Aug. Memo Focused On Attacks in U.S. Lack of Fresh Information Frustrated Bush (2002/PDB)

Washington Post ^ | May 19, 2002 | Bob Woodward and Dan Eggen

[cyncooper]

The top-secret briefing memo presented to President Bush on Aug. 6 carried the headline, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.," and was primarily focused on recounting al Qaeda's past efforts to attack and infiltrate the United States, senior administration officials said.

The document, known as the President's Daily Briefing, underscored that Osama bin Laden and his followers hoped to "bring the fight to America," in part as retaliation for U.S. missile strikes on al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan in 1998, according to knowledgeable sources.

Bush had specifically asked for an intelligence analysis of possible al Qaeda attacks within the United States, because most of the information presented to him over the summer about al Qaeda focused on threats against U.S. targets overseas, sources said. But one source said the White House was disappointed because the analysis lacked focus and did not present fresh intelligence.

[cyncooper]

Thanks to freeper marginoferror for finding this and posting at #17 on this thread:

AP: Al-Qaida Threat Included in Bush Memo (Misleading Headline)

The PDB that Rice discussed yesterday was front page news in May 2002, including the "bombshell" headline.

Not even Fox caught this and it was up to a freeper who recalled hearing about this to simply Google up an article that is in the public record.

There is something terribly wrong with the state of journalism in this country. I've known it for years, but I still continue to be shocked.

[cyncooper]

I thought your Washington Post article find from 2002 deserved its own thread.

[GeronL]

Are you trying to embarrass Bob Woodward?? I hope so.

[cyncooper]

And they say Cheney's been in a cave?

First Clarke goes around taking a quote out of context from Woodward's book, and Bob says not a peep, and now this.

By all rights Woodward should have been all over the airwaves yesterday saying this is a matter that has been reviewed and discussed before.

!

[GeronL]

Not even Fox caught this and it was up to a freeper who recalled hearing about this to simply Google up an article that is in the public record.

I know. Reporters and editors are doing ZERO fact checking and ZERO research on their articles. Its driving me crazy. I wrote an e-mail to some of the top people at the DALLAS MORNING NEWS saying this same thing. Not a 'letter to the editor' either .That was yesterday.

It seems they want to run quotes of Democrats attacking conservatives/Bush and trying to get them to respond to the attack.

This is pure yellow journalism in my opinion.

I refused a "one time special offer" of a fri-sat-sun subscription for $1 a week, I would have said no to a free subscription.

[Mike Darancette]

I guess they don't get The Washington Post in the cave complex where Ben-Venesti dwells.

[kevao]

as retaliation for U.S. missile strikes on al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan in 1998, according to knowledgeable sources.

Like I've been saying all along -- it was Clinton's fault.

[hobson]

Should the thread title read (2001 PDB) instead of (2002 PDB)?

[cyncooper]

Chris Matthews must have cancelled his subscription, too.

[dalebert]

I had to threaten the D.Morning News with a lawsuit to stop them from dumping their leftwing trash in my yard.

[cyncooper]

Well, the article is from 2002 while the PDB is from 2001, and I was trying like crazy to keep the whole original title and cram in some reference that underscored the import. The title was so long I tried a few variations before posting.

Any suggestions to make it more plain are welcome. Ping your friends and spread the news.

When I think of the gasps of "surprise" from the reporters I could be sick.

[ntnychik]

Great catch, marginoferror! Thanks for getting the word out, cyncooper.

Hmmm, will this article be consistent with Bob Woodward's new book? Or is it in rewrite, even as we speak?

[skeeter]

Friggen leftwing biased media scum bump.

[rocklobster11]

This needs to be sent to Rush and Hannity, if they haven't discussed it yet. It shows that everything Ben Veniste said at the 9-11 hearing was old news, and that everyone in the media (especially Chris Matthews) either doesn't read or is intentionally misleading the public.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Thank you for this important information.

