Kerry Connection 'Discredits' Terror Czar Clarke, Say Critics

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/3/21/141608.shtml ^ | , Mar. 21, 2004

[Maria S]

Former Clinton administration terrorism czar Richard Clarke, who has been portrayed in dozens of media accounts as a nonpartisan critic of the Bush White House's terrorism policies, faces new questions about his credibility after a report surfaced on Sunday suggesting he has close ties to the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry.

"One of [Clarke's] very close friends and colleagues for years - a man whom he taught a class with at Harvard, Rand Beers - is one of the top foreign policy advisors to Sen. Kerry," reported ABC White House correspondent Terry Moran.

Moran told ABC's "This Week" that Clarke's close relationship with the Kerry aide "discredited" him in the eyes of critics, with the White House maintaining that "this is essentially a Democrat making these arguments" that Bush dropped the ball in the war on terrorism.

Of Clarke's much ballyhooed new book "Against All Enemies," where the security expert charges that President Bush has done "a terrible job" fighting the war on terrorism, Moran noted that "[Republicans] say that this book is an audition for a place in the next Democratic administration."

Beers and Clarke both resigned from the White House within a month of each other last year, shortly before the Iraq war started in March. When Beers made a public show of joining Kerry's campaign, it set off political smoke alarms in Washington.

"I can't think of a single example in the last 30 years of a person who has done something so extreme," said Paul C. Light, a scholar with the Brookings Institution told the New Yorker magazine's Jane Mayer.

"He's not just declaring that he's a Democrat," Light said. "He's declaring that he's a Kerry Democrat, and the way he wants to make a difference in the world is to get his former boss out of office."

While Beers began publicly criticizing the Iraq war almost immediately, Clarke held his fire for a few months. But by last November it was clear he and Beers were on the same page.

"Fighting Iraq had little to do with fighting the war on terrorism, until we made it [so]," Clarke proclaimed to interviewers.

He was even critical when reacting to the news of the capture of Saddam Hussein, telling ABC News, "I don't think it's going to have a near-term positive effect on security . . . In the short term, we may have actually a worse problem."

[tkathy]

Even for a democrat, he's a sleazy, back stabbing weasel.

[paul in cape]

Someone should check if he's donated to the Tides Foundation!

[Reagan Man]

An overheated political campaign is underway. This should teach PresBush and future Republican presidents a good lesson. After you take office, clean house ASAP!

[God luvs America]

ping

[Bob Eimiller]

What else is new... All DemocRATS LIE. They rig elections and they are NOT patriotic.

[tcuoohjohn]

Unfortunately, Clarke isn't a Democrat.

served the last three Presidents as a senior White House Advisor. Over the course of an unprecedented 11 consecutive years of White House service, he held the titles of Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs; National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism; and Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Security. Prior to his White House years, Clarke served for 19 years in the Pentagon, the Intelligence Community, and State Department.

During the Reagan Administration, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and was Awarded the National intelligence medal by Reagan

During the Bush (41) Administration, he was Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and coordinated diplomatic efforts to support the 1990-1991 Gulf War and was the architect of the post -war security architecture for Kuwait- Saudi Arabia and The Emirates.

Clarke served on the Maryland Republican Steering Committee from 1988-1991.

[freethistle]

I don't really have a problem with Beers or Clarke. They disagreed with the policy direction in this administration,they tried to change it from within and were not successful, they resigned, and they moved on.

Clarke served under former President George Bush and a lot of people in that administration have had different views from people in this administration.

I think the current President Bush and Vice President Cheney have strong views about want they want to do and can defend themselves adequately.

Personally as a citizen who is expected to cast an intelligent vote the more information I get the better I like it.

[arasina]

People like Clarke and Beers who don't believe Iraq has anything to do with the war on terrorism are short-sighted. They just don't see the big picture like President Bush does. They are bitter because they weren't in the "need-to-know" loop.

I'd like to see Rand Beers get imprisoned for something, for no other purpose than to see the leftists start their campaign against it and start carrying signs that say FREE BEERS! :o)

[Jackson Brown]

Saturday, Mar. 20, 2004 11:19 PM EST
Richard Clarke Flashback: Clinton Dropped Ball on Bin Laden

Former Clinton White House terrorism czar Richard Clarke is preparing to tell the Independent Commission Investigating the Sept. 11 Attacks this week that the Bush administration failed to act on a Clinton administration plan to attack Osama bin Laden.

