k "Against All Enemies," Clarke does an amazing job of presenting the facts and connecting the dots. Instead of refuting Clarke's claims, the Bush Administration has launched a campaign of character assassination, hoping that the story will just go away.(2)

We're committed to stopping that from happening by making sure that the American public hears Clarke's extraordinary comments. If we can raise $300,000 in the next few days, we can run a hard-hitting ad nationally that highlights his message. You can see a rough story board of the ad and donate to get it on the air at: https://www.moveonpac.org/clarkead.html?id=2487-656901-v1Tt8RaYukdUe7vTQy7qFQ

When the World Trade Center was hit on the morning of 9/11, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice dubbed Richard Clarke, the administration's top counter-terrorism official, "crisis manager."(3) As the White House, which was thought to be the next target, was evacuated, Clarke heroically stayed on, coordinating the government's response from the Situation Room in the West Wing.(4)

Clarke is viewed by colleagues as a hawk, a "true believer" who doesn't play partisan politics.(5) So the shocking facts he revealed about the Bush administration's approach to terrorism before 9/11 and its response after must be taken seriously. On Sunday, Clarke told reporters that the President and Defense Secretary downgraded counter-terrorism and ignored repeated warnings about an al Qaeda attack prior to 9/11. And, perhaps even more explosive, Clarke revealed that President Bush and senior administration officials wanted to bomb Iraq after 9/11 even though they knew that it had no connection to al Qaeda, and that al Qaeda was responsible for the attacks.(6)

Already, the White House spin machine is in overdrive. Since they can't rebut Clarke's facts -- which independent witnesses have confirmed(7) -- they're trying to paint him as an angry partisan, even though he's a Republican. But Clarke's words remain a searing indictment of the Bush Administration's campaign against terrorism. Together, if we act today, we can beat back the spin by widely airing a TV ad which gets these uniquely credible comments directly to TV viewers.

You can view a story board of the ad and help us get it on the air now at: https://www.moveonpac.org/clarkead.html?id=2487-656901-v1Tt8RaYukdUe7vTQy7qFQ

In his own words, here are some of Clarke's revelations:

* Clarke repeatedly warned the Bush Administration about attacks from al Qaeda, starting in the first days of Bush's term. "But on January 24th, 2001, I wrote a memo to Condoleezza Rice asking for, urgently -- underlined urgently -- a Cabinet-level meeting to deal with the impending al Qaeda attack. And that urgent memo-- wasn't acted on."(8) According to another Bush administration security official, Clarke "was the guy pushing hardest, saying again and again that something big was going to happen, including possibly here in the U.S." The official added that Clarke was likely sidelined because he had served in the previous (Clinton) administration.(9)

* In face-to-face meetings, CIA Director George Tenet warned President Bush repeatedly in the months before 9/11 that an attack was coming. According to Clarke, Tenet told the President that "A major al-Qaeda attack is going to happen against the United States somewhere in the world in the weeks and months ahead."(10)

* On September 12, 2001, Donald Rumsfeld pushed to bomb Iraq even though they knew that al Qaeda was in Afghanistan. "Rumsfeld was saying that we needed to bomb Iraq," Clarke said. "And we all said ... no, no. Al-Qaeda is in Afghanistan. We need to bomb Afghanistan. And Rumsfeld said there aren't any good targets in Afghanistan. And there are lots of good targets in Iraq. I said, 'Well, there are lots of good targets in lots of places, but Iraq had nothing to do with it.'"(11)

* Also on September 12, 2001, President Bush personally pushed Clarke to find evidence that Iraq was behind the attacks. From the New York Times: "'I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything,' Mr. Clarke writes that Mr. Bush told him. 'See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way.' When Mr. Clarke protested that the culprit was Al Qaeda, not Iraq, Mr. Bush testily ordered him, he writes, to 'look into Iraq, Saddam,' and then left the room."(12)

* The Bush Administration knew from the beginning that there was no connection between Iraq and 9/11, but created the misperception in order to push their policy goals. "[Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush] did know better. They did know better. They did know better. We told them, the CIA told them, the FBI told them. They did know better. And the tragedy here is that Americans went to their death in Iraq thinking that they were avenging September 11th, when Iraq had nothing to do with September 11th. I think for a commander-in-chief and a vice president to allow that to happen is unconscionable."(13)

* The war on Iraq has increased the danger of terrorism. In his book, he writes that shifting from al Qaeda to Iraq "launched an unnecessary and costly war in Iraq that strengthened the fundamentalist, radical Islamic terrorist movement worldwide."(14)

It's been well reported that President Bush intends to run on his record as a wartime President. Clarke's revelations show how deeply flawed that record is. But if we don't act fast, the public may not have a chance to evaluate the facts for themselves -- the story could go away quickly. With an ad, we can take Clarke's comments directly to the public. Can you help? Check out the script and donate whatever you can to get this story out there at: https://www.moveonpac.org/clarkead.html?id=2487-656901-v1Tt8RaYukdUe7vTQy7qFQ

(By the way, if we're unable to use your contribution for the ad you specify, either because of oversubscription or for another unforeseen reason, it is our policy to use your contribution for other advertising, public relations, and advocacy activities.)

