Lots of noise being made about this long awaited report released today by the CIA. It’s a 19 page summary from the Inspector General in which the many mistakes by the CIA are outlined. Mistakes which ultimately led to al-Qaeda being successful on 9/11. Much of the blame is heaped on the former CIA director George Tenet:
Former CIA Director George Tenet did not marshal his agency’s resources to respond to the recognized threat posed by al-Qaeda before the Sept. 11 attacks, the agency’s inspector general concluded in a long-classified report released today.
The report, which Congress ordered released under a law signed by President Bush this month, also faulted the intelligence community for failing to have "a documented, comprehensive approach" to battling al-Qaeda.
What kind of approach did the CIA take during that period? A Law Enforcement approach. Deal with the crimes as they occur, don’t battle al-Qaeda like it’s an enemy rather battle them like they are common criminals.
Providing a glimpse of a series of shortfalls laid out in the longer, still-classified report, the executive summary says:
- U.S. spy agencies, which were overseen by Tenet, lacked a comprehensive strategic plan to counter Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11. The inspector general concluded that Tenet “by virtue of his position, bears ultimate responsibility for the fact that no such strategic plan was ever created.”
- The CIA’s analysis of al-Qaida before Sept. 2001 was lacking. No comprehensive report focusing on bin Laden was written after 1993, and no comprehensive report laying out the threats of 2001 was assembled. “A number of important issues were covered insufficiently or not at all,” the report found.
- The CIA and the National Security Agency tussled over their responsibilities in dealing with al-Qaida well into 2001. Only Tenet’s personal involvement could have led to a timely resolution, the report concluded.
- The CIA station charged with monitoring bin Laden — code-named Alec Station — was overworked, lacked operational experience, expertise and training. The report recommended forming accountability boards for the CIA Counterterror Center chiefs from 1998 to 2001, including Black.
- Although 50 to 60 people read at least one CIA cable about two of the hijackers, the information wasn’t shared with the proper offices and agencies. “That so many individuals failed to act in this case reflects a systemic breakdown…. Basically, there was no coherent, functioning watch-listing program,” the report said. The report again called for further review of Black and his predecessor.
To further bolster my point the report lays out the fact that the CTC (Counter-Terrorism Center) was supposed to lead the fight against terrorism but instead focused on being reactionary. Like the police. Respond to crisis as they happen instead of coming up with a plan to combat terrorism long term. Now we understand why many of us have laid the blame on 9/11 at Clinton’s feet. In no way shape or form do I believe he wanted the attacks to occur but his lack of vision, his believe that we were not at war, his believe that this al-Qaeda problem should just be handled by the courts was a major factor in this. George Tenet was put in place by Clinton and understood what his boss wanted.
But I also fault Bush Sr and even Reagan. They did not see this problem for what it was either. Fanatical Islam TOLD us that we were at war in 1979 but we did not listen. The Beirut bombings didn’t change our leaderships mind.
But during Clinton’s watch we had bin Laden TELL us that we would be attacked, and then he followed through with it. WTC 1, Khobar, Africa Embassies, the Cole, none of it woke Clinton up. Instead he paid lip service to "attacking terrorism" by throwing a few missiles at a aspirin factory.
Bryan at Hot Air notes the Clinton Administrations testimony to the 9/11 Commission:
Albright told the 9/11 commission the Clinton administration did everything it could to defeat al-Qaeda and would have killed Osama bin Laden if officials had better intelligence.
“President Clinton and his team did everything we could, everything we could think of, based on the knowledge we had, to protect our people and disrupt and defeat al-Qaeda,” Albright said.
And George Tenet is part of "his team." If your gonna blame Tenet you damn well better lay some blame at the big kahuna’s feet.
Ed Morrissey makes a very valid point here regarding the fact that when Bush came into office he ordered a pullback of normal operations to assess how to fight terror more strategically:
Some may recall that George Bush and Condoleezza Rice have come under enormous criticism for pulling back operationally and quit engaging in "tit for tat" responses to AQ and Osama bin Laden. On page 202 of the 9/11 Commission report, it details that decision to forego limited operations and put more effort into an overall strategy — "Hadley said that in the end, the administration’s real response to the Cole would be a new, more aggressive strategy against al Qaeda."
Something Tenet and Clinton should of done years earlier. And something for which this IG reports criticizes Tenet for, but not Clinton. Shocking huh?
Tenet’s answer? "They didn’t give me enough resources." But this report lays out the fact that Tenet funneled money AWAY from counter-terrorism units and into unrelated projects. Then there his his silly assertions lately that he "tried" to sound the alarm but no one would listen. How in the world could you sound the alarm if no report on AQ had been done since 1993?
This is further indictment against the Clinton Administrations failure to fight this war as it should of been….a war.
