From Philip Shenon of the NY Times: Washington -- Draft reports by the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks portray Attorney General John Ashcroft as largely uninterested in counterterrorism issues before Sept. 11 despite intelligence warnings that summer that al Qaeda was planning a large, perhaps catastrophic terrorist attack, according to panel officials and others with access to the reports. They said the draft reports, which are expected to be completed and made public during two days of hearings by the commission this week, show that FBI officials were alarmed throughout 2001 by what they perceived as Ashcroft's lack of interest in terrorism issues and his decision in August 2001 to turn down the bureau's request for a large expansion of its counterterrorism programs. The draft reports, they said, quote the FBI's former counterterrorism chief, Dale Watson, as saying that he "fell off my chair" when he learned that Ashcroft had failed to list combating terrorism as one of the department's priorities in a March 2001 departmentwide memo. They said the reports will also quote from internal memos by Thomas Pickard, acting director of the FBI in the summer of 2001, in which Pickard described his frustration with Ashcroft and what he saw as the attorney general's lack of interest in the issue of how the bureau was investigating terror suspects in the United States.
DON'T YOU PAY ATTENTION!?!?!? PORNOGRAPHY, NOT TERRORISM, IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FACING THE USA TODAY!!! Come on, man, get with the program!! PS - that's why we have the Patriot Act -- because the Bush regime's minions are too fucking stupid to do their job right without the extra punch they get from dissolving the Bill Of Rights (that's the first Ten Amendments of the Constitution, for those of you who are either not Americans, or Republicans).
And you wonder why the Bush Administration was initially against the "911 Commission" and how they stonewalled this commission very early on when they did not allow it the power to "subpoena". Duh.
and don't forget those damned hippie cancer patients and 80-yr. old glaucoma sufferers trying to use their "illnesses" to score pot. http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr120303gsmm.html thank goodness asscroft is ever-vigilant, protecting the god-fearing land of the free by prosecuting these wicked agents of satan. 80 yr. old druggies are almost as bad as nude statues and bad words, you know.
Attorney General Ashcroft denied funds ( back in May of 2001 ) to the FBI for "counter-terrorism" so says acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard. The day before the 911 al-Qaida struck, Ashcroft rejected again an agency appeal for more funding. General Attorney Ashcroft also told Pickard in the summer of 2001 that "he did not want to hear" additional information about possible attacks.
So now liberals are shaking with indignation that the FBI's budget was not increased? What a laugh. I'm sure John Kerry would have voted against it, just as we voted against the CIA budget. Don't you guys ever have an original thought? And you can't understand why Kerry is going nowhere and Lib Radio will fall flat on its face? No one wants to listen to your constant whining and conspiracy theories.
Man are you a complete ignoramus or just plain stupid???? you talk bubble bulshit, NOW CHECK THE FACTS: Bubba vs Scumya Clinton Clinton said he is seeking $1.4 billion to implement anti- terrorism measures" http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/01/22/clinton.terrorism/ Bush Jr FBI Budget Squeezed After 9/11 Request for New Counterterror Funds Cut by Two-Thirds http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A13541-2004Mar21?language=printer What the hell is wrong with you? lol another factoid to keep in mind I guess
So it looks like someone is lying between Asscroft and former FBI Director Thomas Pickard. Who do you believe?
Bungrider & Madison, thank you for posting my reply for me...that is my exact response to this...almost word for word. Protecting cancer patients from the *horrors* of voluntary marijuana smoke was obviously a far greater priority to Asscroft than protecting 3,000 NY office workers from getting brutally murdered by terrorists.
I've just had an epiphany! Ashcroft is in fact doing a great job in combating terrorism...here's why: According to Dubya, the Islamic terrorists only attack America because they hate our freedom. (Muslims apparently never attack non-free countries like Russia, Indonesia, India, Uzbekistan, or Algeria) Ok, so Ashcroft's strategy is to heartlessly strip away our freedoms, shredding the Bill Of Rights...but he's only doing this in order to protect us! Ashcroft's efforts to turn America into a Fascist Theocracy will clearly make us safe from terrorism, as there will be no more freedom for the terrorists to attack! It's brilliant!