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

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

[Becki]

At that point the president's own defense and security team was still taking shape. His top NSC special assistant for intelligence programs, Mary K. Sturtevant, had been on the job only eight weeks before the 9/11 attacks. For months, Sen. Levin personally had held up the confirmation hearings of Bush's appointees who were to design the U.S. antiterrorism strategy - Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Programs J.D. Crouch and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Peter W. Rodman - refusing for apparently partisan purposes to allow them to take office until late July 2001. While Levin was holding up their appointments, the incoming Pentagon policy team had no legal or political authority to do their vital jobs - a fact that helps explain why it took eight months for the Bush administration to draw up a strategic operational plan to destroy al-Qaeda.

Levin is such a Piece of S###. He is disgusting, and I loathe the man.

Becki

[EternalVigilance]

I loathe the man

Me too.

Looking at him, and most every one of the other elected RAT leaders, I see the face of deception, lies and evil.

[hobson]

Here is testimony given to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence by George Tenet in February 2000. Both Carl Levin and John Kerry sit on this Committee and were warned about the growing thread of Bin Ladin. What did THEY do? nothing.

Since July 1998, working with foreign governments worldwide, we have helped to render more than two dozen terrorists to justice. More than half were associates of Usama Bin Ladin's Al-Qaida organization. These renditions have shattered terrorist cells and networks, thwarted terrorist plans, and in some cases even prevented attacks from occurring.

Although 1999 did not witness the dramatic terrorist attacks that punctuated 1998, our profile in the world and thus our attraction as a terrorist target will not diminish any time soon.

We are learning more about the perpetrators every day, Mr. Chairman, and I call tell you that they are a diverse lot motivated by many causes.

Usama Bin Ladin is still foremost among these terrorists, because of the immediacy and seriousness of the threat he poses. Everything we have learned recently confirms our conviction that he wants to strike further blows against America. Despite some well-publicized disruptions, we believe he could still strike without additional warning. Indeed, Usama Bin Ladin's organization and other terrorist groups are placing increased emphasis on developing surrogates to carry our attacks in an effort to avoid detection. For example, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) is linked closed by Bin Ladin's organization and has operatives located around the world--including in Europe, Yemen, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. And, there is now an intricate web of alliances among Sunni extremists worldwide, including North Africans, radical Palestinians, Pakistanis, and Central Asians.

Some of these terrorists are actively sponsored by national governments that harbor great antipathy toward the United States. Iran, for one, remains the most active state sponsor. Although we have seen some moderating trends in Iranian domestic policy and even some public criticism of the security apparatus, the fact remains that the use of terrorism as a political tool by official Iranian organs has not changed since President Khatami took office in August 1997.

Mr. Chairman, we remain concerned that terrorist groups worldwide continue to explore how rapidly evolving and spreading technologies might enhance the lethality of their operations. Although terrorists we've preempted still appear to be relying on conventional weapons, we know that a number of these groups are seeking chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agents. We are aware of several instances in which terrorists have contemplated using these materials.

Among them is Bin Ladin, who has shown a strong interest in chemical weapons. His operatives have trained to conduct attacks with toxic chemicals or biological toxins.

HAMAS is also pursuing a capability to conduct attacks with toxic chemicals.

Terrorists also are embracing the opportunities offered by recent leaps in information technology. To a greater and greater degree, terrorist groups, including Hizballah, HAMAS, the Abu Nidal organization, and Bin Ladin's al Qa'ida organization are using computerized files, e-mail, and encryption to support their operations.

Mr. Chairman, to sum up this part of my briefing, we have had our share of successes, but I must be frank in saying that this has only succeeded in buying time against an increasingly dangerous threat. The difficulty in destroying this threat lies in the fact that our efforts will not be enough to overcome the fundamental causes of the phenomenon--poverty, alienation, disaffection, and ethnic hatreds deeply rooted in history. In the meantime, constant vigilance and timely intelligence are our best weapons.

