Colin Powell promised me a White Paper and all I got was fat Osama video

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.state.gov/secretary/former/powell/remarks/2001/5012.htm

Interview on Meet the Press

Secretary Colin L. Powell
Washington, DC
September 23, 2001

<snip>QUESTION: Are you absolutely convinced that Usama bin
Laden was responsible for this attack?

SECRETARY POWELL: I am absolutely convinced that the al-Qaida
network, which he heads, was responsible for this attack. You know, it's
sort of al-Qaida -- the Arab name for it is "the base"-- it's something
like a holding company of terrorist organizations that are located in
dozens of countries around the world, sometimes tightly controlled,
sometimes loosely controlled. And at the head of that organization is
Usama bin Laden. So what we have to do in the first phase of this
campaign is to go after al-Qaida and go after Usama bin Laden. But it is
not just a problem in Afghanistan; it's a problem throughout the world.
That's why we are attacking it with a worldwide coalition.

QUESTION: Will you release publicly a white paper, which links him
and his organization to this attack, to put people at ease?

SECRETARY POWELL: We are hard at work bringing all the
information together, intelligence information, law enforcement
information. And I think, in the near future, we will be able to put out
a paper, a document, that will describe quite clearly the evidence that we
have linking him to this attack. And also, remember, he has been linked
to earlier attacks against US interests and he was already indicated for
earlier attacks against the United States.



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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010924-13.html

Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer
The James S. Brady Briefing Room

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 24, 2001

<snip>Q Ari, yesterday Secretary Powell was very precise that he was going
to put out a report on what we had on bin Laden that could be reported,
and not classified. Today, the President shot him down -- and he's been
shot down many, many times by the administration -- you seem to be
operating -- he also retreated a question of putting out a report. No, I'm
wrong?

MR. FLEISCHER: No, I think that there was just a misinterpretation of the
exact words the Secretary used on the Sunday shows. And the Secretary
talked about that in a period of time -- I think his word was "soon" --
there would be some type of document that could be made available. As you
heard the Secretary say today, he said "as we are able," as it
unclassifies.

Q -- much more emphatic yesterday, I thought.

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think he said the word "soon," as I was
reminded today by a very knowledgeable official at the State
Department, that's called "State Department soon." And so it's fully
consistent with what the President has been saying and the Secretary said.
You know, I mean, look, it shouldn't surprise anybody. As soon as --

Q The American people thought "soon" meant "soon." (Laughter.)

Q Is this a sign, Ari, that --

MR. FLEISCHER: Kelly, let me -- I was getting there, I was answering
Helen. Helen, what I was saying is, it shouldn't surprise anybody that as
soon as the attack on our country took place, the immediate reaction is
the investigations begin. They begin with the intelligence agencies, they
begin with domestic agencies, they begin with a regular law enforcement
authorities. And they start to collect a whole series of information.

Some of that information is going to end up in the form of grand jury
information, which of course is subject to secrecy laws. Others coming
from intelligence services is by definition going to be classified, and
will be treated as such.

Over the course of time, will there be changes to that, that can lead to
some type of declassified document over whatever period of time? That has
historically been the pattern, and I think that's what the Secretary was
referring to.

Q That's 50 years from now, if you're talking about a State Department
white paper.

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, again, I'm not aware of anybody who said, white paper, and the Secretary didn't say anything about a white paper yesterday.

Q Is this a sign, though, that allies, particularly Arab and Muslim allies, really want to see the evidence because they're concerned about any potential action in Afghanistan could lead to instability in the region, so they want to be certain that you have the evidence?

MR. FLEISCHER: Actually, in the course of the conversations that the President and the Secretary have been having with foreign leaders, their support has been very strong. And they also have information, they also have knowledge. And I remind you, it's not just the United States that collects information and knows that all roads lead to the al Qaeda organization. Other nations have similar means of collecting information.

[htuttle]

1. Well, that's why they can't charge Osama with the crime, isn't it?

No real evidence, apparently.