Posted on 05/17/2002 8:34:21 PM PDT by tomball
HONOLULU (AP) - Former President Clinton said Friday he knew about the dangerous potential of Osama bin Laden but discounted reports that a 1999 analysis should have alerted his administration to a terrorist attack on the scale of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The analysis warned that members of bin Laden's al-Qaida organization could hijack an airliner and fly it into government buildings like the Pentagon on suicide missions.
"That has nothing to do with intelligence," said Clinton, who was in Hawaii on a two-day stopover en route to East Timor. "All that says is they used public sources to speculate on what bin Laden might do.
"Let me remind you that's why I attacked his training camp and why I asked the Pakistanis to go get him, and why we contracted with some people in Afghanistan to go get him, because we thought he was dangerous," he said. "But that's not the same thing as having intelligence about specific things."
The Bush administration has asserted that no one in government had envisioned a suicide hijacking before it happened.
"That was a report by a congressional research service and the Library of Congress using public information and it basically says he's a dangerous guy that might do a lot of things," Clinton said. "So we tried to get him. That doesn't have anything to do with what the intelligence people, the CIA or the FBI, tell the administration.
"That's why I did everything I could to get bin Laden, because I thought he was a dangerous man," he said. "And as we've seen, he is."
President Bush on Tuesday named Clinton to head a delegation representing the United States at the inauguration of East Timor President-elect Xanana Gusmao. East Timor, a former Indonesian territory, separated from Jakarta in 1999 during Clinton's term.
AP-ES-05-17-02 2311EDT
True.. can't stand him either. I'm begining to feel relieved, however. Just heard on the half hour break on KFI on Los Angeles talk radio, that Clinton is now stating as well, that he had no specificity on the possibility Al Queda attacks. I think most Regular Joes out there will now get it..
No one could have stopped this, (although it is my personal opinion that Clinton is responsible). Most people, who aren't involved in these types of forums, will just move on. I hope the press will keep mentioning Clinton... ahh,...what-the-hell, who am I kidding ?
You're right. And if I ran into him somewhere, I'd turn and run the other way...........
Yup, he also seemed to have his talking points re this issue, very well rehearsed.
such as his first 4 years as president.
The Clinton Legacy
Yeah, right! And is that why Clinton REFUSED to take Osama when the Sudan had him?? Is that really "doing everything you can to get him"?? I don't think so!
Isn't is cool when someone, in a very short and insighful sentence, exposes the MO of a sick operative like klinton?
Really a good one, Angelique.
And yeah, now that you have stated it so clearly, I can see how the main defense structure of the klintons has always been an attempt to change reality (usually accompanied by casting blame they themselves own upon others). Too bad the media helps them so gleefully.
Too bad the media helps them so gleefully.
I believe there is a quote from Burke that states that bad men get away with evil when good men do not speak out. How unfortunate that the media has proven not to be a good man.
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