9/11 Commision: Bush Admin. Withheld Terrorism-related Clinton Papers

[MonstaThrilla]

WaPo Broke it Today

Commission Is Demanding Terrorism-Related Documents From Clinton Era

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 8, 2004; Page A04



The commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks announced yesterday that it has identified 69 documents from the Clinton era that the Bush White House withheld from investigators and which include references to al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and other issues relevant to the panel's work.

The White House turned over 12 of the documents to the commission yesterday, officials said. But 57 others, which were not specifically requested but "nonetheless are relevant to our work," remain in dispute, according to a commission statement. The panel has demanded the documents and any similar ones from the Bush administration.


Yesterday's announcement came just 14 hours before national security adviser Condoleezza Rice was scheduled to testify publicly in front of the 10-member bipartisan panel, formally known as the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The commission has feuded for months with the White House over access to documents and witnesses, and Rice's agreement to testify came after weeks of refusals from White House lawyers.


The discovery of the documents came as a result of a staff review this week of about 10,800 pages of material from the Clinton archives, including about 9,000 pages that the White House had not given to the commission despite the conclusion of federal archivists that they may be relevant. The administration had not notified the panel about the records, which Clinton attorney Bruce R. Lindsey discovered in February.

 

[Red Dawn]

Why can't the Dub's administration just be more forthcoming. It makes it look as if they are trying to hide something!

 

[DealMonkey]

I wouldn't expect any less than for the administration to redact or supress any documents that have the potential to undermine them while releasing documents that show them in a good light. Typical. The truth is less important than politics.

 

[conjur]

But...but....but....Bush was doing every thing he could to fight Al Qaeda! Rice said so today!

 

[DaveSimmons]

Shades of Hillary "losing" papers for Travelgate.

Sad that the "party of character" has produced an administration that has equalled or bettered the Clintons at lying and corruption.

Not to mention bettering every previous Democratic administration at fiscal irresponsibility.

 

[josphII]

you dems are really reaching with this whole 9/11 conspiracy theory

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: josphII
you dems are really reaching with this whole 9/11 conspiracy theory

When will you realize it's about more than just preventing 9/11? It's about the deceitful war on Iraq and the lack of focus on the war on terror.

 

[Gaard]

"full cooperation"

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: josphII
you dems are really reaching with this whole 9/11 conspiracy theory

When will you realize it's about more than just preventing 9/11? It's about the deceitful war on Iraq and the lack of focus on the war on terror.

The 9/11 commision is now investigating the Iraq war?

CkG

 

[TheBDB]

Originally posted by: Gaard
"full cooperation"

You know Bush had no fvcking idea what that phrase meant when he said it. Sorta like the phrase "dead or alive".....or "weapons of mass destruction program related activities".

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: josphII
you dems are really reaching with this whole 9/11 conspiracy theory

When will you realize it's about more than just preventing 9/11? It's about the deceitful war on Iraq and the lack of focus on the war on terror.

The 9/11 commision is now investigating the Iraq war?

CkG

Isn't it looking at whether the focus was on attacking Iraq before 9/11 and immediately after?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Gaard

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: josphII
you dems are really reaching with this whole 9/11 conspiracy theory

When will you realize it's about more than just preventing 9/11? It's about the deceitful war on Iraq and the lack of focus on the war on terror.

The 9/11 commision is now investigating the Iraq war?

CkG

Isn't it looking at whether the focus was on attacking Iraq before 9/11 and immediately after?

I thought the commision was looking into the threat of terrorism and how best to deal with that. Not some political agenda like it being "about the deceitful war on Iraq".

CkG

 

[DealMonkey]

Well, there's been plenty of testimony about how the administration had their eyes on (and thus their focus on) Iraq since taking office. Certainly, it's not too difficult to imagine it was a distraction from other threats. Whether you choose to believe or disbelieve that testimony is your own business.

Then of course, you have the post-Afghanistan focus away from al Qaeda and on Iraq. Plenty of news articles lately about that too. I'm not saying that the .mil can't walk and chew gum at the same time either, rather I'm saying I'd prefer to see them focus like a laser on al Qaeda in particular and not let up one bit. Imagine the effectiveness of U.S. intel/.mil efforts if they only had one mission.

Not sure what's "political" about that.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: josphII
you dems are really reaching with this whole 9/11 conspiracy theory

When will you realize it's about more than just preventing 9/11? It's about the deceitful war on Iraq and the lack of focus on the war on terror.

The 9/11 commision is now investigating the Iraq war?

CkG

I'm referring to the entire situation: Iraq and Al Qaeda.