Posted on 09/23/2001 1:37:36 PM PDT by Clinton's a liar
At the invitation of UPI, Jon Loose and I wrote this op-ed and submitted it a week ago. UPI told us that every single person who read it there said that this was not commentary but that it was news. They have told us they were assigning staff to cover this story.
Since Newsmax has broken the story, I thought it time to put out information that has not yet come to light.
Hindsight is always 20/20. You see causes and proactive avenues that could have altered the outcome. Sometimes these ignored actions are discounted as unreasonable. Other times, you point your finger at a deserved party.
In the wake of the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, the most compelling raison d'être is that we failed to take our own advice. More specifically, the weaknesses in airport security were largely identified a number of years ago.
In July of 1996, in the wake of the crash of TWA flight 800, President Clinton convened the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security by executive order 13015 to take place on August 22, 1996. He gave the commission 45 days to “study matters involving aviation safety and security, including air traffic control and to develop a strategy to improve aviation safety and security, both domestically and internationally,” then present their conclusions. He named Vice President Al Gore to head the commission. By special invitation of the President, Victoria Cummock was named to the commission. Ms. Cummock lost her husband in the explosion of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scottland some eight years prior. According to Newsday, Cummock held the reputation at the time of “the airlines’ most tenacious foe.”
Five years prior to September 11, 2001, Gore held a press conference to announce the commission’s preliminary report that promised, “to take the strongest measures possible to reduce the risk of terrorism and sabotage to airline passengers and crews.” Gore further stated that their upcoming proposed measures will, “be put into place quickly and effectively and will help ensure that airline travel remains as safe as possible for all travelers.” A solid and factual preliminary report backed up Gore’s comments.
Ten days later, just prior to the 1996 election, Gore penned a letter to airline lobbyist Carol Hallett, promising that the commission's findings would not cause the airlines any loss of revenue. The very next day the Democratic National Committee received a check in the amount of $40,000 from TWA. Over the next two weeks Northwest, United and American Airlines donated $55,000 more.
In the next two months the Democratic National Committee pocketed over $250,000 from American Airlines. United Airlines threw in an additional $100,000. Northwest Airlines added $53,000. That’s a grand total of over half a million dollars. According to the Washington Times, Whitehouse Spokesman, Ginny Terzano gave no denial when asked whether Al Gore solicited these airline donations personally.
Contributory advice and suggestions were being sought and incorporated into the draft(s) of the report by all sides of the aisle and divisions of government including intelligence agencies, transportation agencies and military personnel. The draft final form was presented to the 21 participating commissioners in January of 1997. According to the Washington Times, a significant number of security measures were removed from the proposed final draft of the report.
Victoria Cummock and CIA Director John Deutch were resolute in their opposition to the “softball” report. Gore was given no choice but to pull back the report. Reinstalled were sensible new procedures that would cost the airlines millions of dollars.
· Conduct airport vulnerability assessments and develop action plans
· Require criminal background checks and FBI fingerprint checks for all screeners, and all airport and airline employees with access to secure areas
· Deploy existing technology
· Signifi cantly expand the use of bomb-sniffing dogs
· Complement technology with automated passenger profiling
· Certify screening companies and improve screener performance
· Aggressively test existing security systems
· Use the Customs Service to enhance security
· Give properly cleared airline and airport security personnel access to the classified information they need to know
· Begin implementation of full bag-passenger match · Providing more compassionate and effective assistance to families of victims
· Improve passenger manifests
· Significantly increase the number of FBI agents assigned to counter-terrorism investigations, to improve intelligence, and to crisis response
· Provide anti-terrorism assistance in the form of airport security training to countries where there are airports served by airlines flying to the US
The security measures were in the final recommendation report. However, the implementation timetable was nowhere to be found.
In February of 1997, Victoria Cummock called the report “toothless.” She informed Gore that unless specific implementation dates were added in the report she would file a dissent, because the airline industry would not have to do anything until such measures were mandated.
On February 12, 1997, an open meeting was held on the commission’s final report. Gore made a point to inform Ms. Cummock that he would leave room for her dissent to the final report. NBC Dateline caught these comments on videotape. Also on videotape was Mr. Gore presenting the final report to President Clinton minutes later and pronouncing that the report had unanimous consent. But it didn’t.
