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The Silent President
New York Times, NY - 4-12-04
...No reasonable American
blames Mr. Bush for the terrorist attacks, but that's a long way from
thinking there was no other conceivable action he could have taken to
prevent them. He could, for instance, have left his vacation in Texas after
receiving that briefing memo entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in
U.S." and rushed back to the White House, assembled all his top advisers and
demanded to know what, in particular, was being done to screen airline
passengers to make sure people who fit the airlines' threat profiles were
being prevented from boarding American planes... |
9/11 debate doesn't end with
memo's release
Newark Advocate, OH - 4-12-04
... briefing memo on al-Qaida has President Bush and his
critics giving opposing versions of whether he should have acted more
aggressively to avert the ...
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Bush Says Brief on Al Qaeda Threat Was Not Specific
Wilmington Morning Star, NC - 4-12-04
... may not have done enough to head off the attacks.
"That's what the 9/11 commission should look into, and I hope it does," he
said. ...
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The way the Bush administration
is treating the 9/11 investigation is so offensive, by them being so defensive.
"If you are having a brief that
is entitled `Bin Laden Determined to Strike in the U.S.,' and then it lays out
specific things ... you would think that that would raise enough caution flags
that you would haul in the FBI, that you'd put out an all-points bulletin."
-- Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.
The
infamous
August PDB has been declassified and released
and
the Bush & Co excuses continue:
Ode to
the August PDB
When Condoleezza Rice speaks out
Does anybody buy her?
It's hard to fathom how she fumbled warnings, oh so dire.
"Historic," Condoleezza shouts
About that August briefing.
I guess that's why that PDB did catch the Bushies sleeping.
Old Dub joins in with his excuse,
Explaining his inaction:
Without Osama's detailed plans, you shouldn't expect reaction.
We did not have a time or place,
Or even a location.
Without precision info, I'm entitled to vacation.
Ode to the August PDB
http://www.madkane.com/notable01_04a.html#04_12_04
Bush Got Pre-9/11 Memo on Break at Ranch
Guardian, UK - 4-12-04
Despite the 100-degree temperature
on Aug. 6, 2001, President Bush laced up his running shoes to go for a 4-mile
jog, roamed his sprawling Crawford, Texas, ranch and fished a pond for bass.
Into this scene of relaxation, routine and outdoor activity was dropped a memo
from the CIA with the explosive title ``Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US.''
Whether that caused a ripple like a pebble thrown into the pond or something
more significant that Bush and company hid very well, is unknown. ...
Disturbing News
Around 770 Die in Recent Iraq Fighting
AP - 4-12-04
About 70
U.S.-led coalition troops and 700 Iraqi insurgents have been killed in
fighting across Iraq since April 1, but there is no authoritative figure on
Iraqi civilian deaths, U.S. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said Monday.
Seven Chinese citizens latest foreigners to be kidnapped in
Iraq
AFP - 4-12-04
Seven Chinese
citizens have become the latest foreigners to be kidnapped in Iraq, the
Chinese government said, while pledging no efforts would be spared to rescue
them.
Philippine Armed Men Take 3 Hostages from Boat
Reuters - 4-12-04
Armed men in
speed boats intercepted a tugboat towing a barge off the Malaysian state of
Sabah, taking its Indonesian captain and two Malaysian crew members hostage,
the Philippine navy said on Monday.
U.S. Targeted Fiery Cleric In Risky Move
washingtonpost.com -
Sun Apr 11,11:36 AM ET
BAGHDAD, April
10 -- "Bremer follows in the footsteps of Saddam," screamed the headline in
al-Hawza, a tabloid newspaper run by firebrand Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada
Sadr. With incendiary language, the article accused L. Paul Bremer, the U.S.
administrator of Iraq, of deliberately starving the Iraqi people.
