Clinton faces some tough 9-11 questions

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-25-2003
Clinton faces some tough 9-11 questions
95
Wed, 03-17-2004 - 4:26pm
Lisa Myers has an exclusive report on secret CIA footage of OBL, and another missed opportunity to involve the military in combatting terrrorism.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4540958/

Renee

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 1:54pm
The main condition is that the Sudanese Gov't wanted the US Gov't to acknowledge that the Sudanese Gov't was trying to cooperate with regards to international terrorists.

I cannot seem to find the link, but there was a good piece which detailed the exact hows and whys of this, but this was the basic jist of their reasoning.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 2:24pm

As for the root cause of terrorism, I'll save us both a lot of time and energy by just now saying that we're going to have to agree to disagree.

I'm not sure I actually stated what I thought the 'root cause of terrorism' was - in fact, I believe there are several causes, some we've contributed to ourselves and others that we must find positive ways to address.


Avatar for car_al
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 2:43pm
"CIA to investigate leak of tape to media" - I wonder who leaked "highly classified" material to the media for political purposes?

C

Drone may have spotted bin Laden in 2000

CIA to investigate leak of tape to media

From David Ensor

CNN


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials say CIA surveillance aircraft video that they think shows Osama bin Laden in 2000 was "highly classified," and that the CIA will investigate who leaked it to the media.

The CIA often investigates when unauthorized material is leaked to the media, U.S. officials said.

No decision has been made on whether the matter would be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice.

NBC News aired the footage Tuesday. CNN has broadcast it as well.

The video, taken from an unarmed and unmanned surveillance aircraft over Tarnak Farm in Afghanistan in the fall of 2000, shows a tall man dressed in a white robe.

A senior intelligence official said the tape is genuine and that analysts think the figure in white is bin Laden.

The sprawling agricultural complex was a meeting place for senior al Qaeda leaders, and a training camp for scores of al Qaeda operatives.

Pentagon and CIA officials have copies of the videotape.

The possibility that the figure in the tape might have been bin Laden helped speed the decision to arm the Predator drone aircraft with "Hellfire" missiles, which can be fired by remote control, officials said.

With the technology available in 2000, it would have taken three to seven hours to strike the Tarnak Farm site with cruise missiles or bombs, U.S officials said.

In 1998, President Clinton ordered cruise missile strikes on suspected terrorist training camps in eastern in Afghanistan where intelligence suggested bin Laden might be. In the time it took for the cruise missiles to reach their target, officials say bin Laden moved to another location. That attack killed at least 21 Pakistanis, but missed bin Laden.

In November 2002, the CIA used an armed Predator to execute a senior al Qaeda official who was riding in a car in Yemen.

Steve Coll, in his recently published book "Ghost Wars," says that the Clinton administration at one time planned to seize bin Laden at Tarnak Farm but never carried out the mission, in part over concerns about killing innocent women and children, as well as legal disagreements within the administration.



http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/03/17/predator.video/index.html

Avatar for goofyfoot
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 2:54pm
I still blame Clinton for 9/11. If he would have pursued those responsible for the first bombing of the WTC in '93, OBL would have been pegged after the next series of

terrorist bombings, ie, our embassy in Africa and the USS Cole.

Clinton was too busy while his zipper was down.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 2:59pm
Some people will blame Clinton if they have a bad hair day. Honestly, it is tiresome.
Avatar for goofyfoot
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 3:18pm
Yes, some people do. But not me. 9/11 is a REAL issue and I know people like you love to downplay such an important failure on the Clinton administration's part.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-25-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 3:22pm
Clinton needs to testify in front of the 9-11 commission to get the information in the historical record and infront of the public, but I don't blame him for what he didn't do.

In retrospect, the Clinton administration could have saved us from 9-11, but there was no public will to really do anything about Al-Queda, and Clinton was never a leader or a risk taker (as far as public policy goes anyway). What can I say? We got what we voted for.

Renee

Avatar for goofyfoot
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 3:34pm
I can proudly say I never voted for the guy. Anyone who lies about something as stupid as not inhaling has to be the biggest freakin' goof and could only be trouble. I was right.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 5:21pm
<>

This is particularly important in the fight against international terrorism. Sited is an article I found interesting because so many countries were involved.

"The US commission investigating the intelligence and other failures that allowed the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, to occur has revealed a Southeast Asian connection, in which vigilance by one country - Malaysia - was foiled by the mistakes of another - Thailand. More than two years after the attacks, intraregional cooperation is still lacking. - Todd W John"

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/FC19Ae01.html

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 5:28pm
<>

So typical, point the finger at Clinton and completely ignore the Bush administrations contribution.

Pages