MORRIS: YEAH, I THINK IT'S TRUE. IN HIS FIRST TERM. I THINK IN HIS SECOND TERM, HE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. IN HIS FIRST ITEM HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.
GRETA: FIRST OF ALL, YOU WERE WORKING, DOING POLLING FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON, RIGHT?
MORRIS: RIGHT.
GRETA: INNOCENT ADMINISTRATION, RIGHT?
MORRIS: RIGHT.
GRETA: SO YOU WEREN'T INVOLVED IN THE FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS, RIGHT?
MORRIS:WRONG. I DIDN'T HAVE SECURITY CLEARANCE, BUT THE PRESIDENT AND I -- I WAS PROBABLY THE PRESIDENT'S CLOSEST ADVISOR FOR TWO YEARS. STEPHANOPOULOS SAYS I WAS PRESIDENT. WE TALKED AT LENGTH ABOUT TERRORISM. IN FACT AT ONE POINT I FELT HIS PLACE IN HISTORY RESTED ON HIS HANDLING OF WELFARE REFORM, HIS AELIMINATING 69 DEFICIT AND HIS -- HIS ELIMINATING THE DEFICIT AND HIS SMASHING OF THE INTERNATIONAL RING OF TERROR. HE WOULD FOCUS, HE WOULD PAY ATTENTION, HE WOULD BE INVOLVED, THERE WOULD BE A DIALOGUE AND ULTIMATELY SOME ACTION. BUT IN TERROR I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS TALKING TO A WALL AND THE REASON WAS THAT BILL CLINTON WAS THE LAST PRESIDENT OF THE 20TH CENTURY. HE WAS THE LAST PRESIDENT WHO FOCUSED ON THE NORMAL PROBLEMS. AND BUSH WAS JUST LIKE THAT FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS, AND THEN 9/11 HIT.
GRETA: DID A LITTLE RESEARCH FOR TONIGHT BECAUSE I OBVIOUSLY READ YOUR OP-ED PIECE. THIS IS WHAT THE NIMSE REPORTED LESS THAN SIX WEEKS. PRESIDENT CLINTON ON TERRORISM, CREATED A VIRTUAL STATION CODE NAMED ALEX TO TRACK BIN LADEN'S ACTIVITY AROUND THE WORLD. OBVIOUSLY ANTI-TERRORISM. JULY 25, 1996, CLINTON PUT VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE AT HEAD OF COMMISSION ON AVIATION SECURITY AND SAFETY.
MORRIS:LET ME STOP YOU RIGHT THERE --
GRETA: LET ME GO THROUGH THE LIST --
MORRIS:YOU INVITED ME ON YOUR SHOW.
GRETA: BUT YOU SAY HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING I'M TELLING YOU WHAT I READ. ORDERED CRUISE MISSILE STRIKES ON PHARMACEUTICAL PLANT IN SEDAN -- IN SUDAN.
MORRIS:YOU CAN TALK TO YOURSELF ALL YOU WANT. YOU ASKED ME TO BE ON THE SHOW. THE 19 -- THE AIR TRAFFIC THING THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT WITH GORE. THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE. WHEN THIS COMMISSION WAS SET UP, I DID A SERIES OF POLLS FOR CLINTON, AND IN THE MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE ON JULY 24TH, 1996, I HAVE A WRITTEN AGENDA WHERE THE POLLING RECOMMENDED FEDERALIZING AIRPORT SECURITY, X-RAY INSPECTION OF ALL BAGGAGE AND ARMED AIR MARSHALLS ON ALL FLIGHTS. NOT ONLY WAS THAT NOT ADOPTED BY CLINTON AT THE TIME BUT EVEN WHEN GORE MADE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT WAS NOT ADOPTED.
GRETA: LET ME GO --
MORRIS: AND THE REAL QUESTION IS AFTER THE 1993 BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, WHERE SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED, 1,000 WERE INJURED AND THE U-S DISTRICT COURT JUDGE SAID IT WAS THE WORST DOMESTIC ACTION SINCE THE CIVIL WAR, WHY DID CLINTON NEVER VISIT THE SITE, NEVER MAKE IT A TERRORISM ISSUE, TREAT IT AS THE SUBJECT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT?
