Good job "Brownie"

Report the facts and leave the opinions on the editorial pages. Although the vast majority of the material is liberal, certainly there are issues with reports which lean conservatively as well. Just report the facts, accurately and unbiasedly and let us decide.
The first major news organization (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox) to do so - will find they cleanup in the ratings and in the dollars.

The is 'fall guy #?'. How many does this make and how many will it take?

Time to CHANGE history so more - Just make sure we don't blame Bush and Cheney for ANYTHING.

I hope that more such reports will place high officials on notice that they are not going to be praised and lauded for failure and that they take the motto from Spider Man to heart "With great strength comes great repsonsibility". It is very disheartening to learn about the failures of U.S. intelligence officials and to accept that the Pres. of the U.S. is really a mediocre fellow who mislead us into a war that is not making us any safer than we were on 9/11 and that his war has needlessly drained money and resources and ended the lives or caused terrible bodily harm to thousands of soldiers and caused their families and friends so much suffering. But, it is extemely important that reports such as this are made public so that the people who did not live up to the awesome responsiblity they took on, or failed, are at least held accountable and burdoned by shame. Without a sense of shame there can be no effort on the part of officials not to get big headed and have the humility and to review and correct sloppy systemic errors and miscalculations. It is sad to hear George Tenent arguing his own merits but he can continue to do so only because Pres. Bush (to cover his own poor eadership) rewarded him for his incompetence with a medal of honor. Let's stop praising failure and demand results.

Gee is he going to return his "medal of freedom" now or keep it to show everyone how anybody in Bush's government gets rewarded when they tow the company line! From Tenant on, Bush and Cheney wanted to invade Iraq it was Tenant's job to make sure the accusations they leveled were in line with "the facts", and if they weren't then make them! So they did and here we all are, looking at a broken country, broken military, broken economy here, there, their infrastructure is blown all to hell, ours is collapsing. So in reality Bush has dealt the world two for one, he took out Iraq and the U.S. at the same time, who needs Terrorist!

When the Iran Contra affair became apparent Ronald Reagan as President of the United States said I am in charge. It is my fault.

George W Bush presides over a terrorist attack in which he was warned first by the outgoing Clinton government and then repeatedly by Richard Clarke, the response of which was a demotion.

Not by George Tenet but by Condoleeza Rice. A member of the Bush cabinet. There was a state of denial throughout the Bush government. Tenet is been produced as the fall guy.

Richrd Clarke had produced a plan to counter Al Qaeda it was not enacted.

Bush Jr. will probably give him ANOTHER Medal of Freedom for this!

How CONVEEEENIENT!
This administration will toss their own under the wheels when it comes right down to it.

Close, but not quite right... I think that the ultimate failure should go to the ultimate decision maker. Who might that be? History belongs to the bold, at least until the meek inherit the earth.

Whatever happened to Truman's, "The Buck stops here?"

Why are the digits for eleven in 9/11 not digits, but some other charachter? '18 months...' used the correct characted for the number one, why not in '9/11'? Just curious...

Tenet received the nation's highest civilian honor.

President Bush thinks of him as a National Hero.

Something doesn't add up.

Bill Clinton, Madeline Albright, Sandy Burger, Richard Clark,George Tenet
"bears ultimate responsibility" for failing to create a strategic plan to stop al Qaeda prior to 9/11. Sandy Burger stealing documents before the 9/11 commission report, what does that tell you, he and that whole bunch had something to hide. Qaeda didn't master mind that attack in the 7 month Bush was in office...Clinton was worthless, look at all the attacks on AMERICA starting with the World Trade center in 93... and they did nothing.....

Wow. This goes beyond neglegence. This is intentional overlooking of known threats to the united states of america. Back in the day, they hung traitors and cospiritors, the least they can do now, is remove from positions of power, any of the people involved in this horrific lapse in security. We can call those responsible ignorant as long as we want, but the truth is, these people are not ignorant, they are on top of more than WE even know and they knew precisely the danger these men possed to the U.S. THIS IS TREASON! NO MORE PUTTING UP WITH OUR LEADERS FEIGNING IGNORANCE! HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE!

Why the hell is 9/11 written with two letter L's twice in this article?

Nice. Where does idiot clinton hack Jamie Gorelick fit into the blame when she cemented the division between the CIA and FBI?

like the man said..."Heckuva job, Tenet"

Another coverup garbage

This wont go over well with the loony left. This means they cant blame Bush for this anymore. What a shame!

Why does this not suprise me? I'm sure it suprises some but watching this unfold for so many years, it doesn't suprise me one bit, being in government myself.