And in a "60 Minutes" interview set to air Sunday night, Clarke blasts Bush for doing "a terrible job on the war against terrorism."

But just a year ago Clarke was singing a different tune, telling reporter Richard Miniter, author of the book "Losing bin Laden," that it was the Clinton administration - not team Bush - that had dropped the ball on bin Laden.

Clarke, who was a primary source for Miniter's book, detailed a meeting of top Clinton officials in the wake of al Qaeda's attack on the USS Cole in Yemen.

He urged them to take immediate military action. But his advice found no takers.

Reporting on Miniter's book, the National Review summarized the episode:

"At a meeting with Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Attorney General Janet Reno, and other staffers, Clarke was the only one in favor of retaliation against bin Laden."

The list of excuses seemed endless:

"Reno thought retaliation might violate international law and was therefore against it.

"Tenet wanted to more definitive proof that bin Laden was behind the attack, although he personally thought he was.

"Albright was concerned about the reaction of world opinion to a retaliation against Muslims, and the impact it would have in the final days of the Clinton Middle East peace process.

"Cohen, according to Clarke, did not consider the Cole attack 'sufficient provocation' for a military retaliation."

And what about President Clinton? According to what Clarke told Miniter, he rejected the attack plan. Instead Clinton twice phoned the president of Yemen demanding better cooperation between the FBI and the Yemeni security services.

Clarke offered a chillingly prescient quote from one aide who agreed with him about Clinton administration inaction. "What's it going to take to get them to hit al Qaeda in Afghanistan? Does al Qaeda have to attack the Pentagon?" said the dismayed Clintonista.

Clarke's testimony before the 9/11 commission will surely boost sales for his new book, "Against All Enemies," which his publisher is releasing on the eve of his appearance before the panel.

The book's bombshell news hook is Clarke's claim that after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush wanted him to look for evidence of Iraqi involvement.

But it's not clear how much politics has tempered his recollections. Clarke certainly sounded partisan on the morning of December 15, when, as the nation was celebrating Saddam Hussein's capture, he was complaining that the brutal dictator's apprehension was actually bad news.

"I don't think it's going to have a near-term positive effect on security," Clarke told ABC's "This Week."

"In the short term, we may have actually a worse problem," he insisted.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/3/20/232055.shtml

[CyberAnt]

Geeeeeez .. would these people sell their own mother to get back into a position of power .. Yikes!!

This coming from Moran at ABC is priceless!

And .. like I said on another thread - if Kerry uses Clarke's book to form some kind of statement against Bush's handling of the WOT, it's going to come back to haunt Kerry.

[MonroeDNA]

He's a Sleeper, alright.

[satchmodog9]

No kidding. I also want to point out that Washington is full of whores with no loyalty to either side. This is bad for W. The press will run with this like you have never seen before. It is already on the headlines on Aol, Cnn and the talk radio stations.

[Rome2000]

Fighting Iraq had little to do with fighting the war on terrorism, until we made it [so]," Clarke proclaimed to interviewers.

Then Saddam must not be a terrorist.

When are Clarke and Kerry going to be put on the record on this?

Or is the RNC retarded.

[Reagan Man]

So far, its cutting both ways within the librat establishment. ABC News has reported that Clarke is a special advisor to Kerry. On Fox Sunday, SenLieberman said he doesn't believe what Clarke is saying, is helpful to the WoT. Both ABC and Lieberman call Clarke's remarks, partisan political year rhetoric. Even Campbell Browne on the Sunday Today Show pointed out, that Clarke's remarks can't be taken seriously because they sound so overtly political.

We shall see.

[BigWaveBetty]

This coming from Moran at ABC is priceless!

I thought the same thing as I watched Moran give his report this morning on This Week. This 'damning information' on the Bush admin. must be a real dud because I've never seen Moran less excited about a 'juicy bit' of bad news for the president.

Someone needs to ask Clarke if he was so concerned about the non action in the Bush admin. why did he wait until NOW to come out with this important information.

[Milligan]

Why was he fired from the Sec. of State in 1992?

[Milligan]

sell books

[america-rules]

Yhey're playing this down because starting Tuesday congress starts 9/11 hearings and guess who is going to get rolled over the coals - The Clinton admin !

[tcuoohjohn]

He wasn't to my knowledge. He was promoted to the NSC as Special Assistant to the President for Global Issues. It made him number # 3 in the NSC.