Release The Secret White House Tapes To The 911 Commission!

[Solidarity]

Tenet Lets It Slip: There Are Tapes
Well, after seeing what Tony caught just now from Hesiod over at Counterspin Central, it appears today that we had our first Watergate moment. While Tenet was making it clear to Commissioner Tim Roemer that it is the National Security Council that has responsibility for taking all available intelligence and fashioning each administration's counter-terror policies, Tenet let it come out that there are transcripts and tapes of what is discussed in these meetings.

Now it goes without saying that an administration which has stonewalled the release of Cheney's energy task force meeting notes and other material will not release tapes of meetings far more important that that.

But that doesn't mean the 9/11 victims' families and members of Congress shouldn't be demanding them anyway. If the Bush Administration is so certain that they did everything possible with the intelligence they had, and that they acted on what Clarke and Tenet gave them, there should be no problem with releasing this information, right

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/

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TAPE DISPENSER: I think I may have found a means to determine who is telling the truth about the Bush administration's plans to fight Al Qaeda (or lack thereof), and who isn't.

It stems from an interesting exchange CIA Director, George Tenet had with 9/11 Commissioner Tim Roemer.

"ROEMER: You were running around saying something spectacular is going to happen. You were worried about this. You were on record from 1998 on saying you're at war with Al Qaida.

But why wasn't the United States government more concerned about those attacks on the United States?

TENET: Congressman Roemer, I'd ask you this afternoon when you get Mr. Clarke here, who was the chairman of the CSG, to go through the process of what they were looking at, actions they were tasking, how they thought about this problem. I wasn't sitting in that room.

I'd ask you to think about asking him how we dealt with this in this time period and find out what that response is.

ROEMER: So you're saying that it is the responsibility of the National Security Council...

TENET: Well, the CSG...

ROEMER: ... to develop the policy to go after the terrorists...

TENET: Sir, the CSG is a mechanism where all of these issues come into play every time it meets. What is the threat? What actions do we take?

It's a focal point for the way this government has organized itself around terrorism for years.

ROEMER: So you're saying it's them, not the CIA, that should have been attentive to this?

TENET: Well, the CIA is in the CSG meeting as well. I mean, everybody's at the table. The FBI is there, the NCS is there, CIA is there, domestic agencies are there.

Throughout this time period -- I don't have access to the minutes and recordings of what happened -- what actions were they tasking, how were they thinking about this?

ROEMER: They're going through a bottom-up review...

KEAN: Congressman, we've got to move on. We have run out of time. We've got one more commissioner.

ROEMER: OK. "

http://counterspin.blogspot.com/


This should be a major demand raised again and again by the progressive news media and on discussion boards such as DU.

Don't let it die! Release the tapes and transcripts! Let's keep hammering away on the issue. Bet there are some smoking guns in those tapes and transcripts.

[mouse7]

1. We want the tapes! We want the tapes!

We need that right-wing court guy (Judicial Watch?) to sue Dumbya for these tapes. That would make some excellent political theater.

[Bandit]

2. Recordings does not necessarily mean tapes.

People record the data in more ways than by audio tape. They record via notes and minutes. The minutes of a meeting are considered a recording. Recording just means record keeping.

[Solidarity]

3. OK, Release the White House Recordings!

OK Release the Recordings and Tapes! Let's not quibble over what form these recordings exist. It's up to the 911 Commission to determine what types of recordings, transcripts, minutes, etc., exist and to demand them! Right?

So let's start a real public movement using the media, discussion boards, progressive organizations and politicians to demand them!

Any ideas on how we can quickly promote and make this a national issue that the 911 Commission cannot ignore?

[Solidarity]

4. Need Some Input Here!

OK Let me make a few suggestions on how Du'ers can spread news of this development and begin a campaign to demand the release of the White House tapes(recordings) and minutes.

1. Send this information to people on your e-mail lists.

2. Write, e-mail and/or call your contacts in the news media and give them this information.

3. Post this information on other progressive discussion boards.

4. If your a progressive reporter, columnist or talk show host immediately bring this matter to the attention of your readers or audience.

Any other suggestions or shall we let this issue die?

[Bandit]

9. Didn't you get the memo? ~ This Administration does not release papers

It is a secretive government that does not lower itself to review by others. Executive Privilege will be asked for just as it has been for all other requested papers eg. Energy papers, Presidential papers, etc. Take it to the extreme court if you want because they don't care it is in their pocket. They feel they are untouchable, above the law, Hell they feel They are the LawYou have the audacity to question them. How dare you.:shrug: That is what we are up against.

