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Giuliani Says He "Didn’t See The Enormity" of Pre-9/11 Al Qaeda Threat
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ShareDecember 09, 2007 12:32 PM
ABC News' Jan Simmonds Reports: In a wide ranging Sunday morning interview, Rudy Giuliani acknowledged he "didn’t see the enormity" of the threat Al Qaeda placed on the United States before September 11th.
"I wasn't very aware of it (the Al Qaeda threat) before September 11th," Giuliani told NBC's Tim Russert. "I knew about in general, that's what I was saying to the (9/11) Commission."
Giuliani then went on to acknowledge that he knew that Al Qaeda were participants in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and had declared war on the United States in 1998 prior to 2001. But when pressed as to why he didn't make the threat of Al Qaeda a greater priority while Mayor of New York, Giuliani said it was because he "did not see the enormity it."
"Neither did the administration at the time," added Giuliani. "I was dependent on the briefings I was getting from the administration and they were not… I don’t think they saw the threat as big as is was."
On the campaign trail though Giuliani has been highly critical of President Clinton for not seeing the threat, going so far as to saying he had his "head in the sand."
"And now as I said, I don't pretend that he (President Clinton) could predict September the 11th. People are not prophets, even presidents," Giuliani at a Town Hall in Berlin, New Hampshire in November. "But he did have his head in the sand. He was cutting those military budgets and intelligence budgets while Islamic terrorists were killing Americans."
"The first attack on America was not September 11th, it was 1993. And then Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and then Kenya, and then Tanzania, and then the attack on the USS Cole, to which we didn't even respond," said Giuliani at the time. "So let's not go back to that."
In this morning's interview Giuliani seemed to say he also did not see the threat.
"I saw it, I read it, I understood it that it was a problem, but I never envisioned the kind of attack that they did," he said. "You ask me what did I envision at the time? What I envisioned was the kind of suicide bombings that had gone on in Israel. I had been briefed about that, I had been warned about that."
Giuliani was also questioned about the several high profile missteps he made while Mayor of New York concerning security for his current wife, but then girlfriend Judith Nathan, and his judgment as it pertained to Bernard Kerik
On his much publicized granting of a security to Judith Nathan during the early stages of their relationship, Giuliani said it was necessary due to threats on his own life along with those he loved and that when those issues raised about loved ones he allowed professionals outside himself to make that evaluation.
"Every single thing that was done here was done based upon the assessment by someone else that this was necessary. They made the choice," said Giuliani. "My wife Judith would honestly prefer not to have to have security."
As for media reports that claim Judith Nathan was receiving security before it was publicly known that she was dating the Mayor, Giuliani said "that isn't correct." The presidential candidate maintains that security was only given after she was made public that they were seeing each other and upon the assessment of security professionals that such protection was necessary.
Regarding Kerik, Russert cross examined Giuliani about whether he was briefed about future police commissioner's dealing with Lawrence Ray, who was suspected of having business ties to organized crime figures.
Giuliani, who again said he made a mistake regarding Kerik, said he did not recall ever being briefed on the matter, but if he had "known that I wouldn’t have appointed him."
As he recalls it, Giuliani assigned Edward Kuriansky, his Commissioner of Investigations, to vet Kerik.
"Ed told me that he had some recollection of having told me of briefing me on this," said Giuliani. "He also told me that he had cleared Bernard Kerik for the appointment." Kuriansky passed away in July of this year due to a battle with cancer.
Giuliani went on to explain that neither he nor another member of his staff recall Kuriansky raising the issue, but that Kuriansky believes he did after he found a scheduling note regarding that meeting and that it was a topic he planned to discuss.
"He was not sure whether he briefed me or not, he just said he had a note," Giuliani added.
While defending himself on charges of impropriety concerning both Nathan and Kerik, Giuliani noted that his record of achievement stood up for himself.
In an attempt at humor though, Giuliani referred to a New York City mayoral predecessor for how his track record should be perceived.
"As Fio LaGuardia used to say, 'I don't make many mistakes, but when I make them they are big ones,'" Giuliani told Russert with a chuckle.
December 9, 2007 in Giuliani, Rudy | Permalink | User Comments (14)
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Sounds like he and Clinton were more concerned about their sex lives than anything else!
Posted by: kenny | Dec 9, 2007 1:06:14 PM
The difference is that La Guardia didn't run for the presidency! Presidents don't have the choice to make big mistakes. Do you really want another Bush or Nixon in the White House? It really might as well be Hannibal Lector saying "I don't commit many crimes but the ones I do are big ones!"
