Kerrey/Rice Clash; Ex-Nebraskan not satisfied with testimony

wowt.com ^

[chance33_98]

Kerrey/Rice Clash Ex-Nebraskan not satisfied with testimony

Former Nebraska Governor and Senator Bob Kerrey said he was not satisfied Thursday by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice's responses to questions posed by the commission investigating the September 11 attacks.

"I simply don't like a conclusion that says we didn't make any mistakes," Kerrey said after he questioned Rice as part of the 10-member commission in Washington.

Rice appeared to blame lack of communication between the FBI and CIA on intelligence matters, but that is not an acceptable response, Kerrey said. There were enough warnings that Rice and others in the Bush administration should have demanded to see all communications that hinted at possible terrorist attacks in the United States, Kerrey said.

Mistakes made by Rice and the national security team leading up to the September 11 attacks were understandable but they should be acknowledged, Kerrey said.

Kerrey pressed Rice on why the Bush administration did not better respond to evidence that hijackings of commercial airplanes appeared imminent.

During Rice's testimony before the 10-member commission in Washington, Kerrey referred to an Aug. 6, 2001, memo to President Bush that said the FBI had uncovered patterns of suspicious activity consistent with preparation for hijackings.

"That was checked out and steps were taken through FAA circulars to warn of hijackings," Rice said. "But when you cannot tell people where a hijacking might occur and under what circumstances. . ."

Ideally, Rice said, airplane cockpits would have been made more secure in the years prior to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

The hijackers' method of commandeering four planes was to barge into cockpits and overpower the pilots.

"We weren't going to harden cockpits in the three months we had a threat spike," she said. "The really difficult thing for us, and those who came before us, was that systematic changes needed to be made, not on July 5, June 25 or January 1 (2001). Those needed to be made a long time ago so the country was hardened against the kind of threat we faced on September 11.

"The problem was, for a country that had not been attacked on its territory in 200 years, there were a lot of structural impediments."

Kerrey expressed frustration with Rice's references to President Bush being "tired of swatting flies" in dealing with overseas terror outbreaks.

"What fly had he swatted?" Kerrey said. "We only swatted a fly once, on the 20th of August 1998. We didn't swat any flies afterward. How the hell could he be tired?"

In August 1998, the U.S. attacked terrorist-related facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan.

Rice said Bush believed the CIA was going after individual terrorists "here and there" and that the president was using a "figure of speech."

"I think it's an unfortunate figure of speech," Kerrey said. "After the attack on the (USS) Cole in 2000, it would not have been a swatting of a fly. There were a lot of military plans in place in the Clinton administration."

Rice pointed out that Kerrey himself did not, at the time, advocate an immediate military response to the attack on the Cole.

She referred to a speech Kerrey gave in which he said the best thing the nation could do in response would be to address the threat of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Kerrey, at the time, was vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"I was blown away by the speech," Rice said. "It was a brilliant speech."

Kerrey interrupted, saying, "Are you saying had I not given that speech, you would have attacked them?"

Rice said the best approach was to put into place a plan that would eliminate the threat and not respond to an individual attack.

Kerrey and Rice talked over each other frequently, and at one point when Kerrey wanted to move on in his questioning, he chastised Rice, saying, "Don't filibuster me. It is not fair. I have been polite. I have been courteous."

Said Rice: "Commissioner, I am here to answer questions. You have asked me a question, and I would like to have an opportunity to answer."

At one point, after one of several times Kerrey referred to Rice as "Dr. Clarke," as in former terrorism aide Richard Clarke, Rice said: "I don't look like Dick Clarke."

Kerrey prefaced his questioning by telling Rice that he thinks the war on terrorism is really a war on radical Islam and that military action under way in Iraq is "dangerously off-track" and that it would lead to civil war.

[veronica]

Kerrey made a complete jerk of himself. LOL.

[altura]

But he does have an extremely smooth forehead.

Botox, ya think?

Or good heredity.

[ErnBatavia]

To be part of an effective fact-finding commission one has to listen. His mind is already made up.

I watched the whole thing - again - last night on CSPAN....it's very, very obvious that the likes of Kerrey, Ben Veniste and Gorelick were NOT listening, nor were they interested in her responses.

[FairWitness]

"I simply don't like a conclusion that says we didn't make any mistakes," Kerrey said - - -

I don't believe that is what she said. He just doesn't like the examples of mistakes she mentioned (i.e., mis-communications, lack of communication between agencies).

[jackbill]

Fox news has the transcript at:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,116563,00.html

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"I simply don't like a conclusion that says we didn't make any mistakes," Kerrey said after he questioned Rice as part of the 10-member commission in Washington.

But he's OK with clinton's answers and a quick lewinsky.

[my right]

Mary K. Sturtevant, had been on the job only eight weeks before the 9/11 attacks. For months, Sen. Levin personally had held up the confirmation hearings of Bush's appointees who were to design the U.S. antiterrorism strategy - Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Programs J.D. Crouch and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Peter W. Rodman - refusing for apparently partisan purposes to allow them to take office until late July 2001.

