Posted on 04/09/2004 6:21:36 AM PDT by kattracks
A former Clinton administration official who sits on the 9/11 Commission has been granted special access to key evidence denied to other 9/11 Commissioners, despite that fact that she has a pronounced conflict of interest in the case.
"I'm the only commissioner aside from the chairman and vice chairman who has seen all the [Presidential Daily Briefings]," 9/11 panel member Jamie Gorelick told MSNBC Thursday night.
Gorelick said she had gotten an advanced look at August 6, 2001 PDB warning that Osama bin Laden wanted to attack the U.S.
Gorelick was the Clinton administration's deputy attorney general under Janet Reno, who repeatedly urged the White House not to attack bin Laden after the bombings of the USS Cole and two U.S. embassies in East Africa.
Reno is also said to have advised President Clinton to turn down an offer from Sudan for bin Laden's extradition to the U.S. in 1996, because he could not legally be held under U.S. statutes according to her interpretation of the law.
Gorelick has never publicly explained what, if any, role she played in Justice Department recommendations that bin Laden not be dealt with more forcefully prior to the 9/11 attacks.
Web posted at: 4:00 p.m. EDT WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Clinton signed legislation Wednesday that "strikes a mighty blow" against terrorism, giving the government many of the anti-terrorist powers he proposed a year ago after the Oklahoma City bombing. The law makes it easier for the United States to deport non-citizens suspected of terrorism links and bans fund-raising in the U.S. by terrorist groups(I guess they forgot to tell the terrorists).
The signing comes one day after Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick revealed that the government was flooded with terrorist threats last Friday on the first anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. "I literally could not leave my desk because of all the threats that were pouring in, in the course of that day," she said. A number of federal buildings were closed or evacuated, she said.
Jamie Gorelick, once considered for the CIA job.
Mrs. Gorelick added that even though President Clinton doubled the size of the FBI's counterterrorism budget, the bureau was so slow to hire agents that the money was never used.
"Keeping America Secure for the 21st Century"
Remarks by National Security Advisor Sandy Berger; Dr. Joshua Lederberg, Nobel Laureate; and Jamie Gorelick, Fannie Mae Foundation, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. D.C., January 22, 1999
MS. GORELICK: Mr. President, distinguished guests. Ten years ago I would not have put cyber terrorism at the top of the threats to our national security. But the landscape has changed. Given how well-armed we are, as Josh said, as a nation, but how reliant we are on computers in our everyday business and private lives, our nation's cyber systems become a tremendous target.
I believe that cyberspace is the next battlefield for this nation.
Clinton aides regret letting bin Laden off
Terrorism policy never got going
"Clearly, not enough was done," said Jamie Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration. "We should have caught this. Why this happened, I don't know. Responsibilities were given out. Resources were given. Authorities existed. We should have prevented this."
On Fox this morning there was a "9/11 panelist" on the show. When it was put to him that the Dems were obviously attacking and being very partisan he agreed and stated something like, "you must give them leeway because they are under enormous pressure (from the DNC) to score points here". Further statements went deeper and basically it comes to - sure the Dems were playing politics with this, sure they are on a witch hunt but it's not their fault, they are trying to win an election...
The problem is that in the attempt to be "Bi-partisan" or "non-partisan" as in the case of the commissioners, we(republicans) always get screwed and the elder statesman types have not yet learned about the new democrat morality or lack of same.
Basically, what I am trying to say is that many republicans are ignorant fools if they think for one minute that the dems are going to play fair on anything!
Anything at all!
Blood....boiling...fist....clinched....AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Ah, I feel better now.
Well, they must take that position -- because any rational analysis of responsibility for 9/11 includes the following undisputed, out-of-balance equation:
Clinton: 8 Years -- Bush: < 8 months
The libs don't really want to go there...
Gorelick assumed a position, all right, in '94. It just can't be described in polite company.
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.