[N8 v2.0]

Clarke Praises Bush in Resignation Letter
Associated Press | Tue Mar 23, 5:35 PM ET | JENNIFER LOVEN

WASHINGTON - The White House, seeking to cool criticism from a former top anti-terror adviser, said Tuesday that Richard Clarke's resignation letter praised President Bush's "courage, determination, calm and leadership" on Sept. 11, 2001.

"It has been an enormous privilege to serve you these last 24 months," said the Jan. 20, 2003, letter from Clarke to Bush. "I will always remember the courage, determination, calm, and leadership you demonstrated on September 11th."

The letter was stamped "the president has seen" the next day.

Clarke, who left the Bush administration in March 2003 after 30 years in government service and 11 years at the White House, has written a book in which he criticizes the president and his administration for ignoring repeated warnings about al-Qaida before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and acting ineffectively afterward, primarily because of a preoccupation with Iraq.

On Monday, the day Clarke's "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror" hit stores and the day after he promoted it in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," the White House went to great lengths to dismiss Clarke's accusations. Administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, appeared on television and radio to argue that Clarke was inaccurate, politically motivated, disgruntled over bureaucratic changes that reduced his influence, merely trying to sell books — or all four at once.

That White House campaign continued Tuesday with the release of Clarke's letter announcing his intention to step down.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan suggested Clarke's praise belies his later criticism of Bush's handling of the crisis.

"At this time period, when he was leaving, there was no mention of the grave concerns he claims to have had about the direction of the war on terrorism, or what we were doing to confront the threat posed by Iraq, by the former regime," McClellan said.

But the letter contains no praise of Bush's anti-terror actions before or after the attacks — only on the day of. Clarke does commend Bush for his "intuitive understanding" of the importance of cybersecurity.

Clarke's job as the White House's counterterrorism chief was split in two early in the Bush White House, with Clarke put in charge of cybersecurity and others brought in for the anti-terror role.

"You had prescience in creating the position of Special Adviser to the President for Cyberspace Security and I urge you to maintain that role in the White House," Clarke wrote.

Also, even though the White House argued that Clarke's memoir was released to do the maximum political damage to Bush in a presidential election year, McClellan would not say when the required national security review of the book was completed, allowing its publication to proceed. Publications by administration officials are routinely vetted to make sure that nothing is released that compromises classified information or national security.

 

[fasterTHANyou]

i agree... ii'm tired of these people that abandon the office, then rant about all the suff they didn't like... why don't they try to fix it when they're in office!? but he does testify before the senate committee today...

 

[Tenchiro]

A letter like tat certainly puts him under the microscope when he saus things like this.

Ex-Adviser: Terrorism Not Urgent for Bush
2 hours, 22 minutes ago

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Bush White House scaled back the struggle against al-Qaida after taking office in 2001 and spurned suggestions that it retaliate for the bombing of a U.S. warship because "it happened on the Clinton administration's watch," a former top terrorism adviser testified Wednesday.

The Clinton administration had "no higher priority" than combatting terrorists while the Bush administration made it "an important issue but not an urgent issue" in the months before Sept. 11, 2001, said Richard Clarke, who advised both presidents. He testified before the commission investigating the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history.

Clicky...

 

[$tinkle]

Originally posted by Tenchiro
A letter like tat certainly puts him under the microscope when he saus things like this.

Ex-Adviser: Terrorism Not Urgent for Bush
2 hours, 22 minutes ago

By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Bush White House scaled back the struggle against al-Qaida after taking office in 2001 and spurned suggestions that it retaliate for the bombing of a U.S. warship because "it happened on the Clinton administration's watch," a former top terrorism adviser testified Wednesday.

all i know is, someone's got some 'splaining to do.

alternatively, clarke's name can be smeared by exposing convenient alliances, contradictory statements, etc. Clarke will be the next vince foster if he's too forthcoming.

both sides have a black eye here.

 

[Skookum]

Originally posted by $tinkle
both sides have a black eye here.

you are correct sir. whatever side of the fence, the people need to hold chosen representatives accountable. if you want to trickle blame, aren't then the people responsible for not holding these politicians to their word? Why didn't the Republicans get someone real like McCain to be president, why now are the Democrats throwing Kerry out there instead of Kucinech.

it's really sad we're being forcefed these jokers, i'd love to have someone who's not a cooporate puppet in the white house.

at least then us as a nation wouldn't have to go thru adversity as a result of decisions based on greed instead of virtue.


$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Toshi]

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206825