GRETA: HERE'S THE PROBLEM, DICK. I DON'T KNOW WHY -- I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY HE DIDN'T VISIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS HE TRIPLED THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF COUNTERTERRORISM BETWEEN 1995 AND 2000, BOTH THE FBI AND THE CIA. OBVIOUSLY INTERESTED. HE SIGNED ORDERS TO GO OUT AND GET BIN LADEN, TO KILL BIN LADEN AND I CAN'T -- THE FACT THAT HE DIDN'T KILL BIN LADEN, AND WE'VE HAD THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES MILITARY SINCE SEPTEMBER 11, UNTIL WE STARTED THE BOMBING IN OCTOBER, WE VENT BEEN ABLE TO FIND HIM.
MORRIS: YOU TAKE YOUR LAST GUEST, STEVE EMERSON, WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THE FUNDRAISING FRONTS FOR THE -- FOR THE MUSLIMS, FOR THE TERRORISTS, THE HOMELAND FOUNDATION WAS WIRETAPPED BY THE FBI IN 1993, MAKING A DEAL WITH HAMAS SAYING WE WILL FUND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TERRORISTS SO THE KIDS ARE OK, AND WE WILL FUND HEALTH CENTERS FOR THEM. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. THERE WAS NO BAN ON THE FUNDRAISING. HAMAS, THE FUNDRAISING TO HAMAS WAS BANNED BUT HAMAS DIDN'T GRATIFY US BY HAVING A BANK ACCOUNT IN ITS OWN NAME.
GRETA: HERE WE GO. 1999, YEAR 2000, $225 MILLION OF TALIBAN CONTROLLED ASSETS BLOCKED IN U-S ACCOUNTS. HE ALSO FROZE I THINK HAMAS MONEY. THE FACT IS, DICK, TO MAKE THE INDICTMENT IN THE "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" THAT HE SORT OF DIFFERENT CARE ABOUT TERRORISM MAY BE SORT OF FLASHY BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS --
MORRIS: GRETA, YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT THESE FACTS BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T THERE. I WAS. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION.
GRETA: I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED
MORRIS: IN 1995, IN 1995, A BILL WAS PENDING IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE TO REQUIRE THAT SANCTIONS BE IMPOSED ON OIL COMPANIES OR OTHER COMPANIES THAT ENHANCED THE IRANIAN OIL INDUSTRY. SANDY BERGER ADVISED A VETO. CLINTON SIGNED IT AS WELL AS THERE WAS A NATIONAL SECURITY WAIVER. CLINTON THEN CONTINUED -- CLINTON THEN CONTINUED TO WAIVE THE IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS, THE THREE TIMES THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED.
IN 1996, WHEN WE HAD THE AIR 800, WHEN WE HAD THE OLYMPICS AND WHEN WE HAD SAUDI ARABIA --
GRETA: STOP RIGHT THERE --
MORRIS: THERE WAS DECISIVE EVIDENCE THAT THESE WERE CAUSED BY TERRORISTS.
GRETA: DICK, WAIT A SECOND.
DICK, YOU CAN'T SAY -- DICK, LISTEN TO ME --
MORRIS: THE WHITE HOUSE WITH BILL CLINTON -- HOW MANY TIMES DID WE PARTICIPATE IN DOMESTIC MEETINGS WITH HIM?
GRETA: IF YOU'RE GOING TO START TALKING ABOUT TERRORISM AND T.W.A. FLIGHT 800, I THINK MOST PEOPLE AGREE. LISTEN TO ME, MOST PEOPLE AGREE THAT --
MORRIS:WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS TERRORISM.
GRETA: BUT IT WASN'T. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BOMBING AT THE OLYMPICS, THAT WAS A SINGLE BOMBER. ERIC RUDOLPH WHO YOU THINK --
MORRIS: YOU'RE STILL A CNN PERSON. YOU'RE SITTING HERE TELLING ME NEVER HAVING PARTICIPATED IN ANY OF THESE MEETINGS BE NEVER HAVING READ THE AGENDAS OF THESE MEETINGS THIS I'M INCORRECT WHEN I'M TELLING YOU THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND NO INTEREST.