Victoria Cummock filed suit claiming that Gore pressured her to abandon her call for counter-terrorist measures, the right to see commission files of which she was denied, and the right to file her 42-page dissent. It was her ambition to see the commission’s findings presented accurately within the final report. Gore painted Cummock, who had lost her husband in a terrorist act, as a disgruntled commissioner.
In mid 1999 Ms. Cummock won her case in the D.C. Court of Appeals. In the long drawn out and impeded discovery process a memo was discovered from a CIA staffer, specializing in psychological profiling. According to The American Spectator, the memo stated that Cummock could be "kept in line if she believes progress could be made" but "could become a major problem."
On September 11, 2001, those ultimately responsible for the destruction of thousands of precious lives were the terrorists who pulled the knives and steered the planes.
But playing politics and intentionally ignoring obvious safety and security voids in an industry that has been a target of terrorists for over thirty years is unconscionable.
Now the airlines are paying the price. We all are.
Policticans have done it for at least 200 years. Mark Twain commented in 1880 that we had the best govnerment money can buy.. and he was right. He is still right.
The sad part is we are using this as a way of saying that safety depends on keeping weapons off airplanes. That is just not true. Our system was totally effective at keeping guns off airplanes. It failed to keep carpet knives with plastic handles off planes. All the airport security in the world won't save a life from a dedicated killer.
Anyone with a brain should be able to understand that humans can be killed using martial arts. It is easy to kill using bare hands and feet. To keep killers from geting on planes with the weapons to kill, we would have to amputate all traverlers hands and feet.
Al Gore may very well have extorted money for not sticking Airlines with worthless safety checks, but he cost no one their life.
The socialist who have convinced us there are no bad people, just bad leaders are to blame. For 10,000 years people have organized by races and nations to attack other races and nations. While we sang "won't you be my neighbor", Sadam moved into the Kuwaiti neighborhood. Then we got mad.
The only protection anyone has ever had is the belief that we will terrible retaliation for attack. When people are willing to die for a cause, one has to kill the cause. When people are willing to die for a nation you have to kill the nation. When people are willing to die for a race you must kill the race. When what the attacker supports is killed as a result of his attack, he does not attack.
Protection is the use of FEAR to make all afraid to attack. Attacking us, must result in their worst nightmare. People do not do things that cause their worst nightmare.
All nations get the government their people want. When the people of the Soviet Union wanted the Soviet Union gone, it went down. When the people of the German Republic wanted the Rebublic gone, they embraced Hitler and the Third Reich. Stalin could not have survived if the Russian people did not want him. The Czar certianly did not. People get the governments they want. The idea of good people and evil goverments is socialist nonsense.
I will put it very simply. People Establish Governments. Governments do not establish People.
Until we understand and act on the basis that our enemies are groups of people and not a handful of leaders, we will die for that mistaken belief.
Al Gore is in the Extortion business? MY GOD WHAT A REVELATION! Next you'll tell me McDonalds sells hamburgers.
Did Al kill the people in the world trade center? No he did not.
It is very simple.
On September 11, 2001, those ultimately responsible for the destruction of thousands of precious lives were the terrorists who pulled the knives and steered the planes.
But playing politics and intentionally ignoring obvious safety and security voids in an industry that has been a target of terrorists for over thirty years is unconscionable.
Regards.
Here's the last article I posted. And someone needs to go Googling and pull up the "Feb. 4, 1997, CAPITOL HILL HEARING OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE." The subject is: "AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND" and it was chaired by Sen. Wm. Roth (R-De). It's much too long for me to post here, but it has some VERY interesting "explanations" from some guy at Treasury Dept on what happened to that $1.2 billion that disappeared due to an "accounting error." Sen. Graham and others had some good questions and sounded really skeptical.
Someone other than me needs to read it to see if it's possible the the "missing" money went into the airline's pockets (and consequently into the Gore/DNC campaign).
Here's the article from Thread 1:
Not for commercial use. Solely to be used for the educational purposes of research and open discussion.
Journal of Commerce
February 24, 1997
Monday SPECIAL REPORT; Pg. 4
News & Views
Ira Rosenfeld(snip)
OUR COVER STORY this month is about the threat of terrorism in the sky. The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security this month made its final recommendations to President Clinton.
Among the most controversial is the proposed use of automated passenger profiles to help keep would-be terrorists off commercial airliners.
Many of the proposals already are being implemented at the nation's airlines and airports.
Overall, the commission called for a major upgrade of Federal Aviation Administration safety and security measures in an effort to reduce the rate of airplane accidents by ""a factor of five'' in the next 10 years.
