A FORMER MEMBER OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION SAYS THAT THE
COMMISSION REPORT THEY PRODUCED BACK IN 2004 DIDN'T MAKE CLEAR
THE EXTENT OF ALL OF THE EVIDENCE THEY HAD AT THAT POINT
THAT MEMBERS OF THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN INVOLVED,
LINKED IN SOME FASHION WITH THE HIJACKERS, OR AT LEAST SOME OF
THE HIJACKERS.
JOHN LEHMAN, FORMER REPUBLICAN ON THE 9/11
COMMISSION, SAID --
I DON'T KNOW THAT EXONERATION IS NECESSARILY THE WORD I WOULD
USE FOR IT, IT DOES SAY THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH SAUDI
ARABIA.
BUT IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T GO AS FAR AS HE AND ONE OTHER
ANONYMOUS MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION IS SAYING THAT THEY
SHOULD HAVE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THEY HAD.
RECENTLY
THE 9/11 COMMISSION CHAIRMAN, FORMER REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TOM
KEAN OF NEW JERSEY --
WHICH MIGHT SEEM AS IF, WELL, WE LOOKED AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE
GUY WHO WAS SORT OF INVOLVED IN SOME FASHION, BUT LEHMAN SAID
THAT --
BUT, HOWEVER, HE DOES SAY THAT --
SIMPLY THAT THERE WAS MORE INVOLVEMENT ON THE PART OF SOME
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REVEALED.
THESE COMMISSIONS, THIS IS WHY PEOPLE GET SKEPTICAL AND
CYNICAL.
ON THE COMMISSION ON WHO SHOT JFK, YOU HAD ALAN
DULLES WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS MOST
HEAVILY INDICATED IN BEING INVOLVED.
OOPS.
THEN WOULDN'T HE BE AN EXPERT?
I SUPPOSE HE WOULD.
AN EXPERT WITNESS.
HE USED TO RUN THE CIA, HE GOT FIRED BY JFK, HATED JFK, A
CURIOUS GUIDE TO PUT ON A COMMISSION TO FIND OUT WHO
KILLED HIM, EVEN IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THE OTHER STUFF.
ON THIS COMMISSION, WE HAD 28 PAGES TALKING ABOUT HOW INVOLVED
SAUDI ARABIA WAS.
THAT IS THE 28 PAGES THEY LEFT OUT.
AND THEN
INSTEAD, THAT IS WHY I THINK EVEN LEHMAN DOESN'T GO FAR
ENOUGH, KEAN COMES OUT AND SAYS SAUDI ARABIA HAS BEEN AN ALLY IN
THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THOSE 28
PAGES SAID.
STAPLES
WAS BUSY THAT DAY WHEN THEY WERE MAKING THE PHOTOCOPIES.
TO SAY THAT THEY ARE AN ALLY IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM IS TO
LOOK NARROWLY AT SPECIFICALLY THE TACTICAL ASSISTANCE THEY
GIVE US IN COUNTERTERRORISM, INTELLIGENCE STUFF, AND TO
IGNORE THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE PHILOSOPHY OF THE KINGDOM IS
FOUNDED ON SPREADING RADICAL JIHADIST IDEOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD IN PLACES AS FAR AWAY AS INDONESIA -- I USED TO GO TO
INDONESIA AS A KID ON OCCASIONS, YOU WOULD NEVER HEAR ARABIC
BEING SPOKEN.
NOW YOU DO.
THE SAUDIS HEART OF THE WAR ON
TERRORISM WHAT THE USSR IS TO THE COLD WAR.
THEY ARE THE
SOURCE OF ALL THE IDEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, AND THEN THEY TURN
AROUND AND SAY BUT WE LET YOU KNOW THERE WAS THIS NASTY GUY
SNEAKING INTO THE COUNTRY.
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR
ASSISTANCE.
I LIKE THE IDEA IT WAS ONLY ONE GUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT, SO
NO BIG DEAL.
THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS?
IT IS A GOOD THING WE FLEW THEM OUT RIGHT AWAY.
ISN'T THAT
AMAZING?
IMAGINE IF OBAMA HAD GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO PROTECT
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT LEAST IMPLICATED, AND SOME OF WHOM WE
ADMIT WHERE INDICATED, IN THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK AGAINST
THIS COUNTRY?
WHAT DO YOU THINK REPUBLICANS WOULD HAVE DONE WITH
THAT?
YOU FLEW OUT THE GUYS WHO WERE IMPLICATED IN KILLING 3000
AMERICANS AND TAKING DOWN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, BUT IN THE
WORLD?
FORGET FLYING OUT, IF HE HADN'T IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT THEM
AND TORTURED THEM, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SCANDAL ON TOP OF
SCANDAL.
MORE PROOF HE IS MUSLIM.
BUT TO BE FAIR, EVERYONE IS BUZZING ABOUT HOW BUSH
MIGHT BE MUSLIM, PROBABLY FAIR IS FAIR.