GRETA: DICK, LISTEN, I'M TELLING YOU -- LISTEN, WAIT --
MORRIS:TO SEE IF PEOPLE WHO WERE -- WHO HAD THEIR VISAS EXPIRED WERE WANTED BY THE FBI THAT WERE SHOT DOWN AS BEING POLITICALLY INCORRECT --
GRETA: STOP FOR A SECOND --
MORRIS: HE WOULDN'T DO IT --
GRETA: WHAT I'M CONFRONTING YOU WITH ARE FACTS THAT AT LEAST "THE NEW YORK TIMES" --
MORRIS: FACTS THAT YOUR SPIN DOCTORS ARE GIVING TO YOU SPOUT ON THE SHOW.
GRETA: I GOT THIS OUT OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES. " WHEN WE TALK ABOUT T.W.A. FLIGHT 8 900, THAT I HAVE LEARNED ON MY OWN FROM PEOPLE -- MOST PEOPLE, NOT ALL, SOME PEOPLE THINK IT WAS A MISSILE BUT MOST PEOPLE THINK IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT --
MORRIS: EVERYBODY THOUGHT THAT THE OLYMPIC BOMBING, THE T.W.A. 800 WAS TERROR, AND THERE -- THERE WAS SERIOUS DISCUSSION AT THAT POINT ABOUT SACKS TO INTERDICT THE FLOW OF OIL TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN.
FROM WAS -- THERE WAS SERIOUS DISCUSSION AT THAT POINT ABOUT AIR MARSHALLS, X-RAYING OF BAGGAGE, AND -- AND THE INTERFACE OF FBI AND --
GRETA: DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOU, IS THERE ANY --
MORRIS:NEVER ACTED ON THIS STUFF.
GRETA: IS THERE ANY SIGNIFICANCE TO YOU THAT YOU WERE PART OF THE CAMPAIGN, YOU DIDN'T HAVE SECURITY CLEARANCE, YOU WEREN'T WORKING WITH MADELINE ALBRIGHT THAT MAYBE YOU WERE WRONG WHEN YOU MADE THE ACCUSATION IN THE ESSENCE THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON TURNED HIS BACK ON TERRORISM?
MORRIS: I'M SORRY, YOU'RE RIGHT, GRETA, 9/11 DIDN'T HAPPEN. WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
GRETA: PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT ABOUT 9/11 --
MORRIS: WHY WAS THERE NO CUTOFF OF FUNDS TO THE HOMELAND FOUNDATION THAT RAISED $2.
5 MILLION A YEAR TO GO TO HAMAS, TO SHELTER TERRORISTS, WHEN THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION GIVEN TO HIM BY THE FBI IN 1993 AND BY HIS OWN CONSULTANTS AND ADVISORS IN 1995 TO CUT OFF THE FLOW OF MONEY TO THOSE TERRORISTS? CAN YOU ANSWER THAT?
GRETA: THE ONLY THING I CAN ANSWER IS THAT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THE ADMINISTRATION DID ATTEMPTS TO KILL BIN LADEN, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO CATCH BIN LADEN, WE CAN'T.
MORRIS: YES. HE BLEW UP OUR BARRACKS, OUR EMBASSY AND IN 1995, WHEN THE SUED NECESSARIES OFFERED HIM TO US ON A SILVER PLATTER, WE TURNED HIM BEYOND KNOW DOWN BECAUSE WE SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE EVIDENCE TO HOLD HIM.
GRETA: WE CAN HAVE THIS DISCUSSION FOR A LONG TIME . I'M GIVING YOU THE LAST WORD. I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE LAST WORD. WHEN WE COME BACK, IS CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE USING PRIVATE OFFICE FOR HER OWN GAIN? AND THE POLICE RESPONSE IS QUICK AT SALT LAKE CITY. PROOF WE'RE READY TO GO. AN FBI AGENT RUNNING SECURITY AT THE GAMES JOINS US. AND LATER WE GO "ON THE RECORD," THE COMPANIES YOU CHOSE TO SPONSOR NATIONAL ...
