Torricelli Calls for 9-11 Probe into Clinton Intelligence Failures

NewsMax.com ^ | Sunday May 19, 2002 | Carl Limbacher

[Carl/NewsMax]

Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) said Sunday that any investigation into what the Bush White House knew before the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon should also include the Clinton administration's failure to deal with the al Qaeda threat.

Asked by WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg whether a 9-11 probe should cover the Clinton White House, Torricelli replied, "I think it goes back as long as is necessary to understand whatever this persistent problem is."

He then added, "For whatever failings there were in the Bush White House, there obviously are equal problems with Janet Reno and with FBI Director Louis Freeh."

The New Jersey Senator continued:

"Indeed, many of the misallocations of resources, the failure to properly be tracking people who were involved in al Qaeda goes back to the mismanagement of the FBI under Louis Freeh."

Sen. Torricelli's comments make him the first elected Democrat to call for a probe into possible the Clinton administration mishandling of the al Qaeda threat.

He said he envisioned such a probe as a nonpartisan inquiry "not for purposes of blaming anybody, but we just have to find out what went wrong."

New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who called for a 9-11 probe into the Bush White House Thursday, could not be reached for comment on Torricelli's call for a similar investigation into her husband's administration.

But she devoted most of a Friday night speech in Dix Hills, N.Y. to national security concerns and her own role in making them the nation's top priority. (See: Hillary: National Security is My New Top Priority)

However, Mrs. Clinton took only prescreened questions from the audience and cut short an autograph-signing session when NewsMax attempted to ask about intelligence failures during her tenure as co-president.

[Galtoid]

Can anyone say strange bedfellows? Torch is in trouble at home. That is the only way to explain it. He needs every Republican voter he can get if he is to keep his seat. Does anyone have any recent polling data on HRC's job approval in NY?

[SCHROLL]

The Torch is evidently still pissed about Bill and Hill sicking the dogs on him for his campaign finance irregularities.

[Unknown Freeper]

Is this the same Torch who introduced the legislation so that the CIA could not hire certain types in order to infiltrate these terrorist groups so that we could gather quality human intelligence?

He needs to watch out for that finger pointing back at himself.

[rintense]

Whatever his motives, Torricelli is right. It all starts with Bill.

[jaz.357]

"Whatever excuses the Clintonites can make, they cannot argue that the threat wasn't clear, that the solution wasn't proposed, that a strategy for success hadn't been outlined. Everything necessary to prevent September 11 had been proposed in private and in public, in government reports and on op-ed pages, for eight long years. The Clinton Administration simply refused to do anything serious about the threat." On January 20, 2001, George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States. Within months of taking office, he ordered a new strategy for combating terrorism that would be more than just "swatting at flies," as he described Clinton's policy. The new plan reached the President's desk on September 10, 2001. It was "too late," as columnist Andrew Sullivan wrote, "But it remains a fact that the new administration had devised in eight months a strategy that Bill Clinton had delayed for eight years." ......NUF SAID!!!

[Isadora Duncan]

But she devoted most of a Friday night speech in Dix Hills, N.Y. to national security concerns and her own role in making them the nation's top priority

Well, now. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know HER role in making national security a top priority right now!!!

[sinkspur]

Did Toricelli mention an investigation into his gutting of the CIA, specifically his legislation that stopped the agency from working with shady characters?

I'll bet not.

[TxBec]

She's doing it for the children, you know.

[backhoe]

What I have so far:

Bush and Clinton and 911- some facts...

[nutmeg]

Does anyone have any recent polling data on HRC's job approval in NY?

Pinging for HRC polling data...

[jaz.357]

....Friday night speech in "Dix Hills, N.Y.".....NOW WHAT WOULD HITLERY KNOW ABOUT "DIX"..(wasn't that MONICAS job?)

[BlueAngel]

I don't care why Torricelli is saying this, I'm just glad that he is. Everything always goes back to the Clinton administration. They left nothing but time bombs in their wake.

[nutmeg]

FYI

[Mo1]

The Torch is evidently still pissed about Bill and Hill sicking the dogs on him for his campaign finance irregularities.

Plus he is up for relection and you should see the commericals that Diane Allen has been airing and pointing out that Torricelli is one of the reasons why the CIA couldn't do their job ..

[Mo1]

Did Toricelli mention an investigation into his gutting of the CIA

I am thinking no but his opponent for his Senate seat does .. LOL

[Bubba_Leroy]

There is no love lost between Torricelli and the Clinton Justice Department. Torricelli is still pissed that Reno didn't give him an immediate white wash instead of pretending to investigate him for several months.

[ex-Texan]

About time that Clinton took some heat !!!!!

[Bubba_Leroy]

Pinging for HRC polling data...

Hilary has an 80% approval rating ... among all far left wing radical lesbians that were polled.

[CedarDave]

However, Mrs. Clinton took only prescreened questions from the audience and cut short an autograph-signing session when NewsMax attempted to ask about intelligence failures during her tenure as co-president.

Can't let the Queen get too close to the common people, can we?? < /sarcasm>