You got it - election 2000, and the "terrorists are criminals in need of courts crowd" and the "any Saudi traveler is a good Saudi" crowd had just been told their "everthing is wonderful" policies had dumped an Al Queda cell right into Brooklyn NY; what was Gore to do!!!!!!
The line of questioning by congress must ask, "who did you tell" all the way up to the DOD lawyer that told the Whitehouse and then told everyone else to shut it down on the Whitehouse orders - from Sandy Berger maybe?
I sure do hope somebody maintained something of those files, at least who was in charge and who was giving the orders.