SCOTT ADDS:
I am NO FAN AT ALL of George Tenet’s, but…I kinda got to admit that he’s got a point. Sure, his little response was classic Tenet: vehemently admit shortcomings to appear sorrowful, then point distracting fingers at someone else. It’s a classic bureaucrat tactic. Of course, the best bureaucrats move up from big business to the Federal govt, and there’s a constant struggle in DC to see who has the best cover-thy-ass ability.
So, it’s with a grimace on my face that I have to admit, the former DCI has a point. He’s partially right.
"As I said to the 9/11 Commission: ‘No matter how hard we worked — or how desperately we tried — it was not enough. The victims and the families of 9/11 deserved better.’
But just as we owed it to the country to do better — the CIA IG owed it to the nation and the men and women of the intelligence community to do a better job in reviewing the circumstances that led to the tragedy of September 11th"
So, what’s one to do? I mean, EVERYONE in the nation looked to the CIA as having screwed the pooch on 911. I mean, international terrorists are not supposed to be the responsibility of the New York City Port Authority or Fire Department. It’s supposed to be the CIA’s responsibility to keep them from our country, and the FBI’s if they get past border security. Yeah, we could point fingers at the FBI director, but he was only on the job for like 48hrs before the attacks. SO, the ball goes back to CIA, and since CIA had the same director it’d had for years, Tenet, and since he himself had been ranting away about the Al Queda threat for years…then the ball goes back to him and the CIA. Whatdaya do? Well, in most countries they’d have taken him out back and shot him. Here in the US, we fire him, then pin a medal on him so he’ll keep his mouth shut.
Been there.
Done that.
Fired him.
Gave his medal.
Now what?
Well, thankfully we had that House/Senate inquiry into 911, but everyone ignored it. Ok, but then we had 21 different agencies investigate their performance and involvement, but everyone ignored those. Ahhh, but we had the 911 Commission. They came down on everyone-most of all Congress.
So, who gets held to account? Richard Clarke who apologized, and bailed? Nope. George Tenet who got fired, given a medal then did the obligatory quasi-tell all book? Nope. How about Bush or Clinton? Nope-Clinton’s too much of a God to the left, and Bush was only on the job for 8 months. Besides, what else was W to do-when he asked the CIA, FBI, etc if they had a handle on the threat, they assured him they did.
Since the 911 Commission pegs Congressional shortcomings in leadership, funding, oversight,etc., do we hold them to account? Nah. Dems point fingers at Republicans and vice versa. There’s more than enough for all members of the past EIGHT CONGRESSES, but no one takes one iota. After all, every member of the House has to dance for it’s always a campaign year, and every senator sees a President in the mirror.
Tenet is right.
The 911 Commission is right.
The people who blew it are the members of Congress who (sit down and hear drum roll as you prep for the shock) cut the funds for the pre-911 war on Al Queda, and ran from the fight by adding layer upon layer of conditions for taking action rather than (as Speaker Pelosi would later say) not hold anything back. They held back, intelligence community (all 16 agencies) decayed, and we were left virtually unprotected.
Before 911, there were between 4 and 40 members of the CIA watching UBL and all of Al Queda’s thousands of operatives. Is that Tenet’s fault? Sure, to the degree that he should have tasked every available resource he had, yep. Oh….he did. Ok, well then who should have given him (the CIA) more resources? CONGRESS. Did Congress? Did Sen Kerry, Sen Edwards, Sen Biden, Sen Dodd…wait a sec…I’m seeing a pattern.
People who saw the intel on Al Queda, heard Tenet and others beg for more money, more leaders, more assets, and gave them satellites instead…those same people never got held to account, and instead they’re among the loudest voices demanding accountability.
And when we look at intelligence failures re Iraq (failure to secure WMD stockpiles, failure to form any conclusions re Saddam/AQ relationship, and more…these same people saw intelligence on Saddam for years. They’d heard testimony re Al Queda for years, and rather than do what the 911 Commission said they should have done, rather then being held to account, they’ve done the same as Tenet:
They loudly declare they bear "some" responsibility, then point fingers at others as bearing more.
Now, I don’t expect a Senator/wannabePresident to hold a press conference and say, "MAN, did I ever drop the ball. I should’ve done this or that." No. I do (perhaps foolishly) expect the American people to ask, "What did your Congressman and Senators know, when did they know it, and did they do anything?" Three simple questions obfuscated by the DC bureaucratic culture of distraction, the professionalism of career politicians who are all lawyers first….and lawmakers last.
Tenet’s right. Blame him, blame everyone, but don’t stop. We shouldn’t stop and ignore or excuse or nuisance the failures of the members of Congress who saw the intel, heard the needs, and did nothing, did the wrong things, and/or at least didn’t do their jobs. If a person take an oath to defend the Constitution, and then they’re told there’s a threat to the US, but they fubar it, then they’ve violated their oaths.
It’s time to hold Congressional liars to account.
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