Too bad the FBI CIA did not share information. Hell even a FEMALE FBI agent had put it all together. The headstrong MALE leadership of the FBI just slushed it off as a female hunch.

Hmmm,... maybe there's something to this womans intuition, nope; she had all the names AND Facts

I just read through the left-wing chatter: Bush lied, good men died, blah, blah. If the libs were not so intent on blaming Bush, they may be able to realize that everyone, and I mean everyone believed the same intelligence data. Now the question is: who was responsible for collecting that data? Answer: George Tenet.

maybe Bush can give Scooter Libby the medal of freedom too...can't wait until Jan 2009, don't let the door "slam-dunk" you when you leave the whitehouse, you lame duck...

Well, it certainly clears Bush. Bush was in office only 7 months and the Al Quada were in place and fully trained before he even took office. Too bad Bush wanted to "change the tone" in Washington and kept Clinton's people in key positions when he should have striped all of Clintons failures out immediately. It is clear that Gorelick, Tenet, and Sandy Berger caused the problem. I still wonder what important documents Berger stole from the National Archives.

Who is to blame? How about the people that planned the 9/11 attacks, and those that implemented the plan.

I know it is tough for most whiners to do anything other than blame Bush for everything, but hey...most people are simple minded apes who can barely take care of themselves.

I thought the terrorists were responsible for 9/11. Why doesn't someone write a report blaming them?

Of course, in the world of look for another job if you don't tell Bush what he wants to hear, it is all Tenet's fault. I'm just surprised it has taken all this time for Bush to make the announcement. It won't be long now before my history books tell me that they did find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq right after we were greeted as liberators in a war in which

Wow, the idiot right are in full swing on this column! Blame Clinton, spare my country cowboy Preznit! Blame Clinton!

Freddie at 3:28:07 PM: "Qaeda didn't master mind that attack in the 7 month Bush was in office...Clinton was worthless, look at all the attacks on AMERICA starting with the World Trade center in 93... and they did nothing....." What "all the attacks" are you talking about?!?!?!

You idiot. Bush and his "gubnit" were asleep at the wheel their entire first year and 9/11 happened. Instead of blaming Bill Clinton, how about holding your savior's feet to the fire and be a little more skeptical rather than sheepish.

And, why? Why did the Iraq Study Group only look back ten years for motives or esprit de corps between Saddam and Anti-American radicals? Al Qaeda?

Still wonder how any Democrat or anyone can contribute or support Hillary's candidacy for the reason that she was the mother hen sitting on our homeland political nest when the nineteen moved-in, moved-on, set up home and careers all to seemingly receive the same "you can have your American Dream" blessing from Clintons? After Pearl Harbor those who were sitting in charge at times of planning were removed; isn't sitting in times of plan initiation and evolution of plan more faultful than just being new presider? I for one, especially in light of this story, cannot believe Hillary's word choices today.

With any large organization, like the Bush Administration/ White House... what the Top dog or vice-dog want or express as a desire, trickles down. It is only obvious that Bush/ Chaney were caught flat footed on 911, not taking any information from the outgoing administration seriously until it was too late. They used the tragedy of 9-11(undoubtedly with Roves help) to their political advanage...then, grossly abusing the peoples patiotic outrage, going into Afghanistan as only a stepping stone to get Saddam Hussein.

Another fall guy for the Bush administration?

I guess "just following orders" is not an acceptable defense.

On Bush's watch, he ignored the daily briefing he received, didn't alert anyone and continued his vacation-as he has taken more than a YEAR off in the last six years, it seems there is NOTHING that will get this guy's attention-not KATRINA, not the WAR, not the ECONOMY-he's pretty blase' about most things-if Al Gore had been permitted to serve as he was elected to do, he would have been CRUCIFIED for such disregard of American security.

Hopefully we've learned from our failures, but it's ignorant to say it was one person's fault or to believe we are not at risk from another strike.

Al Qaeda is to blame for this attack, just as Japan was to blame for Pearl Harbor.

Sometime in the future Americans will be harmed again, whether in the US's borders or outside it. We should be thankful for our liberties, our way of life, and our prosperity. Of course we should try to prevent this kind of attack whenever we can, and learn from any mistakes we make, but we should avoid the politics of fear and revenge from destroying the ideals that made America the great nation it is.

Yeah? They were caught flat footed on 9/11, they were caught flat footed when Katrina hit, they were caught flat footed on Iraq... where does it end with this administration? The sixteen months can't go by soon enough for me.