Bush Was Satisfied on Pre-9/11 Probes
AP -4-12-04
Now that it is
public, a pre-Sept. 11 briefing memo on al-Qaida has President Bush and his
critics giving opposing versions of whether he should have acted more
aggressively to avert the terrorist attacks.
ovide a traveling Supreme Court justice with security.
|
Town Awaits Word on Man Kidnapped in Iraq
AP -4-12-04
In his
hometown in eastern Mississippi, Thomas Hamill is known as a good guy — a
family man with two children who took a job driving trucks in Iraq to make
ends meet after his dairy farm took a hit.
US says Iraqi soldiers refused to fight
FT.com -
Sun
Apr 11, 5:15 PM ET
Mediators from
Iraq's US-appointed governing council and from religious groups in Iraq were
on Sunday desperately trying to secure the release of hostages and halt a
multi-pronged insurgency from entering its second week.
North Korea says standoff with US at "brink of nuclear war"
AFP -
Sat Apr 10,
4:45 AM ET
North Korea
said Friday the standoff over its atomic ambitions was on the brink of
nuclear war as US Vice President Dick Cheney headed to the region for talks
with key Asian allies.
Israel Troops, Palestinians Exchange Fire
AP -
Mon Apr 12,
6:47 AM ET
Israeli troops
exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen near an Israeli settlement in the
Northern Gaza Strip early Monday, killing at least three of the assailants,
the army said.
Vietnam's Central Highlands in Lockdown
AP -
Mon Apr 12,
6:33 AM ET
Vietnam's
Central Highlands remained sealed off Monday by police and security
officials following protests by hundreds of ethnic minority Christians over
Easter weekend.
Marshal Defends Erasure of Scalia Speech
AP -
Sat Apr 10,
6:37 AM ET
A U.S. marshal said a deputy's erasure of two journalists'
recordings of a speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was
appropriate, given that one of the service's responsibilities is to pr
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"You know, most Republicans are
only in favor of electric cars if they have golf clubs tied to the back. It's
the only time." Jay Leno
Lisa,
I keep wondering why no one has questioned the authenticity of the August 6,
2001 PDB. This whole thing may have been, and probably was, a setup from the
beginning. The groundwork was laid for a "smoking gun" and the tension was
allowed to build over time to a point that when "something" was presented as
"THE" PDB, the press and "Condi" accusers instantly swallowed it "hook, line, &
sinker." Too bad, that it was worse than a day-old-worm that had been in the
bait bucket too long, the gullible just swallowed it anyway without comparing it
to other authentic PDB's as to format, style, and content.
I wonder how many precocious, computer and internet savvy teenagers might have
been able to concoct a more believable facsimile. Nevertheless, the media, more
than trying to beat a truly dead horse, continue to try to make a silk purse out
of this sow's ear.
Where is Richard Clarke on this red herring? What has he to say about its
authenticity? How many PDB's has he seen in the past? Or, was he undercover, in
his sheep suit, and part of the setup?
Where are the doubting Thomas' on this?
Regards,
Mugwump
If I was going to
make a facsimile of a PDB memo I sure wouldn't name it
bin Laden ready to strike in the US . Not
saying I wouldn't put it past this administration to put out misinformation.
I don't know if Richard
Clarke would receive a PDB, after all, Dick Cheney said he was out of the loop.
Thanks for writing.
Graphic by OZ
Text of Aug, 6, 2001 Memo
AP -
Sun Apr 11, 2:25
PM ET
Text of a declassified presidential daily intelligence briefing from Aug. 6,
2001, declassified by the White House and made public Saturday. Portions marked
"x" were blacked out before release:
Military News
Afghan duty offers ultimate in unconventional warfare
USATODAY.com -
Mon Apr 12, 6:15 AM ET
ORUZGAN,
Afghanistan - Afghan fighters bristling with rocket launchers and machine
guns pour into a government compound here to try to intimidate a small team
of U.S. Special Forces soldiers in their midst. (Related graphic: A-Team in
Afghanistan)
Marines Find Evidence of Suicide Squads
washingtonpost.com -
4-12-04
FALLUJAH,
Iraq, April 11 -- When the U.S. troops entered the abandoned factory shed
Sunday, they found a hastily abandoned campsite full of jumbled clothing and
bedrolls, scattered sneakers and gym bags, broken eggs and dirty cooking
pots.
