Montreal man linked to Clark controversy - Presidential candidate claims pressure

The Star ^ | 9/18/03

[areafiftyone]

WASHINGTON—A Montreal man has emerged as the key figure in a controversy that has dogged Democratic presidential aspirant Wesley Clark during the summer months.

Questions have swirled since June when the former NATO commander alleged on national television that he was pressured to link the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in a mystery phone call he received.

Clark first implied the call, not long after the attacks, might have come from White House, then later said it came from a Middle Eastern think tank in Canada. He has never identified the caller.

As Clark kicked off his campaign yesterday in Little Rock, Ark., Thomas Hecht, founder of the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies, told the Star he placed the call to Clark and drew his attention to a potential link between Saddam and the Al Qaeda suicide hijackers.

But Hecht said he did not pressure the former army general, who became a CNN commentator after retiring from the military, to make the link and said the matter was raised in a phone call inviting Clark to come to Montreal for a speech.

Clark's original claim and its subsequent variations had drawn much press and Internet attention in the United States as it became increasingly clear he was set to become the 10th candidate for the Democratic nomination.

Clark told the widely watched NBC show Meet the Press June 15 that the pressure to make the link "came from the White House, it came from people around the White House. It came from all over.

"I got a call on 9/11. I was on CNN, and I got a call at my home saying, `You got to say this is connected. This is state-sponsored terrorism. This has to be connected to Saddam Hussein.'"

Clark, in the interview, said he asked for evidence of the link and received none and still hasn't seen any evidence.

As he prepared for his presidential bid, Clark backed away from his comment, denying he was drawing a link to the White House, telling Fox News in July: "I personally got a call from a fellow in Canada who is part of a Middle Eastern think tank who gets inside intelligence information. He called me on 9/11."

Later in July, in another television interview, he said: The call came from "a man from a Middle East think tank in Canada, the man who's the brother of a very close friend of mine in Belgium. He's very well connected to Israeli intelligence and he follows Middle Eastern events very closely."

Hecht said his sister, who lives in Brussels, knows Clark socially.

One columnist, George Will of the Washington Post, took Clark to task because, he said, there was no Middle East think tank in Canada.

The Begin-Sadat Centre has its headquarters in Israel and its only office elsewhere is the one Hecht established in Montreal. Former prime minister Brian Mulroney is on its board, but strictly in a ceremonial role, Hecht said.

Hecht said he called Clark either Sept. 12 or Sept. 13 — not the morning of the attacks, as the former general said — but he merely passed on information he had received from Israel which drew a purported link.

Hecht said Clark called him in Montreal Sept. 7 this year to clarify the conversation the two men had, perhaps in anticipation of the question being raised again as part of his campaign.

"I told him the Begin-Sadat Centre is a center for strategic studies in Israel and has made various studies on the Iraqi threat to the state of Israel and therefore we have carried out analyses of what connection there could be between Saddam Hussein and other militant Islamic groups," Hecht said.

"I don't know why I would be confused with the White House. I don't even have white paint on my house," he added. "I saw those comments he made and I just chuckled."

The Clark campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

[Peach]

LOL! I know Lou Dobbs at CNN was VERY angry and got Clark fired from CNN when it became apparent Clark was using face time on CNN to dip his toe in the presidential pool.

[billhilly]

That wasn't mockery, it was just plain old sucking up.

How is the storm in Raleigh now?

I saw the truck that got knocked over by a wave on the beach road in Kitty Hawk. That is a little too close to home for me. We have a cottage in Kill Devil Hills and we are crossing our fingers that it survives.

Here in Northern Virginia, the wind is starting to clean the deadwood out of the trees.

[george wythe]

I'm watching my trees SWIRL around the cars!

I'm praying for you, Howlin.

How far are you from the coast? Is the hurricane eye close to your house now?

[Peach]

And innocent people don't just forget important conversations that took place on 9/11. I think Clark just found someone to cover for his egotistical lies.

OR this guy really did call him, they discussed something else (Clinton's legacy is toast?) and Clark spun that into the White House calling him because he's a malignant narcissist who can't resist making himself more important.

[Mo1]

Or is it his ego screaming that he is in the loop, in the know and therefore ready to be Pres?

My guess would be his huge ego

[Peach]

I'd forgotten that Clark blamed that firing from CNN on the White House! Sheesh. The guy is incapable of telling the truth.

As though CNN would do ANYTHING the White House asked.

[Mo1]

Yep .. kind of reminds me of when Monica called Linda Tripp to get her to lie and cover her butt

What Clark did is sooooooooooo Clinton like

[mewzilla]

Anyone know if this is the same Thomas Hecht that the Toons knew in the Rose law firm days?

[Peach]

I don't know and don't have the files anymore to look (computer crash).

Is this the same name Alamo Girl said she didn't have in her files? She'd have it if anyone did.

[OldFriend]

Can just see the White House calling CNN for a favor! HAH!

[Shermy]

Maybe he did get a call on 9/11. And maybe it was from someone else...

[Mo1]

I think Clark just found someone to cover for his egotistical lies.

Peach .. re-read the article .. if this guy is suppose to help and be a cover for Clark

He did a very poor job at it

If this was a court case?? .. Clark would be obstructing justice

But it's not and It's just Clark trying to cover his butt

[Peach]

Okay, As you've taught me, I've just re-read the article more closely.

This guy isn't providing much cover to Clark is that's the intention of coming forward as he did yesterday. He says he didn't call Clark on 9/11 but rather a day or two later.
Not something either would forget.

He also says he didn't pressure Clark to make the link, only asked about the possibility. Again, something neither would forget.

So, he isn't being used as cover. Perhaps a blur for unsuspecting readers.

[Peach]

Clinton. That's who made the phone call! And that's why Clark said the White House.

He goofed - linking Clinton and the White House - a natural mistake. And rather than correct it on the Russert show (called the early primary), his narcissism got in the way of truth.

AND the reason Clinton called - he was watching his legacy go down in flames.

[=Intervention=]

The article refutes your statement. It says: " Questions have swirled since June when the former NATO commander alleged on national television that he was pressured to link the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in a mystery phone call he received.

Clark first implied the call, not long after the attacks, might have come from White House, then later said it came from a Middle Eastern think tank in Canada. He has never identified the caller."

[Peach]

Yes - as you were typing that, I was re-reading and typing my own message that this isn't meant to be cover - just perhaps a blurring of the lines for the unsuspecting electorate. IF that.

[=Intervention=]

" The attacks I'm seeing against him now bring back some pretty awful memories of baseless attacks against John McCain in 2000."

See my tag line...

[MEG33]

It's not picnic weather on KillDevil Hills from what I've seen on TV!