Live 9/11 Commission Thread [testifying today Freeh, Reno, Ashcroft]

April 13, 2004 | Vanity

[Peach]

9/11 Commission. Now on C-Span.

Chairman Thomas Kean has asked the audience to refrain from clapping.

Louie Freeh, former FBI director, up at 9:30.

Business matters being taken care of now by the Commission.

[GOPrincess]

Fox's Greg Jarrett saying to Ed Meese that the last 2 to testify said there was nothing we could do to stop 19 hijackers, then Jarrett says "I'm not so sure that's true." In his questioning Jarrett seems to lean more toward it being our fault than the hijackers...argh. Send him back to MSNBC!!

[MinuteGal]

I agree totally with your assessment of the Republican side of the 911 Omission.

However, I really hate to say it, but in spite of occasional flashes of incisiveness, even Lehman seems to have the same trouble cutting to the chase as the other rambling Rip-Van-Winkle Republicans have.

It just makes me sick to see all the lost opportunities as the hearing waxes on.

Leni

[Sender]

Cofer Black...so that's where 'cofert ops' and 'black ops' come from :-)

[Miss Marple]

Well, off I went to C-SPAN! I don't need that Jarrett character spouting off. I want to hear the testimony, not his opinion!!

[mass55th]

"This a failed mission turned political... "

I can't wait for the books titled "Rush to Judgment" that will come out after the Commission releases their report.

[MamaLucci]

In his questioning Jarrett seems to lean more toward it being our fault than the hijackers...

Well, with respect to airline security, we could have been more prepared.
I would like to see a public hearing dealing with the Gore commission,
and how it's recommendations were scuttled for Clinton/Gore campaign cash.

[StarFan]

((((ironman)))) a wonderful voice from the past and so good to see you here.

Yes, that was the AUDIO I was referring to. I was thrown off with blackdog's statement that Clinton could claim it was disinformation meant to bring OBL out in the open and thought there was a video floating around of something said during his reign of terror.

[Miss Marple]

Fitzgerald won't take the blame for the statements in the PDB. He never even saw it! Who wrote that thing....Richard Clarke?

[Peach]

Who DID write that PDB?

[TexKat]

Thomas Pickard: Had never seen a PDB until 9/11.

Did have 70 investigations going on. Two were the African bombings. Some were picked up for immigration charges.

[cyncooper]

Lehmann assures he's not out to play the blame game.

Asks about the Aug 6, 2001 PDB. Black responds the threat spike was up and their concern was primarily overseas. The PDB was a "placemarker" and be mindful of those threats overseas and the objective of the terrorists was to strike at U.S.

Lehman looks at last paragrah of PDB and adks about the 70 full field investigations. Berger testified previously he'd been told by FBI "we got it covered" and Ashcroft has told them privately already the same thing. Lehamn says PDB has same tone.

Lehman says "our understanding" is that is an exaggeration and gave perception FBI was doing more than they were.

Pickard: The 70 full field investigations refers to focus on 70 individuals. Nobody in FBI said "we've got them covered", we were doing what we could. Those 70 in U.S. were tipped off to FBI by the CIA. Cannot target persons simply due to their faith and such (no profiling, of course). Looking for Al Qaeda operatives.

We know of operatives for all kinds of groups and names them--like Hamas and more that he listed. We try to catch them in the act of espionage or trying to commit a terrorist act.

Some of the 70 have been arrested and convicted for other bombings. Some were U.S. citizens. Some not and they have left and they notify the country they go to. Some were picked up on imigration charges for overstaying their visas.

Number 70 was actually inaccurate and he does not know how that number went in the PDB. The number is different but is classified and he does not want UBL to know how many investigations.

[MayflowerMadam]

For these kinds of things, I always, always, ALWAYS watch on C-Span. The screen isn't overloaded with banner garbage, and no talking heads are commenting. Pure.

[Miss Marple]

I think that is a very good question.

Fitzgerald says that in addition to the AQ people, they have to track IRA, Russians, Cubans, etc.

This is scary. We have a whole lot of bad guys running around in the USA and apparently we can't find all of them.

[cyncooper]

Pickard understands a benefit from the Patriot Act is they can now utilize data bases they could not access before.

[TexKat]

Pickard: They were not allowed to target Islamic schools, mosques and commercial databases.

[Peach]

And prior to 9/11, we couldn't even tape them in mosques, etc.

[Mo1]

Did you catch Black's comment

He can't get into now (Covert action).. but will behind close doors

But he will say .. They worked under the law

HELLO CONGRESS .. TORROCELLI & CHURCH COMMITTEE

[hobbes1]

Dems Taking a beating today=NO Coverage on TV tonight.

[Carolinamom]

I'm reading Spin Sisters now! Just as I began reading the introduction the other day, FN interviewed the author. It has a lot of behind the scenes nastiness and manipulation and further multiplied my cynacism about ANYTHING on TV or in magazines (which I don't ever read except in the beauty parlor).

[Dr. Eckleburg]

BLACK: "We operate under the law...Words mean something in this country."

That's interesting. What does "under" mean?

(Not that there's anything wrong with that.)