Richard Clarke had an intimate view -- perhaps the best view -- of how the Bush Administration responded to terrorism. So we should all listen carefully when he says: "Frankly, I find it outrageous that the president is running for re-election on the grounds that he's done such great things about terrorism. He ignored it. He ignored terrorism for months, when maybe we could have done something to stop 9/11. Maybe. We'll never know. . . I think the way he has responded to al-Qaeda, both before 9/11 by doing nothing, and by what he's done after 9/11 has made us less safe, absolutely. I think he's done a terrible job on the war against terrorism."(15)

Together, we can make sure every American knows what President Bush's true record on terrorism really is.

Sincerely, --Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, and Wes The MoveOn PAC Team March 24th, 2004

P.S. Salon has recently published a new interview with Clarke. You can read it at: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/03/24/clarke_moveon/

P.P.S. As the Administration strikes back, our friends at the Center for American Progress have put together an excellent rebuttal to their claims. Here's an example:

CLAIM #1: "Richard Clarke had plenty of opportunities to tell us in the administration that he thought the war on terrorism was moving in the wrong direction and he chose not to." -- National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 3/22/04

FACT: Clarke sent a memo to Rice principals on 1/24/01 marked "urgent" asking for a Cabinet-level meeting to deal with an impending Al Qaeda attack. The White House acknowledges this, but says "principals did not need to have a formal meeting to discuss the threat." No meeting occurred until one week before 9/11. -- White House Press Release, 3/21/04

For the whole document, go to: http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=39828

Footnotes:

1. "Dissent from within on Iraq war," Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/24/04 http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/8260216.htm?1c

2. "Bush Aides Blast Ex-Terror Chief," CBS News, 3/22/04 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/23/terror/main608107.shtml

3. "The book on Richard Clarke," Washington Post, 3/23/04 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16192-2004Mar22.html

4. "Clarke's Take On Terror," CBS, 3/21/04 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/60minutes/main607356.shtml

5. See 3, above.

6. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.

7. "Ex-Bush Aide Sets Off Debate as 9/11 Hearing Opens," New York Times, 3/23/04 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/politics/23CLAR.html?hp

8. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.

9. See 7, above.

10. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.

11. "Sept. 11: Before And After," CBS News, 3/20/04 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/20/60minutes/main607622.shtml

12. "Excerpts from 'Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror' by Richard A. Clarke," posted on NYTimes.com, 3/23/04 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/politics/23CWOR.html

13. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.

14. "Memoir Criticizes Bush 9/11 Response," Washington Post, 3/22/04 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13607-2004Mar21.html

15. "60 Minutes" interview; see 4, above.

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Questions for 911 Steering Commitee http://www.911independentcommision.org/

In addition to the 23 questions offered, I offer these for professional prosecuting attorneys to ask of the following people, in public testimony under oath:

24) Dick Cheney: "The airliners turned around at Erie Pennsylvania and were off-course for approximately one-hour, at the wrong altitude, at the wrong speed, without radio contact. That could not have happened unless people were told to stand down. Who gave the order to effect the standing down?"

25) George Bush: "When you were told of the 2nd attack on the WTC - Why did you just sit there and be photographed? Ordinary Americans are shocked and awed at your behavior and that listening to children read a goat story for the next 30 minutes was your priority as commander-in-chief, after hearing the news whispered to you by Andrew Card, evident in the photograph of you in the children's classroom published worldwide; Yet, this is the record.

26) Dr. Condoleeza Rice: "In an interview with Oprah, publiched on the internet - inwhich also later had another portion "scrubbed" to erase your stuttering answer to replace it with the sound of fingersnapping - we heard you say, in this interview, that your response to the first attack on the WTC was "how weird". In your phone call to president George Bush, you said he concurred with the statement "how weird".

Ordinary Americans want to know how can the National Security Advisor, with foreknowledge of WTC being hit iin the '90's, advise on National Security with this level of 'Intelligence"? Is "how weird" some kind of "code" between the National Security Advisor and the President of the UNITED STATES?

27) George Bush: "At a speech you gave at the Town Hall Meeting in FL for Displaced Workers on December 12, 2001, you answered a question from and 8 year-old child, Jordan (published at whitehouse.gov website). You said, Mr.Bush, you saw the 1st attack on television before you were "whisked" away for your reading lesson.

Would you explain to ordinary Americans how you obtained live coverage of the 1st hijacked plane with PEOPLE crashing into the WTC while it was happening?

Also, explain your connections to the camera crew, who are they, how did you setup your satellite connection in FL, and who did this for you?

Also, please tell us of your exquisite TIMING in being in the right place and time at the EXACT MOMENT to be the ONLY person of record in the world to receive live coverage of the 1st attack on the soil of the country of The united States of America?

Also, do you think your answer might be confusing for an 8 year-old child to hear? Although, it did allow you to tell Jordan you thought that was a "bad pilot" - you thought you were a "better pilot". However, the record shows this is far from accurate. Your bravado response to this child certainly has no record of bravery. Specifically, your actions - rather, NON_ACTIONS on 911.

Be advised, your answers, already published on record, already are incriminating proof and testimaony to millions of Americans to whom you had taken the highest oath of Trust in the Land, of your indictable acts of treason against them and the Land of The united States of America."

Thank You 911 Steering Committee Larraine Hayes

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