You’ve probably seen the quote from Dick Cheney that Sept. 11 is “over with now, it’s done, it’s history and we can put it behind us.” In context, it’s obvious that he doesn’t mean that we should forget 9/11. Obviously, the White House observed a memorial, as is appropriate.
No, it’s much worse than that. In context, what he’s doing is arguing that any public investigation of September 11th will hurt the war on terror. Specifically, he’s responding to a question about the abundant evidence of Saudi involvement in 9/11. If we let that evidence influence our approach to terrorism, it would be bad, for some reason.
Except for that misleading quotation, I’ve got to give credit to Dana Milbank and Walter Pincus for this report. They do what Tim Russert repeatedly failed to do during his interview of the Vice-President: when Cheney said something false or misleading, they provide the correct information. It’s astounding. I hope that Milbank is writing a book.
UPDATE: For the record, here are some of the misleading statements that Cheney used to defend the Bush administration’s conduct re: Iraq. These are all from Sunday’s interview:
– We still have reason to believe that Mohammed Atta, one of the September 11th hijackers, met with Iraqi intelligence agencies in Prague months before the attack. (The FBI concluded that Atta was in Florida at the time of the alleged meeting. The meeting is not supported by the CIA, Czech intelligence, or the actual Iraqi intelligence officer in question.)
– Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein’s government had an ongoing relationship throughout the 90s. (They had eight meetings, primarily in the early 90s.)
– Cheney was correct to dismiss the views of Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, who said we will need, quote, ‘several hundred thousand for several years.’ (Shinseki did not mention “several years” in his testimony.)
– David Kay used to run UNSCOM. (David Kay did not run UNSCOM; he spent one year the chief inspector for the International Atomic Energy Agency.)
– Before the war, Saddam posessed “500 tons of uranium.” (Highly misleading; it was the waste product of a nuclear reaction that Saddam wouldn’t have been able to refine.)
– “A gentleman” had come forward “with full designs for a process centrifuge system to enrich uranium and the key parts that you need to build such a system.” (Iraqi scientist Mahdi Obeidi, had denied that the nuclear program had been reconstituted after 1991. I’m pretty sure that Cheney is overstating when he talks about “full designs” and “key parts”, but I don’t know enough to swear to it.)
– Two trucks found in northern Iraq were mobile biological weapons labs. (The government had previously backed down on this claim after Pentagon investigators couldn’t back it up.)
– British intelligence has revalidated the statement in Bush’s SOTU address that Saddam was trying to acquire uranium in Africa. (British intelligence is re-investigating that claim. They haven’t revalidated it, although they say that the judgement that it had occurred was “reasonable”.)
– Iraq was the “geographic base” for the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (The report doesn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure that we attacked Afghanistan because it was the geographic base of the perpetrators of the September 11th attacks. (NOTE: Cleaned up because of sloppy proofreading.))
{ 13 comments }
zizka 09.15.03 at 7:31 pm
I’ve seen it said more than once that “we can’t afford to alienate the Saudis”. This really puts me in the never-never-land mood again. “My son is very senstive; if there’s a problem, instead of punishing him, punish the child sitting closest to him”. (A system which was actually used during the Ch’ing dynasty: the heir-apparent couldn’t be touched.)
So after devastating Iraq, and sneering endlessly at the French, we finally figure out what we could have known from reading the roster of hijackers. Saudis did it, including some with connections high in the Saudi power structure. And so we decide we can’t afford to do anything — and let’s not talk about it too loud either. (But how about another jolly round of France-bashing?)
And of course, if we ask about the many Bush-Cheney connections with the Saudis and even the Bin Ladens themselves, we’re conspiracy theorists. It’s quite reasonable to suspect (subject to confirmation) that a lot of American policy-makers are primarily trying to protect themselves.
A pie cooling on a windowsill 09.15.03 at 9:18 pm
That’s a great comparison, Zizka.
(The report doesn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure that the reason that that was he reason we attacked Afghanistan.)
What?
Ted Barlow 09.15.03 at 9:34 pm
Pie,
Sorry, that was terrible. I’m revising.