So did Bush award Tenet for allowing 9/11 to happen or to keep him quiet?

inside job!
inside job!
inside job!
When will people OPEN their EYES!
The best place to hid stuff is "In Plane Sight"
Arabs with box cutters are not at all responsible. The real terrorist is the shame of a president we have. 7..yes 7 of the so called terrorists are ALIVE! Pentagon was hit my a MISSLE not a plane...planes dont leave 16 foot holes.

This is a new low for the Bush administration.... or rather what's LEFT of the Bush administration. Anyone falling for this ought to be shot.

Clinton should have fired Tenet when he made no effort to kill Osama after Bill ordered him to. But why would Bush fire prosecutors he appointed yet keep a left over CIA director? It smells bad, like there's something we don't know...

Yup..that darn Tennet. Remember when he canceled the weekly Terrorism meetings in the White House and assigned Terrorism to FEMA? It was just such actions that set up OBL. I remember when he howled "Wag the Dog when BC was chunking cruise missiles into Afghanistan in attempt to kill OBL. Remember his "phony issue" comment? Yup, it was all his fault and HINT HINT..Clinton appointed him.

What an utter fraud. Not only was George Bush and the entire administration warned about an impending attack, Tenet personally ORDERED the REPEAT of the particular warning to Bush to be delivered PERSONALLY-- and it was met with a contemptuous dismissal 'ok you've covered your ass'.

Tenet did his job. The $40 billion security system did its job. Our country was waiting for a leader to act.

George Bush and Dick Cheney, Mr. Experience already , bear total responsibility for CRIMINAL NEGLEGENCE--
THEY DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING when warned.

None of this is is so much as MENTIONED in the dishoset reporting.

Bush got the Aug. 6th memo entitled "bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside US" while in Crawford, TX. Did Bush heighten any security systems with the Pentagon, NORAD, borders, waterways, transportation systems, shipping?

Duh, no. So who bears ULTIMATE responsibility for 9/11?

Well I knew they'd blame it on someone, apparently Bush/Cheney/Condescending Rice et al can do no wrong.

End sarcarsm.....

Absolutely shameful!

Does this mean that FEMA director Brownie will be getting a Medal of Freedom too? He only oversaw the deaths of poor, Black people in New Orleans, not investment bankers in the Twin Towers, though, so maybe not!

BUT IT'S O.K. NOW THAT SOMEONE HAS TAKEN THE BLAME, THEY CAN GET A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON.OR CLAIM EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE. BUT AT LEAST THERE'S ANOTHER SCAPEGOAT.

Oh this just has to be correct.. because there is NO way George W. Bush could be such an mess-up... ROTFLMFAO!

I feel sorry for Tenet.. he backed the wrong horse at the wrong time.

Read Clark's Book.

The Bush administration was all cold war and did not think Al-Qaeda was a threat. And What about John O'Neil who knew the attack was coming and left the FBI to later die at in the world trade center working security there. We knew it was coming. Either, Bush did not think his friends in Saudi Arabia would attack us, or he did not care if they did. People were screaming the house is on fire before 9/11. But, Bush and his inner circle wanted nothing to do with it. Then Bush stayed in the class for 7 mins knowing our country was under attack.

Total BS,...GW Bush and his father, are to blame

Bob Corey wrote "Now the question is: who was responsible for collecting that data? Answer: George Tenet". So he gets medal of honour for not collecting the data from Bush. There's the failure to recognize on Bush's part of incompetance. May be incompetence breeds incompetence.

It's like Clinton was the doctor, while the patient was going septic - and at quittin' time he said: I'm out of here, but I had alot of fun!

(Remember he did say how much fun he was having as president in spite of the fact that we had been attacked repeatedly by Al-queda.)

Pres. Bush, the new attending political surgeon, steps in to find the patient in full blown septsis - and the patient goes into cardiac arrest.

Hindsight, Hindsight, Hindsight. I wonder who will be blamed when the asteroid hits and the mega tsunami strikes...

This is like saying that Billy Graham was responsible for the attempt on the Pope's life. Bush doesn't know when to stop lying even when it's obvious, even to a slow thinker, that is exactly what he did, is still doing, and will continue to do until he is back where he belongs - cleaning up tree branches in Crawford.

One only need look at the historical failure and incompetence of bushco to know exactly where the real blame lies!

Forget the August 6th PDB that they ignored and look at colossal mismanagement of them at every turn!

Bill Buckley was right ... Invading Iraq was/is the worst policy decision in U.S. history and that Bush has single handedly destroyed the republican party!!

The beauty of this all is that the Clintons buffaloed dumb ole W into destroying the republican party by making the worst policy decision in U.S. history!

Good job george!