IT IS WEIRD THAT EVEN AT THE TIME, AND WE HAVE KNOWN OF THAT
FOR A LONG TIME, FAMOUSLY IN FAHRENHEIT 9/11 AND ALL THAT,
BUT IT NEVER STUCK TO BUSH AT THE TIME.
IT WAS ODD THAT HE WAS
ABLE TO BASICALLY RUN FOR REELECTION ON THE STRENGTH WITH
WHICH HE PROSECUTES THE WAR ON TERROR, AND HOW HE IS THE ONE
WILLING TO STAND UP, ALTHOUGH NOW ACTUALLY BY COMPARISON TO
THE POLITICIANS WE HAVE TODAY ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE HE SEEMS
LIKE THE FRIENDLIEST PERSON TOWARDS ISLAM IN THE WORLD,
BASICALLY, SINCE HE DOESN'T THINK EVERYONE OF THEM
SHOULD BE KILLED OR BANNED FROM THE COUNTRY.
BUT THE FACT THAT IT NEVER STUCK TO HIM IS SO ODD, THE COGNITIVE
DISSONANCE THOSE ON THE RIGHT WERE ABLE TO SUSTAIN FOR YEARS.
DON'T YOU THINK THAT IS BECAUSE AT THE TIME WE HAD NO
IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON?
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN'S UNDERSTANDING
OF THE MIDDLE EAST, ISLAM, AND THE ARAB WORLD MAY BE BAD NOW,
BUT IN 2001 NOBODY HAD A CLUE.
SO THE IDEA OF HIM BEING A
HYPOCRITE FOR SUPPORTING AND BEING BUDDIES WITH THE SAUDIS,
AVERAGE AMERICAN VOTER WAS LIKE, HE'S THE PRESIDENT, I'M SURE HE
KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING.
BUT NOW THE IDEA THAT THERE IS NO
PUSHBACK AGAINST OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAUDI
ARABIA, IT HAS BEEN 15 YEARS, WE SHOULD KNOW BETTER.
DIDN'T FAHRENHEIT 9/11 COME OUT BEFORE THE ELECTION IN 2004?
THAT IS MY MEMORY BUT IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME.
I THINK IT WAS RUSHED OUT SO IT COULD BE OUT BEFORE.
THAT IS MY RECOLLECTION AS WELL.
YOU ARE RIGHT IN THAT NOW
THERE IS FINALLY A LITTLE BIT OF BUZZ ABOUT, HEY, MAYBE
PARTNERING UP WITH THE SAUDIS, NOT A BRILLIANT IDEA, BACK THEN
THERE WAS NONE OF THAT.
BUT THIS GOES TO THE PATHETIC NATURE OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
IF I'M RUNNING AGAINST GEORGE W. BUSH
AND 15 OUT OF THE 19 HIJACKERS ARE FROM SAUDI ARABIA AND HE
ACCIDENTALLY INVADED IRAQ, AND BY THE WAY THAT IS YOUR BEST
CASE SCENARIO, THAT IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, AND WE FIND OUT BEFORE
THE ELECTION THAT HE FLEW OUT THE SAUDIS, I WOULD HAVE POUNDED
HIM ON THAT.
THE GUY HELPED THEM.
AND IT TOOK SO LONG, AND
IT TOOK DONALD TRUMP TO FINALLY SAY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DID A
GREAT JOB PROTECTING US AFTER 9/11?
THE WORST TERRORIST ATTACK
IN U.S. HISTORY HAPPENED ON YOUR WATCH.
AND THEY SAID NINE
MONTHS, THAT IS NOT FAIR, IS THAT REALLY HIS PRESIDENCY?
NINE
MINUTES INTO OBAMA'S PRESIDENCY THEY WERE BLAMING HIM FOR
THE DEFICIT BUSH LEFT BEHIND.
AND IT IS NOT LIKE CONDI DIDN'T GET THE PRESIDENT TO
BRIEFINGS, SOMETHING VAGUE ABOUT, OSAMA BIN LADEN TO
ATTACK INSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
I BELIEVE THE WORD WAS DETERMINED TO ATTACK INSIDE
THE UNITED STATES.
THAT IS NO SMOKING GUN.
THAT IS OPEN TO INTERPRETATION.
LET'S NOT GIVE TOO MUCH CREDIT TO DONALD TRUMP, HE BROUGHT
IT UP BUT HE ALSO TRIES TO PRESENT HIMSELF AS HAVING
BEEN STRONG THAT WAY BACK IN THE DAY, AND HE WAS NOT.
I LOVE THE PART WHERE THIS ARTICLE SAYS, OTHER COMMISSION
MEMBERS HAVE CALLED FOR THESE DOCUMENTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN
REVIEWED BY SOME LAWMAKERS TO BE RELEASED EVEN IF DOING SO
DAMAGED THE COMMISSION'S LEGACY.
