Washington, DC -- 20 Aug 2008
Records Show Clinton Administration Briefed in 1996 on bin Laden Suicide Car Bombing Threat in London
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained newly declassified information regarding Osama bin Laden. The State Department had previously redacted this information on documents released to Judicial Watch in August 2005 prompting Judicial Watch's appeal to the Department of State Appeals Review Panel on October 13, 2005. The new information was released by the State Department on August 5, 2008.
According to a document entitled, "Terrorism/Usama bin Ladin: Who's Chasing Whom?" dated July 18, 2006, the Clinton administration was aware of a bin Laden suicide car bombing threat in London: "[redacted] . . . indicated bin Ladin planned to sponsor suicide car bombings against US interests in the UK, in part to punish London for 'submitting' to US pressure to bar his entry into the UK." The information about the terrorist threats to London had previously been redacted.
New information in the documents also suggests the leadership of Sudan, President Al Bashir and Hassan Turabi, had nefarious ties with bin Laden: "National Islamic Front (NIF) leader Turabi...agreed to the expulsing of terrorist financier Usama bin Ladin on the condition that in the future he be allowed to return.... Turabi and President Bashin hoped that when bin Ladin visited he would use false documentation and provincial airports...to avoid publicity."
The documents discuss bin Laden's travels, his prolonged stay in Afghanistan, financial networks, anti-Western threats in press interviews, his ties to the Khobar Towers bombing and his "emboldened" threats against U.S. interests.
The State Department documents were first produced to Judicial Watch in August, 2005, in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed with the State Department on December 11, 2001 concerning the government of Sudan's reported offer to share intelligence files on bin Laden. The Clinton administration also rebuffed an offer by Sudanese officials to turn bin Laden over to the U.S.
According to the declassified documents, bin Laden's many passports and his private plane allow him considerable freedom to travel "with little fear of being intercepted or tracked." Bin Laden reportedly even traveled to London where he gave a press interview subsequent to his departure from Sudan. The report also warns that bin Laden's prolonged stay in Afghanistan "could prove more dangerous to U.S. interests in the long run than his three-year liaison with Khartoum." The intelligence predicts that even if bin Laden were forced to keep on the move, it would prove no more than an inconvenience since, ". . . his informal and transnational network of businesses and associates remains resilient." The report goes on to explain that bin Ladin on the move, ". . .can retain the capability to support individuals and groups who have the motive and wherewithal to attack U.S. interests almost worldwide."
"Over five years before 9/11, the Clinton administration was warned about bin Laden's murderous intent - including specific threats to attack U.S. interests through suicide car bombings in London. And yet the Clinton administration took no meaningful action against bin Laden," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "As a result of this inaction, not only did 9/11 come to pass, but so did massive suicide bombings in London's Underground in 2005."
Comments
"The Buck Stops Here"
Clinton was too busy chasing women and not focused on Bin Laden for American safety and national security.As Truman so eloquently said,"the buck stops here"
Drivel
You neglect (conveniently) to mention that the Bush Administration rejected every efforts of the outgoing Clinton Administration to brief them on the threat of Islamic terrorism. You also neglect to mention that Clinton's efforts to intervene against bin Laden were derided by Republicans as an attempt to shift the focus of national attention away from their bogus impeachment activities. Your "information" may be music in diehard conservatives' ears, but it is totally insignificant. Remember, 9/11 happened on George W. Bush's watch, not Bill Clinton's.
You need medical attention,
You need medical attention, you have drank way too much clintoon koolaid :)
We where being attacked under the clinton/monica admin and he did nothing. He had his plate to busy !!!
Spare me the rederick!
Please!, First off Clintons Administration was obviously aware of BinLadens capabilities and the danger on the U.S. and our people. The 9/11 attack would've happened no matter who was President at the time. If Clinton was in office at the time of the attack it could've most likely been ongoing and worse for the Country, due to the fact that our Military was cut anormously with less Military bases to protect our borders, less military personell, and a poor Military budget. The U.S. Military General during one or both of Clintons Presidency Terms proclaimed that if the U.S. were to be attacked we would have no chance and would not be able to compete in almost any war. Why would somebody put our country in such danger like that, was it that important to cut our Military budget in such a dangeroous matter?? ~Thank You, Katelyn K. Carmin
Osama
I think we all can agree that what happened on 911 was horrific and murderous. I think Democrat and Republican politicians, Clinton, Bush, etc. were at fault in dismissing information. And yet, the responsibility of 911 is placed totally on those who actually did the killing! Those who willingly commit crimes are held responsible for their actions. The blame shifting and after-the-fact reporting is not as significant as the innocent lives that were taken by a murdering, militant, malicious sect of freaks who are bent on destroying all of civilization. The fault lies with those who flew the planes into the buildings and those who planned it.
