KERRY: Ask the COWARDS Bush & Cheney why they FLED DC after 7/01 warnings

[Stephanie]

They got the warnings and they knew exactly what to do. The chickenhawk cowards got the hell out of Dodge.

They did nothing to protect us. But they made sure they got themselves out of harm's way when they knew the attacks were imminent.

It's patently obvious. Bush is a COWARD. Bush is a FRAUD.

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July 16, 2001: British spy agencies send a report to British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other top officials warning that al-Qaeda is in "the final stages" of preparing a terrorist attack in the West. The prediction is "based on intelligence gleaned not just from MI6 and GCHQ but also from US agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency," which cooperate with the British. "The contents of the July 16 warning would have been passed to the Americans, Whitehall sources confirmed." The report states there is "an acute awareness" that the attack is "a very serious threat." This information could be from or in addition to a warning based on surveillance of al-Qaeda prisoner Khalid al-Fawwaz (see August 21, 2001).

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/main/timelinebefore911.html

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<snip>

Some sources who have read the still-secret congressional report say some sections would not play quite so neatly into White House plans. One portion deals extensively with the stream of U.S. intelligence-agency reports in the summer of 2001 suggesting that Al Qaeda was planning an upcoming attack against the United States—and implicitly raises questions about how Bush and his top aides responded. One such CIA briefing, in July 2001, was particularly chilling and prophetic. It predicted that Osama bin Laden was about to launch a terrorist strike “in the coming weeks,” the congressional investigators found. The intelligence briefing went on to say: “The attack will be spectacular and designed to inflict mass casualties against U.S. facilities or interests. Attack preparations have been made. Attack will occur with little or no warning.”

www.msnbc.com/news/907379.asp?0cv=KA01

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Summer Spinning
To GOP, Vacation Boosted Bush Agenda; To Democrats, Voters See a Shirk Ethic
Aug 29, 2001

<snip>

The White House had announced that Bush would stay at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford from Aug. 4 through Labor Day on Sept. 3, a 31-day stretch that would have broken a modern record for a presidential vacation, held by Richard M. Nixon for a 30-day trip to San Clemente, Calif., in 1969. News reports played up the record, and a Gallup Poll found that 55 percent of respondents thought Bush's vacation was too long.

The length of the trip revived old questions about Bush's work ethic, and the poll and the news coverage caused consternation in the White House. Aides said they had planned an ambitious schedule for Bush as long ago as late June, but reporters were not told about it, even after they landed here. The White House, suddenly defensive, took every opportunity to show Bush on the go and even created a "Western White House" logo for the briefing room at Crawford Elementary School. Bush revealed that his ranch had new video conferencing equipment for keeping in touch with his national security team.

www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A15957-2001

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News story - Aug. 15, 2001
A Working Vacation
Vice President Cheney plans to fish, travel during month-long valley sojourn.
By Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

Vice President Dick Cheney took time off from his month-long working vacation Monday to outline his plans for August in Jackson Hole and to reflect on "an amazing year."

Cheney, who will live at his Teton Pines home about six miles west of Jackson until Labor Day, defended his energy policy, supported a local decision to limit drilling around the Gros Ventre Wilderness, recalled a life of service in Washington and said his health problems are not affecting his ability to fish for trout on his favorite Western waters.

http://www.jacksonholenews.com/Archives/NewsArchive/2001/010815-News.html

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Ashcroft Flying High
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2001

(CBS) Fishing rod in hand, Attorney General John Ashcroft left on a weekend trip to Missouri Thursday afternoon aboard a chartered government jet, reports CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart.

In response to inquiries from CBS News over why Ashcroft was traveling exclusively by leased jet aircraft instead of commercial airlines, the Justice Department cited what it called a "threat assessment" by the FBI, and said Ashcroft has been advised to travel only by private jet for the remainder of his term.

"There was a threat assessment and there are guidelines. He is acting under the guidelines," an FBI spokesman said. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department, however, would identify what the threat was, when it was detected or who made it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/26/national/main303601.shtml

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[Prodemsouth]

1. But that would not be polite.

n/t

[Stephanie]

2. yes, when Dick says that Kerry's election would bring on another attack

it would just be rude to ask Dick what he did about the first one.

[Prodemsouth]

3. Stephaine, my comment was on Kerrys' playing Mr. Nice Guy let me

finish last. I think he should say exactly what you said in your post.

[JI7]

5. he isn't playing that

but many on du rant so much they don't pay attention to what is actually going on.

[Stephanie]

7. I know - I hear that Kerry will take Cheney's attack as an opening

to question WHY the attacks happened on Bush's watch and what they did to prevent it. I am suggesting Kerry also ask this question: did they take the threats so seriously that they fled DC for their own personal safety? It appears that way. But what did they do to protect us? And I ask that as a New Yorker. And I hope Kerry or his team will ask it.

