Reno's testimony for the 911 commission

[robbedvoter]

Statement

[ellie]

1. It's Janet Reno's Dance Party!

I really miss the Clinton administration.

[robbedvoter]

2. She inherited the 1st WTC bombing case

happened before her appoitment - March - Al Quaeda connections unknown at the time (duh - there was no Al Quaeda)

[robbedvoter]

3. FBi didn't know what they had (computer system)

(I guess she means the boxes of documents planning the first WTC bombing sitting untranslated during Poppy's watch)

[eleny]

4. Asking for congressional support

...right after illustrating how she didn't have that due to budget concerns.

[Kahuna]

5. FBI was already a mess.. (inherited from Bush 41- my take)

nt

[robbedvoter]

6. When she came in, FBI came out of the cold war - agents

reassigned to street crime. She asked them reassigned to counter terrorism.

[readmylips]

7. Who was the director before Reno?

during bush sr?

[RobertSeattle]

8. I'm still waiting for a Starr slam

"If 300 FBI investigators hadn't been out investigating Clinton's penis perhaps one of them would have stumbled across the 9/11 terrorist plot."

[ellie]

10. The more I listen to the testimony

before the 9/11 commission, the more I am convinced that the repuke-controlled Congress is just as much to blame as the hijackers. They stymied Clinton and his administration's efforts to stop terrorism. They should all be put on trial.

[robbedvoter]

9. She saw FBI and CIA cooperating - what would prevent them

doing in one case and not another - unclear.
Contradicting Freeh: she gave a letter directive - asking for exchange between the two.

[xultar]

11. That was powerful! Hopefully they will follow up on that...n/t

[robbedvoter]

12. "I am responsible" - second person after Clarke to say

thesew words. kean immediately asks her to end.

[robbedvoter]

13. Gorton: did you advise against OBL assassination?

Did WH ask you? Not anout assassination - just capture - semantics of the order are in discussion here. Decided to do it in private.

[ellie]

14. Am I hearing Flash Gordon correctly?

Did he say because Clinton ordered the assassination of bin Laden that is why bin Laden attacked the U.S.?

[robbedvoter]

15. My take was- he blames Reno for making that order unclear

(some CIA agents didn't understand)
It's obvious he blames her of something.

[prodigal_green]

16. that doesn't make any sense

Reno was the Attorney General. I sure hope the CIA wasn't taking orders from her.

[robbedvoter]

18. So maybe he blamed her for advising Clinton to not put

the word "KILL" in the order

[robbedvoter]

17. Gorton: Reno was asking FISA authority - lowering the bar

reno : patriot act helpful minus the civil rights provisions

[robbedvoter]

19. Roemer: Reno's memo - Febr 2000 - asking sharing info w CIA

Then in March another, and may 2000: "Imperative the capacity to assimilate info in files" for national security concerns. What prompted that?
"Millenium investigation"

[swag]

20. Now Roemer setting up a nice contrast twixt Reno and Ashcroft

talking about the monthly memos and Reno's level of engagement in spurring proactive activity on "sharing" of data, and even on taking terrorism seriously.

I think the contrast with Ashcroft is striking.

[robbedvoter]

22. Surely you don't mean this little story:

" predecessor, Janet Reno, demanded to be regularly briefed on the status of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act cases on terror suspects. Ashcroft told Justice lawyers he did not need to hear daily reports. 'It's like a soap opera,' Ashcroft said at one meeting, according to a former Justice official. 'You can tune in once a week and catch up with what's been going on.' (An Ashcroft aide denies that the A.G. made such a comment.)...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4711886 /

[robbedvoter]

21. Roemer: was it frustration leading to these memos?

Some of it...More the need to be efficient.
lacked confidence in FBI's knowing and sharing what it had.

[robbedvoter]

23. Were you briefed on AQ? "On the existence, not cells"

he tols Asscrack: we have got to be prepared for terrorism in any form (OK building too)

[robbedvoter]

24. Roemer: your role in the millenium plots - meeting at the

top level of government were instrumental in success in foiling the plots

[robbedvoter]

25. Reno refutes Condi on the "lucky break"

Commending the customs officer who was sharp - there was a lot of work involved at all levels.