(NY Times) – On Aug. 6, 2001, President George W. Bush received a classified review of the threats posed by Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network, Al Qaeda. That morning’s “presidential daily brief” — the top-secret document prepared by America’s intelligence agencies — featured the now-infamous heading: “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.” A few weeks later, on 9/11, Al Qaeda accomplished that goal.
On April 10, 2004, the Bush White House declassified that daily brief — and only that daily brief — in response to pressure from the 9/11 Commission, which was investigating the events leading to the attack. Administration officials dismissed the document’s significance, saying that, despite the jaw-dropping headline, it was only an assessment of Al Qaeda’s history, not a warning of the impending attack.
The direct warnings to Mr. Bush about the possibility of a Qaeda attack began in the spring of 2001. By May 1, the Central Intelligence Agency told the White House of a report that “a group presently in the United States” was planning a terrorist operation. Weeks later, on June 22, the daily brief reported that Qaeda strikes could be “imminent,” although intelligence suggested the time frame was flexible. But some in the administration considered the warning to be just bluster.
Ali Soufan, author of ‘The Black Banners’ and former FBI Special Agent
(France24) – Did the CIA withhold critical information that could have prevented the 9/11 terror attacks? Former FBI special agent Ali Soufan, a lead interrogator in the post-9/11 interrogations of al Qaeda suspects, says the answer is an emphatic “Yes”. He speaks to Douglas Herbert about what he calls the CIA’s continuing efforts, 11 years later, to discredit his version of events.
excellent and every bit of it is the truth. thanks once again for saying it out loud. we (most Americans) want to shelter ourselves from the truth during such bitter and horrid days.
I am one who knows that we must own up to this fact and prosecute those who were most responsible for this disaster and really mean it, up and including our president and vice president and those that lied up into a unnecessary war. remember, rummy told those of our armed forces to stand down in tora bora…remember that one. they all are criminals of the 5th degree in my opinion.
Thanks, Oui. hugs
Hi Brenda! Always nice to find you at home (the pond). I see you and Janet are making yourself at home in the cafe/lounge. (((hugs)))
Explains why Tenet was running around with “his hair on fire” that summer. Begs the question of what did Ashcroft know in that same time period in which he stopped flying commercial airlines (iirc).
Still doesn’t explain why the CIA dropped the matter of the two AQ operatives they tracked from KL to the US.
Marie, you are so right on. there are so many things that were wrong with that time and that administration.
Further question: if Ashcroft was concerned that something was up, why was the info collected by FBI field agents stove-piped instead up fast-tracked up the line?
you are so right about that!!!!! all that you are saying is so right.
well, if my memory is correct, he also was trying to hold onto his credibility…;o)
when he got sick is when he got the– what if i had to meet my maker and all–…remember he was very religious.
i believe we will never know to what/the extent of how and to what ppl had to go to to make it plausable for story sake, given the order outright from bush/cheney.
the various groups that had to follow the story line the administration had given as the order of the day/event, was stidently adhered to or they would be let go like the man who, cant remember his name, who said from the begining before 911 that bush was determinated to go to iraq (cabinet member) before 911. they just needed another pearl harbor to get it done from the american ppl way of looking at things. they got it and they really did not care about ubl….not really…just all bolstering words from them all. they were going into iraq and that was it…but had to make it look good…it all was a show of sorts. think about it…looking back and how it all came together…they know it was gonna happen, just not when. it could have been stopped, they just did not was to stop it. i believe they could care less of deaths of innocent. see iraq war, etc
oh well, a lot of water has gone under the bridge since 911. most of it not good for sure. we all can come to the conclusion as to what we want to make of it but i for one believe that they knew it was going to happen just not when. this still does not excuse them not acting prudently….that what they were supposed to do. they didn’t. that is what it is about in my book…they didn’t! none of them…all for their own different reasons…they should be tried for treason…and also for bankrupting our country the way they did…it is written in the constitution as such….i wonder why now one is holding them responssible for that either.
It was GWB in 2000 that said if elected he would finish what his daddy started in Iraq. Don’t need any tinfoil for that one. Although have to admit that when I used the argument that if elected Bush would have us back in a war with Iraq as a reason to vote for Gore, most thought I’d been smoking something.
Of course “another Pearl Harbor” and going back into Iraq was in PNAC statements, letter, documents before the election in 2000.
Stipulating that the planes brought down the WTC buildings, the plot was simple enough that direct orders wouldn’t have been needed because so few would have known anything that seemed relevant.
Oh, and one more thing, isn’t it strange how many warnings they had about impending threats and they just ignored them all……ask richard clark. he can and will tell us. he and the head of the cia went to talk to condi with their hair on fire but she would not listen or care less.
remember that ubl was working with us during the reagan years in afghanstan. do we remember those things….most of the dumb and ignorant repugs. hate obama so bad that the will not acknowledge that his administration and the military and he got ubl. yet when cheney says things out of his evil mouth they bow down and kiss his horrid ass. how delusioned can a society be….just because of hate.
it is not our freedoms they hate, it is the way we do things is what makes other countries dislike us so much. just listen to the repugs talk nowadays. oboma apoligized to the world…how not true…they all have a guilty conscience for they know they are wrong
ok now i.. will shut up hugs
Wouldn’t mind if you continue. Even have some tin foil handy if needed.
I’ve always been incredulous that the 9/11 hijackers were such lucky SOBs that they just happened to choose one of Cheney’s war game days. May not have made a difference, but it surely increased the odds of the hijackers completing their missions.
It doesn’t add to me and it never well.
So many have died that day and since. Too many and not one damn answer to any of it.
When all or enough of the facts are in, it’s no longer a mystery.
A minor discussion at dKos over Mitt’s recollection of 9/11. May be more objectively factual than what he usually says, but for the first time was struck by how fast everyone remembers having learned of the first plane crash. In time to see the second one live on TV.
I was at work in a 50 person office in PA that morning. All offices and desks were equipped with phones and internet connected computers. It was a co-worker that arrived ten to fifteen minutes after nine who told me what he’d been hearing on his car radio. As there was nothing out of the ordinary in the office, thought it might be better to verify what R had told me before passing it along. So, it couldn’t have been before 9:20 that morning that most of my co-workers knew that something horrible had happened in NYC.
hi dj…good to see ya today. hugs add anything you like to my big mouth…;o) you probably have a lot better memory than i do especially for names.
Oops, sorry that was last year. President Obama must really be pissed off, doesn’t appreciate Bibi Netanyahu’s arrogance in openly advocating a Mitt Romney’s presidency. See cartoon in link and the many brutal comments in Israel!
Perhaps the following will clarify Bush’s “deafness” somewhat.
Early Doubts-The 11th Anniversary of 9/11 by Paul Craig Roberts (Former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury in the Reagan administration and Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal.)
Was Bush simply incompetent?
Stupid?
“Deaf” to the few honest intelligence people who were warning him of what was coming?
Or was he part of the plot?
Will we ever know the truth?
Maybe.
Miracles happen .
Imagine the shame.
Imagine the anger!!!
Let us pray.
AG