At this point we know that George W. Bush had prior warning of pending al Qaeda attack from the
August 6 2001 PDBNevertheless, F.B.I. information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.
The F.B.I. is conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the U.S. that it considers bin Laden-related. C.I.A. and the F.B.I. are investigating a call to our embassy in the U.A.E. in May saying that a group of bin Laden supporters was in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives.
It is reasonable to ask what did the administration do with this information? Unfortunately, if Condi Rice is any guide..."In the memorandum that Dick Clarke sent me on January 25th, he mentions sleeper cells. There is no mention or recommendation of anything that needs to be done about them" ... its clear they were clueless. It is unfathomable to me that Condi Rice could be told there were sleeper cells in the US and then go on to indicate because she was not told what to do, she did nothing. Condi, if you hair is on fire do I have to tell you to put it out? In a similar vein, the Bushies now tell us because the threat information was not not specific the PDB was insufficient for them to take action. Bush, himself, is quoted by Bob Woodward as saying "I didn't feel that sense of urgency, and my blood was not nearly as boiling."
Feel safer knowing Bush is at the helm? Here is former Senator Bob Kerrey
Two things about that failure are clear to me at this point in our investigation. The first is that 9/11 could have been prevented, and the second is that our current strategy against terrorism is deeply flawed. In particular, our military and political tactics in Iraq are creating the conditions for civil war there and giving Al Qaeda a powerful rationale to recruit young people to declare jihad on the United States.
Molly Bloom