The Dick Cheney Stay out of Jail by Sowing Fear Tour continues....and lowers the Limbo Bar again.
Richard Clarke was Clinton's 'Terror Czar.' He was kept on by Bush and from day one raised the alarm on the Intel that had been coming in and was escalating. Eventually culminating of course in the attacks on 9/11. He and many others warned Bush and Cheney as loudly and continuously as possible.
But now in his quest to confuse the gullible Press Corps and continue his PR Campaign of Fear and Terror, Cheney actually and incredibly BLAMES the guy who tried to warn him....for not warning him.
Clarke had just told the truth about 'attacked' Cheney and Bushco's Bedwetter Defense of their actions in response to 9/11. Actions such as torture and invading Iraq. The Trauma of 9/11 Is No Excuse By Richard A. Clarke.
Cheney, knowing that the best defense is torture and invasion to go on the offensive, managed to jump the shark and slither under the bar of truth at the same time.
Via Think Progress...
Cheney Blames Richard Clarke For 9/11: ‘He Missed It’
Speaking at the National Press Club today, Cheney struck back at Clarke. When asked about Clarke’s argument, Cheney — once again — invoked the "burning ashes" of 9/11 and the victims who leaped to their deaths from the World Trade Center. Then, quite succinctly, Cheney pinned the entire blame for 9/11 on Clarke:
CHENEY: You know, Dick Clarke. Dick Clarke, who was the head of the counterrorism program in the run-up to 9/11. He obviously missed it. The fact is that we did what we felt we had to do, and if I had to do it all over again, I would do exactly the same thing.
Think Progress goes on to print a partial list of Clarke's memos warning of imminent attack...
"Bin Ladin Public Profile May Presage Attack" (May 3)
"Terrorist Groups Said Co-operating on US Hostage Plot" (May 23)
"Bin Ladin’s Networks’ Plans Advancing" (May 26)
"Bin Ladin Attacks May Be Imminent" (June 23)
"Bin Ladin and Associates Making Near-Term Threats" (June 25)
"Bin Ladin Planning High-Profile Attacks" (June 30)
"Planning for Bin Ladin Attacks Continues, Despite Delays" (July 2)
Think Progress even links to an article from Time that details Clarke's...pre 9/11...plan to fight Al Qaeda. They Had A Plan
All of the warnings of course culminated in the most damning memo of all, the August Sixth presidential daily briefing that gave spectacular lie to the "No One Could Have Anticipated Defense..."
Bin Laden determined to strike in US.
War, torture, mass death of civilians, illegal invasion, trillions of dollars.....and the continuing, and now re-escalating violence in Iraq.
All based on lies.
One huge unending War Crime.
On the day that the Bush appointed General who was in command of Iraq called for a truth commission on War crimes.
War Crimes all based on the crippling fear and lies, the incompetence, and the ideological and religious delusions of Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.
Formal calls for accountability have now come from Generals, Constitutional lawyers, every Human Rights group on the planet, our major newspapers....and Congressional leaders such as Pat Leahy and Nancy Pelosi.
And still no action for accountability for these War crimes even on the horizon from either Obama and his DOJ or the Congressional Dems who were stupid enough and cowardly enough to enable and allow this massive War Crime.
The tortured are still tortured, and in some cases still imprisoned. The Iraqi and American dead are still dead. The War that started as a War Crime still rages.
And Dick Cheney and George Bush still walk free...and are still given forums to repeat their lies to the world.
Crossposted from Docudharma