Three U.S. Marines Killed in Iraq
AP -
Mon Apr 12,
1:22 AM ET
Three U.S. Marines were killed in fighting in western Iraq,
the military said Monday in a statement.
Business News
Rising property taxes scare off homeowners
USATODAY.com -
Mon Apr 12, 6:15 AM ET
Andy Sanders
would like to build a new home on his 2.6-acre lot in Orangeburg, S.C. But
he's afraid he couldn't afford the taxes
Survey: Gas Prices Rise 2.5 Cents in U.S.
AP - 4-12-04
Gas prices
climbed another 2 1/2 cents in the past two weeks as high crude oil prices
and tight capacity boosted prices at the pump, a national survey said.
DuPont to Cut 3,500 Jobs
Reuters - 4-12-04
DuPont Co. (DD.N),
the No. 2 U.S. chemicals maker, on Monday said it will cut 3,500 jobs, or 6
percent of its work force, as part of a previously announced plan to reduce
costs by $900 million in the face of high raw material prices.
Booming China's Crude Oil Imports Soar
Reuters -
Mon
Apr 12, 4:33 AM ET
Crude imports
in booming China, the world's second largest oil consumer, soared 35.7
percent year on year to 30.14 million tons in the first quarter of 2004, the
official Xinhua news agency on Monday.
Gannett Profit Rises on Stronger Ad Sales
Reuters - 4-12-04
Gannett Co.
Inc. (GCI.N), the biggest U.S. newspaper publisher, on Monday said quarterly
profit rose 10 percent, as the advertising market strengthened from a year
earlier when results were hurt by the war in Iraq.
Higher Costs Hurt New York Times Profit
Reuters - 4-12-04
The New York
Times Co. (NYT.N) on Monday said quarterly net profit fell 15 percent as
costs rose, but advertising revenue gained and profit topped analysts'
estimates.
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Assorted News
Bush Plunges Into Middle East Politics This Week
Reuters -
Mon Apr
12,12:33 AM ET
The Middle
East, overshadowed by violence in Iraq, receives renewed attention this week
as President Bush launches a new round of diplomacy to lay the groundwork
for Israel's withdrawal of settlements from the Gaza Strip.
Afghans Begin New Hunt for al-Qaida
AP -
4-12-04
Hundreds of
Afghan and American soldiers are engaged in a new hunt for Osama bin Laden
and other terror suspects in a mountainous region bordering Pakistan, the
Afghan military said Monday.
U.N. Nuclear Inspectors Arrive in Iran
AP -
4-12-04
Five U.N.
nuclear inspectors arrived Monday to try to confirm whether Iran has stopped
suspicious nuclear activities — including the building of centrifuges for
uranium enrichment.
Indian Minister Won't Send Troops to Iraq
AP -
4-12-04
India will not
deploy peacekeeping troops in Iraq without a mandate from the United Nations
because the situation there is "not favorable," a senior government minister
said Monday.
Tech News
Progress in War Against Spam Hit or Miss
Reuters -
Sun Apr
11,10:39 AM ET
E-mail, known
as the Internet's "killer app," is getting killed.
Livewire: When You've Got to Google Better, Ask an Expert
Reuters -
Sat Apr 10,
3:25 PM ET
When you
search the Web, do you find lots of information, but not the answer to your
question? If so, you're not alone.
Virus makers' war bombs businesses
USATODAY.com -
Mon Apr 12,
6:16 AM ET
Matt Brown
reacted instinctively when a deluge of virus-infected e-mail threatened to
swamp ExecuScribe, a medical transcription firm in Rochester, N.Y.
Death2Spam: The Name Says It All
TechWeb -
Fri Apr 9,
6:00 PM ET
According to the company, Death2Spam reaches 95% accuracy
out-of-the-box and exceeds 99% accuracy in about two weeks.