[Plutarch]

There was talk in the NSC of Clarke quitting just as his self-described "best friend," NSC Senior Director for Combating Terrorism Rand Beers, was readying to leave to become coordinator of national-security and homeland-security issues for Kerry's presidential campaign in early 2003. After leaving the NSC, Clarke and Beers became adjunct lecturers at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, coteaching a course called "Post-Cold War Security: Terrorism, Security and Failed States," according to a Harvard Website.

Gee, they seem like pretty good friends.

[VOA]

bump

[EternalVigilance]

Gee, they seem like pretty good friends.

Yeah. What a coincidence, eh?

*spit*

[EternalVigilance]

BUMP

[MamaLucci]

You think they are good buddies?

[fly_so_free]

I can't understand why they thought keeping Clinton's people on was a good idea. Especially since they knew about all the corruption. It doesn't make any sense, and now look what's happened. You guys turned out to be right.

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[Plutarch]

You think they are good buddies?

I wonder if, to cut expenses, they share an apartment up there in Boston, as it is a very expensive city (as evidenced by the value of Kerry's mortgage).

[Just mythoughts]

Yes it is obvious to all that many of Clintons people were held over.


This being the case, obviously they are not doing tooooo well in keeping the lying crooked liberals informed, Rockey's memo that was LEAKED provided such insight that they were not getting the "INTEL" and how they planned to use the Republicans to get the "INTEL".

Seems after Hillry's generals were used by the "media" to plant seeds of "Quagmire" and telling about General Franks being under investigation, things got stitched up in the leak department. Could be the moles were left in place for a reason.

[Becki]

Email I just sent to the good senator.

Dear Mr. Levin:

Would you be so kind as to explain this, Mr. "Senator"?

>>At that point the president's own defense and security team was still taking shape. His top NSC special assistant for intelligence programs, Mary K. Sturtevant, had been on the job only eight weeks before the 9/11 attacks. For months, Sen. Levin personally had held up the confirmation hearings of Bush's appointees who were to design the U.S. antiterrorism strategy - Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J. Feith, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Programs J.D. Crouch and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Peter W. Rodman - refusing for apparently partisan purposes to allow them to take office until late July 2001. While Levin was holding up their appointments, the incoming Pentagon policy team had no legal or political authority to do their vital jobs - a fact that helps explain why it took eight months for the Bush administration to draw up a strategic operational plan to destroy al-Qaeda. <<

I will be very interested in your response.

We'll see if I get an answer.

Becki

[EternalVigilance]

We'll see if I get an answer

An honest answer?

;-)

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Bigg Red]

For months, Sen. Levin personally had held up the confirmation hearings of Bush's appointees who were to design the U.S. antiterrorism strategy...refusing for apparently partisan purposes to allow them to take office until late July 2001. While Levin was holding up their appointments, the incoming Pentagon policy team had no legal or political authority to do their vital jobs - a fact that helps explain why it took eight months for the Bush administration to draw up a strategic operational plan to destroy al-Qaeda.

***

Typically for the Rats, it was and is all about their power and to h*ll with the country and national security.

I would not be surprised to learn that there were Clinton holdovers who withheld important security info from the President.

[justshutupandtakeit]

However, it has been a wise move that Tenet was not canned.
This has prevented a full blown RATmedia assault since Tenet cannot be attacked as a Bushbot having been appointed by Clinton. His testimony makes clear the different level of concern between the administrations.

[Political Junkie Too]

How many of Bush's lower-level appointees are still awaiting confirmation from Congress? Have they all finally been confirmed?

-PJ

[Political Junkie Too]

Appointees = nominees.

-PJ

[Pagey]

While Carl Levin (D.-Mich) was holding up their appointments, the incoming Pentagon policy team had no legal or political authority to do their vital jobs - a fact that helps explain why it took eight months for the Bush administration to draw up a strategic operational plan to destroy Al-Qaeda.

Ahhhhhhh, he got elected Senator in order to exercise POWER, did just that and hopefully it will bite him in the _ss, but I never hear his name on the news. I sure hope Mr. Levin sleeps well at night, seeing as his intentional partisanship should be partially viewed as resulting in the deaths of 3000 people. (SLAP!!!)