I wish the transcript was an entire thread all its own, but perhaps one had to "be there" to really get the full effect. Dick Morris was steamed! Honestly, I thought he would walk out, Ms. Greta was so annoying.
I do not understand why someone would have a guest on their show, ostensibly to interview them and discuss a particular newspaper article they had written, and then sit there sifting through newspapers attempting to prove him a liar. For a while there I thought she was going to spend the entire interview just reading the newspaper.
Mr. Morris defended himself admirably.
BRAVO DICK.
MORRIS: IN 1995, IN 1995, A BILL WAS PENDING IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE TO REQUIRE THAT SANCTIONS BE IMPOSED ON OIL COMPANIES OR OTHER COMPANIES THAT ENHANCED THE IRANIAN OIL INDUSTRY. SANDY BERGER ADVISED A VETO. CLINTON SIGNED IT AS WELL AS THERE WAS A NATIONAL SECURITY WAIVER. CLINTON THEN CONTINUED -- CLINTON THEN CONTINUED TO WAIVE THE IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS, THE THREE TIMES THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENED.IN 1996, WHEN WE HAD THE AIR 800, WHEN WE HAD THE OLYMPICS AND WHEN WE HAD SAUDI ARABIA --
GRETA: STOP RIGHT THERE -- MORRIS: THERE WAS DECISIVE EVIDENCE THAT THESE WERE CAUSED BY TERRORISTS.
...SNIP...
GRETA: IF YOU'RE GOING TO START TALKING ABOUT TERRORISM AND T.W.A. FLIGHT 800, I THINK MOST PEOPLE AGREE. LISTEN TO ME, MOST PEOPLE AGREE THAT --
MORRIS:WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS TERRORISM.
GRETA: BUT IT WASN'T. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BOMBING AT THE OLYMPICS, THAT WAS A SINGLE BOMBER. ERIC RUDOLPH WHO YOU THINK --
MORRIS: YOU'RE STILL A CNN PERSON. YOU'RE SITTING HERE TELLING ME NEVER HAVING PARTICIPATED IN ANY OF THESE MEETINGS BE NEVER HAVING READ THE AGENDAS OF THESE MEETINGS
...SNIP...
GRETA: I GOT THIS OUT OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES. " WHEN WE TALK ABOUT T.W.A. FLIGHT 8 900, THAT I HAVE LEARNED ON MY OWN FROM PEOPLE -- MOST PEOPLE, NOT ALL, SOME PEOPLE THINK IT WAS A MISSILE BUT MOST PEOPLE THINK IT WAS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT --
MORRIS: EVERYBODY THOUGHT THAT THE OLYMPIC BOMBING, THE T.W.A. 800 WAS TERROR, AND THERE -- THERE WAS SERIOUS DISCUSSION AT THAT POINT ABOUT SACKS TO INTERDICT THE FLOW OF OIL TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN.
FROM WAS -- THERE WAS SERIOUS DISCUSSION AT THAT POINT ABOUT AIR MARSHALLS, X-RAYING OF BAGGAGE, AND -- AND THE INTERFACE OF FBI AND --
Most interesting, much more interesting than the food fight aspect getting most of the attention. I wonder what exactly Morris and Stephanopolous and other political White House staff were told on the days around 800, and for that matter the Olympic bombing.
Great van Xenu had once booked james Sanders, the reporter who was persecuted for investigating TWA800, but her CNN producers booted him in favor of NTSB windbag Jim Hall. I wonder if her Fox producers will deign to air some reporting on TWA 800.
The "sued necessaries"? I thought it was the Sudanese.
I'm not usually one for spelling flames, but that item is off the charts.
GRETA: STOP RIGHT THERE --
MORRIS: THERE WAS DECISIVE EVIDENCE THAT THESE WERE CAUSED BY TERRORISTS.
Thanks for the transcript.
Remember the implication in that editorial in the London Arabic-newspaper edited by bin Laden's buddy that 800 and the Olympic bombing were ME terrorism. That's reported in Yossef Bodansky's Bin Laden.
ping mama, check out post 107