I would like to ask if anyone can help clarify something from the 9-11 Commission yesterday. Gorelick (sp)said that Minetta the TSA and FAA had not received any warnings of the summer threats.

Clarification please: I thought the TSA was created under the Dept. of Homeland Security which was formed after 9/11, therefore only the FAA would be notified. Was Gorelick deliberately trying to obfuscate this point?

I could be mistaken as to the formation of the TSA and I'm the one mistaken.

Thanks to anyone who has the info.

[WOSG]

Bush had specifically asked for an intelligence analysis of possible al Qaeda attacks within the United States, because most of the information presented to him over the summer about al Qaeda focused on threats against U.S. targets overseas, sources said. But one source said the White House was disappointed because the analysis lacked focus and did not present fresh intelligence.

here's the real headline they need to write:

Bush was asking the right questions, but wasnt getting the right answers

[Pikamax]

bttt.

[WOSG]

Yes, Ben Veniste was lying / spinning in his (mis)leading questions to Rice. Pre 9/11, Bush was looking out for the USA, asking about the dangers. What he got was a mishmash of old information that was not 'actionable'.

So, more to the point, who wrote this memo? Clarke? Rice?

If Clarke wrote it, his whole set of complaints is total CYA finger pointing because he had the chance to 'warn' the president but produced weak data.

This document proves Rice correct. The problem was structural, an inability to share intelligence data so the decision-makers could get the whole picture.

[onyx]

If we had an honest media in this country,
we'd have a "Right of Center" government.
Guaranteed.

[max_rpf]

EMAIL This to EVERYONE you know -- Tell them to look at the date. Tell them to pass it on, and don't forget the link.

GET THIS OUT -- I sent it to 10 or so people..

[CurlyDave]

This needs to be sent to Rush and Hannity

I just sent it to Drudge (links to both the Free Republic post and the Washington Post article) . A few more people sending the links couldn't hurt.

If we get the truth out there: that Bush was asking for info and getting only stale, rehashed stuff it would be very good for our side.

[cyncooper]

I've got a window open to foxnews.com right now and am going to send them the link to the Washington Post story.

[cyncooper]

I just sent this to several different Fox news emails including Fox News Sunday, Special Report, Hannity, Gibson, politics and news.

I'm boycotting MSNBC but I'll go ahead and email Hardball, too.

[PhilDragoo]

[rocklobster11]

I sent a note to Hairball with not much anticipation of Chris doing anything with it, and I also sent it to Scarborough with hopes that at least he might follow up on it

[CurlyDave]

Good job.

Keep it up guys, the more "mainstream" news outlets we send this to, the greater the chance that someone actually reports it.

[goodnesswins]

No....I think the TSA has been around for awhile.....check out their web page.....their TASKS may have been increased in the last couple of years, however.

http://www.tsa.gov/public/

[NormsRevenge]

BUMP.. Thanks

[eggman]

The TSA was formed November 19 2001 under the Department of Transportation so it did not exist at that time.

[Mo1]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm .. Didn't Ben Vesti claim the title of the memo was never release before Thursday's hearing with Condi?

[goodnesswins]

YEP...you ARE correct.....I should have read further on the TSA web page!!!

[Quicksilver]

FR archive:

Aug. Memo Focused On Attacks in U.S.

Washington Post | 05/18/2002 | Bob Woodward and Dan Eggen

Posted on 05/17/2002 11:42:29 PM EDT by Pokey78
Edited on 09/03/2002 7:50:30 AM EDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

[tiki]

I listened to the testimony while I was surfing and I caught it. Condi explained it right there and then against Ben VILEsta's wish, that the president had asked for it and that the title was misleading. They just ran it like they did for the shock value.

[YoSoy2]

I read today this PDB memo may soon be made public.

I think it should never be declassified as it may hurt the president.

[cyncooper]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm .. Didn't Ben Vesti claim the title of the memo was never release before Thursday's hearing with Condi?

I believe he did. My jaw dropped right to the floor when I read the headline right off the bat in this 2002 piece.

