the 9/11 aftermath, GWB attained an historical importance few figures ever achieve. Whether or not he's reelected, without question the decisions and actions he took in reaction to 9/11 have shaped the course of this new century.

Although few of us will be around at the end of this century to assess the outcome, one thing is certain: If Bush is reelected, the odds are vastly greater that the outcome will be beneficial for the U.S. and the world. If Kerry is elected, on the other hand, we may enter a new Dark Age. I do not say this lightly or with hyperbole.

[EllaMinnow]

Imus called Matthews "the fat spitter" on Monday.
If Imus is consistent, he'll be pissed. But then, Imus is rarely consistent.

[ironman]

Nice analysis. Somebody should clue in Mathews that Iraq was a charter member of the axis of evil, on the State Dept's list of terrorist states, Saddam was a terrorist sponsoring international terrorism (attempted assassination on Bush 41, paying the families of the homicide/suicide bombers), and it was the offical policy of the US Government for regime change. Even though we may never find WMD in Iraq, having lived here in the DC area where had quite a scare over the anthrax attacks, the concern over WMD was/is justifiable on top of what I've already written. I support the policy of premeption.

[cyncooper]

I think Freepers should swear a blood oath to harass this guy whenever we see him...at an airport, a restaurant, a train station, whenever.

I swear I will.

Unfortunately I'll probably not run into him in sunny AZ. By the looks of his pasty complexion it looks like he shuns the sun. Probably likes dark secret rooms...

[woofie]

I only watched a few bits of this, and I was in Disney World (a world unto itself) with my daughter last week when this guy had his moment in the sun. I had only seen snippets of him before,and I cannot tell what it is he is after except money and fame ....from what I saw tonight it seems he is really a big Clintonista and is there primarily to rehabilitate Billy, and has just stumbled into Bush hatred because it was there...Am I missing something?

[bayourod]

"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."

Why didn't he know this? Wasn't it his job to know? Why hadn't he set up procedures to discover such things and coordinate all information? Didn't he schedule morning threat briefings?

THIS INCOMPETENT BOFFON IS PERSONABLY RESPONSIBLE FOR 9/11.

I could have prevented 9/11 had my neutron laser network and crystal ball been not been rendered nonfunctional when the electric company cut off my electricity for nonpayment. Capitalist pigs are responsible for 9/11.

[Dante3]

I caught a few seconds of the interview of Clarke and IMHO he had an insane glint in his eyes.

[Spotsy]

Shermy - World War II Might Have Been Prevented

News reporters don't understand the obvious:

.

Could 9/11 have been prevented?

Of course! Anything is possible.

. .

Was there a govt failure?

4 planes down, World Trade Center gone, huge hole in Pentagon, and 3,000+ people dead. Yes, there was a failure.

.

.

However, these two facts are not tantamount to negligence on the part of the Bush Administration, as the media would like us to believe.

The media brains need to study some history - especially some Clinton history.

Ironically, the lefties want to return to the failed policies of the past. They want to emasculate our govt - CIA, Justice, FBI, Defense, State. And when the terrorists strike again, the lefties will all ask again - Was this preventable? Was there a govt failure?

[cyncooper]

I would like to weigh in on the Plame/Wilson affair. I, too, think it likely Clarke contributed or was behind the "leak".

However, I've always thought it was not a criminal act by whoever divulged the name. It was like "Why Wilson" and the answer: "His wife" and wasn't a leak to harm Wilson as he claims.

Now, I think the Wilson/Plames were up to no good because they clearly were out to undermine the adminstration by spreading Wilson's exaggerated tale.

One thing that goes to Clarke is Novak said it was a long rambling conversation with the official that in the course of the topic came up. That sounds like Clarke who clearly loves to pontificate.

So, in sum, I don't expect anybody to face charges for "leaking" Plame's name, but I do think he may well have been one who knew and talked. Plus, it would show it wasn't to harm Wilson's reputation but to HELP him. That's how Cliff May said he heard about it--that a dem told him about Wilson's wife as a way of explaining why on earth Wilson-who despises the Bush administration-would be sent, and he said the dem explained that the wife being CIA pointed to them being patriots first, partisans second.

[maica]

The danger of a repeat and perhaps far more deadly bioweapons attack was just too acute in the immediate post-9/11 and post-anthrax attacks world.

****

Exactly so!

[cyncooper]

And I would love to see him carted away in hand-cuffs for that breach of security!

I don't think the Plame "outing" was ever a criminal thing--that her name was given out to offer a reasonable explanation to reporters as to why on earth Joe Wilson of all people was sent to Niger.

Now, I do think it likely Clarke may have been one "in the know" who talked, but I don't think that aspect was criminal.

What was criminal was Wilson misrepresenting his trip and the anonymous CIA official leaking Wilson's version to the media before Wilson wrote his op-ed.

In sum, I don't think anybody is going to jail, nor ought to, for mentioning Plame since evidently everybody knew she worked at the CIA. But I do think Clarke as other legal issues that he might face.