PG 09.15.03 at 9:45 pm
Cheney’s difficulty with facing the Saudis is that conservatives don’t know of any way to address a problem other than going to war with it.
I’d be curious as to whether Bush is aware that his VP is full of it, or if he believes that this is all true.
zizka 09.16.03 at 1:32 am
I’ve been talking about the Saudis for over a year. When the issue finally became publically discussable, I immediately found the argument to be bweteen those who wanted to invade Saudi Arabia immediately and those who said, “No, we can’t do that”.
I have never thought that invading Saudi Arabia was what we should start with; we have a lot of ways to put pressure on the Saudis. I just have felt all along that we should deal with what really happened.
Keith M Ellis 09.16.03 at 1:43 am
It’s worth noting that the neocon contingent in this administration is quite anti-Saudi. And it’s also worth noting that on this one point, it seems, they haven’t had much influence with Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. I wonder why.
mitch 09.16.03 at 3:18 am
What Cheney said: “If we’re successful in Iraq… we will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11.”
He doesn’t say Iraq alone was the base of anything; he says it’s at the heart of the geographic base of anti-American terrorism. (Iraq is bordered by Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.) Whether the hijackers learnt their hijacking skills there, as claimed by an INC defector (they learnt to hijack somewhere, and I doubt that it was Florida), we don’t know.
I am mystified by the rebuttal of Cheney’s claim of an ongoing relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda. First of all, where does the figure of exactly eight meetings come from? And shouldn’t that at least be eight known meetings (which is quite a few in itself)? And they were “primarily” in the early 1990s, so (i) there were some in the late 1990s (ii) most of the meetings that we know about were in the early 1990s, which is as consistent with the idea that they simply got better at security, as it is with the idea that they broke off relations for reasons unknown… But all those imponderables aside, I would especially like to know your source for this figure of eight. It’s not an estimate that I’m familiar with.
People might be interested by this list of Iraqis from the early days of Al Qaeda.
My own view is that it has been US government policy for 10 years, first, to completely cover up terrorist attacks if possible (e.g. TWA800), and if that’s impossible, to keep quiet on evidence of state sponsorship; better to deal with everything covertly and not worry the public. Obviously that era is over, but the skeletons are still in the closet; and this, on top of genuine uncertainties and disagreements about the provenance of the attacks, is why information only trickles out, and is constantly contested even after it’s out.
Ted Barlow 09.16.03 at 5:33 am
Mitch,
“8 meetings” came from the Washington Post article that I linked to as the basis of this post.
I see your point, and I acknowledge that it’s possible that there were other meetings that we don’t know about. But we’ve got dozens of top Iraqi agents. By all reports, none of them are saying that they met with Al Qaeda.
It’s possible that they’re lying for some reason. It’s possible that the Administration is sitting on testimony from Iraqi agents saying that they were working with Al Qaeda. (It would be rather severely out of character, but it’s possible.)
Furthermore, it’s possible that Sabah Khodada is telling the truth. A little googling left me unconvinced either way, and it’s probably unfair to point out the other BS stories that came from Iraqi defectors. We know that there were terrorist training camps in Afganistan, and that the 9/11 hijackers spent time in Afghanistan. (To the best of my knowledge, no one has asserted that the hijackers spent any time in Iraq, but I could easily be wrong about that.) It seems more likely to me that the training in question happened in Afghanistan. But, who knows.
As you might have guessed, I’m not willing to give the adminstration the benefit of the doubt, but I guess it’s all possible.
Nabakov 09.16.03 at 3:31 pm
Well the US has said they have now captured over 50% of that deck of cards – including Tariq Aziz, Chemical Ali, etc, etc.
So if they’ve got that many of the key players who can confirm all this shit, why aren’t we hearing more about it?
zizka 09.16.03 at 9:46 pm
Where’s the mystery? We have a reasonably good understanding of al Qaeda. We know about the Saudis in al Qaeda. We know about high-level Saudis with al-Qaeda connections(Prince Turki). We know about Saudi and Gulf States money going to Al Qaeda. We know about the Taliban. We know about the Afghani Arabs in Afghanistan and Bosnia. We even know about al-Qaeda’s domination of the Yemeni honey trade. There’s lots of stuff out there already, even though the investigation hasn’t been vigorous and has obviously not received Saudi cooperation.
