Bush and 9/11: What We Need to Know (Time's Joe Klein nails it)

[underpants]

http://www.time.com/time/election2004/columnist/klein/article/0,18471,600843,00.html

The commission, which will finish its work in midsummer, on the eve of the conventions, will soon question the President about his response to the terrorist threat in the months before 9/11. I asked a dozen people last week—some intimate with the commission's thinking, some members of the intelligence community, some members of Congress who have investigated 9/11—what they would ask the President if they could. Their questions fell into three broad categories.
Why didn't you respond to the al-Qaeda attack on the U.S.S. Cole?
But the CIA and the Pentagon squabbled about which agency would be in charge of pulling the trigger. The dispute wasn't resolved until after 9/11. Were you aware of this dispute, Mr. President? Why weren't you able to resolve it?

Indeed, the second category of questions revolves around the President's interest in and awareness of the al-Qaeda threat.

Obviously, the President couldn't be responsible for knowing that the FBI was tracking suspicious flight training in Arizona or that the CIA had an informant close to two of the hijackers, but was he aware of the friction between the two agencies? Was he aware that John Ashcroft had opposed increasing counterterrorism funding for the FBI?
Finally, there are the questions about the President's actions immediately after 9/11.

[ronatchig]

1. Is not the FBI

a part of the exec. branch?
<snip>
Obviously, the President couldn't be responsible for knowing that the FBI was tracking suspicious flight training in Arizona or that the CIA had an informant close to two of the hijackers
<snip>
It is my understanding that the head of the beast is responsible for the beast.
It is a problem that Bush is absolved of all responsibility for the organization he heads. Subtle propaganda even in this piece.

[underpants]

4. Yes it is and I did notice that

I still think that overall this is the type of article we didn't see even 6 months ago.

Of course 9 months ago the fact that W&Co. clearly dropped the ball in getting OBL was reported and then promptly wormholed. This came back up with NBC's reporting on how CLINTON had OBL in his sights (notice his sights specifically)

From the ever so "Liberal" USA Today

Bush slow on bin Laden drones before 9/11
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-06-25-drones-osama_x.htm
Posted 6/25/2003 7:37 AM


CBS/AP report on the same info same conclusions
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/25/attack/main560293.shtml
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2003

[Jade Fox]

8. These two articles are remarkable, given their mainstream source...

Eventually it is going to be common knowledge that Bush & Co. could have
prevented 9/11.

The 9/11 families must be imploding over this. To think their friends/relatives
deaths could have been prevented......:cry:

[Quetzal]

2. Negotiate with the Taliban?

As late as Sept. 10, after the assassination of Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, Bush was asking in his national-security briefing about the possibility of negotiating with the Taliban for the head of bin Laden.

It is my understanding that Ralph Nader would have bribed the Taliban to give the US Bin Laden (correct me if I am wrong). Obviously, the Taliban would have wanted something back in return for handing over Bin Laden.

Then again, maybe they didn't want to negotiate or accept any monetary exchanges. What was their perspective on money? Could they be bought? They needed it to buy weapons. Maybe Osama provided the funds.

[underpants]

3. We don't negotiate with terrorists or terrorists sympathizers...

unless we do.

:eyes:

Aside from the $43 Million W sent ot the Taliban-which sounds worse than it actually is not that most "Murkans want to hear the explanation-I think that the fact that W was or did negotiate with the TALIBAN!!!! would be shocking to many folks.

[Trajan]

5. I ripped into My Freeper Brother and Brother-in-Law last night ...

They were baiting me, so I took the bait ....

We talked about the 43 Million Dollar payment ...

We talked about how THAT payment made George Bush the #1 financial supporter of the Taliban ...

We talked about how the GOP brought the Taliban to Sugarland, Texas to wine and dine Mullah Omar in '97 .... Funny how much those GOP/Texas Oil Mavens liked them .... Talked about how those same GOP/Texas Oil Mavens adored Saddam in the 80's, going as far as to sell Saddam oil hardware during the 90's, even though it was against the law ....

We talked about how; EVEN WHILE the Taliban was denying women basic rights of self expression and due process; EVEN WHILE the Taliban placed their vicious, iconoclastic eyes on priceless works of ancient art, intentionally destroying precious and UNReplacable works of art ...

We talked about how WE as a nation were now embroiled in cleaning up the problems caused by these 'Friends of the GOP' ....

Our boys are dying, to rid the world of the very same groups who were so closely allied with past and present GOP administrations ...

We even talked about how 911, no matter WHAT the GOP says about Clinton, DID in fact happen on George Bush's watch ....

George Bush wanted to be president, he became president, and he assumes with that job the responsibility of protecting our nation : when he takes that oath, he is FROM THAT MOMENT responsible for our collective safety ....

I swear: .. I stopped these two in their tracks ... They didnt know what to say, which is unbelievable for them ....

The story MUST get out ....

[glitch]

6. took the bait? I'd say you took the damn boat!

reminds of the movie Jaws. Good work!

[Jade Fox]

7. Way to go, Trajan!

:toast:

[non sociopath skin]

9. Excellent article. Glad Joe raises the Bin Laden family airlift again.

This one has been allowed to fall too easily by the wayside. Kerry needs to hammer the Bush-Bin Laden connections. Hopefully, Mike Moores new book will help.

The Skin

[Disturbed]

10. The Taliban

Overthowing the Taliban has nothing to do with terrorism or Osama bin Laden. The Taliban are in the way of the gas pipeline and digging out the billions of $s of natural gas under the soil in Afghanistan. The Taliban wouldn't play ball with the Multi-Natls. Karazi is a puppet of Bushco, a former Unical emplyoee. in my view the invasion of Afghanistan is another illegal Imperialistic invasion, albeit it a Multi-later one by the Western powers. Bush Crime Family were negotiating with the Taliban all the way up to 911.

The USA could have gone after Al Q. with 130 troops and all of the CIA right after 911. They did not do so. Why?