Did Hollywood know more about Osama Bin Laden than Washington pre 9/11?

[KatieW]

Tonight I watched some episodes of "The West Wing". I was watching the beginning of the second season with the episode where President Bartley and Josh get shot. I've seen this episode a few times, but tonight was the first time I noticed that Osama Bin Laden's name is mentioned (among others) when the the Joint Chief's are meeting and discussing what to do and who may have been behind the shooting. This episode was made before 9/11/2001.
I was also a fan of the show "JAG" and there is also an episode of "JAG" pre 9/11/2001 where Osama's name comes up in a discussion of terrorist.
OK, if Hollywood was able to put the pieces together and knew Osama was a bad guy pre 9/11, why didn't Washington put 2 and 2 together? Was Hollywood smarter than Washington and those who should of been on top of the Osama Bin Laden and what he was up to?

[aquart]

1. I don't know what to do with such sweet innocence.

[WCGreen]

2. LOL....

I knew about Osama all the way back in the mid 90's....

Anyone who paid attention to national security, big hint as to who didn't, knew about the growing threat of the Afgani Taliban and Osama and his shadowy network...

[KatieW]

8. You're right. I understand those who kept in touch with the goings on in the world knew about Osama.

I just found it disturbing that an episode of a TV show knew Osama could be a threat, yet the President on 9/11/2001 seems not to be too concerned about him till after the fact. At least that's the impression we got.

[WCGreen]

9. I understand completely what you are saying...

It's just that this has all been hashed, rehashed and rehashed again...

Welcome to DU...

Seriously, welcome to DU...

[zabet]

3. Shhhhhh.........

you will give the freepers justification for nominating a Hollywooder.
Because they are 'in the know' about OBL.

[sutz12]

4. Narrow the time frame, or change it...

to after Jan 9, 2001, and you have it right.

:evilgrin:

[Swede]

5. Check out the pilot episode of "The Lone Gunmen"

A commercial airliner is aimed at the WTC. It aired in 2000.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhkNsDXaMMI

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Didn't just know more about bin Laden.

Also extreme precsience about the usage of hijacked jet airplanes being flown into the WTC as a terrorist weapon, and the suspicion that the government might really be behind it. This happened on the Lone Gunman about 3 mos before 9/11, I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQyYuWXp3E8

If only they had had TV writers working for the NSA, that's assuming that this administration had any interest in actually protecting this country's security, which they obviously didn't.

[terisan]

7. Nice find. Bush and Cheney chose to ignore the warnings they got from the previous adm. about Osama

and focused on their secret energy task force meetings

In Spring, 2001 they dissed the Hart-Rudman report on Terrorism and said that instead Cheney would chair a new task force on terrorism. He never called the first meeting.