So there may or may not have been meetings between Iraqis and al-Qaeda, and there may or may not have been Iraqi members in al-Qaeda. Taking into considerations the other things we know, how much does this change how we should think about al-Qaeda?
The Saudis are the 500-lb. gorilla. Iraq is (metaphor alert) a mouse in the corner. But let’s talk about the mouse. (And those goddamn French!)
mitch 09.17.03 at 2:38 pm
The source of the “8 meetings” may ultimately be Colin Powell’s Security Council testimony. He uses that figure, but he just says that the meetings began in the early 1990s, not that they “primarily” occurred at that time. I guess this is what the politics of intelligence is all about – a word here, a word there.
I suppose the key question regarding 9/11 and Saudi Arabia is whether elements of the Saudi state consciously abetted the attacks. In supporting Al Qaeda, the Saudis were supporting jihad all over the world, not just against the USA. It would certainly help to know the circumstances under which the Saudi hijackers were recruited for the plan. Were they just disaffected Saudi youths who went as individuals to Afghanistan? Or was someone in the kingdom trying to create a holy army? If so, was it in order to seize power within the kingdom, or in order to attack the USA, or both?
marsto 09.21.03 at 11:33 am
In response to Zizka’s post on 9/16 indicating that there are many ways to put pressure on the Saudis…..would you agree that having a western influenced,secular and democratic state as a powerful neighbor would constitute just that?
Just a thought.
Franklin D. Vipperman/Author 01.13.04 at 12:21 am
Overwhelmingly corrupt legal system
all over this country
By; Franklin D. Vipperman/Author
Read: Writ Of Certiorari
http://www.frankvip.com
On December 1, 2003, the overwhelmingly corrupt United States Supreme Court in a despicable and unconstitutional act and action of covering-up for the Las Vegas, Nevada District Courts, the Nevada Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals in San Francisco, DENIED my petition for a Writ Of Certiorari without comment. Even though every word, sentence, and paragraph in the petition is overwhelmingly supported with indisputable proof of all charges made, consisting of court records, trial transcripts, police reports, affidavits, documents, signed and sworn to statements, photographs, tape recordings, trial testimony, you name it, its there. And [all] in the records of the courts.
And in doing so, the high court aided and abetted the lower courts with their horrendously illegal and unconstitutional acts, actions, and inactions against Vipperman, which are their standard customs, practices, policies, and procedures. Which the high court has previously held they can be held liable for committing their illegal and unconstitutional acts and actions. But ignored its own holdings and rulings in this case:
And the high court further covered-up for the illegal and unconstitutional acts and actions of the State Of Nevada, and its overwhelmingly corrupt police, prosecutors, judges, courts, attorneys, politicians, entities, departments and agencies. And all those employed therein.
And further closed the doors on millions of Americans that have been framed by corrupt police and prosecutors, railroaded through the courts by corrupt judges, and sold down the drains by their despicable cowardly alleged defense attorneys. And kept in prisons by corrupt pardon and parole boards that act in collusion and conspiracy with their counter parts of the overwhelmingly corrupt legal system all over this country. Because they will not confess to crimes they did not commit, and thereby clean-up all the illegal, unconstitutional, and horrendous acts committed against them by those in authority. Which is in fact common place, and happens each and every day all over this country. And every court, judge, cop, prosecutor, attorney, and politician everywhere knows it happens, and keeps it all covered-up. As the days of the Star Chambers and Salem Witch Trials have never ceased in this country. And never will, unless and until, the news media brings all of these horrors to light and thereby opens the public’s eyes and minds to the terrible truths that surround them each and every day.
And until that day comes, all of us all over this country are in grave danger. Because; the despicable corrupt judges and courts everywhere, have made all of us the chattels of the State wherein we happen to be at any given time, and the State and Federal government: And have further but not conclusive of, deprived all of the citizens of this country of their birth given Constitutional Rights, long-long ago…. And they are now simply a fallacy of your imagination: And ignored by all in positions of authority over you and yours.
