Rumsfeld, Ashcroft received warning of al Qaida attack before 9/11

McClatchy Newspapers (excerpt) ^ | October 2, 2006 | JONATHAN S. LANDAY, WARREN P. STROBEL and JOHN WALCOTT

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and former Attorney General John Ashcroft received the same CIA briefing about an imminent al-Qaida strike on an American target that was given to the White House two months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The State Department's disclosure Monday that the pair was briefed within a week after then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was told about the threat on July 10, 2001, raised new questions about what the Bush administration did in response, and about why so many officials have claimed they never received or don't remember the warning.

One official who helped to prepare the briefing, which included a PowerPoint presentation, described it as a "10 on a scale of 1 to 10" that "connected the dots" in earlier intelligence reports to present a stark warning that al-Qaida, which had already killed Americans in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and East Africa, was poised to strike again.

~ snip ~

[Darkwolf377]

Am I having a middle-aged moment, or is this old news?

[eastforker]

Yup, old news.

[msnimje]

Old News is one the MSMs favorite tricks, like re-gifting.

[coconutt2000]

New spin on old news.

Now we know that the same, unalarming report on Al Qaeda goals and statement that anti-terror investigations by the FBI were underway that the President was given was also given to Ashcroft and Rumsfeld.

I've come to the conclusion that none of these so-called news items are directed at Americans any more. The goal of the authors is to further influence foreign attitudes against the United States.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Liberal psyops and black propoganda aimed at Republican voters. Laugh and ignore. But turn out and vote Conservative.

[FreedomPoster]

Does anyone have a link to an old article on this?

[piytar]

My God the MSM and libscum are stuck on the same failed playbook time and time again, aren't they? I guess that's one of the side effects of cognitive dissonance -- they just don't see that we aren't stupid enough to fall for their #### anymore.

[Western Phil]

"One official who helped to prepare the briefing, which included a PowerPoint presentation, described it as a "10 on a scale of 1 to 10" that "connected the dots" in earlier intelligence reports to present a stark warning that al-Qaida, which had already killed Americans in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and East Africa, was poised to strike again."

Did they have a slide showing that showed the target was the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Whitehouse or whatever and that they were going to use fully fueled passenger planes as the weapons? If not then this is politically motivated completely useless information designed to remove the Republican majority in Congress and provide a victory for the terrorists.

[eastforker]

Not realy just memory from way back then. You were here then , don't you remember all the chat and the notion that it was just a matter of time and remarks by President Bush?

[FreedomPoster]

Yes, I remember it being an item in a long list of threats being briefed, during the transition. But it would be nice to have a specific article showing that, to rub in the noses of some Lefties.

[Dark Knight]

Did they have a slide showing that showed the target was the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Whitehouse or whatever and that they were going to use fully fueled passenger planes as the weapons? If not then this is politically motivated completely useless information designed to remove the Republican majority in Congress and provide a victory for the terrorists.<<<

Why yes they did! The CIA presented a simulated video like flight 800 and they even knew the flight numbers and exact time of the impacts.

President Clinton himself presented Dubya with entire package right after the inauguration. Clinton was that hot for Mon...er Bin laden.

DK

[nathanbedford]

The CIA briefing didn't provide the exact timing or nature of a possible attack, nor did it predict whether it was likely to take place in the United States or overseas, said three former senior intelligence officials.

[LibLieSlayer]

"WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and former Attorney General John Ashcroft received the same CIA briefing about an imminent al-Qaida strike on an American target that was given to the White House two months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."

This is a repeat of a woodward lie, has been refuted by all parties concerned, and the warning was a generic warning which had NO specifics and America was NOT mentioned. Lying POS media/dim party!

LLS

[Dark Knight]

Reread my post please.

I didn't think the sarcasm/off> was needed.

DK

[Dahoser]

So the RAT confidence about the election finds the light of day: the Republicans knew in advance of everything and did nothing. They knew in advance of 9/11 and did nothing. They knew in advance of Mark Foley and did nothing. Quite interesting that this was all kicked off by Bill Klintoon's tirade. And we're always looking at Al Qaeda videos for the ON switch phrase to their sleeper cells.

It'll backfire, but only if the Stupid Party doesn't act stupid. Think Bob Packwood. Not a favorite of mine, but he took a hard fall for kissing adult staffers. The women's groups went after him. The RATS went after him. And his own party went him. Same with John Tower. Meanwhile, the RATS held a pep rally for Slick and a pity party for Patches. Slick pardoned Mel "Shift for me, baby" Reynolds. Bwany Fwank screams about Iraq intelligence but claims not to know about a prostitution ring being run from his own townhouse. Oh, and there was that romping on the House gym equipment that Bwany and company did.

It's not that Republicans should not be punished, it's that they only seem to punish their own. The RATS seem to be counting on this again.

[AmeriBrit]

If President Bush and Admin were told in advance then clinton or his admin failed again by not relaying the message with an urgency tone to it, or if it was written they must have used one of the computers with the keys missing that they destroyed. The GWB Admin would NOT let something like that just slide by them. They care about the welfare and safety of the country and citizens, not like the clinton's, who only think about themselves and could care less about anyone or anything else.

[nathanbedford]

I understood your post perfectly and I am fully in accord with it. My quotation was added merely to clarify the facts of the briefing as opposed to the spin. In no sense was it meant in rebuke.

It seems that the reality of the briefing is directly at odds with the spin and it is the spin which consumed the bulk of the article.

[patriot_wes]

"Did they have a slide showing that showed the target was the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Whitehouse or whatever and that they were going to use fully fueled passenger planes as the weapons? If not then this is politically motivated completely useless information designed to remove the Republican majority in Congress and provide a victory for the terrorists.

Exactly the operation the military was practicing for on the morning of 9/11. Very interesting coincidence?

I'll be back in 3 hours & I'll expect to see the flames.

[danamco]

Did they have a slide showing that showed the target was the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Whitehouse or whatever and that they were going to use fully fueled passenger planes as the weapons? If not then this is politically motivated completely useless information designed to remove the Republican majority in Congress and provide a victory for the terrorists.

Yep!

And that gave President Bush enough time ahead to plan for, and arrange placing dynamites in the twin towers and the Pentagon building for professional demolition!!

From the video in the school class room in Sarasota you see Mr. Card whispering in W's ear that NOW is the time for him to push the trigger to demolish the buildings!!!