While the risk of dying in a plane crash remains low, a projection by Boeing Co. showed that unless the global accident rate is reduced, an airliner will crash somewhere on Earth nearly every week by 2015.
Mr. Gore said at the commission's final meeting that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will change its aviation programs to focus on safety research.
A cost estimate for implementing all of the committee's recommendations was not immediately available, but the commission did urge that cost not be the only basis for deciding whether to put new safety rules into effect.
Sometimes a safety rule should go ahead even when the benefits cannot be easily measured, the commissioners said.
Automated profiles, bomb-sniffing dogs and better training of security officers were among the commission's earlier recommendations.
Automated profiling involves using computers to, among other things, scan the travel history and possible criminal pasts of passengers to identify potential terrorists. Civil libertarians already are lining up in opposition to the plan.
THE FREE RIDE IS OVER. The House Ways and Means Committee, following the Senate Finance Committee, has passed a bill to reinstate a package of expired aviation taxes.
Money from the tax is used to pay for airport and air traffic control system improvements through the Airport and Airways Trust Fund. The bill extends through Sept. 30 a 10 percent tax on commercial airline tickets, a $6- a-ticket tax on international departures, a 6.25 percent tax on domestic air cargo and excise charges on noncommercial aviation fuel. These taxes bring roughly $20 million daily into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which finances airport modernization.
Several major airlines were hoping to replace the tax with user fees.
The law imposing the tax expired at the end of last year, and officials argue that the fund would shortly run out of money unless Congress acts.
Last week, the Treasury Department conceded it made an accounting error that effectively reduced the trust fund by $1.2 billion.
The bill gives the Treasury Department authority to transfer funds to fix the accounting problem.
Now if only you could fix your own tax errors that easily.(snip)
Where did that "$1.2 billion" go?
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Here's the last article I posted. And someone needs to go Googling and pull up the "Feb. 4, 1997, CAPITOL HILL HEARING OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE." The subject is: "AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND" and it was chaired by Sen. Wm. Roth (R-De). It's much too long for me to post here, but it has some VERY interesting "explanations" from some guy at Treasury Dept on what happened to that $1.2 billion that disappeared due to an "accounting error." Sen. Graham and others had some good questions and sounded really skeptical.
Someone other than me needs to read it to see if it's possible the the "missing" money went into the airline's pockets (and consequently into the Gore/DNC campaign).
Here's the article from Thread 1:
Not for commercial use. Solely to be used for the educational purposes of research and open discussion.
Journal of Commerce
February 24, 1997
Monday SPECIAL REPORT; Pg. 4
News & Views
Ira Rosenfeld(snip)
OUR COVER STORY this month is about the threat of terrorism in the sky. The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security this month made its final recommendations to President Clinton.
Among the most controversial is the proposed use of automated passenger profiles to help keep would-be terrorists off commercial airliners.
Many of the proposals already are being implemented at the nation's airlines and airports.
Overall, the commission called for a major upgrade of Federal Aviation Administration safety and security measures in an effort to reduce the rate of airplane accidents by ""a factor of five'' in the next 10 years.
While the risk of dying in a plane crash remains low, a projection by Boeing Co. showed that unless the global accident rate is reduced, an airliner will crash somewhere on Earth nearly every week by 2015.
Mr. Gore said at the commission's final meeting that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will change its aviation programs to focus on safety research.
A cost estimate for implementing all of the committee's recommendations was not immediately available, but the commission did urge that cost not be the only basis for deciding whether to put new safety rules into effect.
Sometimes a safety rule should go ahead even when the benefits cannot be easily measured, the commissioners said.
Automated profiles, bomb-sniffing dogs and better training of security officers were among the commission's earlier recommendations.
Automated profiling involves using computers to, among other things, scan the travel history and possible criminal pasts of passengers to identify potential terrorists. Civil libertarians already are lining up in opposition to the plan.
THE FREE RIDE IS OVER. The House Ways and Means Committee, following the Senate Finance Committee, has passed a bill to reinstate a package of expired aviation taxes.
Money from the tax is used to pay for airport and air traffic control system improvements through the Airport and Airways Trust Fund. The bill extends through Sept. 30 a 10 percent tax on commercial airline tickets, a $6- a-ticket tax on international departures, a 6.25 percent tax on domestic air cargo and excise charges on noncommercial aviation fuel. These taxes bring roughly $20 million daily into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which finances airport modernization.
