U.S. PLANNED FOR ATTACK ON AL QAEDA-Bush Given Global Assault Strategy 2 Days Before 9/11

MSNBC ^ | May 16, 2002 | Jim Miklaszewski at the Pentagon

[codebreaker]

President Bush was given detailed plans for a worldwide war against Al Qadea two days before Sept. 11 but did not have the chance to sign them before the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, United States and foreIgn sources told NBC News.

The document, a formal National Security Presidential Directive, amounted to a 'game plan to remove Al Qaeda from the face of the earth,' one of the sources told Jim Miklaszewski.

The plan dealt with all aspects of a war against Al-Qaeda, ranging from diplomatic initiatives to military operations in Afghanistan, sources said on condition of anonymity.

[codebreaker]

Looks like Osama knew his time was up.

[be-baw]

a formal National Security Presidential Directive

If this is true, it should take a lot of the heat off Bush. Will they prove it, or is this damage control?

[habs4ever]

This is over 7 mos old, and now it's news?He ordered a review, unlike anything Clinton ever did, and was thinking of doing what a 9/11 made it imperative to do.Damn, the media are stupid and lazy, with attention spans of 4 yr olds.

[anniegetyourgun]

Not to mention the DEMS in Congress. As of today I am ready to call them un-American.

[knak]

United States and foreIgn sources told NBC

makes me wonder if somehow this was leaked to al-qaeda and that's why they hit when they did?

[codebreaker]

Are NSA Presidential directives leaked to the press everyday?

It seems to me this is a good way to shut up the 'Rats with Gephardt being told on August 1, 2001 about the plane warnings..

[Shermy]

Leak by the Saudis to Osama?

Anyway, possible 9/11 scenario - Osama always planned for the attack, probably had lots of plans. Most of his efforts were aimed at disrupting Central Asia and the Caucasus (i.e., Chechnya). Such helped deter, delay, and even destroy competitive hydrocarbon development in the region, a Iranian and Saudi strategic coalescence of aims. They funded him, facilitated him, and profited. Al Qaeda did nothing about Israel. Big on Kashmir, necessary for ISI support. Useful fanatics in oil politics.

Anyway, the 6+2 countries, especially Russia and the US, warned the Taliban to stop supporting local terrorism earlier in 2001, even threatening some kind of attack. Osama was appointed Taliban Minister of Defense by Mullah Omar. The attack on the WTC may have served as a kind of low tech attack on the US to forestall a perceived attack on the Disneyland of Islamist Terrorism, Afghanistan. Certainly the assassination of Massood three days before anticipated the attack, and attempted to disorient the local opposition which could ffight back in alliance with the U.S.

Miscalculation. That's the problem with fanatics, they're true believers. The worst thing that's ever happened to Saudi.

[Timesink]

This bit of info that Brokaw is trying to report as some exclusive, was actually made public somewhere around 9/12. Practically every newsmagazine article the next week made note of the irony.

Someone who wants to dig through the FR archives could probably find it.

[doug from upland]

A commander in chief who knows how to lead. He was going to do what was right even if we were not attacked. What I said to him at the Town Hall meeting in Ontario still holds.

[TomGuy]

makes me wonder if somehow this was leaked to al-qaeda and that's why they hit when they did?

When the OBL video tape where he talked about the hijackers first surfaced, wasn't there reports that the hijackers had moved their plan up, that initially it was thought to be planned for later, and OBL seemed kind of surprised it had happened earlier than he expected?

[codebreaker]

Or Osama caught wind of the NSA directive through Clinton era back channels at the State Dept.

[habs4ever]

And of course, we all know the Dems would have supported Bush 100% in going after Al Qada even without a 9/11, right?Thery would have agreed with fully about the threat, global in nature, and have supplied the resources to wage war.Of course they would, after all, they are sooooo much smarter than Dub and would have been chomping at the bit to go get 'em.Hillary, espcially.

Sure they would.

[codebreaker]

Does anyone remember when Atta got the approval call 'to go' from the finanaciers, was it 9/9 or afterwords?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Is it just me, or are the Demorats having a bad day all of a sudden????? ;0)

[null and void]

Damn, the media are stupid and lazy, with attention spans of 4 yr olds.

Habs! Don't insult 4 yr olds!

[habs4ever]

I think the assassination of Northern Alliance leader Massoud on 9/9 was as clear a cue as any that the attack was greenlighted by Osama.Plus, if i recall, the unused funds from Atta's bank accounts were wired back several days before 9/11.

[section9]

The news that Bush had an "attack plan" on his desk has been known for months.

Non-story.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[jrlc]

The RATS had better be carefully about opening this can of worms. The worms inside are all Clinton. Clinton was more interested in gays in the military than going after OBL. Clinton had Janet Rhino pushing the FBI to deport a child to Castro's nondemocratic Cuba, not searching out OBL sleepers in the USA. Clinton was too busy getting BJs in the Oval Office to do more than Wag the Dog after the Cole was hit. If the RATS want to push Howard Baker questions maybe we should start with the first attack on the WTC -- what did Clinton know and when did he know it. There's the real blame.

[WaterDragon]

I agree it's old news. During the Clinton administration wasn't some group tasked with determing the liklihood of an attack and plotting a response if we were attacked by the terrorists? And as I recall, made recommendations that Clinton ignored. Hasn't Dick Morris written about this? And the Bush administration was just getting into looking at this matter when Sept 11th struck. That's my recollection.

[NCDoc]

The formulation of a detailed plan to go into Afghanistan and wage war suggests that the Bush administration knew that the oncoming attack would be severe enough to galvanize the public into being willing to send our armed forces into that war.