Posted by: saintlymark | Dec 9, 2007 1:49:48 PM
Within the last year, Rudy stood before the TV cameras defending Bernard Kerik and Monsignor Alan Placa, two devoted friends accused of unconscionable crimes. Kerik was Rudy's mayoral chauffeur and ended up being commissioner of the New York Police Department, a partner in Rudy's consulting firm and Rudy's nominee to President Bush for director of the Department of Homeland Security.
Posted by: Greg | Dec 9, 2007 5:05:15 PM
First, the fact that the only reason Rudy is even in the news is because of a government controlled media propagating system to distract American citizens from the real GOP front runner. Second, the EXCUSE about being misinformed of Al Qaeda, it is common knowledge that more than one of the 9/11 highjackers were CIA operatives and more than a few were at one point or another FBI operatives....even if there were only one suspect with US government ties it would throw a dark shadow on the real scenario, but with the evidence that we have, it is clear that 9/11 was orchastrated by our own government. Only an idiot would disregard this. Giuliani is another moron that the system can control, obviously, just as was done with the dumbest president this country has ever known, George Bush!!!
Posted by: Truth | Dec 9, 2007 6:15:03 PM
Rudy give us a break. my personal feelings are that your unfit to be a president of the US.if you make so called BIG mistakes as you admit to your unworthy on any level to hold any office.
Posted by: carl benson | Dec 9, 2007 6:18:25 PM
Way to make the country confident you have the vision to see an actual threat there rudee...
Oh and love the "Keep your enemies close" pretzel logic of the Qatar fiasco....
It's safe to say that you are nothing but a double talking crook who would mess up the country even worst than the bushes have.
One look at rudy and all I have to say is
GOD BLESS HILLARY CLINTON!
Posted by: fv | Dec 9, 2007 11:38:19 PM
fv: God Bless Hillary Clinton?
Man you Dems are Clueless!
Where was Hillary Clinton during the
weeks and months immediately following
9/11? Hiding under her bed?
While Rudy was showing leadership by keeping the city together(no panic, no riots, Hillary Clinton showed her
cowardice, as she was Missing in Action!
Posted by: reaganfan | Dec 10, 2007 12:11:53 AM
The only person worse than Hillary for America would be Rudy Giuliani. He admits in these few words that he lacks the foresight it takes to be president.
If he didn't see al Qaeda coming with all those signs, how could he know how to fight the Iraq War?
Posted by: Libertarian Girl | Dec 10, 2007 4:35:57 AM
As usual, the Republicans claim that they had no knowledge at all of the looming Al Qeda threat, hence, no responsibility for it when it came but, shovel all the blame for the attacks on Bill Clinton.
Only the most ignorant Repooplican devotee will be fooled by Rudy and his ilk; those who bothered to read the 9/11 Commission's report know otherwise.
Posted by: AnaHadWolves | Dec 10, 2007 7:08:08 AM
GOP lawmakers used the phrase "wag the dog" to describe Clinton's military actions against bin Laden because evangelical religious Republicans empowered in their party were focused on Monica Lewinski. Giuliani more than likely was "wagging" along with the rest of them. So, yeah, I agree. He didn’t see the enormity of the threat to the U.S. because his first priority was for the GOP. Along came the U.S. in at second place.
Posted by: newz4i | Dec 10, 2007 10:36:41 AM
That was a very odd interview - Giuliani should not have been laughing at many of those questions. Furthermore, we want a president who exhibits the qualities the current one is lacking not more incompetence and corruption.
Posted by: BenMurphyNYC | Dec 10, 2007 10:39:00 AM
Of course he wasn't aware, he was a freakin' govenor! he doesn't get breifings from the CIA. and BTW Clinton handed bush a freakin' file on alqueada prioritizing them as a threat and what happened on 9/11 in particular that bush ignored. Don't forget itwas during the reagan years that al queada gained power, and where did they get weapons and training, that's right, from the US via the CIA.
Posted by: Louis | Dec 10, 2007 10:52:29 AM
Louis - very good point about the briefing GW Bush got before the inauguration. Too many people don't remember that from the 9-11 Commission Report.
Posted by: BenMurphyNYC | Dec 10, 2007 11:02:39 AM
Of course the republicans are going to win the election. no way is halliburton going to allow us to leave Iraq and not keep pumping that money into peoples back pockets.
Posted by: ATX | Dec 11, 2007 1:46:58 PM
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