"Out, out damn spot!"
Center for American Progress: We now know why the Bush administration has been hiding the Aug. 6, 2001, intelligence briefing for the president, called "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States."
All of the 9/11 Commission members – Republicans and
Democrats – have asked the Bush administration to
declassify this document. There are precedents for
releasing presidential daily briefings and the
American public deserves to know what President Bush
knew and when.
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http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=44925
August 6, 2001: Bush Administration Warned 'Bin Laden
Determined to Attack Inside the United States'
April 8, 2004
Two and a half years after 9/11, the American public
learned today that President Bush received explicit
warnings that Osama bin Laden was planning to attack
the United States – including activities "consistent
with preparations for hijacking." Yet, there was no
domestic follow-up by the Bush administration. No high
level meetings. No sense of urgency. No warnings to
FBI agents across the country.
We now know why the Bush administration has been
hiding the Aug. 6, 2001, intelligence briefing for the
president, called "Bin Laden Determined to Attack
Inside the United States." All of the 9/11 Commission
members – Republicans and Democrats – have asked the
Bush administration to declassify this document. There
are precedents for releasing presidential daily
briefings and the American public deserves to know
what President Bush knew and when.
We also learned that there appears to have been no
response to explicit and repeated warnings about al
Qaeda attacks. National Security Adviser Condoleezza
Rice's claim that the FBI sent warnings to field
offices was directly disputed by commissioners who
said they had conducted thousands of interviews and
reviewed thousands of documents. Their conclusion: no
one at the FBI can recall such orders.
Today's hearing also confirmed evidence that the
administration had done little or nothing to combat
the terrorist threat between Jan. 20, 2001, and Sept.
10, 2001. Rice repeatedly used the claim that the
administration was developing a "strategic approach"
as an excuse for not acting. There was no response to
the bombing of the USS Cole that claimed 17 American
lives and the administration tried to cut
counterterrorism funding.
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American Progress, a non-partisan research and
educational institute committed to progressive
principles for a strong, just and free America.