June 3, 2004, Iceberg, Ho!
What could possibly be coming up on the horizon to have led CIA George Tenet-- who took SO much shit and SO many bullets for the benefit of his jerk-off boss in the Oval Office-- to announce his resignation today (completely surprising said jerk-off boss)? Some speculation concerns the possibility of a rather vicious and scathing critique of Tenet on its way down the pike from the Senate Intelligence Committee.
I don't know; Tenet, as I have oft quipped, has gotten so used to eating shit thanks to Bush, that he has doubtless come to enjoy doing it. No, something bigger. I assure all that the President's decision to retain private counsel regarding Plamegate was a painful one: this is an election year, and this automatically raises the scandal stakes. He'd been ignoring the damned issue for almost a year, for God's sake... NOW it bites him... just 4 weeks before the big Iraq-sovereignty-transfer-fraud? Could it be Plame that's doing this? Yellowcake? How about some genius who gave Chalabi the keys to the kingdom so he could take them to an Iranian locksmith for copying? Death by a thousand cuts? Oh-- here's a possibility.
The veep sends in this little gem about Niaz Khan, an Al Qaeda "trainee" who contends he told the FBI about OBL's little plan to highjack planes and crash them into things, oh, a year or so before 9-11. I wonder if THAT'S what it is. You see? A rather specific plot-- doubtless Khan was trained for 9-11--- I mean, how many OBL's training suicidal murderers to crash airplanes into buildings in Afghanistan and Pakistan could there possibly be?
The thing with the CIA, of course, is that we may never actually REALLY know why Tenet is resigning. The "personal" reasons to "spend more time with his family", since he clearly wasn't fired, make this VERY interesting, the same week (allegedly non-related) the deputy director for operations will announce HIS resignation, and of course, Bush hires a lawyer for Plamegate and the Chalabi thing turned into the Rosenbergs (don't look, however, for any loyal Bushmen to take the appropriate fall for this-- let alone a harsh sentence).
In short-- the implosion is now moving into another level-- Act II, perhaps?
Pass the raisinets, please...
Comments
TD...When will Tenet write his book? AND, Dubya's handling of Plamegate reveals his utter lack of honesty and intelligence. Had he done the RIGHT thing and confronted the crime LAST summer ('cause you know he knew), he could have counted on the short attention span of atleast half the electorate to forgive and forget. But, his compulsion to deny and deceive has HOPEFULLY kicked him in the ASS! You know what's sad? WMD'S, or the lack thereof, won't be what brings him down. That still blows me away.
Posted by alicia at June 3, 2004 09:58 PM
Well, the Niaz Khan ting will be blamed on the Clenis--it happened in 2000, after all. Of course, Louis Freeh wouldn't tell Clinton about an attack on America if he had names, places, and dates. He was too busy investigating Al Gore's fundraising. Nevertheless, the Clenis will be blamed.
Posted by Social Scientist at June 3, 2004 10:31 PM
Alicia--
Unless Tenet's book is already written, its of no value to him now: it will take AT LEAST between now and the election just for the White House to vet it for "security reasons". What's amazing is that I don't think Tenet is a bad man (after all-- its not like he was appointed BY BUSH). But things have gotten way out of hand-- and whether they were within his control or without-- he has stayed at the helm with the ship off course for a long time now. I still get the feeling that we are about to see something rather impressive about to happen.
Yes, certainly the lack of WMDs should actually have brought this government down-- but then, why should ANYTHING bring this government down when the President always STARTS with 40% support and around 190 electoral votes, regardless of what it does (including nife-raping a nun on live t.v.)?
The one thing that continues to amaze me (and digby over at Hullabaloo reports that it is the one thing amazes HIM TOO) is the fact that the most material of 9-11 material witnesses- Saudi nationals including the Bin Laden family-- were protected from interrogation and escorted out of the country on the direct orders of George W. Bush within one week of 9-11. That he is not in the dock for treason for that one incident (or at a minimum, obstruction of justice) is astounding-- but the fact that NO ONE GIVES A SHIT ABOUT IT is unbelievable.
