Here ya go Hugh!
Posted on 03/26/2004 4:47:39 PM PST by Mr.Atos
Edited on 03/26/2004 4:50:00 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
ARMITAGE: However, there was a big debate in the administration about this because as I said in my opening remarks, I think Dr. Rice, if she was left to her own personal judgment, she'd be very pleased to be here.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Here ya go Hugh!
Atos
In preparation for appearing here as Dr. Rice's doppelganger, did it not occur to you to familiarize yourself with what it was she was saying or had said?
ARMITAGE: I'm not here as Dr. Rice's replacement. I'm here as someone who's been involved in counterterrorism for several administrations over a long period of time; that's why I'm here.
BEN-VENISTE: I thought you were here yesterday in that capacity.
ARMITAGE: I was here yesterday to support the secretary of state, sir.
ARMITAGE: Yes, I was. I was one of those to whom Director Tenet turned, along with other seniors in the administration, and made it very clear that we had a big problem coming. He didn't know where and he didn't know when, but he said it was coming.
BEN-VENISTE: And we have heard from Mr. Clarke, who continued on into the administration as the coordinator for counterterrorism, although in a somewhat reduced capacity from his status in the Clinton administration, that there certainly was no way they could rule out an attack upon the United States.
ARMITAGE: Right.
BEN-VENISTE: And do you agree with that?
ARMITAGE: Oh, yes, I do.
BEN-VENISTE: Now, Dr. Rice told us that Mr. Clark had briefed her that there were Al Qaida sleeper cells in the United States. Dr. Rice told us that she did not know what basis Mr. Clarke had for that. She told us that the FBI was trying to actively find Al Qaida personnel.
She did not, she told us, talk to Richard Clarke prior to 9/11 about the potential for Al Qaida sleeper cells. Were she here, I would ask her the question as to why she did not discuss the issue of Al Qaida sleeper cells in the United States with her counterterrorism coordinator.
Do you have any information you might be able to shed on that subject?
ARMITAGE: No, of course not.
BEN-VENISTE: Dr. Rice, following 9/11, made a statement that -- I want to make sure I get it right -- she said, "I don't think anybody could have predicted that those people could take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center. Take another one, and slam it into the Pentagon. That they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile."
Do you recall that she made that statement publicly?
ARMITAGE: No, I didn't see that.
And as we see it, it had three elements. The first stage was warning the Taliban in no uncertain terms. The second stage was pressuring the Taliban, diplomatic pressure, other pressures on the Taliban. And the third was trying to figure out a way to oust the Taliban, but not with our boots on the ground -- with somebody else's boots on the ground.
And then have some contingency planning, although, as Dick Clarke said, that was part of the usual process, to have contingency plans in the wings. You just said that you might have suggested, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, that the president could have, should have, advocated to Congress and to policymakers putting boots on the ground. I don't see any boots on the ground in NSPD-9.
GORELICK: Is that correct?
ARMITAGE: First, it's not necessarily correct that I would advocate putting boots on the ground.
GORELICK: I didn't mean to put words in your mouth.
ARMITAGE: No, but it's an important point. As far as this citizen is concerned the decision to commit men and women, who are also sons and daughters, to combat is an extraordinarily important one and not to be done to just feel good; to be done to absolutely accomplish a mission. Now, sometimes I'm accused of being a foot-dragger, not wanting to go along with the force. But I'm sorry, that's my view.
Having said that, the Taliban, for a lot of reasons we were handling them somewhat gently. Some of our citizens were still there. Some of our NGOs were the only thing keeping some segments of the Afghan population alive and feed programs and things of that nature. So you don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water, generally. And so the question of the Taliban is a tough one. There was no question about, I think, in anybody's mind about the desirability of putting soldiers on the ground if we could catch or capture or kill bin Laden. But as a discreet element.
GORELICK: I'm talking about an invasion of the sort that we did post-9/11. And there is nothing in the NSPD-9 that came out of September 4th that we could find that had an invasion plan, a military plan. And even that plan of Deputy National Security Adviser Hadley said was contemplated to take three years. ARMITAGE: Right.
GORELICK: So I would ask you whether it is true, as Dr. Rice said in The Washington Post "Our plan called for military options to attack Al Qaida and Taliban leadership, ground forces and other targets, taking the fight to the enemy, where he lived"? Was that part of the plan as prior to 9/11?
ARMITAGE: No, I think that was amended after the horror of 9/11.
Yeah, he certainly established HIS objectivity. I'm surprised it didn't render applause from the victim-a-tons in the cheap seats!