Why didn't Dr. Rice bring this point out? I was expecting her to emphasize this point and stick it to them. I think she missed a good point here.

[mabelkitty]

Ex-Nebraskan is a racist.

Talking about how "extraordinary" her achievements were given her background. Very much a "credit to her race", eh Bob? It wouldn't have anything to do with her hard work and family values, right?

I hate this smug racist. I guess it's so ingrained with libs that they can't see it.

[5by5]

What bothers me the most about yesterday's testimony is the political grandstanding that was going on.

If the commission is supposed to be investigating the intelligence breakdowns that lead up to 9/11, why are the commissioners making TV appearances?

How does Bob Kerry appearing on the Today show contribute to making this country more secure? Is that an appropriate thing for a commissioner to do?

Perhaps the Democrats know that there's no smoking gun, so they've given up on accomplishing something useful and instead decided to milk the show trial for all its worth?

Seriously, is the commission still legitimate? How an anyone maintain that the commision is anything but a partisan grandstand?

Bush should dissolve the commision and use his bully pulpit to shame the Democrats over their behavior.

[ravingnutter]

They say Bush had 8 months, but I don't think so...here is a list of Bush appointees confirmation dates for the Defense and State Depts...

DEFENSE:

Donald Rumsfeld Secretary of Defense 01/20/2001
Paul Wolfowitz Deputy Secretary 02/28/2001
Dov Zakheim Undersecretary, Comptroller 05/01/2001
Edward Aldridge Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics 05/08/2001
William James Haynes General Counsel 05/17/2001
Victoria Clarke Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs 05/17/2001
Powell A. Moore Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs 05/01/2001
Charles S. Abell Assistant Secretary for Force Management 05/03/2001
David S.C. Chu Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness 05/26/2001
Douglas J. Feith Undersecretary for Policy 07/12/2001
Jack Dyer Crouch II Assistant Secretary for International Security Policy 08/01/2001
Stephen A. Cambone Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Policy 07/19/2001
James G. Roche Secretary of the Air Force 05/24/2001
Thomas White Secretary of the Army 05/24/2001
Gordon England Secretary of the Navy 05/22/2001
Susan Morrisey LivingstoneUndersecretary of the Navy 07/19/2001
Peter W. Rodman Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs 07/12/2001
Marvin Sambur Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Research and Development (Air Force) 11/08/2001
Alberto Jose Mora General Counsel, Navy 07/19/2001
Michael Montelongo Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller, Air Force 07/12/2001
Steven John Morello, Sr. General Counsel, Army 07/12/2001
Thomas P. Christie Director, Operational Test and Evaluation 07/12/2001
Dionel M. Aviles Assistant Secretary for Financial Management & Comptroller, Navy 07/12/2001
Michael W. Wynne Deputy Undersecretary for Acquisition and Technology 07/12/2001
Diane K. Morales Deputy Undersecretary for Logistics and Material Readiness 07/12/2001
William A. Navas, Jr. Assistant Secretary for Manpower & Reserve Affairs, Navy 07/12/2001
Michael Parker Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, Army 09/26/2001
Reginald Jude Brown Assistant Secretary for Manpower & Reserve Affairs, Army 07/12/2001
John Stenbit Assistant Secretary for Command, Control, Communications & Intelligence 08/03/2001
Ronald M. Sega Director, Defense Research and Engineering 08/03/2001
John J. Young, Jr. Assistant Secretary for Research, Development & Acquisition, Navy 07/12/2001
Joseph E. Schmitz Inspector General 03/21/2002
Michael L. Dominguez Assistant Secretary for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations & Environment, Air Force 08/03/2001
Nelson F. Gibbs Assistant Secretary for Installations & Environment, Air Force 08/03/2001
H.T. Johnson Assistant Secretary (Navy) for Installations & Environment 08/03/2001
Mario P. Fiori Assistant Secretary (Army) for Installations & Environment 08/03/2001
Sandra L. Pack Assistant Secretary (Army) for Financial Management & Comptroller 11/08/2001
William Winkenwerder, Jr. Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs 10/16/2001
Mary L. Walker General Counsel, Air Force 11/08/2001
Claude M. Bolton, Jr. Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology, Army 12/20/2001
Dale Klein Assistant to the Secretary for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs 11/08/2001
Peter B. Teets Undersecretary of the Air Force 12/07/2001
R. L. Brownlee Undersecretary of the Army 11/08/2001
Thomas Forrest Hall Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs 10/02/2002
Charles S. Abell Deputy Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness 11/12/2002




http://www.appointee.brookings.org/resourcecenter/countdowna.pdf

Sorry about the bare link...it should work, I was just too lazy this morning to format the whole document just so the link would be nice and neat.

[ravingnutter]

Oops...forgot to get State in there, not enough coffee...