[Prodemsouth]

11. How come that is the across the board opinion by many here and outside

of our own little world. Are that many people wrong about their perception of Kerry's campaign?

[Stephanie]

19. Because most people watch network news

and cable talk shows.

[jackstraw45]

4. Great post, Stephanie, as usual!

:)

[Stephanie]

8. Thank you Jack

Isn't obvious? Bush took a LOT of HEAT for that long vacation so early in his term. He was ribbed about it mercilessly by Leno, Letterman, et al.

What was BushCO's reasoning? Politically it was disadvantageous.

SOMEBODY on Team Bush KNOWS why they skipped town at that opportune moment. It wasn't steadfast leadership in times of change, for sure. It was more like cowards getting out of harm's way.

[Stephanie]

6. Bush didn't come to NYC until September 14

What did he do? The only thing he knows how. Played the cheerleader. Stood on the smoldering grave of the 2749 and cracked wise:

[cthrumatrix]

35. kick

[Stephanie]

9. MONTH long vacations in August - Isn't that rather FRENCH??

Just asking.

[Stephanie]

10. Bush was AWOL on 9/11:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.

+++

9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."

+++

9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.

+++

9:57 a.m.: Bush departs from Florida.

+++

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/11/chronology.attack /

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At 12:39 word is that Bush has landed at a base near Shreveport, La. Incredibly, at 12:51, there is footage of a Taliban news conference by one Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel. It is difficult to absorb that Arafat and the Taliban have weighed in before Bush. Five minutes later ABC reports that in Shreveport "the president looked grim. His eyes were somewhat red." The only hard information is that there are no national security people traveling with the president. ABC's Peter Jennings, breaking protocol for news anchors, says forcefully that the country needs words from its president in Washington.

+++

1:08: More than three hours after the second tower collapsed. A taped message from President Bush. But the sound isn't transmitting, and the image is jerky. Then the image goes backwards. Then it goes off.

+++


2:35: Guiliani live again: "The number of casualties will be more than anyone can bear."

+++

3:30: Confirmation that Bush has landed at the Strategic Air Defense Command base near Omaha, Neb. ABC's Ann Compton, traveling with the president, is on the phone to Peter Jennings, whose inflection says it all: "Annie, can you hear me? What are you doing in Nebraska?"

When he asks where Bush is, she replies, "He disappeared down the rabbit hole, Peter."

+++

3:48: For the first time an administration official, White House counsel Karen Hughes, gives a live statement: "The president, vice-president, and speaker of the House are all safe." It is astonishing that this late in the day the White House has nothing more to say.

+++

At 6:41, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld gives a live press conference -- nearly nine hours after the towers collapsed, a cabinet-level official finally speaks.

+++

8:31: Nearly 12 hours after the attack began, 10 and a half after the towers collapsed, President George W. Bush reads a speech live from the Oval Office.

+++

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-10-05/cols_ventura.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[graywarrior]

12. I remember vivedly the video of them all heading into a bunker.

I will never forget that image. Fucking cowards.

[Stephanie]

13. Q: What did Bush/Cheney do when warned of imminent attacks?

A: NOTHING

[Stephanie]

14. KERRY: Ask BUSH if it isn't rather FRENCH to take month-long vacations

immediately after you learn of an imminent terrorist threat to our nation.

[gulfcoastliberal]

15. This is what needs to be done!

Hammer the message of Bush*Co as inept, incompetent, cowards who did nothing to protect us when they KNEW an attack was on the way. Why oh why do the dems not attack the pugs on their false foundation of "national security"? It will crumble and reveal its filthy rotten roots if investigated properly. Health care and jobs are important - but we can't do anything about them unless we WIN.

[Stephanie]

16. Yes. We need to ask why Bush FAILED when met with the challenge

Bush had ample warnings of an imminent attack. He did NOTHING. Now he wants us to trust HIM with our safety? Based on WHAT?

[SoCalDemocrat]

17. That explains the longest vacation in history

Bush was lying low until the terrorist attack hit. That's pretty damning when you read it in context.

Also interesting that Ashcroft and other officials stopped flying commercial after they received the warnings. Cheney took like 1 or 2 more commercial flights but overall switched to private jets.

___________________________
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=220

Ashcroft Heeded Unspecified Undisclosed ‘Threat Assessment"; Flew in Charter Jets not Commercial Beginning in July of 2001 – Questions that Arise

Rice testified the FBI was on alert but the station chiefs and the agents didn't know according to hundreds of interviews with Commission staff. Why wasn’t the FBI notified after the 5 July 2001 Counterterrorism Security Group meeting when Rice decided to put everyone, she says, on high alert? Why after the CIA’s Presidential Briefing of August 6 wasn’t the FBI fully informed of the threats contained therein especially in light of the urgency of the July 5th meeting?