Now who again appointed Tenet? Are the same people who said the President Bush bears the ultimate responsibility for his FEMA appointments going to speak out against President Clinton?” This administration will toss their own under the wheels” Tenet is Clinton's own, as are many who were still in the CIA at 9/11. And the planning stages all occurred under President Clinton and Tenet's watch. 44 attacks and thousands dead by al Qaeda's hand in attacks on 4 continents prior to "Mission Accomplished", less then half the attacks and 1/10 the casualties on 2 continents since then.

I noticed the lead pic in the article showing Bush and Tenet....why not show Clinton and Tenet when Tenet accepted his appointment as Director?

Posted by: Peter Simmon | Aug 21, 2007 3:24:11 PM

Qaeda didn't master mind that attack in the 7 month Bush was in office..

__________________________________

ROFL

Isn't September still the 9th month of the year?

I'm pretty sure 9 out of 10 bush apologists agree ...

Now it's Mr. Tenet's fault. The Bush Administration has blamed about everyone that's ever breathed on this planet with the possible exception of Mother Teresa. But I'm sure her day of reckoning will soon be upon us. I would suggest that the President with arms around Mr. Cheney stand in front of a mirror and with an awakening expression of shock proclaim, "aahhh, here lies two of the culprits."

Did any of you playing the blame game even read this article? Or did you just read the headline? Richard Clarke, one of the most outspoken critics of the government's response to terrorism, states that it is unfair to lay the blame on Tenet. And as for the message that Bin Laden was determined to attack the U.S. - there was NO specific information..... did it mean he was going to attack in 10 minutes or in 10 years? Did it mean that he was actually capable of it? It was a SINGLE message among the THOUSANDS of messages they analyze on a daily basis. Maybe you should all donate your crystal balls to the government.

Clinton responded to terrorist attacks in the 90s. The first Trade Center bombing resulted in a conviction of the criminal involved at the highest level. This conviction was brought about through an FBI investigation, not invading a country that had nothing to do with the attack.

Another attack resulted in cruise missile attacks against the perps. I can remember Republicans crying foul that Clinton was deflecting controversy over the Lewinsky mess.

Clinton received negative fallout every time he tried to get US military involvement in world crises, even Yugoslavia.

It's funny the stupid patriots blame Clinton for Bush's Iraq war. It's funny how Bush expects the puppet to be a leader. Mr. President you either get puppets and help you make money or you get real leaders who help the country but not you. You can't have the cake and eat it too.

When will the Right take blame for this blooming idiot in the White House ?

If I could borrow some of Donald Rummy-speak: I think that George Tenet should be ultimately responsible for his failure on the intelligence data on the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (claiming to know the unknown). Whereas I really can't blame George Tenet for having poor intelligence on possible Al Qaeda terrorist attacks (not knowing the unknown).

9-11 was al Qaeda's fault.

You lefties looking to blame Bush for everything really need to grow up already.

Intelligence failures? What about Policy failures; as in wide open borders with the red, white, and blue welcome matt of stupidity rolled out to embrace all comers with an axe to grind. It’s like removing the fencing from around the hen house, then shooting your dog for allowing the fox to eat them.

The CIA was only doing what the White House told them to do. They did not go after al Qaeda operatives because they where told to watch not touch and not to do anything without permission from Bush and Cheney. Bush, Cheney and Bin Laden have been working together since day one and still are. There is a big reason we have not gotten Bin Laden. Why we diverted all most all of our forces to Iraq. Why the Bin Laden family living in the USA where given free pass to leave without before they could be questioned. Who bailed Bush out of bankruptcy in is poor management of his oil company. Who is no bankrupting this country?

OK..Tenet was choosen by Billy The Slick people come on!!!..Where are the Clinton lovers now ??This is the CIA Inspector General report and not the Pres who is blaming the man so read before getting into conclusions.

You people sound really stupid...

Cheney's secret information is leaked when trying to coverup their deceit and corruption and put blame on someone else.
After the intellegent officials keep pushing to give Bush information on AL Queda determined to attack inside U.S. , They finally reached him at his ranch just a little while before 911 (one of the 440 days of vacations) and his reply was said to have been said , ok you have delieved your message now you can go.
Ashcroft if you remember stop riding on un-secure airplanes for 5 or 6 months before 911. Rice refuses to be question under oathe about 911 on what they knew and the polices afterwards. This administration hides the true about anything pertaining to 911 or as far as that gones , they hide everything about what the h... their actions & policies are on any thing they do 'PERIOD".

Can't we just IMPEACH this amateur resident and get this nation back on track? Forcing the nation tolerate such substandard leadership is DESTROYING us all.