Atos
(Excerpted - Washington Post March 23, 2004, Condoleezza Rice: Bush acted fast to protect U.S. Condoleezza Rice.)
Condoleezza Rice: Bush acted fast to protect U.S.
Since the Leftist slime peddlers, like Begala are so eager to cull words and details in order to render lies on the part of the Bush Administration, may I point out to the vitriolic, mindless, twit, that Dr. Rice clearly stated, "...Through the spring and summer of 2001, the national security team developed a strategy to eliminate Al-Qaida...", which would include post 911 amendments to NSPD-9 in the days that followed the infamous terrorist attacks. Summer 2001, ended on September 20th of that year.
The military campaign against the Taliban began two weeks later.
Afghanistan wakes after night of intense bombings
(CNN) -- Daylight broke over Afghanistan Monday after hours of intense bombing by U.S. and British forces overnight, the first strikes in an international campaign to flush out suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and punish those who have protected him.
The attacks against the ruling Taliban came almost a month after the September 11 terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York and heavily damaged the Pentagon.
Bush announces opening of attacks
October 7, 2001 Posted: 4:43 PM EDT (2043 GMT) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said the United States opened a new front in the war against international terrorism Sunday with its attacks on Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist camps.
...The United States says it has ample evidence that al Qaeda, led by Saudi-born suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, is responsible for planning and executing the airborne attacks of September 11 on New York and Washington.
Bush said the action was taken after the Taliban refused to meet several non-negotiable American demands.
"More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: Close terrorist training camps. Hand over leaders of the al Qaeda network, and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens unjustly detained in your country," Bush said.
I cannot say that I am surprised by Begala's reprehensible comments regarding Dr. Rice. Afterall, he was a vitriolic and hateful propagandist for the Clinton administration when adopted as seemingly credible alternative commentator by CNN... and everyone knew it. The smudge left on the credibility of your organization only serves to remind those of us who abandoned the Democratic party why we did so... as if we needed the reminder. But, the culpabilty for the damage done to the institution of journalism by your continuing failure to apply the filter of good judgement to the notion of fair and balanced journalism is your's alone to bear. You have simply failed the American people... not that you care. That being said, I will further suggest that since the Leftist slime peddlers, like Begala are so eager to cull words and details in order to render lies on the part of the Bush Administration, may I point out to the vitriolic, mindless, twit, that Dr. Rice clearly stated, "...Through the spring and summer of 2001, the national security team developed a strategy to eliminate Al-Qaida...", which would include post 911 amendments to NSPD-9 in the days that followed the infamous terrorist attacks. Summer 2001, ended on September 20th of that year. The military campaign against the Taliban began two weeks later.
October 7, 2001 Posted: 4:43 PM EDT (2043 GMT) WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said the United States opened a new front in the war against international terrorism Sunday with its attacks on Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and al Qaeda terrorist camps.
...The United States says it has ample evidence that al Qaeda, led by Saudi-born suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, is responsible for planning and executing the airborne attacks of September 11 on New York and Washington.
Bush said the action was taken after the Taliban refused to meet several non-negotiable American demands.
"More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: Close terrorist training camps. Hand over leaders of the al Qaeda network, and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens unjustly detained in your country," Bush said.
Begala initiated a blatant act of slander on behalf of YOUR organization.
What are you going to do about it? I won't hold my breath... nor will I ever tune in to your programming again, until I sense some semblance of objectivity.
This is from their transcript......
CLARKE: I was asked to make that case to the press. I was a special assistant to the president, and I made the case I was asked to make.
THOMPSON: Are you saying to be you were asked to make an untrue case to the press and the public, and that you went ahead and did it?
THOMPSON: Well, OK, over the course of the summer, 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. Did they authorize the increase in funding five-fold?
CLARKE: Authorized but not appropriated.
This is from the WASHPOST.........
CLARKE: I was asked to make that case to the press. I was a special assistant to the president, and I made the case I was asked to make.
THOMPSON: Are you saying to be you were asked to make an untrue case to the press and the public, and that you went ahead and did it?
CLARKE: No, sir. Not untrue. Not an untrue case. I was asked to highlight the positive aspects of what the administration had done and to minimize the negative aspects of what the administration had done. And as a special assistant to the president, one is frequently asked to do that kind of thing. I've done it for several presidents.
THOMPSON: Well, OK, over the course of the summer, 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. Did they authorize the increase in funding five-fold?
CLARKE: Authorized but not appropriated.
Selective journalism?
Of course
OH LEHMAN up now.
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