Clarke contrasts Bush, Clinton terror priorities (BARF Alert)

Sac Bee ^ | 3/24/04 | Hope Yen - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government's former top counterterrorism adviser testified Wednesday that the Clinton administration had "no higher priority" than combatting terrorists while the Bush administration made it "an important issue but not an urgent issue."

Richard Clarke told a bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that "although I continued to say it (terrorism) was an urgent problem I don't think it was ever treated that way" by the current administration in advance of the strikes two and a half years ago.

[farmfriend]

Clarke in '02: Bush Admin Began Counterterror Plan in Jan. '01 (Clarke Caught!Fox Exclusive!)

Think we should tell the Bee(liberal)?

[tbpiper]

Spent the day working at a local sewage treatment plant. Somehow couldn't get Clark out of my mind. Why is that?

[Redbob]

Just saw a CNN clip of Richard Clarke's testimony, followed by some CNN infobabe commenting that "Clarke's '02 interview was almost exactly the opposite of what he just said," or words to that effect.

I NEVER expected to see such even-handed reporting on CNN!
They must be feeling the 'Fox Effect!'

[cripplecreek]

How do these writers manage to overlook the facts?

Clarke testified today that Iraq was harboring terrorists for years. So what are the odds it's going to make the news at CBS?

[meenie]

The contest between tweedle dee and tweedle dumb continues. The blame shifts from the dems to the pubbies with no recommendations to correct the problems with our intelligence or bureaucracy. Great TV viewing, which is the overriding concern.

[kennedy]

RICHARD CLARKE: Actually, I've got about seven points, let me just go through them quickly. Um, the first point, I think the overall point is, there was no plan on Al Qaeda that was passed from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration.

Second point is that the Clinton administration had a strategy in place, effectively dating from 1998. And there were a number of issues on the table since 1998. And they remained on the table when that administration went out of office — issues like aiding the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, changing our Pakistan policy -- uh, changing our policy toward Uzbekistan. And in January 2001, the incoming Bush administration was briefed on the existing strategy. They were also briefed on these series of issues that had not been decided on in a couple of years.

And the third point is the Bush administration decided then, you know, mid-January, to do two things. One, vigorously pursue the existing policy, including all of the lethal covert action findings, which we've now made public to some extent.

And the point is, while this big review was going on, there were still in effect, the lethal findings were still in effect. The second thing the administration decided to do is to initiate a process to look at those issues which had been on the table for a couple of years and get them decided.

So, point five, that process which was initiated in the first week in February, uh, decided in principle, uh in the spring to add to the existing Clinton strategy and to increase CIA resources, for example, for covert action, five-fold, to go after Al Qaeda.

The sixth point, the newly-appointed deputies — and you had to remember, the deputies didn't get into office until late March, early April. The deputies then tasked the development of the implementation details, uh, of these new decisions that they were endorsing, and sending out to the principals.

Over the course of the summer — last point — they developed implementation details, the principals met at the end of the summer, approved them in their first meeting, changed the strategy by authorizing the increase in funding five-fold, changing the policy on Pakistan, changing the policy on Uzbekistan, changing the policy on the Northern Alliance assistance.

And then changed the strategy from one of rollback with Al Qaeda over the course [of] five years, which it had been, to a new strategy that called for the rapid elimination of al Qaeda. That is in fact the timeline.

So Mr. Clark, were you lying then or are you lying now?

[FRgal4u]

Here we go!

The media slime machine is in full force!

Bush team played nice, never want to blame Clinton..

now the other side slime the Bush team with the media megaphone.

and what did the Bush team do -

Keep Condi under wraps thru some arcane separation of powers BS..

the Bush team gotta wake up and smell the crap

this thing is out of control..

hiding Condi is the absolute fatal mistake..

this could be the one mistake that cost the 2004 election.

[farmfriend]

How do these writers manage to overlook the facts?

You've heard of "rose colored glasses"? Well they use red ones.

[cripplecreek]

Sounds like my predisposition to think about democraps while im sitting on the toilet.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Kill-Capture or kill, go ahead from Clinton, according to Berger?

Perhaps Berger has confused Osama up with Vince Foster or others long deceased. We all are aware that Osama is still very much alive.

[Redbob]

"Perhaps Berger has confused Osama up with Vince Foster or others long deceased."

Seems it was safer to be an enemy of Clinton's than a friend!

[roses of sharon]

What nonsense.

As I have said for years, it matters not what Bush says or does, or what Condie says or does, or what Kerry says or does.

It will be reported, or not reported, or reported out of context, or reported half-way, or reported with a laugh, a snear, or an adverb to order to demean, degrade, ruin, mock, or any way the choose.

The NY elite media have been campaigning against Bush, war, tax cuts, they run our culture and elect our leaders.

And as I have posted for years, the elite NY media will not let Bush win.

This is a smear, and an orchestrated show trial.

[rebapiper]

I think Foxnews is picking up were CNN left off. Bill
Richardson has nothing better to do than to sit on Fox covering up for the Clinton and the Demorats.
Richardson was place in the Governor seat in New Mexico to
cover up the corruption that took place their. Richardson
is bing paid by the tax payers to pretend he is Governor
and dose nothing but sit on the TV lieing and spinning for
the Clintons and the domerats.
Where are the people of New Mexico and why are they paying
Richardson to do nothing. The people need to find the ballots and find out just how Richardson got into office.
Hillary torrist cells in Buffalo were exposed now they will
need another state to hide out. Richardson has gone from
job to job covering up for the Clintons and the corruption
of the demorats.

[KarlInOhio]

"Clarke's '02 interview was almost exactly the opposite of what he just said,"

Maybe he is trying to get a job on the Kerry campaign staff.

[cwb]

This very admission only points to the incompetency in the Clinton administration. If terrorism was a top priority...they obviously failed.

[cwb]

Actually, Clarke addressed this in the hearing and said he wouldn't even consider the offer. I was surprised he talked about it.

[F.J. Mitchell]

The motto of the Clintons, does seem to be: "You always hurt the ones who love you."

[happygrl]

I will not accept any position in the Kerry administration should there be one," he said, adding that he voted Republican in the 2000 election.

I haven't seen such a turning of an individual since Scott Ritter.

What does the DNC have on him ?

Does he have an FBI file ?

Something just does not compute.

[luvbach1]

Why is arch-partisan Demonrat lawyer Benvenista (sp?) a member of the commission?