Powell Blasts Gore on Bin Ladengate Scandal

NewsMax.com ^ | 6/30/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Responding to former Vice President Al Gore's criticism on Saturday of the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism, Secretary of State Colin Powell blasted the Clinton-Gore administration for not accepting a deal for Osama bin Laden's extradition from Sudan negotiated by Pakistani-American businessman Mansour Ijaz in the late 1990's.

"Perhaps that's what Vice President Gore should have been talking about - what happened on their watch as opposed to the progress we've made on our watch," Powell told "Fox News Sunday," after being asked about Ijaz's claims.

In a Sunday Washington Post op-ed piece, Ijaz and former U.S. ambassador to Sudan Tim Carney detailed the Clinton administration's mishandling of both Sudan's bin Laden offer and overall U.S. relations with the country. In another reference to the Ijaz-Carney piece, Powell said the Bush administration had made progress, "not only in Afghanistan but, I would also submit, in Sudan."

"We've recently sent a presidential emissary to Sudan," Powell told "Fox News Sunday." "Sen. Jack Danforth, he's had very successful trips there. We now have a policy with respect to Sudan that will start to move them in the direction of cooperating with us in the campaign against terrorism."

Powell cited the Clinton-Gore bin Ladengate scandal after the former vice president slammed the Bush administration for failing to capture the 9-11 terrorist mastermind.

On Saturday Gore told a crowd of Democratic Party faithful, "They haven't gotten Osama bin Laden or the al Qaeda operation and they have refused to allow enough troops from the international community to be put into Afghanistan to keep it from sliding back under control of the warlords."

Before making reference Mr. Ijaz's allegations, Powell called Gore's remarks "patent nonsense" adding, "I notice the previous administration didn't even make a serious try (to get bin Laden)."

With his comments on Sunday, the Secretary of State becomes the highest ranking Bush administration official to endorse Mr. Ijaz's claims, which have been all but ignored by the mainstream news media except for the occasional op-ed column authored by the Pakistani-American businessman himself.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ijaz has come under fierce attack from the Clinton administration and their supporters in the press.

In a May radio interview, for instance, Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri called Ijaz "a liar" and "a crackpot." (See: DNC Spokesgal Trashes Key Bin Ladengate Accuser)

Clinton friendly media reporters like the New York Times' Judith Miller and NBC newswoman Andrea Mitchell have explained their own decisions not to cover Ijaz's claims by saying he lacks credibility. Miller said she established Ijaz's lack of credibility by contacting former Clinton administration sources.

In May, Ijaz told radio host Sean Hannity that he, Mr. Carney and the chief of Sudanese intelligence would be willing to give sworn testimony on bin Ladengate but had not yet been called by Congress. (See: Bin Laden-gate Witness Dares Dems: Depose Me on Clinton 9-11 Cover-Up)

Earlier this month, Ijaz told radio host Don Imus that former Clinton administration officials had mounted a campaign to block his testimony. (See: Bin Laden-gate Accuser: Ex-Clinton Officials Trying to Silence Me)

But with Powell's tacit endorsement, the bin Ladengate accuser's story it may be more difficult for congressional investigators and the press to ignore.

In their Sunday Washington Post op-ed piece, Ijaz and Carney added new details to their account of the Clinton administration's bin Ladengate intelligence failure:

"After offering to hand bin Laden over to U.S. authorities, Sudan expelled him..... Sudan gave U.S. authorities permission to photograph two terror camps. Washington failed to follow up. In August, (Sudan) sent an 'olive branch' letter to President Clinton through Ijaz. There was no reply.

"By election day 1996, top Clinton aides, including (National Security Advisor Sandy) Berger, knew what information was available from Khartoum and of its potential value to identify, monitor and ultimately dismantle terrorist cells around the world. Yet they did nothing about it."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Al-Qaeda
Al Gore
Bush Administration
Clinton Scandals
Media Bias

[jwh_Denver]

I think hope is about all we have left at this point.

[Thumper1960]

Andrea Mitchell.

Isn't that the same reporterette who interviewed Broadrick(sp?) about her claims that Klinton raped her? Why should Mitchell believe much of anything that a Klinton henchman/woman would say about Bubba?

Has Mitchell been sharing a cigar with Klintion in that swanky New York pad of his?

I wonder..................

[ohioWfan]

As the Israeli commentator said - "Finally, there is a Statesman as President of the United States!"

Amen!

If I have learned anything in the past year and a half, it is to be patient and watch the Bush plans unfold. IMO, this will happen with the economy as well.

I couldn't help but notice as I listened to Rod Paige today talking about the victory for, and the importance of vouchers (way to go, Ohio!) in the Supreme Court, and all the talk that this was a big victory for Bush, that, in spite of all the talk that he had 'sold out' on vouchers, he had obviously not given up on them.

I believe that the end result of his 8 year administration will be progress toward Conservative goals that we have never seen in any previous administration.

[Miss Marple]

The job of the Secretary of State IS to pussy-foot around things...aka "diplomacy." It is NOT his job to threaten military action, unless all diplomatic efforts have failed.

The job of the Secretary of Defense IS to be a go-getter...aka "doing whatever military mission the President commands."

The problem people have is that they think Powell is supposed to threaten. That is not his job unless all else has failed. If he started off with that attitude nothing would be accomplished.

I also want to emphasize that you need to look at what is actually done and what is said BY PEOPLE IN THE ADMINISTRATION ON RECORD, NOT the leakers from lower levels, who are trying to set the agenda and are probably Clintonistas, nor the press, nor the pundits. Pay attention only to actual facts and statements on the record. Everything else is disinformation.

Colin Powell is a good soldier, a loyal American, and does what his President asks. I am quite proud of him.