Social Scientist--
You're probably right-- the usual initial Bush knee-jerk answer is to blame Clinton-- WHETHER OR NOT the event happened on his watch. Right now, though, the Bushmen have a number of things on their plate that they CANNOT blame on Clinton (Abu Ghraib, Plame, now Chalabi) that may delay their ability to see the wisdom in your observation...
Mr. Crabcake--
I know you haven't commented yet, but telling us "its all Bill Clinton's fault" will be superfluous on this one.
Posted by the talking dog at June 3, 2004 10:40 PM
TD....I just re-read the transcript from Bandar's April 25th appearance on MTP when Tim asked the Prince about those flights to which he replied that no one of interest to the FBI was allowed to fly....completely avoided the point which was why the special f'ing priveledge? I remember my coffee not setting well that morning. My problem with the WMD'S is that authorization for this fiasco wouldn't have been given if the truth had been known. Bush may have believed he was doing the right thing, but WMD'S wasn't his reason. He waged WAR...thousands have died and for what? An idea? Democratize the Middle East and give the big 'F You to Islam and their beliefs? I lose sleep over this offense...not to mention I have two teenage sons...
Posted by alicia at June 3, 2004 11:11 PM
Oh....I'll launch my pre-emptive strike against Crabby by defining Islam as the sincere believers and not the psychopathic fundamentalists that roam the globe and tend NOT to congregate in one area, like Iraq...that is until now....thanks to Bush for all you do...this glass of wine and bad attitude are for you...
Posted by alicia at June 3, 2004 11:31 PM
privilege...late hours and spelling don't mix...gotta go...
Posted by alicia at June 3, 2004 11:40 PM
Hey TD, I don't want to point the finger at anyone, but you yourself blamed Bill Clinton in your May 16, 2004 piece.
Let's face it, Clinton continued the groundwork (of ignoring the rise of Islamic radicalism) set down by Reagan/Bush I. Of course, it is open to debate whether Clinton encouraged it, unlike Reagan/Bush I, which not only benefitted from it, but "nudged" it along. Osama Bin Laden's influence peaked during the Clinton years.
So before you stick your fingers in Crabcake, I suggest you look at another place to explore.
Posted by Benny the Booger at June 4, 2004 11:02 AM
TD and Crabby, Have a good weekend and be nice. :)
Posted by alicia at June 4, 2004 11:16 AM
TD, Alicia and Benny the Booger:
If you're all going to just give my answers for me, I'm not going to play anymore.
Posted by They Call Me Mr. Crabcake at June 4, 2004 01:00 PM
Benny, Baby--
Excuse me, but my critique of Clinton was one of character-- not policy. I said his refusal to accept appropriate consequences for his personal conduct set a bad precedent-- a bad precedent that will be (and quickly was) exploited by far lesser men than himself, such as our current President. Frankly, as I keep saying, as far as what we are now watching unfold, BILL CLINTON HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
As to whether or not Clinton policies helped Al Qaeda, hurt Al Qaeda, contributed to Islamist terror-- my answer is two words: WHO CARES!
The Bush Administration has had the ball for over three years now. Its Dubya's baby. The glorious meltdown we are now watching, by the way, has absolutely NOTHING to do with 9-11, Al Qaeda, or anything that could be remotely attribtued to Bill CLinton.
Bill Clinton had nothing to do with the decision to out Valerie Plame as a covert operative in order to get back at her husband for political points and jollies, now did he?
Bill Clinton didn't order the Geneva Conventions torn up, torture protocols to become standard policy and then send ill-trained reservists and unaccountable contractors to run gulags, now did he?
Bill Clinton didn't chose to manufacture stories that Saddam Hussein was buying yellowcake uranium from Niger, now, did he?
BTW, Bill Clinton didn't take a walk on the Truman Balcony on the night of 9-11 with his overlord Prince Bandar and arrange for an FBI escort and carte blanche not to be investigated of over 100 Saudi nationals including members of the binladen family, now, did he?
You see? There ARE bad things in this world that are not Bill Clinton's fault. So you just keep pretending that EVERYTHING is Bill Clinton's fault, and I'll just keep sitting here, enjoying the meltdown show.
Hey-- who wants nachos?
Posted by the talking dog at June 4, 2004 02:34 PM
Wow TD, that one really blocks the passages, huh?