STATE:

Colin Powell Secretary of State 01/20/2001
Marc Grossman Undersecretary for Political Affairs 03/23/2001
Grant S. Green Undersecretary for Management 03/28/2001
Richard Armitage Deputy Secretary of State 02/12/2001
William H. Taft IV Legal Advisor 04/05/2001
John R. Bolton Undersecretary for Arms Control & Intl. Sec. 05/08/2001
James Andrew Kelly Asst. Secretary for E. Asian & Pacific Affairs 04/26/2001
Lincoln P. Bloomfield Asst. Secretary for Political Military Affairs 05/22/2001
John D. Negroponte Representative to the United Nations 09/14/2001
Ruth Davis Director General of Foreign Service 05/25/2001
Paula J. Dobriansky Undersecretary for Global Affairs 04/26/2001
William J. Burns Assistant Secretary for the Near East 05/25/2001
Donald Burnham Ensenat Chief of Protocol 05/25/2001
Walter Kansteiner Assistant Secretary for African Affairs 05/25/2001
Francis X. Taylor Coordinator for Counterterrorism 07/11/2001
Pierre-Richard Prosper Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues 07/11/2001
Otto J. Reich Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Recess
Charlotte L. Beers Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy 09/26/2001
Lorne W. Craner Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor 05/25/2001
Clark Kent Ervin Inspector General 08/01/2001
Carl W. Ford Assistant Secretary for Intelligence & Research 05/25/2001
Colonel Paul V. Kelly Assistant Secretary for Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs 05/25/2001
Elizabeth Jones Assistant Secretary for European Affairs 05/25/2001
Christina B. Rocca Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs 05/25/2001
Dennis L. Schornack Commissioner, International Joint Commission Recess
William A. Eaton Assistant Secretary for Administration 07/11/2001
Patricia de Stacy Harrison Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs 09/26/2001
Patrick Francis Kennedy US Representative for U.N. Management and Reform 09/14/2001
John F. Wolf Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation 09/26/2001
John F. Turner Assistant Secretary for Oceans, International Environmental & Scientific Affairs 10/30/2001
John V. Hanford, III Ambassador at Large for International Religious 01/25/2002
Sichan Siv U.S. Representative to the UN for Economic & Social Affairs 11/09/2001
Richard S. Williamson U.S. Alternative Representative to the UN for Special Political Affairs 11/09/2001
Christopher B. Burnham Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Resource Management 01/25/2002
Arthur E. Dewey Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees & Migration 01/25/2002
Grant S. Green Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources 12/04/2001
David O'Brien Martin Commissioner, International Joint Commission 01/08/2002
Stephen G. Rademaker Assistant Secretary for Arms Control 08/01/2002
Paula A. DeSutter Assistant Secretary for Verification & Compliance 08/01/2002
Kim R. Holmes Assistant Secretary for International Organizations 11/14/2002
James Cunningham Deputy to US Ambassador & Permanent Representative to the UN Holdover
Alan Larson Undersecretary for Economic & Business Affairs Holdover
Earl A. Wayne Assistant Secretary for Economic & Business Affairs Holdover
Norman Wulf Special Representative for Nuclear Nonproliferation Holdover
Richard A. Boucher Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Holdover Holdover
David G. Carpenter Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Holdover

[ravingnutter]

I don't know...it baffles me as well. I have posted a complete list of Defense and State Department appointee confirmation dates in posts #30 and 31.

[ravingnutter]

Thanks jackbill, I was busy compiling the confirmation lists in #30 and 31 and didn't catch sr4402's question in time.

[Carolinamom]

Is it true (as I read on FR the other day) that Kerrey himself made a mistake when he was in Vietnam: destroyed a village, killing women, children, all inhabitants, but later discovered that it was the WRONG village and had not had been harboring any enemy insurgents?

[Budge]

The ONLY way Boob Kerrey would be satisified would be if Condi Rice said, "Yes, we knew they were going to fly planes into the WTC, we even knew which flights they were going to use. But President Bush, being the dunce war-monger you say he is, just sat on his cowboy hands to give you democRATS something to bash him with."

[syriacus]

Wow!!! What great work on collecting names and dates for Bush appointees.

This information looks very useful, as does the information in your other posts here.

Would it be all right if I add a link to this information over in another thread?

Should a commission be formed to investigate pre-911 obstruction by Democratic Senators?

[syriacus]

They say Bush had 8 months, but I don't think so.

I had thought that the Bush administration was not "settled in" before 9/11-- but, until I looked at what you've posted, I had no idea how backed up things were.

Various Democrats caused part of the problem and I think they are on the offensive to try to deflect attention from their perfidy.*

What a sickening bunch!!

*I'm not sure I've ever used the word perfidy before...but it sure seems like the right word to use now.

[mabelkitty]

John Kerry/Bob Kerrey
Wes Clark/Dick Clarke

By the time the election rolls around, all those not paying attention will just remember the incessant screaming of two people and not vote for them - only they won't know the differences among them.

Good times, good times.

[Big Horn]

The 9/11 commission is a disgrace and will only do harm to the US.

[Jorge]

Kerrey's just upset that his attempts to trap Condi backfired and she reduced him to a stammering fool before the entire nation.