"NOYB" wrote in message . com...
I saw the interview and wondered why the most important questions weren't
asked: "if you were the terrorist czar for the past 24 years, why did you
not see 9/11 coming? And where were you during the bombing of the marine
barracks in Beirut? During Somalia? The first attack on the WTC? The USS
Cole? The Khobar Towers? "

The guy remained silent when we were turning tail in Beirut and Somalia, and
he remained silent when the Clinton Administration was pursuing terrorists
through criminal prosecution...rather than holding accountable the countries
that sponsored them. His advice and/or policies likely played a large role
in the strength of the enemy today.

It's pure partisan politics. Clarke doesn't agree with going after the
countries that sponsor terrorists. Instead, he advocates the laughable idea
of punishing terrorists in our criminal courts.

You may think his book and interview will make a difference. I'm telling
you that 95% of Americans, if asked about him in a month, will say they
never even heard of the guy.

Here are some things Clarke has said, regarding specific people.

Former terrorism adviser describes top U.S. officials

The Associated Press
Sunday, March 21, 2004


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



(03-21) 23:31 PST (AP) --

Richard A. Clarke's commentary on top government leaders, from his new
book, "Against All Enemies."

* President Bush: Clarke blames Bush for doing a "terrible job"
fighting terrorism. Says "the critique of him as a dumb, lazy rich kid
was somewhat off the mark," but that Bush looks for "the simple
solution, the bumper-sticker description of the problem."

* President Clinton: Clarke says he was "beyond mad" over Clinton's
lack of discretion that led to his impeachment, but generally praises
Clinton as a charismatic, sharp thinker who couldn't get the CIA,
Pentagon and FBI to deal with terrorism issues. Says Clinton's
approval of missile attacks against Iraq over the assassination
attempt during Bush's father's presidency deterred Saddam Hussein from
future terrorism against America.

* Vice President Dick Cheney: Clarke describes Cheney as quiet and
calm but radically conservative. Says Cheney believes U.S. could
handle Iraq alone and "everyone else is just more trouble than they
are worth." Blames Cheney for failing to speak out about the threat of
al-Qaida during senior White House meetings.

* CIA Director George Tenet: Clarke says Tenet "was as much concerned
with the threat of al-Qaida as anyone in the government prior to
September 11" but was struggling with internal rebuilding at the CIA.
Tenet is quoted as saying in June 2001, "It's my sixth sense, but I
feel it coming. This is going to be the big one." Says Tenet and
Clarke jointly scrapped a doomed plan to capture bin Laden in 1996 at
the heavily guarded Tarnak farm in Afghanistan. Clarke complains
regularly about failures by CIA to insert spies effectively into
Afghanistan and Somalia.

* National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice: Clarke says Rice, who
effectively demoted Clarke after Bush's election, has "a closer
relationship with the second President Bush than any of her
predecessors had with the presidents they reported to." Says she
"looked skeptical" when Clarke briefed her early in 2001 about
al-Qaida threats.

* Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: Clarke accuses Rumsfeld of
plotting to bomb Iraq one day after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks,
despite any evidence of Iraqi involvement. Says Rumsfeld noted there
weren't any good bombing targets in Afghanistan but plenty of targets
in Iraq. "At first I thought Rumsfeld was joking. But he was serious
and the president did not reject out of hand the idea of attacking
Iraq," Clarke wrote.

* Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz: Clarke quotes him as saying
during an April 2001 meeting, "I just don't understand why we are
beginning by talking about this one man bin Laden," and telling
Clarke, "You give bin Laden too much credit."

* Secretary of State Colin Powell: Clarke praises Powell for urging
focus on al-Qaida, not Iraq, immediately after 2001 attacks. Credited
for recognizing al-Qaida threat early in 2001.

* Attorney General John Ashcroft: Clarke criticizes Ashcroft over his
response to the 2001 attacks, especially over handling of alleged
"dirty bomber" Jose Padilla as an enemy combatant. "The attorney
general, rather than bringing us together, managed to persuade much of
the country that the needed reforms of the Patriot Act were actually
the beginning of fascism." Clarke says an unidentified staffer asked
him after meeting with Ashcroft early in 2001, "He can't really be
that slow, can he?" Clarke's response: "He did lose a Senate
re-election to a dead man."

* FBI Director Robert Mueller: Clarke says Mueller, who was hired days
before the 2001 attacks, "cannot be blamed for the failure of the
bureau to find al-Qaida or even to have a computer network prior to
then." But he complains that the FBI, under Mueller, hasn't managed to
keep its top counterterrorism experts from retiring.

* Former FBI Director Louis Freeh: Clarke blames Freeh for failing to
coordinate largely independent FBI field offices or upgrade their
computer networks.