[irish_lad]

Guck Fore!

[NeoCaveman]

Mansour Ijaz bump.

[Jorge]

Mr. Ijaz is one of the most articulate, self-confident, credible talking heads I've seen lately. I completey believe his story, not to mention he has documentation.

I agree.
I believe anyone with an ounce of discerment can see Ijaz is an honest man.
And let's remember he is Democrat and supported Clinton.
Can't blame this on the "vast right-wing conspiracy".

[backhoe]

Hah! I haven't heard that in a while, but it's as good as ever!

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Yes, the Vouchers ruling was a huge victory for President Bush and for all children and those who love them and want them to receive a better education than what they are getting now.

I hope you are right about the economy. This is a tremendous topic right now. It has eclipsed the war on terror. People want to be patriotic and hope things will improve - they are being quite "stiff upper lipped" about it...but there are Many people hurting and seeing no hope of an improvement. We must initiate policies to Jump Start the economy - re: tax cuts - and regulatory cuts. Plus encouraging small business people - giving them a break. I KNOW this is a top priority with President Bush. None other than Karl Rove spoke to the Small Businss Association meeting. And I know they are trying to do things - in the background to help. But they need someone up front also doing some "jawboning"......or they will continue to be accused of ignoring the economy.

[GUIDO]

WELL SAID!!!!!!

[Moby Grape]

Powell may be a weak moderate, but at least in this instance, he has shown the GOP how to FIRE the guns!!!!!

[bushfamfan]

Gore apparently po'd Powell. LOL. I love Powell getting the truth out there while the media lacked reporting this. Gore and Clintoon are the last people that should criticize the Bush administration.

[GEC]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

[dougherty]

Thank you, Sec. Powell. Someone had to set the story straight, and I'm glad he did. Clinton and his goons didn't do a damn thing to try and apprehend these terrorists even after they bombed our navy vessel (what was the name of it, I can't remember it!) that was at port in Yemen. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Gore needs to shut up and go back to obscurity where he belongs.

[dougherty]

That's the name, USS Cole. I kept thinking 'Kursk' but that was the Russian submarine that sank. There was no justice for those that died on the Cole, Clinton didn't give a damn about justice for them. All he cared about was getting laid and $$$$.

[LenS]

No. It was Lisa Meyers, not Andrea Mitchell.

[section9]

I agree! Glad that the Admin is hitting back. I don't want to see full-scale squabbling break out, but the Dems just get emboldened by polite silence. And it's good to see that the person doing it was Powell, since the Dems are always trying to imply that he's not really with Bush in his actions.

This was a huge bitch slap at the Dems.

They can afford to jump all over Bush, but Powell commands more respect in Democratic circles. That Powell cited the Sudan story means that he has looked at the classified papers relating to Ijaz's testimony and the Bin Laden Affair of 1996. His description of Gore's speech as "nonsense", and his citation of the failures of Clinton-Gore are a warning:

If the Rats want to play ball, Colin is willing to play ball, as is the Administration. They want this to be bipartisan.

If the Rats want this to be a wedge issue for partisanship, Powell is quite prepared to hit the Democrats himself. They did not expect this, and are rather surprised at Powell's remarks, as they expected silence on his part.

Finally, this is a warning from Bush to Clinton: don't start with the bullshit. I'm busy running a war, and if you start running me down in the middle of a war, Powell will come out and ruin you, as only he can.

Despite the general run of opinion on this board, Powell enjoys wide respect and admiration across the country. The Toon would be a fool to take him on.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[crusher999]

I have to wonder about Gore’s true motivation in making these allegations at this time.

Surely he’s seen that every “wild” accusation the Dems have shot at Bush have back-fired on them to the point that “back-pedaling” may soon be a new Olympic sport.

He must also be sensing that the mood at the White House is beginning to shift from ignoring the last eight years of corruption and scandal, to that of bobbing and weaving for the right place and time to take Bubba and Mrs. Bubba down a peg (i.e. The FBI serving subpoena on Hillary’s 2000 Campaign documents, being a start.).

And he’s just gotta know that Mansour Ijaz has been screaming from the highest rooftops about the “Sudanese/bin Laden” deal and that Ijaz can prove what he knew and when he knew it, without the slightest glance from the mainstream media.

So why, why make an accusation that could move this “non-story”, and other examples of Clinton malfeasance, into national prominence now?

Well, I just have to wonder if algore isn’t practicing some form of political “scorched earth policy”.

Let’s face it, Gore has been relegated to the ash heap of “political nobody-ism”, while his former boss, and the wife of his former boss bask in the adoration of the Democratic faithful.

Right now, Al Jr. has got to know that he has a better chance of becoming the Pope than winning the Presidency in 2004, or becoming the Democratic hopeful over Hillary in 2008.

But if he can “inadvertently” toss a lit cigarette out the window…and get a “Mansour-like blaze” going, then at the very least, he will have some revenge on the two people he views as most responsible for his current political standing, and loose nothing in the process.

If the flames get too close to him, he can always drag out the “wee wee break” defense that has served him so well in the past.

For those of you that think I am giving Gore way to much credit, let me just say that I am thoroughly convinced that “tree boy” has known since the first week of becoming VP, that the Clinton’s had lied to him and were never going to do anything to help him with his bid to ascend to the presidency….and that more than nine years of seething bitterness can make the dumbest of ‘em become diabolically brilliant.

[xzins]

The former administration was very far from being clueless, it was complicit.

I appreciate this correction because you are exactly right.

The administration knew they had traded away our security in Aden harbor and turned our sailors in easy targets.

[ladyinred]

Well bust my britches!
Finally, someone from the adminstration says what needed to be said!