9/21/2001

“Ten days after the attacks [September 21, 2001], [Deputy Chief in the Office of Legal Counsel John] Yoo wrote an internal memo arguing that the NSA [National Security Agency] could use ‘electronic surveillance techniques and equipment that are more powerful and sophisticated than those available to law enforcement agencies in order to intercept telephonic communications […]

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9/21/2001

“Ten days after the attacks, on September 21, 2001, President Bush was told in a highly classified briefing that there was no credible evidence linking Saddam Hussein to the attacks, nor was there strong reason to believe Iraq had collaborated with Al-Qaeda.”  – Craig Unger, The Fall of the House of Bush, Page 217 […]

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9/21/2001

On September 21, 2001, “the Voice of America radio network interviewed [Taliban leader] Mullah [Mohammad] Omar. When the interviewer asked if bin Laden would be handed over to the United States, the Taliban leader put the issue in the most cosmic of terms: ‘We cannot do that. If we did, it means we are not […]

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9/21/2001

“On September 21 [2001], [Secretary of Defense Donald] Rumsfeld received from [Central Command leader] General [Tommy] Franks the first draft of a battle plan [for attacking Afghanistan], Operation Enduring Freedom. On October 2, [President] Bush approved the four-phase plan that would lead to the defeat of the Taliban regime. There was no commitment to reconstruct […]

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9/21/2001

“…on September 21, 2001, the foreign ministers of Latin America adopted a resolution calling for Organization of American States (OAS) members to ‘take effective measures to deny terrorist groups the ability to operate within their territories.’ They called on countries to work together to pursue those responsible for the attacks and bring them to justice, […]

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9/21/2001

 “President Bush was told in a highly classified briefing [on September 21, 2001] that the U.S. intelligence community had no evidence linking the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein to the [9/11] attacks and that there was scant credible evidence that Iraq had any significant collaborative ties with Al Qaeda… the few credible reports of contacts […]

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9/21/2001

“Although the CIA found scant evidence of collaboration between Iraq and Al Qaeda [according to the President’s Daily Brief on September 21, 2001], the agency reported that it had long since established that Iraq had previously supported the notorious Abu Nidal terrorist organization, and had provided tens of millions of dollars and logistical support to […]

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9/20/2001

“On September 20 [2001], President Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the two leaders discussed the global conflict ahead. When Blair asked about Iraq, the President replied that Iraq was not the immediate problem. Some members of his administration, he commented, had expressed a different view, but he was the one responsible […]

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9/20/2001

“In his address to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, President Bush declared: ‘On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country.’ ”  – John Yoo, War By Other Means, Page 11 […]

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9/20/2001

On September 20, 2001, President Bush addressed the nation before a joint session of Congress. “The President blamed al Qaeda for 9/11 and the 1998 embassy bombings, and, for the first time, declared that al Qaeda was ‘responsible for bombing the USS Cole.’ He reiterated the ultimatum that has already been conveyed privately. ‘The Taliban […]

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