NYT: Bush Critic at Center of 9/11 Debate Testifies at Hearing

[BeyondGeography]

By DAVID STOUT

Published: March 24, 2004

WASHINGTON, March 24 — Battling terrorism was an "extraordinarily high" priority when Bill Clinton was president, a former counterterrorism official testified today in an appearance that could be of paramount importance this presidential election year.

By contrast, President Bush considered antiterrorism efforts important but not really "urgent," said the former official, Richard A. Clarke, who served both men in the White House.

Mr. Clarke, who has leveled especially pointed criticism at the Bush White House in interviews and a new book, appeared this afternoon on the second day of televised, public hearings of the independent commission investigating the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"My impression was that fighting terrorism, in general, and fighting Al Qaeda in particular, were an extraordinarily high priority in the Clinton administration — certainly no higher priority," Mr. Clarke testified. "There were priorities probably of equal importance, such as the Middle East peace process, but I certainly don't know of one that was any higher."

But in the first eight months of the Bush administration, Mr. Clarke testified, terrorism was regarded as "an important issue, but not an urgent issue."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/politics/24CND-PANE.html?hp

[xray s]

1. Yeah...an "important issue"

But not as important as chopping wood and slopping pigs at the ranch for a whole month before 9/11.

[Beetwasher]

2. Hmmm, where's the quote about the invasion of Iraq Undermining the WOT?

Interesting that they choose to leave that out...

[blimbaugh]

3. Geo W

Did you know that the "W" stands for weasel????