Live Thread of The Path to 911 ABC Part II (7 or 7:20pm AZ, AK 8pm CA, OR, WA) West Coast Version

ABC News | 9/11/2006 | ABC Television

[Enterprise]

I agree Morgan. The replacement of all US Attorneys and the institution of the Wall were both steps to make SURE that Clinton and/or his associates were protected from prosecutions when domestic or overseas investigators uncovered evidence of criminal activities such as: involvement with drugs, weapons, or illegal campaign donations. Anything uncovered by overseas personnel had to first go through the DOJ before it could be prosecuted by the FBI. Anything uncovered domestically had to be run through an appointed hack US Attorney. Checkmate. If Clinton had been a law abiding citizen from the start, there would never have been a need to put up such a restrictive investigative barrier like the Wall, and the chances are excellent that many people would never have been killed on 9/11.

[B4Ranch]

>>I loved that part with the INS agent Perez. YES YES YES!!!!<<

In my lifetime experiences I have noticed that legal immigrants do seem to value America more than natural citizens do.

[Enterprise]

I too have had the occasion to talk with immigrants who became citizens. By far, they are deeply grateful that they became US citizens and that they now live and work HERE, and not where they came from.

[HardStarboard]

>>>THOSE FBI folks, in Minnesota I think, were on the ball, too, God Bless them!<<<

And the folks in Washington DC were typical "no decision is the safe decision" bureaucrats. Somehow, some way, we have to get rid of these impediments to decisive action. We are at war!

[hummingbird]

I had to record both nights so I haven't seen but glimpses of Parts 1 and 2. I saw 'Condoleeza Rice' (who played the scheming president's wife on '24') but haven't seen any spots with 'Colin Powell.'

Like I said, I've only seen bits and pieces. How was Powell's character handled?

[hummingbird]

Now Massood is on... he looks like Omar Sharif. Such a waste that he died...

Very handsome actor....hubba, hubba!

But, seriously, I remember when Massood was assassinated but did not realize how integral he was involved with the US.

Things might have worked out very differently if he had been armed and supported, as he begged for help...

[hummingbird]

Patricia Heaton kicked butt in that last scene....acting wise....

I did see that part...since she is so associated with comedy, I sneaked a peek!

Talk about playing against type....she was wicked good! Was Bodine truly that abrasive?

[B4Ranch]

I think INS agent Perez knew just what was worth fighting for and it sure wasn't his job that came first, no, in his mind America comes first.

[hummingbird]

It seemed pretty clear to me that those in power were well and truly hamstrung in the first months of the Administration because of the Clinton orders and rules set in place the previous eight years.

And don't forget all the legal wrangling with Algore that ate into the president's time. President Bush had too many Clinton holdovers...in this case, he would have been better served in culling the Clintonistas from the payroll and replacing them "toot sweet". Of course, that would have divided his attention as well...

I don't think the "new tone" approach worked at all with the piranhas circling the president. Maybe he was hoping to establish continuity but simply "misunderestimated" the type of people nipping at his heels.

God bless him each and everyday. Clinton had 8 years; President Bush had 8 months...all we have to do is the math....

[hummingbird]

Was just thinking as I was watching this last scene when all the future hijackers meet.....those actors come home one day and say...."Hey Mom...I got a part in a movie!" :o LOL!

Hope they don't get the Salman Rushdie treatment....

[hummingbird]

Probably some legal reason we couldn't obtain it and scan it.

Indeed...someone should have had an "oops" moment and downloaded or switched the hard drive. I'd be willing to do time for that (and hope for a pardon later). They knew what was on that computer was critical..."better to ask for forgiveness later than ask for permission now."

[hummingbird]

I was hoping maybe Beyonce would play the part of Condoleeza.

LOL!

[hummingbird]

My belief at the time the Wall was established was that it was done to protect Bill Clinton's criminal activities and illegal donations from foreign sources. It shielded HIM! Hell, we know he never cared a bit for ANYONE'S civil rights. Remember, the WALL protected CLINTON!

I agree, Enterprise. Especially when it came to Commerce Dept, trade missions, Loral and the Chinese connections.

[hummingbird]

The big story nobody discusses is that the Clinton Administration learned in 1995 that al Queda planned to fly commercial airliners into American buildings and never told this to the incoming Bush Administration. Please read these two articles:...

Thanks; looking forward to reading the articles. Didn't Patterson see a file on Clinton's desk that said "Project Bojinka" or "Bojinka" or something like that?

[hummingbird]

If someone interviewed the FBI guys a good writer could weave the stories together.

Clancy/Mark Levin/David Limbaugh/Ann Coulter/Jayna Davis...

[KC Burke]

Thanks for the kind comments.

In general, Richard Clarke and his backers claimed that Rice as a Sovietoligist came to the NSC role hampered by a cold-war world view with nation states as the real threat and that she and even Powell-Rumsfeld ignored the Terrorism or NGO threats.

To be fair to Condi and Clarke both, how else would a Counter-Terrorism specialist view an incomming NSC head with her background? Their accounts differ completely and facts seem to side with Condi, but politicians address (1)public concerns, (2)real-time concerns directed toward their duties of office, (3)future self-promoting and principle validating agendas and (4)image enhancement, all for the purposes of service and re-election or re-appointment. Clarke is no different than Rice and they both were hampered because the terrorism on the home-front was unborn -- Clarke was wanting to chase terrorism electrons and Rice saw the Nation States and the bigger threat and probable lifting vehicle for NGO terrorism.

Osoma proved us all wrong. First, he proved the public lack of concern wrong. Secondly, he attacked in a concrete manner (contrary to Clarke's foreboding) and without a sponsor nation (other than the Taliban providing caves.)

All studies of history at hand, from the Peloponnesian War to countless other examples, the historians illustrate how various forms of societies respond to war threats, war itself and the aftermath. While the current buzz word is that modern demoracies don't make war, history shows that democracies sometimes have the worst response to its threat and to its execution.

[Paulus Invictus]

Also, who was the narrow-faced guy supposed to be in a number of admin meetings, (both admins) who was consistently against any action being suggested? I never figured out who he was. I knew who the rest of them were as they were identified, but that guy was not. Anyone know who the guy was representing?

I liked the show very much and thought that Condi (Pres. Palmer's bad wife on 24), came off pretty badly in "her" scenes.

[CDHart]

"God in Heaven, how many more like these do we have in this Government!"

I'm afraid there are many still in gov. I worked federal civil service for a while some years ago, and everyone, I mean everyone, I worked with spent most of the day doing as little as possible and above all, covering their a&^%s. I hated it.

Carolyn

[Revenge of Sith]

I like the scene where Masood said in a critique of Clinton that Reagan "understood."

[Lexington Green]

Het Aloha Ronnie -- saw your picture at the Rick Rescorla website

http://www.rickrescorla.com/The%20Statue.htm