Connect the Dots

White House releases bin Laden memo

Highlights of the report include:

• An intelligence report received in May 2001 indicating that al Qaeda was trying to send operatives to the United States through Canada to carry out an attack using explosives. That information had been passed on to intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
• An allegation that al Qaeda had been considering ways to hijack American planes to win the release of operatives who had been arrested in 1998 and 1999.
• An allegation that bin Laden was set on striking the United States as early as 1997 and through early 2001.
• Intelligence suggesting that suspected al Qaeda operatives were traveling to and from the United States, were U.S. citizens, and may have had a support network in the country.
• A report that at least 70 FBI investigations were under way in 2001 regarding possible al Qaeda cells/terrorist-related operations in the United States.

Everything except the date of 9/11 seems to be in those bullets. Why were the bullets not connected? As Al Hunt (CNN) says, 'this isn't vague and historical'.

The Newsweek poll asked

Has Condoleezza Rice's testimony before the commission made you more likely or less likely to think the Bush administration did all it could to prevent the September 11 attacks--or has her testimony not made much difference?  
    RESPONSES            

    More likely                           21%    
    Less likely                           15%    
    Not made much difference    46%    
    Don't know/No opinion         18%

What will the poll say after a few days of the media poring over this? And what else is out there? What does the 9/11 Commission have that we don't? Inquiring minds want to know.