________________

[Stephanie]

18. That's what I think - it's pretty simple to see connect these dots

Bush chose Flight over Fight.

[RevCheesehead]

23. just like Vietnam, eh? But he didn't fulfill the flight, either n/t

[Octafish]

20. Bush KNEW attack was coming.

Like he later said: "I was just gettin' out of harm's way."

Check out the reports from the G-8 summit in Bologna. They made preparations for aerial attack by hijacked airliners:

Italy Tells of Threat at Genoa Summit

Plot: Officials there took seriously a report that terrorists would try to crash a plane to kill Bush and other leaders.

From a Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — U.S. and Italian officials were warned in July that Islamic terrorists might attempt to kill President Bush and other leaders by crashing an airliner into the Genoa summit of industrialized nations, officials said Wednesday.

Italian officials took the reports seriously enough to prompt extraordinary precautions during the July summit of the Group of 8 nations, including closing the airspace over Genoa and stationing antiaircraft guns at the city's airport.

But a U.S. official said that American counter-terrorism experts considered the warning "unsubstantiated."

CONTINUED...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-092701genoa.story


Why would Osama bin Laden want to kill Dubya, his former business partner?

By James Hatfield

Editor's note: In light of last week's horrific events and the Bush administration's reaction to them, we are reprising the following from the last column Jim Hatfield wrote for Online Journal prior to his tragic death on July 18:

July 3, 2001—There may be fireworks in Genoa, Italy, this month, too.

A plot by Saudi master terrorist, Osama bin Laden, to assassinate Dubya during the July 20 economic summit of world leaders, was uncovered after dozens of suspected Islamic militants linked to bin Laden's international terror network were arrested in Frankfurt, Germany, and Milan, Italy, in April.

German intelligence services have stated that bin Laden is covertly financing neo-Nazi skinhead groups throughout Europe to launch another terrorist attack at a high-profile American target—his first since the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen last October.

According to counter-terrorism experts quoted in Germany's largest newspaper, the attack on Dubya might be a James Bond-like aerial strike in the form of remote-controlled airplanes packed with plastic explosives.

Why would Osama bi Laden want to kill, Dubya, his former business partner?

CONTINUED...

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/Hatfield-R-091901/hatfield-r-091901.html

There are more articles from before 9-11 that detail the threats made at this summit meeting and the actions taken to deter hijacked airplanes. These bastards knew. They knew.

[Octafish]

21. Bush KNEW! Here's EVIDENCE!

Bush FEARED Osama Air Attack at the G-8 summit in July 2001

Here’s more EVIDENCE BUSH KNEW and DID NOTHING to stop the murders of 3,000 people. And it's from news reports before anybody ever heard of the 6 AUG 2001 PDB. In fact, both articles are from JULY 2001.

Smirk was scared of Osama at the G-8 summit in Genoa. In fact, the Italians (and I imagine the Americans) set up a SAM battery to protect the "dignitaries" and the unelected coward, who had to sleep onboard a US destroyer. This is BACK IN JULY, 2001 -- THE THREAT WAS THERE FROM OSAMA! Here's what set off the alarm bells...

Plot to assassinate Bush – reports

July 9, 2001 Posted: 9:23 AM EDT (1323 GMT)

Bin Laden: Believed to have a network of guerrillas

MOSCOW, Russia -- Osama bin Laden has threatened to assassinate U.S. President George W. Bush at a G8 meeting in Italy, the head of Russia's Federal Bodyguard Service has said, according to reports.

The Associated Press said Yevgeny Murov was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying: "Bin Laden is threatening the American president, but we know what international terrorism is today and therefore all the bodyguard units concerned are preparing for this.

"We view the threats as totally serious, but hope that with joint efforts we can solve all the problems."

The Group of Eight summit is meeting between July 20-22 in Genoa, Italy. Leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States are expected to attend the summit.

CONTINUED...


http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/20/russia.binladen/index.html

Here's more...

Missiles to protect summit leaders

Rory Carroll in Rome
Wednesday July 11, 2001
The Guardian

Italy has installed a missile defence system at Genoa's airport to deter airborne attacks during next week's G8 summit, fuelling hysteria about looming violence.

A land-based battery of rockets with a range of nine miles and an altitude of 5,000 feet has been positioned in the latest security measure against perceived threats from terrorists and protesters.

Unidentified planes, helicopters and balloons risk being shot down should they drift too close to the heads of state from the group of seven leading industrialised nations and Russia.
Colonel Alberto Battaglini, of the ministry of defence, said the precaution was not exces sive. "The measure, which was planned by the previous government, may seem open to criticism, but in reality it is merely to act as a deterrent against any aerial incursion during the summit.

"They are little missiles ... which only have a deterrent function to discourage any aerial-led attack and they do not present any danger to the residents of the city," he said.