And it won’t be very long until the government, state and/or federal, will control [all] of the news media, radios, televisions, newspapers, magazines, and books. And the “Prison Business” will be the biggest and most profitable business in each and every state. And all those who fail to attempt to stop these horrendous acts and actions by the states, and supported by the federal government, including news media members, will end up in a prison themselves, or be taxed the largest majority of their incomes to pay for those who keep the others in prisons.
There currently being over Six Million (6,000,000) people in prison or on probation or parole in this country, you can rest assured that your turn is just around the corner….
Sincerely;
Franklin D. Vipperman/Author of
The Deal Makers, The Cesspool,
and Hell Hole. And;
Plaintiff/Appellant/Petitioner in
Petition for Writ Of Certiorari.
In Proper Person
http://www.frankvip.com
Supreme Court of the United States
Office of the Clerk
Washington, DC 20543-0001
William K. Suter
Clerk of the Court
(202) 479-3011
December 1, 2003
Mr. Franklin D. Vipperman
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Re: Franklin D. Vipperman v. Carols Concha, et al.
No. 03-453
Dear Mr. Vipperman:
The Court today entered the following order in the above entitled case:
The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.
Sincerely,
William K. Suter,
Court clerk
Wouldn’t it be amazing and near inconceivable, if someday someone
out there had enough guts and courage enough to tell, prove, and publish
the real truth about the overwhelmingly corrupt legal and judicial systems,
police, prosecutors, judges, courts, alleged defense attorneys, and
politicians all over this country. That have been forever living off the public,
and lying to and deceiving the public, since the beginning of time.
Well, that someday is now: And that someone is me: Franklin D.
Vipperman, Author of the three recently published book series, The Deal
Makers, The Cesspool, and Hell Hole. Three extremely hard hitting books
which are the first of their kind in history that indisputably brings it all to
light, and overwhelmingly proves it all to be true: And names them all,
and proves it all with court records incorporated into his books. And it
happens every day, every where. All over this country. And you and/or
yours may very well be next.
Vipperman tells how he took down his original alleged defense attorney
Harry Eugene Claiborne, who had became a Federal Judge. And obtained
his conviction, imprisonment, and impeachment by the US Senate.
Vipperman can further be credited for causing the prosecutor that
framed him, Earl Gripentrog, to be imprisoned. And the despicable trial
judge that railroaded him, Carl J. Christensen, to be removed from the
bench. And recently through his writings, he managed to have his alleged
defense/appeal attorney Jeffrey D. Sobel, who had since became a
district court judge, to be removed from the bench in recent elections.
Franklin D. Vipperman, Author of the series of three recently published
hard hitting powerful true books attacking the overwhelmingly corrupt legal and
judicial systems. The only books of their kind in history, wherein it is [all]
proven far beyond doubt. And unequivocally substantiated with authentic photographs, documents, court transcripts, and testimonies. Must reads for
all those who truly care about their freedoms, and the freedoms and futures
of their children, family, and loved ones. See his Writ Of Certiorari to the US Supreme Court in Docket No. 03-453 parts 1 and 2 and his books at; http://www.frankvip.com
In their order as written and can be found for free previews and
purchases, click on links or go to sites: http://www.frankvip.com
The Deal Makers at http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/4376
International Standard Book Number (ISBN) 1-58721-956-5
The Cesspool at http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/5470
ISBN: 0-75960-871-7
Hell Hole at http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/7550
ISBN: 0-75964-951-0
You can have the books instantly downloaded onto your computers in
their e-book forms, or delivered to your door in paper back through
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Or they can be ordered through Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, and almost all books stores and computer book sites all over this country through
their ISBN numbers. And on e-Bay. Or obtained through his web site at http://www.frankvip.com
Vipperman retains all rights:
Please: Read, learn from, post, and forward this information to everyone
possible. This entire country needs to know the real [truth] about the horrors
of the overwhelmingly corrupt legal and judicial systems that surround them
every moment of every day. And is constantly and continually illegally and unconstitutionally denying and depriving you and yours of your liberties,
freedoms, properties and possessions, and birth given Constitutional Rights.
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