Posted on 06/10/2005 4:56:40 AM PDT by hotshu
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) -
In the weeks and months before Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI had some clues, but didn't see them. It had a lead from one of its own agents, but didn't follow it.
A sobering inside look at pre-Sept. 11 intelligence operations by the Justice Department's inspector general chronicles - in some instances in hour-to-hour detail - how the FBI missed at least five opportunities to uncover vital information that might have led agents to the hijackers.
"The way the FBI handled these matters was a significant failure that hindered the FBI's chances of being able to detect and prevent the Sept. 11 attacks," Inspector General Glenn Fine said in a newly released report Thursday.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales acknowledged Friday that there were laws on the books before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that "discouraged the sharing of information" among law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Appearing on NBC's "Today" show, Gonzales noted that many of those laws "have now been dismantled" and said he thinks the government is in a better position than before to avert such attacks. "You have the ability to connect the dots" of terrorist plots, Gonzales said.
snip
According to the report, CIA employees and four FBI agents assigned to the CIA's bin Laden unit on Jan. 5, 2000, accessed incoming cables containing a substantial amount of information about Mihdhar, including that he was traveling and that he had a U.S. visa. Those facts weren't disseminated to the FBI.
.....The FBI agent sought, but was never able to get, the required go-ahead from the CIA's deputy chief of the unit to send the draft to the FBI. Ten days later, Mihdhar and Hazmi were in Los Angeles.
snip
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegassun.com ...
Jan. 5, 2000.
That cicnches it, Bush was already elected so it had to be his fault. /sarcasm off
I get a kick out of the "what ifs" of intelligence gathering.
Say we knew that the hijackings were going to take place by a bunch of Islamic terrorists.
Couldn't you just see the headlines the day after the government arrested 19 Muslem men at airports as they were about to board a plane because we "believed" they were going to fly planes into buildings?
Also since they were only trying to board with, what were at the time, legal carry-ons.
I misread that date. Nonetheless, W had announced by Jan. 5, 2000 that he would be running for the Presidency, so it still must have been his fault. again /sarcasm off.
Beaurocracies will be the death of us all.
I just checked page 335 of the original report.
The analysis pretty much lays this failure in the lap of Jamie Gorelick and her infamous "wall".
Those Towers were hit in 1993 when Bubba was President. He did absolutely nothing to up the security of the United States. Why?? Money to the Dems is for Social Programs....not for ALL the People of the United States.
I agree. The ACLU and A.I. make it extremely difficult to be pro-active in these matters.
However, we cannot afford not to use all the intelligence gained, no matter which agency uncovers it.
We cannot afford to relive past incidents -we must learn from them and use any method neccesary to prevent them.
This is another example of why this guest worker program is a sham. These terrorists were here on overstayed viasas and had run ins with the law. God forbid they be deported for overstaying their visa.
I totally agree. And only can the MSM still try and spin this as a failure of the Bush administration. I quote from Yost:
"In the weeks and months before Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI had some clues, but didn't see them. It had a lead from one of its own agents, but didn't follow it."
Just damn!
I'm new here, I'll be brief.
Our intel agencies aren't much better than they
were pre - 911.
The elephant in the living room (illegals) is
where my concern lays.
I'm thankful there hasn't been another attack,
but if I were on the side of the terrorists, or
if I were bin laden I'd be saying to myself,
(Almost Ready, Almost Ready)
The invasion is by no means complete, but from
what I see the invasion is fully underway.
I say this based on what I see everyday on the
streets of our nation.
I hope you are wrong about the I.A. preparedness. They have been making arrests lately and that's a good sign.
On the other hand, I agree with you about our borders. Like the other day that murderer from Canada being allowed in after having his blood-stained chainsaw confiscated.
She's the same person who "slammed shut" any further investigation of the OC bombing. If you listened to Bubba after all the incidents...he says the same thing...We will catch them and prosecute them. Big Wow!!!
Jamie was on the Committee for one reason...To control the flow of information of other Dem members on the committee and make sure everyone has shedded any memos which could be damaging. This was a pure "Bash Bush" endeavor.
Considering the ferocity of the hatred the Islamicists have for the U.S., I think our intelligence people have done a fairly good job.
I agree about Jamie. Is she still with the Justice Dept.?
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