CONTINUED...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/globalisation/story/0,7369,519925,00.html

The Truth is our best weapon. It sure is nice to put some FEAR into the hearts of traitors. Please remember the dates. These are BEFORE 9-11.

[Stephanie]

22. He knew enough to get himself out of harm's way, at least

And we all know he's the only person he cares about. Couldn't be bothered with protecting NY though. After all, we don't vote for him anyway. And the neocons (read: Cheney) wanted their New Pearl Harbor.

[AntiCoup2K4]

27. And let's not forget that a similar battery of SAM's were used in Florida!

...on the roof of the resort where Junior slept on the night of September 10, 2001.

Or that 3 days before that Jeb signed an executive order allowing him, as governor, to immediately deploy the Florida National Guard under martial law in the event of an emergency such as a terrorist attack

[Stephanie]

29. So the cowardly Bush was forced to prematurely end his vacation

before the attacks had taken place. He was shamed into returning to Washington. But he didn't stay long. He immediately headed for Camp David, and then Florida.

And BushCO clearly knew the threat was imminent based on the EXTREME measures they took to protect Bush in Florida. Missiles set up at the resort? WHY? Is that SOP? I doubt it.

So, umm, why didn't they warn the AIRLINES and update the WATCH LISTS? Why didn't they alert NYC officials?

Think of the lives that would have been saved had officials known to expect a terrorist event. They would have evacuated Tower Two after the first hit.

[RevCheesehead]

25. Q: What exactly were the circumstances on Hatfield's tragic death? n/t

[Stephanie]

26. Driven to suicide:

Preface to the 3rd Edition of "Fortunate Son"
by Mark Crispin Miller

<snip>

And the rest, as they say, is history—or at least those easy pieces of it that the people are allowed to know: Bush became America’s president, and those who had abetted him directly were well-rewarded for it, earning lofty posts in his administration. Karl Rove became the mightiest presidential propagandist in the nation’s history, with right of entry into any White House meeting, whether on a foreign or domestic issue. For his part, Clay Johnson —one of Bush’s classmates at Andover—served first as "Executive Director of the Bush Transition," and then became the White House personnel director. And Jim Hatfield fell apart, the fear and ostracism finally proving more than he could handle. On July 17, 2001—a day that the vice president was politicking for more oil and nuclear production, while Bush was in the White House, bestowing the Medal of Honor on a chopper pilot who had saved some fellow troops in Vietnam—Jim checked in to room 312 at the Days Inn in Springdale, Arkansas, and took a handful of antidepressants, washing them down with lots of fruit juice and vodka. The paramedics found him the next day (when Bush was on his way to Europe, for the bloody G-8 summit in Genoa).

Although his fate was something special in the annals of unauthorized biography, Jim Hatfield certainly was not the only one who, in dealing with the Busheviki, didn’t know what he was up against. Two years after their forced Restoration, we can safely say that very few of us, if any, could have guessed, pre-coup, just how extreme their moves would be if they should be allowed back into power. In retrospect, however, Jim’s ruination—a joint production of the Bush machine and a compliant corporate press—stands out as a very telling sign of things to come.

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/12/18_Fortunate.html

[RevCheesehead]

31. I had no idea...WOW.

:wow:

[Stephanie]

32. Read the rest of that intro

Read how he was threatened over the phone.

[RevCheesehead]

34. I already did. Maybe Kitty Kelley should hire a bodyguard!

n/t

[PurityOfEssence]

24. Use ridicule: they're conservatives; they'd already made up their minds

They were going to cut taxes no matter what: they campaigned that it was time now that the economy was doing well, and when the economy soured, it was to provide a stimulus. They wanted to pop Hussein for years, and used our fear to seize their opportunity. Beers, DiIulio, O'Neill and Clarke all agree: they've long since made up their minds, and the only information they use is that which can be twisted to serve their ends.

Conservatives don't adjust well. They hate change. They want to think they've figured it all out. The tickets were booked. It's vacation time. They'd made their plans. America? Feh.

[Stephanie]

28. It's my belief that the tickets were booked AFTER the July briefing

It wasn't nonchalance. They knew the hits were coming so they got out of the way. In every sense.

[grasswire]

30. here's a project for someone with Nexis, then

Go back to June 1 of 2001, and see if there is ANY mention of an upcoming vacation at the ranch, prior to the date of the July briefing. See when the first story is on the plan to go to Crawford.

[Stephanie]

33. Did you note this line from the article?

Aides said they had planned an ambitious schedule for Bush as long ago as late June, but reporters were not told about it, even after they landed here.

Very suspicious. They had a plan in June, they just didn't tell reporters about it. Oh.

[Stephanie]

36. A kick for the Jersey girls!

Brave women asking tough questions.