THIS IS IMPRESSIVE, THEY ARE
ACTUALLY SAYING EVEN IF IT HAS THE TRUTH IN IT, WE SHOULD DO
IT.
THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING, I KNOW WE ARE TAKING IT FOR
GRANTED, BUT THEY ARE SAYING THAT EVEN IF IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE
BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE WERE LYING, MAYBE WE
SHOULD STILL LET THE TRUTH OUT.
THAT IS THE POINT OF RELEASING
THIS -- THEIR LEGACY WILL BE DAMAGED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT
RELEASING THESE THINGS.
THAT IS THE PRICE YOU PAY WHEN YOU ARE
COVERING SOMETHING UP.
THE LEGACY IS DAMAGED WHEN IT IS RELEASED.
ALL THE PAPERS COVERING THIS, YOU ARE RIGHT, KATIE, THEY TREAT
THIS AS, GOOD ON THEM.
INSTEAD OF, WOW, WE HAVE SUNK TO SUCH A
LEVEL THAT WHEN SOMEONE SAYS MAYBE WE SHOULD REVEAL THE TRUTH
BECAUSE WE WORK IN THE GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE ARE LIKE,
WOW.
PAT ON THE BACK.
USA, USA!
SHOULDN'T
THAT BE WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO ALL THE TIME IN A DEMOCRACY?
THIS ALSO SPEAKS TO THE MASSIVE OVER CLASSIFICATION OF
EVERYTHING.
EVEN HILLARY'S EMAILS, SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE
IT, BUT NONETHELESS WHY IS EVERYTHING IN GOVERNMENT AT
LEAST SECRET IF NOT TOP-SECRET IF NOT A HIGHER LEVEL OF
CLASSIFICATION?
THE STUFF DOESN'T NEED TO BE SECRET, WE
ALL KNOW THE SAUDIS WERE INVOLVED IN SOME WAY, AND
HEAVEN FOR BID WE MIGHT OFFEND THEIR FEELINGS.
I SUSPECT IT IS A NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF, AS YOU
ACCUMULATE MORE AND MORE POWER IN THE GOVERNMENT GENERALLY, AND
THE EXECUTIVE AND SPECIFICALLY, I THINK WANTING TO KEEP CONTROL
OF YOUR INFORMATION IS A PART OF THAT.
I BET YOU CAN SEE IT IN
OTHER REGIMES AS WELL.
BUT IT'S AMAZING THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS WORKED FROM DAY ONE TO PROTECT THE
RECORD OF THE BUSH DEMONSTRATION.
CAN YOU IMAGINE A
REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION WILLING TO BE DAMAGED NOW,
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CRITICIZING OBAMA NOT BEING MORE
FORTHCOMING, NO REPUBLICAN WOULD DO THAT FOR OBAMA.
I'M NOT SURE HE IS DOING IT FOR BUSH, HE RUNS QUITE A
PARANOID ADMINISTRATION.
IT IS INTRINSIC TO HIS VIEW IN THE
WORLD THAT A STRONG EXECUTIVE SHOULD HAVE A BUNCH OF SECRETS
AND THAT IS CONSISTENT BETWEEN THE BUSH AND OBAMA
ADMINISTRATIONS.
THAT IS MY POINT ABOUT LEHMAN, HE JUST LEAKED
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ACCORDING TO THE LAST TWO ADMINISTRATIONS.
I ASSUME THEY WILL THROW HIM IN JAIL.
HE IS ON HIS WAY TO RUSSIA.
THAT'S RIGHT, HE IS POWERFUL SO HE WON'T GET ANY
CONSEQUENCE EVEN THOUGH HE BRAZENLY DID.
I'M ON HIS SIDE, I WANT THE INFORMATION OUT, BUT LET'S
JUST NOTE THE HYPOCRISY.
PRETEND TO BE CONSISTENT.
WE ALL KNOW YOU ARE NOT --
IF YOU HAVE A WHISTLEBLOWER THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T
LIKE, REVEALS INFORMATION THEY DON'T WANT, HE WILL BE CHASED TO
THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
BUT IF IT IS A POWERFUL GUY WHO WAS ON THE
9/11 COMMISSION, I LEAKED IT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
YOU
ARE GOING TO DO A THING ABOUT IT.
FINALLY, TO JOSH'S POINT,
THE GUYS WHO WERE MOST INDICATED WHERE THE SAUDI MINISTRY OF
ISLAMIC AFFAIRS.
NO SHIT, SHERLOCK.
THESE GUYS ARE
SPREADING THE POISON OF WAHHABISM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
IT WOULD BE SURPRISING IF THEY DIDN'T HELP AL QAEDA.
THEY WOULD BE ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL.
IF THEY DIDN'T FUND AL QAEDA THEY WOULD BE MORTIFIED.
WORST JOB EVER.
YOU ARE SO FIRED.