[worldgonekrazy]

12. Their audacity is precisely what will bring them down

It is what happened to Nixon, and it is what will happen to Bush. I will admit that they should have been brought down a LONG TIME AGO, but I have confidence that in the end some degree of justice will be served.

[zbdent]

5. Sounds like Kean realized that the shi- had hit the fan

"KEAN: Congressman, we've got to move on. We have run out of time. We've got one more commissioner."

In other words, I better get the subject changed before somebody realizes that nuke just went off . . .

[northern]

6. freeper?

Folks, I'm new to this.
What's a freeper?

[Solidarity]

7. Exactly!

You got it zdbent! You understand. Hope everyone else on DU understands! Let's roll with this now! Spread the word. Demand the recording and minutes be released!

A "freeper" is a right-wing supporter of the freerepublic website as I understand it.

[northern]

8. thanks

[hang a left]

11. a freeper is a right wing repube

[hang a left]

13. I forgot my manners

Welcome to DU.

[newyawker99]

15. Hi northern!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

A Freeper is a member of the Free Republic
website, which is a Conservative website.

[worldgonekrazy]

10. Good catch! I didn't even think about it

Hmm...I wonder if Roemer was trying to get Tenet to admit there were tapes, or if Tenet was trying to screw the administration in a "covert op" of sorts by letting this slip, or if it was just an honest to God unplanned (by either side) slip of the tongue?

Any way you look at it, the commission now has the ability to go back and demand these tapes, should it come down to it. Folks, you need to have more confidence. I don't think the whole truth will come out, but I am confident that certain members on the commission will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the Bush Administration is at least irrevocably damaged as a result of the investigation.

[HydroAddict]

14. I thinking (well hoping) Clarke's got these tapes.

Just holding on to them until he's asked. He seems like the kind of guy that always has a backup plan.

[Solidarity]

16. So The White House Tapes Are Not Very Important?

I don't think he does. And the 911 Commission has probably not asked, much less demanded them!

That won't happen unless this issue is made an issue! And for that to happen DU'ers and other progressives will have to beat the drums loud, hard and often!

So far it seems like this matter has pretty much escaped the attention of progressives. Guess we have much more important matters to handle like Howard Stern, Zel Miller's "Democrats for Bush" and Dean's endorsement of Kerry (how shocking and unexpected!).

So why in the world should we set aside such vital matters and get all bogged down in demanding the White House release the terrorism tapes? That's obviously a needless and perhaps harmful distraction!

[tableturner]

17. Sent this to Judicial Watch...

I sent this to Judicial Watch. You can too at:

[e-mail]

Please get these tapes.....

"ROEMER: You were running around saying something spectacular is going to happen. You were worried about this. You were on record from 1998 on saying you're at war with Al Qaida.

But why wasn't the United States government more concerned about those attacks on the United States?

TENET: Congressman Roemer, I'd ask you this afternoon when you get Mr. Clarke here, who was the chairman of the CSG, to go through the process of what they were looking at, actions they were tasking, how they thought about this problem. I wasn't sitting in that room.

I'd ask you to think about asking him how we dealt with this in this time period and find out what that response is.

ROEMER: So you're saying that it is the responsibility of the National Security Council...

TENET: Well, the CSG...

ROEMER: ... to develop the policy to go after the terrorists...

TENET: Sir, the CSG is a mechanism where all of these issues come into play every time it meets. What is the threat? What actions do we take?

It's a focal point for the way this government has organized itself around terrorism for years.

ROEMER: So you're saying it's them, not the CIA, that should have been attentive to this?

TENET: Well, the CIA is in the CSG meeting as well. I mean, everybody's at the table. The FBI is there, the NCS is there, CIA is there, domestic agencies are there.

Throughout this time period -- I don't have access to the minutes and recordings of what happened -- what actions were they tasking, how were they thinking about this?

ROEMER: They're going through a bottom-up review...

KEAN: Congressman, we've got to move on. We have run out of time. We've got one more commissioner.

ROEMER: OK. "

[Solidarity]

18. Where's The Media On This? Asleep?

I believe that Judicial Watch, a conservative organization, did file a lawsuit to obtain documents on Cheney's Energy Task Force that the White House has resisted releasing.

So if leaders of the Democratic Party have no interest in demanding the release of the Bush governments tapes and minutes of intelligence meetings, perhaps a conservative group such as Judicial Watch may.

Still have not seen anything in the general mass media on Bush's secret tapes and minutes.

Where's all those progressive investigative journalists? There must be at least one or two liberal ones in the nation that would like to pursue this matter. Or am I wrong?

I hope that some contributors to DU pursue this. Looking forward to reading their columns.