Replies

Thanks. Letter with articles attached going through as I type. Text of letter:

9/11 Commission
VIA FACSIMILE only 202-296-5545
Re: Testimony of Richard Clarke
Dear Sir or Madam,

I believe that it is important for you to consider Mr. Clarke’s past record when determining how much weight to give his testimony.

Clarke was the “mastermind” behind the bombing of the Al Shifa aspirin factory in Sudan in 1998. On January 23, 1999, he told Vernon Loeb, Washington Post Staff Writer, that the U.S. government was "sure" that “Iraqi nerve gas experts actually produced a powdered VX-like substance at the plant that, when mixed with bleach and water, would have become fully active VX nerve gas.”

Loeb reported that Clarke said U.S. intelligence linked bin Laden to El Shifa's then-current and past operators, the Iraqi nerve gas experts and the National Islamic Front in Sudan. Thus, in 1999, Clarke believed that there was a connection between Iraq and bin Laden, and so did US intelligence he was citing.

I am sure I do not have to remind you that the Al Shifa bombing was, in retrospect, a complete disaster. No evidence of VX production was found, and the US became a laughing stock. President Bush is on record as vowing after 9/11, "When I take action, I'm not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt."

I suggest that this comment may have been taken as an insult by Mr. Clarke, who was the “brains” behind the Al Shifa bombing.

I am attaching the Washington Post article and a Village Voice article on the topic. I ask that you consider whether it is possible that Richard Clarke has an axe to grind when he condemns the Bush administration response to terrorism. It was probably not what he would have done if he had remained in charge.

Sincerely,

Great piphy letter...with a great point. It didn't even dawn on me that Clarke could have one more axe to grind because of Bush's slap-down on Al Shifa. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Good job.

Quick!

Somebody check out the articles available via THIS link:

http://vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=62&page=1

VMyths is a website dedicated to debunking bogus cyber threats and myths, and apparently Clarke had them working overtime with all sorts of inane nonesense.

Excellent letter, CB! We'll see what happens tomorrow...