9/11 Files Show Warnings Were Urgent and Persistent | NYT

[Ediacara]

9/11 Files Show Warnings Were Urgent and Persistent

By DAVID JOHNSTON and JIM DWYER
Published: April 18, 2004

WASHINGTON, April 17 — Early this year, the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks played four minutes of a call from Betty Ong, a crew member on American Airlines Flight 11. The power of her call could not have been plainer: in a calm voice, Ms. Ong told her supervisors about the hijacking, the weapons the attackers had used, the locations of their seats.

At first, however, Ms. Ong's reports were greeted skeptically by some officials on the ground. "They did not believe her," said Bob Kerrey, a commission member. "They said, `Are you sure?' They asked her to confirm that it wasn't air-rage. Our people on the ground were not prepared for a hijacking."

For most Americans, the disbelief was the same. The attacks of Sept. 11 seemed to come in a stunning burst from nowhere. But now, after two weeks of extraordinary public hearings and a dozen detailed reports, the lengthy documentary record makes clear that predictions of an attack by Al Qaeda had been communicated directly to the highest levels of the government.

More at the New York Times

[bpilgrim]

1. so our intell agencies WORKED but our 'LEADERSHIP' failed

so now we want new INTEL AGENCIES with the same leadership :crazy:

who will hold the leadership to ACCOUNT?
the 911 commision :shrug:

peace

[NMDemDist2]

2. tweedle dee and tweedle dumber

[displacedtexan]

3. "Leader" and "Cheerleader" are not the same.

Bush* supporters are just plain stupid. There. I've said it.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

4. Pentagon Rehearsed For Hijacked Planes Used As Bombs Before 911

Ten months before 911, the Pentagon already ran exercises for the potential scenario of a hijacked airliner crashing into the Pentagon. It's right there on the Pentagon's own website (link below):

"...Washington, D.C., Nov. 3, 2000 — The fire and smoke from the downed passenger aircraft billows from the Pentagon courtyard. Defense Protective Services Police seal the crash sight. Army medics, nurses and doctors scramble to organize aid. An Arlington Fire Department chief dispatches his equipment to the affected areas.

Don Abbott, of Command Emergency Response Training, walks over to the Pentagon and extinguishes the flames. The Pentagon was a model and the "plane crash" was a simulated one. The Pentagon Mass Casualty Exercise, as the crash was called, was just one of several scenarios that emergency response teams were exposed to Oct. 24-26 in the Office of the Secretaries of Defense conference room.

On Oct. 24, there was a mock terrorist incident at the Pentagon Metro stop and a construction accident to name just some of the scenarios that were practiced to better prepare local agencies for real incidents..."

<...more...>

http://www.mdw.army.mil/news/Contingency_Planning.html

[lumpy]

5. The highest levels of government

don't take kindly to advice and forewarnings. Might upset their agenda for world domination by military force.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. I see why they are trying to dismiss the Commission as partisan

This article seems to contain the essence of the Commission's report. While Clinton is not spared, neither is Bush -- and the right doesn't take criticism without attacking its source. If this is something like what the Commission will finally conclude, it's not what most of us would have liked, but it's maybe as much as we could hope for under the circumstances. I think it removes the Twin Towers from Bush campaign ads, and that's quite a lot.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

7. The * campaign is running out of images to use in commercials

They can't use * prancing around in his flight suit.

They can't use * standing in front of the "Mission Accomplished" sign.

Now, it may be that they can't use images of the WTC.

All that's left is a photo of * reading the goat story to a class of elementary children.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Yep, LLinPS -- the real story of Georgie on 9/11....

[boobooday]

8. Incompetents or completely soul-less monsters?

Will we ever know for sure?



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[sandnsea]

9. Soulless fucking monsters

No goddamn freaking doubt in my mind. Nobody could be this goddamn stupid.

They pay the Taliban the $40 whatever million. They decide the warlords in the south are more important than those in the north. (Where the pipeline is) They know an attack is coming and figure it'll be 10-20 people dead. Nobody will pay that much attention and they'll spin their Iraq story. Wolfowitz was saying in July 2001 in answer to alert questions, "Saddam and his ilk", so they were already spinning the idea that Saddam was ultimately responsible for bin laden's terrorist attacks. Don't ask, who the fuck knows how these people's minds work. They'll go into Iraq and being "spreading democracy". They figure that will scare the Taliban who will then succumb to the money. 9/11 happens. Ooops. So they make a quick jog to Afghanistan, because the people really demand it. Get the pipeline started and head for Iraq. A two month delay. Not too shabby.

Soulless fucking monsters. No damn doubt.

[wryter2000]

11. Those aren't mutually exclusive

They could be truly stupid and incompetent soulless monsters.