The 9/11 Commission needs to question Ashcroft...

[kentuck]

Is he healthy enough to testify? Richard Clarke, in his 60 Minutes interview mentioned that Ashcroft was one of the people that was informed about the al Qaeda threat. Since it has been documented that Ashcroft stopped flying commercial around July, a logical question would be "Why?" Did he take the issue more seriously than others in the Bush White House?

If that is the case, then why did not Bush and others take it seriously also? Why did they ignore the threats? Of course they will argue that they did not "ignore" the threats, but what did they do with all the information they had, from the Rudman-Hart report to the action initiative written by VP Al Gore? Just much credibility did Condi Rice give these reports? Was the oversight on purpose or was it simply incompetence?

[Mike Niendorff]

1. I had exactly the same response.

Add this to: Ashcroft's "no commercial flights" policy, his attempts to re-task the FBI away from counterterrorism (and his "early spring" confrontation with Freeh over precisely this subject), his rejection of repeated requests for increases in the FBI's counterterrorism budget (even *after* Clarke's dire warnings!), the multiple allegations by field agents of "a roadblock at FBI HQ" impeding counterterrorism investigations -- add all this together with Clarke's revelation that Ashcroft was *personally* notified BY HIM of a major impending AQ attack, and you've got one whopper of a Q&A session that should be taking place.

Memo to Johnny: you've got some serious explainin' to do.


MDN

[fizzana]

2. I've always maintained that Ashcroft was a key player Pre 9/11

and his role has been overlooked, even by those on the left.

Louis Freeh had already stepped down as head of the FBI ion August 2001 when the warnings from the CIA became more dire. Robert Mueller III only took over a few days before 9/11 (I think) so during that critical time the FBI had no leader. As AG, it should have been incumbent on Ashcroft to follow through and make sure the FBI was doing everything it could.

Instead, Ashcroft changed hos flight plans to a private flight and took off for a fishing vacation in late August.

He needs to answer for this lapse.

[Mike Niendorff]

3. FWIW, Louis Freeh tendered his resignation on May 1, 2001

IIRC, Ashcroft subsequently stepped in as interim head of the FBI, followed by Pickard and then by Mueller (who formally assumed office just prior to 9/11/01).

(note: if anyone has exact dates for all of these transitions, I'd be *very* interested in seeing them. The 5/1/01 date is from Freeh's formal letter of resignation, which is available online at the FBI's website).

MDN

[Stephanie]

9. They let it happen

They did everything they could to make sure it could happen unimpeded.

[shanti]

4. asscrack will never squeal

he has a personal axe to grind and he's not done!

[proud patriot]

5. and remember fighting terrorism wasn't even listed on his to do list

:eyes:

[Stephanie]

6. Your premise is wrong - Ashcroft, Bush & Cheney all had the same response

They made sure to save their own cowardly selves. Bush & Cheney got out of DC for the entire month of August because they knew what was coming down. But they didn't give a damn about anyone else.

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www.msnbc.com/news/907379.asp?0cv=KA01
The Secrets of September 11
The White House is battling to keep a report on the terror attacks secret. Does the 2004 election have anything to do with it?

April 30 — Even as White House political aides plot a 2004 campaign plan designed to capitalize on the emotions and issues raised by the September 11 terror attacks, administration officials are waging a behind-the-scenes battle to restrict public disclosure of key events relating to the attacks.

<snip>Some sources who have read the still-secret congressional report say some sections would not play quite so neatly into White House plans. One portion deals extensively with the stream of U.S. intelligence-agency reports in the summer of 2001 suggesting that Al Qaeda was planning an upcoming attack against the United States—and implicitly raises questions about how Bush and his top aides responded. One such CIA briefing, in July 2001, was particularly chilling and prophetic. It predicted that Osama bin Laden was about to launch a terrorist strike “in the coming weeks,” the congressional investigators found. The intelligence briefing went on to say: “The attack will be spectacular and designed to inflict mass casualties against U.S. facilities or interests. Attack preparations have been made. Attack will occur with little or no warning.”

The substance of that intelligence report was first disclosed at a public hearing last September by staff director Hill. But at the last minute, Hill was blocked from saying precisely who within the Bush White House got the briefing when CIA director Tenet classified the names of the recipients. (One source says the recipients of the briefing included Bush himself.) As a result, Hill was only able to say the briefing was given to “senior government officials.”

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www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A15957-2001
Summer Spinning
To GOP, Vacation Boosted Bush Agenda; To Democrats, Voters See a Shirk Ethic
Aug 29, <2001>

<snip>The White House had announced that Bush would stay at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford from Aug. 4 through Labor Day on Sept. 3, a 31-day stretch that would have broken a modern record for a presidential vacation, held by Richard M. Nixon for a 30-day trip to San Clemente, Calif., in 1969. News reports played up the record, and a Gallup Poll found that 55 percent of respondents thought Bush's vacation was too long.

The length of the trip revived old questions about Bush's work ethic, and the poll and the news coverage caused consternation in the White House. Aides said they had planned an ambitious schedule for Bush as long ago as late June, but reporters were not told about it, even after they landed here. The White House, suddenly defensive, took every opportunity to show Bush on the go and even created a "Western White House" logo for the briefing room at Crawford Elementary School. Bush revealed that his ranch had new video conferencing equipment for keeping in touch with his national security team.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.jacksonholenews.com/Archives/NewsArchive/2001/010815-News.html
News story - Aug. 15, 2001
A Working Vacation
Vice President Cheney plans to fish, travel during month-long valley sojourn.
By Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

Vice President Dick Cheney took time off from his month-long working vacation Monday to outline his plans for August in Jackson Hole and to reflect on "an amazing year."

Cheney, who will live at his Teton Pines home about six miles west of Jackson until Labor Day, defended his energy policy, supported a local decision to limit drilling around the Gros Ventre Wilderness, recalled a life of service in Washington and said his health problems are not affecting his ability to fish for trout on his favorite Western waters.

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www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/26/national/main303601.shtml
Ashcroft Flying High
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2001

(CBS) Fishing rod in hand, Attorney General John Ashcroft left on a weekend trip to Missouri Thursday afternoon aboard a chartered government jet, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.

In response to inquiries from CBS News over why Ashcroft was traveling exclusively by leased jet aircraft instead of commercial airlines, the Justice Department cited what it called a "threat assessment" by the FBI, and said Ashcroft has been advised to travel only by private jet for the remainder of his term.

"There was a threat assessment and there are guidelines. He is acting under the guidelines," an FBI spokesman said. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department, however, would identify what the threat was, when it was detected or who made it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[maggrwaggr]

7. OMG! Stephanie! That is SOOOO damning!

Great work!

Wow .... my mind is boggled ........... wow ................

THEY ALL RAN AND HID LIKE SCARED RATS!

It's just so disgusting that the only place where the dots are being connected is here at DU.

The death of the media is hard to get used to.

And what the hell do we do about it?

[Stephanie]

8. I've been posting that exact post for two years

And so have others. I post that post at every opportunity.

The dots are all there. Who will spell it out for the voters?

Paging Leslie Stahl...