Come on guys! As long as Tenet was doing his job and was not critical of Bush this was buried. Recently he criticises the Bush administration and this comes out. One doesn't have to see a left-wing conspiracy here. If Tenet was still playing along with his masters we'd never have heard of this report.

Why does Condi get a pass? She was our National Security Advisor, and we know she saw memos and info warning her about Al Quaeda's imminent attack? I'm not sure what a National Security Advisor does but it would seem that she would advise Bush and others about steps needed to ensure our national security, and she didn't do anything.

I don't know how any of you can blame Clinton (other than a personal dislike for him or his politics). 9/11 did not happen on his watch. I do not think it would have happened had he been president, either. I also do not think he would have continued to read My Pet Goat while it happened either. Things ran rather smoothly under Clinton and I do not think it was merely coincidence that our country has gone to he ll in a handbasket since Georgie and Company have moved into town.

The poll questions are incredibly poorly constructed. Thorough research done over the past 6-7 years has shown that collectively the the Bush administration was collectively responsible for the 9/11 coup d'etat by PNAC (aka "terrorist attacks"). Most of America has woken up and no longer buys into any of the rhetoric and daily lies given by our media and the White House.

Wacko right-wing diehards here STILL supporting the endless incompetence and failures of Bush Jr. and his ilk...HILARIOUS.

I disagree with it being Tenet's fault. I belive the fault rest with whoever the highest ranking person at the FBI who knew young Arabs were taking flying lessons (un-concerned with learning how to take-off or land). That person shoulders ultimate blame in my opinion.

well, the united states had it's first attack on the world trade center in 1993. that gave a 8 year heads up warning for us to do something. like, how many years are we supposed to have to get ready for stuff like this!? since it was 8 1/2 years between world trade center attack #1, & attack #2, i would assume that we're getting ready for something in 2009!!

dave
8/21/2007

9/11 was an inside job. i thought you all would have known that by now. why do you think a third building exploded? this is just another "report" to keep us "rats" in check by the machine while they keep profiting (cheney, etc.).

well, the united states had it's first attack on the world trade center in 1993. that gave a 8 year heads up warning for us to do something. like, how many years are we supposed to have to get ready for stuff like this!? since it was 8 1/2 years between world trade center attack #1, & attack #2, i would assume that we're getting ready for something in 2009!!

dave
8/21/2007

More and more scapegoating. The administration also tried to pin the WMD thing on him with the slam dunk quote. So now Tenet is "officially" and personally to blame for both 9-11 AND Iraq...? It's a good thing Bush awarded him The Presidential Medal of Freedom. It would be more laughable if it wasn't so shamelessly ridiculous.
It as if the administration is asserting that it is possible to pin all that blame on one guy. If so, I can think of one guy more obviously deserving of the lions share of the blame because he poorly made all the big decisions that have resulted in an "everything" to blame on him. But if you try to focus that blame on the White House, they cry foul.

I disagree, the ultimate responsibility
has to have been Bush's, he was warned repeatedly and took no action. Books after books reported how he pooh-poohed
warnings. My own belief is that the Bush
administration ignored the warning on
purpose so that they could have an excuse to go after Sadam Hussein. Even as incompetent as G.W. is, no conscienable leader would have ignored
so many urgent warnings as this administration had been unless it was on purpose.

Puhleeze! Blame it on Tenet! There is plenty of blame to go around and it starts right at the TOP! LOL!

It's all a colossal farce. The nation's worst sneak attack since Pearl Harbor and not one head rolled. In fact, the one most responsible - DCI George Tenet - gets a Soviet-esque medal out of it with a cush teaching job at Georgetown and a multi-mill book deal ! Our government leaders - all of them - have become ruled by personality and celebrity instead of the principles upon which this country was founded and the Constitutional principles they've been sworn to uphold. It's a bigger shame than anyone's yet realized with more dire consequences yet to reveal themselves.

Freddie:

So, by your reasoning the first attack on the World Trade Center should be blamed on George Bush Senior, since it happened very shortly into Clinton's first term and the groundwork must have been laid before he took office. Right?

By the way, all of the perpetrators were caught shortly thereafter, without invading an unrelated country.

And also by the way, Clinton warned the Bush people about OBL and gave them a strategic plan, but Bush, Cheney, and Co. chose to ignore it, stating that terrorism was not in their opinion a serious threat.

Get a grip.

Condi, nor anyone else got a warning about an "immenent" attack. Anymore than the current "we will attck you" videos that are released by AlQeda weekly

Tenet was Clinton's boy but so what?
They both realized the danger posed by OBL
and Tenet passed this on to the new admin.
via a sit down with Condi. Then,as now, she was clueless and ignored the warning.