The person who could have prevented 9-11 as VP? Incredible

[Laura PourMeADrink]

Although I think this is just for "show" everyone's abuzz about Condi being VP

Incredible to me. The one person, who had heard there was going to be a hijacking....she thought
it was just a "regular" hijacking. She didn't know they would be flying into buildings.

OK Condi, no flying into buildings. BUT you did NOTHING to prevent a "regular highjacking"

If those guys has never gotten on the planes...If the flight crews were seriously warned....If the cockpits were locked. The things you do when there might be a "regular" hijacking...

There would have been no 9-11, no fake Iraq war, no Afghanistan war.

If she's on the ticket it will make me work a million times harder for Obama.

[pipoman]

1. In fairness

the likelihood of being able to tighten airline security sufficiently to keep this from happening prior to sept 2001 would have never worked...people were/are way too concerned about time and inconvenience and government wouldn't have budgeted the security increase. What should/could she have done?

Understand I'm no condi fan, just trying to stay honest about my criticism..

[Wounded Bear]

5. Well, I don't know....

Maybe by doing her fucking job as National Security Advisor and holding a few meetings with the heads of the intelligence community.

She already got her reward for looking the other way on 9/11. Promoting her to SoS was an abomination.

[JHB]

9. It wasn't about airline security at her level...

One of here excuses was that there was no conduit for the parties with information to talk to each other. She said this when she was National Security Advisor, precisely the office to help enable that sharing when needed (and leaving it unshared in other circumstances - checks & balances on power and all that).

Here's an old thread on just this subject:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1371253#1371299

[Rob H.]

13. She famously said

"I don't think anybody could have predicted that ... they would try to use an airplane as a missile, a hijacked airplane as a missile."

Except that someone did say that a full two years before the attacks. The fact that she was National Security Advisor and still somehow managed to miss that should disqualify her all by itself. The incoming Bush administration was warned specifically about al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden by the outgoing Clinton administration, but because of their hatred of all things Clinton they were hell-bent on doing things their own way and ignoring what they were told, and look what that cost us.

Excerpts of the first article linked above:

Report Warned Of Suicide Hijackings
By Pete Brush
February 11, 2009

Two years before the Sept. 11 attacks, an analysis prepared for U.S. intelligence warned that Osama bin Laden's terrorists could hijack an airliner and fly it into government buildings like the Pentagon.

"Suicide bomber(s) belonging to al Qaeda's Martyrdom Battalion could crash-land an aircraft packed with high explosives (C-4 and semtex) into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or the White House," the September 1999 report said.

*snip*

Former CIA Deputy Director John Gannon, who was chairman of the National Intelligence Council when the report was written, said officials long have known a suicide hijacking was a threat.

*snip*

"This information was out there, certainly to those who study the in-depth subject of terrorism and al-Qaeda," said Robert L. Worden, the (Federal Research Division's) chief.

"We knew it was an insightful report," he said. "Then after Sept. 11 we said, 'My gosh, that was in there.'"

So in addition to being incompetent, Condi Rice is also a goddamned liar. IMO, she should be in jail for war crimes, along with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Yoo, and a bunch of other Bushies, not being floated as a candidate for VP.

[pipoman]

16. I don't completely disagree..

with much here...maybe the jail the bushies meme, which at one time may have had merit, but since O continues killing masses of innocent people, that train has long left the station..IMO

There seems plenty of blame to go around..it's fun to place all blame on the opposition...just can't look too closely or tough questions like what the Clinton administration did about these same known threats arise...alas, nothing either..no, blame is something most Dems and thugs will forever avoid..it ain't good for any of the Washington careerists.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. I disagree. I remember hearing pilots complaining.. saying if they had at least had a high

level hijack warning - they could have taken some precautions of some sort. Maybe a gun or something or lock the cockpit.

If they hadn't gotten in the cockpit...it would have been bad, but no where near as bad as it turned out.

that is what I am talking about...her incompetence to not even show she tried to issue a warning. and it's bullshit about not having access. all she had to do was pick up the phone and call the heads of AA, United, Delta, Continental and Southwest....THAT IS ALL SHE HAD TO DO

[pipoman]

18. Except prior to 9/11

cockpit doors were often curtains, and what doors there were were constructed of kleenex box material...it cost billions to retro fit all of the planes with secure doors. The FAA has had laws in place about guns in commercial aircraft for decades...no, until it happened, everyone, condor included, had no motivation to do anything...had she called the airlines not one thing would have happened, nothing would be allowed to interrupt the flight schedules or, more importantly, the shareholder's bottom line..

[HereSince1628]

2. I think Condi is capable of being in charge of the bucket of spit

tbat is the primary responsibility of the US vice presidency.

But, I am sure that the Neocons would love it.

[Nye Bevan]

3. The guy who could have prevented 9/11 was elected *President* in 2004 (nt)

[Johonny]

4. can't wait for Hillary to start talking about Condi and the state department

The department was a wreck by the end of her time there, I imagine Hillary will be happy to talk about it if Condi wants to talk up her incredible experience.

[randome]

6. Yeah, not going to happen.

The 'buzz' is pundits hoping for an interesting race. As it looks now, Romney is about the dullest candidate available who will likely drop out before the convention. Not much hope for ratings there.

[maddezmom]

7. Condoleezza Rice asserts 'Bin Laden Determined To Attack' wasn't a warning

[lpbk2713]

8. Get her in a debate and ask her about yellow cake.

She's done for from that point on.

[KansDem]

10. Especially when Bush stayed on a US aircraft carrier during the G8 summit..

...in Genoa in 2001

The head of Russia's Federal Bodyguard Service has warned of a plot by terrorist Osama bin Laden to assassinate George W. Bush at the summit and the U.S. President may be staying at U.S. Camp Darby military base in Livorno or offshore on the American aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise to avoid any terrorist risk.
http://articles.cnn.com/2001-07-17/world/genoa.security_1_summit-security-forces-bomb-attack?_s=PM:WORLD

Just two months before 9/11.

What were they worried about?

[LiberalFighter]

11. I don't like Colin Powell but...

I'm wondering if Colin would sit still with her as VP or possibly actively campaign against her by support Obama?

I don't remember but is there any negatives between the two?

[Ishoutandscream2]

12. I don't know.

I personally think we need a VP with extensive knowledge of American/Soviet relations.

[spanone]

14. she's awful, but she's PRO CHOICE.... never gonna happen

[joeybee12]

17. Condo-liar phucked up big time and got a promotion...

And DiFi was her biggest supporter.