Sen. Joseph Lieberman , D-Conn., was roundly booed on Friday after claiming he was completely clueless about reports that the Sudan was ready to hand over Osama bin Laden to ex-President Clinton way back in 1996.
Appearing via phone on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show, Lieberman began by saying that he wanted an independent commission to probe the "really important question" of "what [President Bush] was told and when was he told it" about intelligence that could have forewarned of the 9-11 attacks.
But Imus, who was broadcasting from New Hampshire before a live audience, also wanted to know if Liebermann was interested in probing allegations that the previous administration passed up chances to avert 9-11.
IMUS: Is there any truth that during the Clinton administration the Sudan offered to turn over Osama bin Laden and the Clinton administration took a pass on it?
LIEBERMAN: I don't know. But that would be a ... (Live audience erupts in boos)
IMUS: Of course you know.
LIEBERMAN: Of course I don't know. (Reacting to the boos) Hey, who's up there? Who's in that audience?
IMUS: You might want to rethink that New Hampshire primary.
LIEBERMAN: I've got a feeling those may be Republicans. We're going for Independents and Democrats. (End of Excerpt)
Lieberman said that questions about the Clinton administration's role in failing to deal with the al-Qaeda threat could also be examined by an independent 9-11 commission.
But he suggested it wasn't likely that Clinton had passed up an offer to nab the terror chief, noting that the ex-president had signed an order authorizing U.S. forces to "go after Osama bin Laden personally."