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"Vice President Dick Cheney now
drives the Republican version of a hybrid car. It runs on gasoline and when its
gets on the highway it switches over to even more gasoline." Jay Leno
www.dubbydub.com/pictures
Speaking of
Memos...check out this memo sent to the FBI director in May of 2002
Coleen Rowley's Memo to FBI Director Robert
Mueller
Time Magazine May 21,
2002
How many
have blown the whistle on Bush?
"When we get an active
Christian parents committee in operation in all districts, we can take complete
control of all local school boards.""
Ralph Reed, former executive director of the Christian Coalition
Graphic By OZ
Lisa
Well, it now seems that President Bush
required an engraved invitation in order to cut short his vacation and tend to
the nations business. After receiving his August 6th, '01 Presidential Daily
Briefing entitled "bin Laden determined to strike in the US,"
his response was to continue clearing brush, fishing and playing golf at his
Texas ranch.
Now that the PDB has been released, his
response is "I am satisfied that I never saw any intelligence that indicated
there was going to be an attack on America: a time, and a place of an
attack." He needed to know the where and the when in before
alerting the country to a pending attack on our country?
I'm not sure whether this guy's incredibly
stupid or incredibly callous. Either way, he is not fit to be President.
Oracle
I agree. He
misread that PDB and the WMD. As Gomer Pyle once said, "Surprise, surprise."
Have you been to
www.toostupidtobepresident.com lately?
IRS audits of businesses declining
Baltimore Sun, MD - 4-12-04
... In a written response, the IRS said the study ignores
the reasons for the decline in corporate audits and other enforcement actions
taken against businesses. ...
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Odd
News
Israelis, Palestinians in Beauty Pageant
AP -
Mon Apr 12,
4:00 AM ET
In three and a
half years of fighting, Ravit Rubin and Grace Karaa have grown accustomed to
the sound of shooting between their neighborhoods. But recently, the
15-year-old girls met amid the din of blow dryers in a hair salon to discuss
their hopes in an upcoming beauty pageant
Briton Bets All on Vegas Roulette Spin -- and Wins
Reuters -
Sun
Apr 11, 6:17 PM ET
A British man
who sold all his possessions, including his clothes, stood in a rented
tuxedo on Sunday surrounded by family and friends and bet everything on a
single spin of the roulette wheel.
Business Covers Nude Statues With Sarongs
Sat Apr 10,
7:53 PM ET
A garden center's nude
statues proved a bit immodest for some in this small town. G & L Garden
Center responded to complaints by covering up the classical-style statues
with stylish, two-piece crimson velvet sarongs.
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If Scots eat Indian food, they'll drink Indian whisky
4-12-04
Scots have a
taste for Indian food, so a young entrepreneur here hopes they will be
receptive to washing it down with an Indian blend of their favourite drink,
whisky.
Malaysian ghostbusters called in to exorcise national service
camps
Thu Apr
8,12:28 AM ET
Malaysian
ghostbusters were called in to exorcise spirits at a national service
training camp after two groups of youths claiming to have seen ghosts became
hysterical, according to a news report.
Man dangles off bridge for nearly three hours before being
rescued
Sun Apr
11,10:44 PM ET
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) - A man dangled from bridge for two
hours Sunday before he was spotted by a taxi passenger, then spent nearly
another hour suspended as rescuers worked to retrieve him, officials said.
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What to tell the children
By Jane Chastain
© 1999 WorldNetDaily.com
Members of the Senate who
voted to acquit William Jefferson Clinton rushed for platforms to justify their
actions. Politicians never are at a loss for words. However, few were as honest
as Sen. Olympia Snowe. ...
What does W and Marie Antoinette have in common?
(link fixed)
Click Here
It's nice to
see the Bush girls on Easter break. They have been able to stay out
of the news for quite awhile. Gee, Jenna seems to have boo boos on her
knees. I noticed her scrapped knees in the same batch of pictures. I
wonder how that could have happened?
Graphic by Bradley
Mt. Fuji in a photograph taken
from the International Space station. (NASA/HO)
Peace.