March 27, 2004

Skeleton in Clarke's closet

Former counterterrorism official and now tell-all author Richard Clarke was at it again yesterday, scorching Bush administration officials in testimony before the national Sept. 11 commission.
     We'd like to know how Clarke squares his contention that he was the only one in the Bush administration truly committed to thwarting terrorism before the Sept. 11 attacks with this: It was Clarke who personally authorized the evacuation by private plane of dozens of Saudi citizens, including many members of Osama bin Laden's own family, in the days immediately following Sept. 11.
     
Clarke's role was revealed in an October 2003 Vanity Fair article. "Somebody brought to us for approval the decision to let an airplane filled with Saudis, including members of the bin Laden family, leave the country,'' Clarke told Vanity Fair. "My role was to say that it can't happen unless the FBI approves it. . . And they came back and said yes, it was fine with them. So we said `Fine, let it happen.' ''

Vanity Fair uncovered that the FBI never fully investigated the passengers on those privately chartered flights (one of which flew out of Logan International Airport after scooping up a dozen or so bin Laden relatives.) But Clarke protested to Vanity Fair that policing the FBI was not in his job description.

Isn't that convenient?
     

So, it was 2-faced Clarke who authorized this and NOT President Bush!
How many times have I heard people disparage Bush with this accusation and use it as "proof" of his alleged cozy relationship with the House of Saud?
I don't know how I missed the Vanity Fair article last fall, but I'm delighted to be able to put another "talking point" anecdote of the Left in the "history's unmarked grave of discarded lies."