Aug. Memo Focused On Attacks in U.S. Lack of Fresh Information Frustrated Bush (2002/PDB)

Washington Post ^ | May 19, 2002 | Bob Woodward and Dan Eggen

[cyncooper]

The top-secret briefing memo presented to President Bush on Aug. 6 carried the headline, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.," and was primarily focused on recounting al Qaeda's past efforts to attack and infiltrate the United States, senior administration officials said.

The document, known as the President's Daily Briefing, underscored that Osama bin Laden and his followers hoped to "bring the fight to America," in part as retaliation for U.S. missile strikes on al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan in 1998, according to knowledgeable sources.

Bush had specifically asked for an intelligence analysis of possible al Qaeda attacks within the United States, because most of the information presented to him over the summer about al Qaeda focused on threats against U.S. targets overseas, sources said. But one source said the White House was disappointed because the analysis lacked focus and did not present fresh intelligence.

[CurlyDave]

This needs to be sent to Rush and Hannity

I just sent it to Drudge (links to both the Free Republic post and the Washington Post article) . A few more people sending the links couldn't hurt.

If we get the truth out there: that Bush was asking for info and getting only stale, rehashed stuff it would be very good for our side.

[cyncooper]

I've got a window open to foxnews.com right now and am going to send them the link to the Washington Post story.

[cyncooper]

I just sent this to several different Fox news emails including Fox News Sunday, Special Report, Hannity, Gibson, politics and news.

I'm boycotting MSNBC but I'll go ahead and email Hardball, too.

[PhilDragoo]

[rocklobster11]

I sent a note to Hairball with not much anticipation of Chris doing anything with it, and I also sent it to Scarborough with hopes that at least he might follow up on it

[CurlyDave]

Good job.

Keep it up guys, the more "mainstream" news outlets we send this to, the greater the chance that someone actually reports it.

[goodnesswins]

No....I think the TSA has been around for awhile.....check out their web page.....their TASKS may have been increased in the last couple of years, however.

http://www.tsa.gov/public/

[NormsRevenge]

BUMP.. Thanks

[eggman]

The TSA was formed November 19 2001 under the Department of Transportation so it did not exist at that time.

[Mo1]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm .. Didn't Ben Vesti claim the title of the memo was never release before Thursday's hearing with Condi?

[goodnesswins]

YEP...you ARE correct.....I should have read further on the TSA web page!!!

[Quicksilver]

FR archive:

Aug. Memo Focused On Attacks in U.S.

Washington Post | 05/18/2002 | Bob Woodward and Dan Eggen

Posted on 05/17/2002 11:42:29 PM EDT by Pokey78
Edited on 09/03/2002 7:50:30 AM EDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

[tiki]

I listened to the testimony while I was surfing and I caught it. Condi explained it right there and then against Ben VILEsta's wish, that the president had asked for it and that the title was misleading. They just ran it like they did for the shock value.

[YoSoy2]

I read today this PDB memo may soon be made public.

I think it should never be declassified as it may hurt the president.

[cyncooper]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm .. Didn't Ben Vesti claim the title of the memo was never release before Thursday's hearing with Condi?

I believe he did. My jaw dropped right to the floor when I read the headline right off the bat in this 2002 piece.

As YOU know (I saw your notes yesterday) the title of the PDB alone sent Chris Matthews over the brink. I will never watch him again. He repeated this title over and over and over and here it was---on the front page of the Washington Post almost two years ago. And he made the most outrageous conclusions---all based on NOTHING.

[Quicksilver]

Didn't Ben Vesti claim the title of the memo was never release before Thursday's hearing with Condi?

Excerpt from transcript:

RICE: I believe, Mr. Ben-Veniste, that you've had access to this PDB. But let me just...

BEN-VENISTE: But we have not had it declassified so that it can be shown publicly, as you know.

RICE: I believe you've had access to this PDB -- exceptional access. But let me address your question.

BEN-VENISTE: Nor could we, prior to today, reveal the title of that PDB.

[cyncooper]

Thank you. I did do a quick search and did not find tje original post. Excellent cross reference. I'm going to go read the comments made "back when".

[BlessedByLiberty]

Thank you, I also went to the website in the meantime. Now the question is why was Gorelick haranguing Dr. Rice about not notifying Democrat Manetta and the TSA in particular? That agency had not been formed at the time of the memo and he was not in charge.

Three items immediately spring to mind that cause me to wonder how this group examines evidence presented to it:
1)this Woodward article which we are commenting upon right now;
2)Bob Kerrey's radio interview earlier today where he tells the host that he had not heard the News Max Lmbacher tape with Clinton discussing OBL and asks the host to send him a copy of the tape;
3)this Gorelick charge that Dr. Rice did not warn the yet to be formed TSA about threats.

And these are the people who are supposed to come up with safeguards?

[goodnesswins]

Actually, I think Minetta WAS around....going to look.

[cyncooper]

Oh, yes. I was right there transcribing on the live thread and heard her. When BV smarmily asked for the title I noticed she didn't miss a beat and gave it. Then when he tried to shut her down from explaining content (since he had characterized it first), she prevailed (as she continued to do throughout each time a dem would try to confine her answer so they could misrepresent the truth).