100+ pages into the 9/11 Report

A complete recap would be difficult to do even at this stage but in several instances the 9/11 Commission directly points out both RW obstruction and hypocrisy, as nicely as possible.

The report is much sharper than MSM let anyone think when they immediately poo poo-ed it.

Make no mistake the Clinton administration takes it lumps (especially on not bombing OBL in Kandahar) but the excruciating detail of the step by step processes illustrates that they were working on it day and night. Clinton directly established counter terrorism as a priority-to a greater extent after the Embassy bombings but I haven't gotten to the Bush administrations part of the story yet.

The original sealed indictment of OBL in New York's Southern District did actually state that their was compliance between alQaeda and Iraq but the indictment was later changed. Also Richard Clarke (extremely prevalent in the report) at one point was worried that a specific attack towards OBL could send him fleeing into Iraq and he would be lost forever. Prior to that the Commission had said there was no connection between Iraq and 9/11 so that might be the reason you don't hear these mentioned as regular RW talking points.

The RW's role. The report specifically states that the atmosphere of investigation and scandal of the 90's (read Clinton administration) clearly impeded counter terrorism efforts. This is alluded to several times. Orin Hatch's "phony threats" comment is not directly mentioned it is alluded to as the Republican controlled Hill openly discounted every effort by the Clinton administration mostly due to political posturing. The Commission also points out that the media (cough cough) bears some blame as the threat of terrorism was almost completely unreported even after the first World Trade Center bombing. They clearly point out that Newt Gingrich at first supported the missile strikes on Tankar farm but later called them "pinpricks"- a message later used in the Bush campaigns.

At least to my reading whomever wrote the report inserted jabs to several people but in a oh so nice way. One that stood out was a brief recap of W and Dick's joint testimony in which the decision and timing of calling for US aircraft to intercept one or more of the hijacked aircraft included a wise cracking Bush (yes actually trying to tell a joke) commenting about how it reminded him of his days as an intercept pilot in the Texas Air National Guard.......you can almost hear the crickets chirping in the room.

Again I am only a little over a 100 pages through the report and many of the points above are only contained in a few summary sentences at the end of paragraphs but the "in between the lines" are hard to miss.

Sadly I know how the story ends.

haven't done the report yet. Every so often I read an allusion to how the report is a whitewash, so I let it keep dropping in my reading list... but it sounds like, from your report, you get a good sense of the history leading up to 9/11.

I may not be the fastest reader but I'm not the slowest either. I just picked it back up last week and usually read in 5 minute increments ;-) until very recently.

The beginning of the book is mostly a description of the National Security apparatus so you are familiar with it as they discuss parts.

Then you get into the rise of terrorism (WTC 1)

Then you get into the Clinton administration.

I just started the part outlining KSM (went to Chowan College and North Carolina A&T-Mech.engineering degree '86).

Tiny prints for a 400 page book.

It isn't nearly as whitewash as I expected but then it doesn't SLAM anyone either.