Fabled Enemies
Just one more bit of proof among mountains that our government had prior knowledge of 9/11 and other events. It was an inside job, just watch "Fabled Enemies" on Google Video and get a real earful.
Clinton failed to protect
It is becoming increasingly clear that Clinton was a terrible President whose attention was focussed on skirts rather than protection American interests. President Bush as been a spendthrift but he has been focussed on protecting America and since the terrible tragedy of 9/11 caused by Clinton era prohibitions of intelligence sharing (authored by J. Gorelick) America as been safe from attacks on our homeland and muslim terrorists have been on the run.
The Clinton Years
CLINTON WAS BUSY WITH WOMEN BUT NOT TO BUSY TO SELL MILITARY SECRETS TO CHINA. HE GAVE THEM THE TRIDENT INFORMATION AND NOW THEY HAVE AT LEAST FIVE TRIDENT TYPE SUBS IN USE, THANKS TO BILL IT DIDN'T COST THEM ANYTHING TO DEVELOPE. OUR GRANDKIDS WILL FACE THIS PROBLEM AND YET THE PEOPLE LOVE THIS PIECE OF JUNK
Clinton
He also transferred control over the export of information and equipment that had possible military use from the State department to the Commerce department, where his friend, Ron Brown, allowed the sale of missile information to China.
Whereas before the transfer, Chinese missiles were blowing up and had low-grade navigation guidance, with the permitted sale of missile knowledge by American companies, a Chinese general can now threaten to put a missile into downtown Los Angeles.
Is it any wonder that the Chinese donated money to Clinton's election campaign?
(When exposed, the money was returned, even though Al Gore protested that there was no "controlling legal authority" that forced them to do so.) Clinton should be in prison.
And the nerve of Hillary to
And the nerve of Hillary to say in her campaign for nominee, that "I for one, don't like the idea of China having all our secret info on our missle guides"
HAHAHA. Democrates....whatever floats the boat for the day.
And "how many vote will that comment get me"
let's talk about responsibility for acts
Lead atty/firm representing Loral in their attempt to sell the technology to China. Doug Feith, DOD Undersecretary for Policy appointed to DOD by bush. How did a person who was working to facilitate the transfer end up in such a high position in the DOD?
Why did bush administration substantially ease the restrictions on exports of computers and other technologies to China that can be used in their weapons systems?
Why did bush administration ignore the request of a congressman and senator from Indiana to block China from closing down the Magnequench company and taking it to China? "The two lawmakers reportedly received no response from letters sent to President Bush on March 6 and May 1. Two letters sent to Treasury Secretary John Snow (on May 20 and June 5) received a response turning down a request from the congressman for a meeting. Several phone calls also have received no response. …
"Magnequench, a high-tech company created in 1986 by General Motors, pioneered the development and production of sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) – magnets used in the guidance system of ‘smart bombs.’ Beijing San Huan New Materials High-Tech Inc. is a holding of the Chinese Academy of Science Business Group and was established in 1985. China National Non-Ferrous Metals – previously described by the Wall Street Journal as a ‘high-flying state company’ – operates under the control of the State Council, one of the major organs of the Chinese government.
Why does the bush administration do everything it can to help build China's military capability and their economy?
"The Bush administration has been ‘as bad, if not worse’ than the Clinton administration when it comes to the transfer of sensitive technologies to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), claims Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a nonpartisan public-interest law firm. Fitton says the Bush administration even has ‘relaxed the rules put in place during the Clinton years.’ Specifically, he tells Insight, the administration has allowed the transfer of ‘computer technology [whose] only practical purpose is for nuclear-weapon design.’ Fitton says that from the beginning the administration went ‘full-speed ahead’ with China trade and efforts to get the PRC into the World Trade Organization (WTO), which Fitton tells Insight only gives China more opportunities to modernize its military and ‘get cash’ with which to buy high-tech weapons elsewhere."
http://www.conservativeusa.org/redchina-missile.htm
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. As bad as Clinton administration was, bush administration makes them look like angels.
It's also been documented
It's also been documented that Bill Clinton was heavy into cocaine, and would disappear for hours on end with no one knowing of his whereabouts except the SS. And, yet, America idolizes this man. His discretions and lawsuits cost taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. How quickly people forget or seem to want to look at his presidency through rose-colored glasses.
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