by chiggerbit » Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:50 pm
"....BEN-VENISTE: Nice to see you again.<br><br>RICE: Nice to see you.<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: I want to ask you some questions about the August 6, 2001, PDB. We had been advised in writing by CIA on March 19, 2004, that the August 6 PDB was prepared and self-generated by a CIA employee. Following Director Tenet's testimony on March 26 before us, the CIA clarified its version of events, saying that questions by the president prompted them to prepare the August 6 PDB.<br><br>Now, you have said to us in our meeting together earlier in February, that the president directed the CIA to prepare the August 6 PDB.<br><br>The extraordinary high terrorist attack threat level in the summer of 2001 is well-documented. And Richard Clarke's testimony about the possibility of an attack against the United States homeland was repeatedly discussed from May to August within the intelligence community, and that is well-documented.<br><br>You acknowledged to us in your interview of February 7, 2004, that Richard Clarke told you that al Qaeda cells were in the United States.<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: Did you tell the president, at any time prior to August 6, of the existence of al Qaeda cells in the United States?<br><br>RICE: First, let me just make certain...<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: If you could just answer that question, because I only have a very limited...<br><br>RICE: I understand, Commissioner, but it's important...<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: Did you tell the president...<br><br>RICE: ... that I also address...<br><br>It's also important that, Commissioner, that I address the other issues that you have raised. So I will do it quickly, but if you'll just give me a moment.<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: Well, my only question to you is whether you...<br><br>RICE: I understand, Commissioner, but I will...<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: ... told the president.<br><br>RICE: If you'll just give me a moment, I will address fully the questions that you've asked.<br><br>First of all, yes, the August 6 PDB was in response to questions of the president -- and that since he asked that this be done. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>It was not a particular threat report.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> And there was historical information in there about various aspects of al Qaeda's operations.<br><br>Dick Clarke had told me, I think in a memorandum -- I remember it as being only a line or two -- that there were al Qaeda cells in the United States.<br><br>Now, the question is, what did we need to do about that?<br><br>And I also understood that that was what the FBI was doing, that the FBI was pursuing these al Qaeda cells. I believe in the August 6 memorandum it says that there were 70 full field investigations under way of these cells. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>And so there was no recommendation that we do something about this</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->; the FBI was pursuing it. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>I really don't remember, Commissioner, whether I discussed this with the president</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END-->.<br><br>BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.<br><br>RICE: I remember very well that the president was aware that there were issues inside the United States. He talked to people about this. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>But I don't remember the al Qaeda cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>BEN-VENISTE:<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong> Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>RICE: <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>I believe the title was, "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States.....'"</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br><br>Condi Rice in her testimony before the 9/11 commission regarding the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing memo received at Bush's Crawford "Ranch" approximately 5 weeks before 9/11.<br><br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 9/16/06 8:23 pm<br></i>
