(Clinton) Holdovers in addition to Clarke) Held Up Security Strategy ("MUST READ")

Insight Magazine ^ | March 29, 2004 | J. Michael Waller

[Elkiejg]

Making matters worse for the Pentagon leadership after 9/11 were the machinations of a network of senior Clinton political appointees who still held sensitive posts, including Peter F. Verga, Clinton's deputy undersecretary of defense for policy integration, which was a major intelligence post. Senior administration sources tell Insight that Verga made himself useful to the Rumsfeld team but beavered to curry favor at the top, in part by "sniping and playing bureaucratic games" to make life difficult for the incoming defense policy team. Even today the divisive Verga holds a senior homeland-security post at the Defense Department.

Sent this to Rummy and GW.........WILL THEY CLEAN HOUSE NOW???

[Eva]

I heard an explanation of Clarke's claim to be a Republican on Brit Hume's show. Clarke said that he voted in a primary election in Virginia most recently and since the only primary at that time was Republican, he was inferring that he was a Republican, but it was pointed out that many Democrats crossed over to vote in that primary and that it meant nothing.

[lainde]

bttt

[Dustbunny]

Simply amazing that to the democrats, everything is purely political. To them politics, lies and getting on TV are what it is all about. The safety of the citizens of this great country take second place to their political ambitions.

Life is mostly froth and bubble. Two things stand like stone. Kindness in another's troubles, Courage in your own.

[mathluv]

Clarke's not being allowed to testify was mentioned by Sean last night on H&C, and has been mentioned on Fox & Friends this morning. Is it on any other networks? (Sorry, I don't listen to them.)

[hoosiermama]

You might considered sending it to the "talking heads" too!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Bttt!

[Judith Anne]

I think now would be a good time to re-visit the memo that Sean Hannity has ( that was leaked to him), about the rats plans to use National Security committee to trash president Bush. As I recall, they came up with a plan (in the memo), that seems very similar to what is going on in the "hearings" today (i.e.find info that makes Bush look bad.)

Are you referring to the Rockefeller Senate Intelligence Committee memo? That was what I was thinking...they were planning to selectively declassify information that they could then use during the campaign against President Bush--IN WARTIME--to help defeat him.

Just for the record I don't think it will work, but I DO still think it's treason, as Zell Miller said, at the time.

[Enduring Freedom]

What kind of anti-terrorism czar would vote for Al Gore?

Only a traitor.

This scumbag was at the helm when terrorists attacked America without retaliation during the Clinton-Gore years, and he wanted to continue the legacy?

This guy is a paid enemy of America.

[mtbopfuyn]

In his numerous television and press interviews...

Danged fool, putting his book above the security of the nation. One nation, undivided is no more. The RATS have succeeded where AQ and Saddam have failed and that is to tear apart any unity we had after Clinton embarrassing administration. This is disgusting.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Great article... particularly this paragraph:

Cheney's comment [that Clarke was out of the loop concerning the development of the more comprehensive strategy] is consistent with previous news reports, which administration officials confirm, that the White House national-security process is unusually compartmented, so that even senior NSC officials would not necessarily know of secret strategic planning. Much of the reason, administration sources say, is because of the many Clinton holdovers in the top ranks of government who were from the start working to kill plans they didn't like by leaking them to left-wing media.

Let's face it: Bush and Condi were way too accommodating in allowing all the Clinton holdovers to stick around. Especially with the Demos (Kerry, Levin) slow-rolling the process of getting the Bush team on board. There was a legitimate fear that any strategy they developed that the Clintonoid appeasers would disagree with would be flushed through the liberal media spin-cycle (good reason to be concerned).

I'm now of the opinion that Condi should go before the Commission under oath and in public and TELL ALL. Just as the Demos dared Bush to "make his case" in 2002, they'll rue the day they asked Condi to appear in public. The sniveling Clarke will be cringing in the corner like the pip-squeak rat he is.

[mtbopfuyn]

Sent to Levin with the added note that the blood of 9/11 victims is on his hands.

There are many who played games to divide the nation who have blood on their hands. Their games killed not only 3000 but every one of our soldiers who have risked their lives these last 10 years.

[mtbopfuyn]

Clarke's not being allowed to testify was mentioned by Sean last night on H&C

That's good. Thanks to whomever posted it here yesterday because Sean was talking about only Rice testifying so I sent him the tread. I heard just a mention of it on F&F this AM. It needs to be brought out.

[hoosiermama]

No where have I seen it said that "Bush and CO did the responsible thing by keeping experienced/knowledgeable people in position of National Security until their people were confirmed and/or "trained".

It would have been totally irresponsible to send everyone home and leave the jobs vacant.....Unfortunately many of those who were kept choose to place political loyalty above national security...They should be exposed and their feet should be held to the fire. (among other things)

[MEG33]

They will testify behind closed doors,unsworn..

[shezza]

Ping!

[mewzilla]

Unsworn, and no official transcript, either. Go figure.

[MeekOneGOP]

Afloat on a Niagara of publicity, the book is No.1 on the Amazon.com sales list.

Oh, sure ! But how long can Michael Moore, Al Franken, Babs et al keep it up ??

[MEG33]

I'm hearing that the commission members say Rice must be sworn if she is to rebut Clarke's sworn testimony.Perhaps a transcript released,says the White House but the commission wants the sworn statement.

Banging of heads..The Clash of the Titans..The War of the Worlds!..Is Clarke's testimony really more about his perceptions and less about facts that require being rebutted under oath?

Is this more about keeping the news shows' numbers up than about how we can see the past errors and prevent those same errors in the future?

[MeekOneGOP]

He [Clarke] remained in that post until after the counterterrorism failures of 9/11 - failures he told the 9/11 commission were his own - and apparently was kept unaware of an aggressive strategy that the president's still-forming national-security team was developing to destroy al-Qaeda and kill Osama bin Laden and his followers. According to NSC Deputy National Security Adviser Steve Hadley, Bush had asked for a strategy to destroy al-Qaeda in the earliest days of his presidency. For whatever reason, Clarke gave no indication in his book or his recent public comments that he knew of such a plan, and indeed alleged the opposite. Vice President Richard Cheney told reporters that the failed Clarke "wasn't in the loop, frankly, on a lot of this stuff."

Cheney's comment is consistent with previous news reports, which administration officials confirm, that the White House national-security process is unusually compartmented, so that even senior NSC officials would not necessarily know of secret strategic planning. Much of the reason, administration sources say, is because of the many Clinton holdovers in the top ranks of government who were from the start working to kill plans they didn't like by leaking them to left-wing media.

Good enough reason to thin the herd, wouldn't one think ? Sheesh ! These folks are supposed to be on OUR side ? Trash 'em, the sooner the better ...