As YOU know (I saw your notes yesterday) the title of the PDB alone sent Chris Matthews over the brink. I will never watch him again. He repeated this title over and over and over and here it was---on the front page of the Washington Post almost two years ago. And he made the most outrageous conclusions---all based on NOTHING.

[Quicksilver]

Didn't Ben Vesti claim the title of the memo was never release before Thursday's hearing with Condi?

Excerpt from transcript:

RICE: I believe, Mr. Ben-Veniste, that you've had access to this PDB. But let me just...

BEN-VENISTE: But we have not had it declassified so that it can be shown publicly, as you know.

RICE: I believe you've had access to this PDB -- exceptional access. But let me address your question.

BEN-VENISTE: Nor could we, prior to today, reveal the title of that PDB.

[cyncooper]

Thank you. I did do a quick search and did not find tje original post. Excellent cross reference. I'm going to go read the comments made "back when".

[BlessedByLiberty]

Thank you, I also went to the website in the meantime. Now the question is why was Gorelick haranguing Dr. Rice about not notifying Democrat Manetta and the TSA in particular? That agency had not been formed at the time of the memo and he was not in charge.

Three items immediately spring to mind that cause me to wonder how this group examines evidence presented to it:
1)this Woodward article which we are commenting upon right now;
2)Bob Kerrey's radio interview earlier today where he tells the host that he had not heard the News Max Lmbacher tape with Clinton discussing OBL and asks the host to send him a copy of the tape;
3)this Gorelick charge that Dr. Rice did not warn the yet to be formed TSA about threats.

And these are the people who are supposed to come up with safeguards?

[goodnesswins]

Actually, I think Minetta WAS around....going to look.

[cyncooper]

Oh, yes. I was right there transcribing on the live thread and heard her. When BV smarmily asked for the title I noticed she didn't miss a beat and gave it. Then when he tried to shut her down from explaining content (since he had characterized it first), she prevailed (as she continued to do throughout each time a dem would try to confine her answer so they could misrepresent the truth).

[goodnesswins]

Norman Y. Mineta became the 14th U.S. Secretary of Transportation on January 25, 2001.

[cyncooper]

I think it should never be declassified as it may hurt the president.

Yes, I can tell you are overwrought with anxiety over how this may hurt the president.

ROFLMAO

[BlessedByLiberty]

Thanks...going to check back in the morning. Have already sent this thread to seven people, will continue then!

Bravo Freepers!

[cyncooper]

BEN-VENISTE: Nor could we, prior to today, reveal the title of that PDB.

It even sounds oily in a written transcript.

Thank you for posting this. I heard him say this yesterday.

So BV lied but the media all took the cue and oohed and aahed over this SECRET TITLE and didn't do any searching of their own to check his assertion.

[cyncooper]

Ping for the morning.

[Mo1]

And he made the most outrageous conclusions---all based on NOTHING.

Yes, but apparently they didn't want us the public to know that

I still think Ben Vesti did that all for a reason and give the likes of Chrissy Mathews something to harp on

These people are so eager to re-do another Watergate they are grasping for anything it seems

Freepers Rock in the research department ..

[Quicksilver]

You're welcome. :) Thank you for making a thread on this. We need to get this to Rush, Sean Hannity, et al.

[nutmeg]

bookmark bump

[Mo1]

Yep that's it

Thank you for posting his remarks

[cookcounty]

There are lots of facts forgotten by the "news" "reporters" in the PPS. On another thread, earlier,: This story is from Monday June 25, 2001, appeared in many newspapers across the nation:

"-----
The State Department issued a "worldwide caution"on Friday, saying U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at risk of a terrorist attack from extremist groups. It mentioned groups with links to Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda organization as a possible source of a threat.

U.S. military forces throughout the Persian Gulf were put on a heightened state of alert. A U.S. Marine Corps contingent in Jordan cut short its training session and returned to its ships, while the U.S. 5th Fleet sent its ships out of port in Bahrain.