Several major airlines were hoping to replace the tax with user fees.
The law imposing the tax expired at the end of last year, and officials argue that the fund would shortly run out of money unless Congress acts.
Last week, the Treasury Department conceded it made an accounting error that effectively reduced the trust fund by $1.2 billion.
The bill gives the Treasury Department authority to transfer funds to fix the accounting problem.
Now if only you could fix your own tax errors that easily.(snip)
Where did that "$1.2 billion" go?
Here's the last article I posted. And someone needs to go Googling and pull up the "Feb. 4, 1997, CAPITOL HILL HEARING OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE." The subject is: "AIRPORT AND AIRWAY TRUST FUND" and it was chaired by Sen. Wm. Roth (R-De). It's much too long for me to post here, but it has some VERY interesting "explanations" from some guy at Treasury Dept on what happened to that $1.2 billion that disappeared due to an "accounting error." Sen. Graham and others had some good questions and sounded really skeptical.
Someone other than me needs to read it to see if it's possible the the "missing" money went into the airline's pockets (and consequently into the Gore/DNC campaign).
Here's the article from Thread 1:
Not for commercial use. Solely to be used for the educational purposes of research and open discussion.
Journal of Commerce
February 24, 1997
Monday SPECIAL REPORT; Pg. 4
News & Views
Ira Rosenfeld(snip)
OUR COVER STORY this month is about the threat of terrorism in the sky. The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security this month made its final recommendations to President Clinton.
Among the most controversial is the proposed use of automated passenger profiles to help keep would-be terrorists off commercial airliners.
Many of the proposals already are being implemented at the nation's airlines and airports.
Overall, the commission called for a major upgrade of Federal Aviation Administration safety and security measures in an effort to reduce the rate of airplane accidents by ""a factor of five'' in the next 10 years.
While the risk of dying in a plane crash remains low, a projection by Boeing Co. showed that unless the global accident rate is reduced, an airliner will crash somewhere on Earth nearly every week by 2015.
Mr. Gore said at the commission's final meeting that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will change its aviation programs to focus on safety research.
A cost estimate for implementing all of the committee's recommendations was not immediately available, but the commission did urge that cost not be the only basis for deciding whether to put new safety rules into effect.
Sometimes a safety rule should go ahead even when the benefits cannot be easily measured, the commissioners said.
Automated profiles, bomb-sniffing dogs and better training of security officers were among the commission's earlier recommendations.
Automated profiling involves using computers to, among other things, scan the travel history and possible criminal pasts of passengers to identify potential terrorists. Civil libertarians already are lining up in opposition to the plan.
THE FREE RIDE IS OVER. The House Ways and Means Committee, following the Senate Finance Committee, has passed a bill to reinstate a package of expired aviation taxes.
Money from the tax is used to pay for airport and air traffic control system improvements through the Airport and Airways Trust Fund. The bill extends through Sept. 30 a 10 percent tax on commercial airline tickets, a $6- a-ticket tax on international departures, a 6.25 percent tax on domestic air cargo and excise charges on noncommercial aviation fuel. These taxes bring roughly $20 million daily into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which finances airport modernization.
Several major airlines were hoping to replace the tax with user fees.
The law imposing the tax expired at the end of last year, and officials argue that the fund would shortly run out of money unless Congress acts.
Last week, the Treasury Department conceded it made an accounting error that effectively reduced the trust fund by $1.2 billion.
The bill gives the Treasury Department authority to transfer funds to fix the accounting problem.
Now if only you could fix your own tax errors that easily.(snip)
Where did that "$1.2 billion" go?
This is a timebomb waiting to go off for Mr. Gore. Let's hope it explodes soon.
Don't hold your breath, spycatcher. We'd like to keep you around!
No way. They may use it to bash the Airlines exclusively with it though. A bunch of Freepers sent the original Washington Times article to O'reilly and Limbaugh and various news outlets last week. Apparently, they were not interested.
Immediately after a devastating attack such as this country has just sustained is, perhaps, not the appropriate time to come out of the gate bashing people on the head. We have now had almost two weeks pass. Let's see what they do in the coming week or two.
Regards.
To me that's what makes it different from the blame game and looking for the gross negligence of bureaucrats.
**The Dems took cold hard cash into their pockets, skipped town, and left American citizens with the trillion dollar bill, 7,000 dead, and terror hanging over our children's heads.**
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