I think Benny's point was that Clinton's inaction was bad, and Bush's active assistance to Al Qaeda was worse.
You didn't have to chew the guy up.
Posted by Sidney the Sphincter at June 4, 2004 03:13 PM
And why were ill trained reservists sent Iraq?
Because Clinton cut the military.
TD. Stop picking on the Booger.
Posted by They Call Me Mr. Crabcake at June 4, 2004 03:19 PM
Actually, Crabcake Baby, they were sent to Iraq because Dubya had a hard-on to prove he had a bigger one than his daddy and could take out Saddam where old Poppy had failed. They certainly weren't sent for any reason that benefits this country (unless your name happens to be "Halliburton" or "Bechtel", I suppose, because every cloud has to have a solid silver lining)...
Furthermore, in the immediate aftermath of 9-11, THIS President could have politically gotten away with a draft, or at least had a massive call for volunteers-- a call which would have been heeded by an eager nation. Instead, he told us to go shopping, while high-tech spy-planes and Afghan sheep-herders tried to find OBL. BTW, efforts are being stepped up to find him this election year-- the fact that they even COULD BE stepped up suggests we HAVE NOT been doing all we could to find him. But... feel free to blame Bill Clinton for that one too...
Oh, btw-- the Cold War ended. We no longer NEED a massive military-- near as I can tell, that's a pretty good reason to start to draw it down. 9-11 would not have been stopped by a massive, elephantine military. But again-- don't let me stop you from blaming Clinton.
Posted by the talking dog at June 4, 2004 03:34 PM
As opposed to the efforts we made to find OBL before 9/11/01, or more specifically 1/20/01?
Don't worry, since OBL is hiding under ground, when I'm President, I'll just get Thing to find him.
J. Forbes Kerry
Posted by They Call Me Mr. Crabcake at June 4, 2004 05:59 PM
OBL hadn't been declared the most wanted man on the entire Earth-- DEAD OR ALIVE-- by a President who then DECLARED WAR ON TERROR, citing him as the poster child under Bill... something or other... what was his name? Well... ITS NOT FUCKING IMPORTANT, NOW IS IT? (I DO remember that Bill What's-His-Name WASN'T BUSINESS PARTNERS WITH THE BIN LADEN FAMILY, UNLIKE THE CURRENT PREZNIT.)
Nor was OBL allowed to attack NOrth America under Bill What's His Name... ONLY UNDER JUNIOR.
Jeez-- you're trying to ruin my enjoyment of a PERFECTLY GOOD MELTDOWN-- but it won't work! I'm enjoying it anyway!!!
Posted by the talking dog at June 4, 2004 08:55 PM
As it is the 10th anniversary of the murders of Nicole Brown and What's-His-Name, one can only note that OJ has done more to bring the "real killers" to justice than W has to bring Bin Laden to justice.
Posted by Don Downer at June 4, 2004 10:40 PM
Wait a minute TD. Are you suggesting that the Clinton Presidency existed in a vacuum when it came to Al Qaeda?
That really sucks!
Posted by E. Z. Offie ("Gus") at June 4, 2004 10:44 PM
Clinton... was THAT Bill's last name? IIRC (and I do) the first WTC bombing took place barely A MONTH into... Clinton's? first term as President. At that time, I did NOT hear endless harping at that time about HOW IT WAS ALL HIS PREDECESSOR'S FAULT. Why?
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.
This current horseshit of blaming Clinton is just a bad habit that a lot of people can't give up. I'm not going to stand here and say that while he was President, I didn't take my own shots at Bill Clinton. I did.
But once you leave office, the burdens and problems of the Presidency CEASE TO BE YOURS. THAT is the American way.
You get handed the ball on January 20th every fourth year wherever on the field the LAST GUY LEFT IT! PERIOD! I'm not going to stand here and let YOU PEOPLE ABUSE THE AMERICAN WAY!!!
The last guy could have been Good, bad, brilliant, awful-- as I said-- by September of 2001, and by God, people, ITS JUNE of 2004 NOW-- its Junior's show. Junior gets to be off the hook, oh, around the middle of the fourth week of January, next year, when he gets to hand the ball off to the ugly guy with the rich wife.
Posted by the talking dog at June 4, 2004 11:00 PM
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