Question about Richard Clarke-Bin Laden 9/13 Flights....

[neoteric lefty]

I could have sworn I remember Richard Clarke saying something about ok-ing the Bin Laden flights only because he thought it was the FBI's jurisdiction and the head of the FBI (or other head guys) told him it would be ok. I can't seem to find it anywhere. I hope I am not wrong about this ::sign:: :(

[shraby]

1. It was in his testimony to the 9/11

commission..if you can find it now.

[Carni]

2. You remember correctly

He said something to the effect that he assumed they would be questioned before the flights were approved.

Basically he passed the ball never dreaming they would be allowed to leave without being questioned.

[diamond14]

3. clarke testified about it during the 911 commission.....

might find the testimony transcripts in one of the BIG papers, NYT, or WP.....

[neoteric lefty]

4. Thanks guys

I was was flipping thorugh the channels and Scarborough was on talking about F911 and Clarke. What an idiot! I knew he was wrong, like always.

[Tatiana]

5. Here's some info (from a previous thread):

Clarke told The Hill: "I take responsibility for it. I don't think it was a mistake, and I'd do it again."

Clarke also said: "It didn't get any higher than me," he said. "On 9-11, 9-12 and 9-13, many things didn't get any higher than me. I decided it in consultation with the FBI."

However, in Clarke's testimony before the panel he said: "The request came to me, and I refused to approve it...I suggested that it be routed to the FBI and that the FBI look at the names of the individuals who were going to be on the passenger manifest and that they approve it or not. I spoke with the - at the time - No. 2 person in the FBI, Dale Watson, and asked him to deal with this issue. The FBI then approved the flight."

<snip>

FBI spokeswoman Donna Spiser said, "We haven't had anything to do with arranging and clearing the flights."

"We did know who was on the flights and interviewed anyone we thought we needed to," she said. "We didn't interview 100 percent of the flight. We didn't think anyone on the flight was of investigative interest."

http://www.saudi-us-relations.org/newsletter2004/saudi-relations-inter...

It is still unknown who authorized those flights. I think Clarke had his hands full with other management activities. It seems likely that Cheney approved the flights.

[LastDemocratInSC]

6. A link to the story at "The Hill" website

http://www.thehill.com/news/052604/clarke.aspx