Posted on 12/28/2002 12:55:06 PM PST by ex-Texan
Senator: At Least One Foreign Country Assisted the 9/11 Terrorists
Senator Graham knows where the bodies are buried
>>> On 11 December 2002, the Senate and House Intelligence Committees released portions of their joint report on intelligence failures regarding the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, on PBS, reported on the release that day.
After asking her guests a bunch of predictable questions, and receiving predictable answers, guest host Gwen Ifill asked Senator Bob Graham, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, a good question and got an amazing answer.
GWEN IFILL: Senator Graham, are there elements in this report, which are classified that Americans should know about but can't?
SEN. BOB GRAHAM: Yes, going back to your question about what was the greatest surprise. I agree with what Senator Shelby said the degree to which agencies were not communicating was certainly a surprise but also I was surprised at the evidence that there were foreign governments involved in facilitating the activities of at least some of the terrorists in the United States.
I am stunned that we have not done a better job of pursuing that to determine if other terrorists received similar support and, even more important, if the infrastructure of a foreign government assisting terrorists still exists for the current generation of terrorists who are here planning the next plots.
To me that is an extremely significant issue and most of that information is classified, I think overly-classified. I believe the American people should know the extent of the challenge that we face in terms of foreign government involvement. That would motivate the government to take action.
GWEN IFILL: Are you suggesting that you are convinced that there was a state sponsor behind 9/11?
SEN. BOB GRAHAM: I think there is very compelling evidence that at least some of the terrorists were assisted not just in financing -- although that was part of it -- by a sovereign foreign government and that we have been derelict in our duty to track that down, make the further case, or find the evidence that would indicate that that is not true and we can look for other reasons why the terrorists were able to function so effectively in the United States.
GWEN IFILL: Do you think that will ever become public, which countries you're talking about?
SEN. BOB GRAHAM: It will become public at some point when it's turned over to the archives, but that's 20 or 30 years from now. And, we need to have this information now because it's relevant to the threat that the people of the United States are facing today.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to point out that none of the cowardly yuppies in the American media has followed up on this bombshell revelation. It seems worthy of banner headlines--"Mystery Nations Aided 9/11 Plot," for example--in the New York Times, on CNN, etc.
After all, here is a powerful US Senator--the Chairman of the committee that oversees intelligence operations, the very committee that issued the report--saying that some country (or countries) actively aided the worst terrorist attack against the US.
(Excerpt) Read more at thememoryhole.org ...
Anyway, I had the impression that the sauds are already being "dealt with". In fact,I almost posted 'go, spooks, go', upon reading it.
If Iraq could be demonstrated to be behind the terrorism, do you think the report would be secret? Good lord, that would be the smoking gun Bush has been looking for the last two years!
No way would it be classified.
It depends.
If the anthrax was from Iraq, then they have to counted as a state sponsor of 9/11. And they have to be considered a very dangerous adversary.
Such information would indeed remain classified -- at least until such time as we were ready to respond. And our readiness to respond would require that, first, we disengage in Afghanistan, second, build up sufficient forces and munitions in the Persian Gulf and, third, take such civil defense steps as are necessary to secure the home front from bio attack.
All the other steps involved -- Congressional approval, UN resolutions, basing negotiations, etc. are mere window dressing.
Recall that Tony Blair and the UK came on board immediately. He was favored with some vital and still closely held information.
Recall also that VP Cheney reportedly (per Bob Woodward) assumed from the outset that Iraq was behind the 9/11 attack -- even before the anthrax showed up.
He evidently knew something that the rest of us have merely suspected -- about the first WTC bombing, Oklahoma City, TW 800 and, perhaps, an early link between Iraq and al-Qaeda.
My guess is that the specific functional state-sponsor Graham is referring to is, indeed, Iraq. And that some Saudi princelings are also involved financially.
And that when the balloon goes up, a great deal of accumulated intelligence will be revealed (though not all).
Rummy asked for Iraq war plans right after the Pentagon was hit, too.
"I was surprised at the evidence that there were foreign governments..."
No way. If that were the case it wouldn't be classified. My money's on Saudi Arabia, possibly Syria, but definately not Iraq or any other 'Axis of Evil' country.
Makes ya think maybe they [Cheney & Rummy] knew sumpin', don't it?
Governments. Plural.
Your most likely nominees?
Upon reflection, I'll add Pakistan (via ISI) to my list.
I would add: Because the Bush administration, which has considerable influence over the media, does not want to publicize the fact that Saudi Arabia is the guilty party. The administration is playing a Machiaveliian game and believes that too much truth would undermine their effort to manage the situation -- i.e. they are scared to death that a full blown anti-muslim sentiment could get totally out of control. Thus they are willing to sacrifice the memories of a few thousand souls and their families. This is of course completely despicable. The truth will set us all free.
While I am all for a "gloves off" approach, I don't think the CIA should be involved in car bomb attacks. The wrong people get killed. And the real target often escapes. It is stupid. It is evil.
That's what I wuz thinkin'! heheh
Likely candidates: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, China, Syria. (I've omitted Afghanistan since I don't think that Sen. Graham would have expressed surprise at that.)
It seems highly unlikely
that Iraq or North Korea or Syria would have an infrastructure
assisting terrorists in the USA.
(Does Iraq even have an ambassador in the USA?)
However,
it is well known that Saudia Arabia has an infrastructure
extending right into the highest levels of the State Department.
Pakistan's infrastructure is not negligible either.
Remember Clinton's old apologist Lanny Davis
is a paid lobbyist for the Pakistanis.
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