------------------------------------------------------
The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
------------------------------------------------------
Hardball airs tonight at 7p, 11p & 4a ET & 4p, 8p & 1a PT
It was a year ago today that the Saddam statue came down and Baghdad fell....Tonight
we take a look at where we are militarily in Iraq one year later...We'll talk to some
military types like ret. Gen. Monty Meigs and get an update on the ground from NBC's
Tom Aspell
We'll get the view from The Western White House in Crawford with David Gregory
concerning the buzz on the "PDB"...Not to be confused with "PDA", "PDQ" or even
"PYT"...Yes, folks we're talking about the "Presidential Daily Brief" which is that
super secret memo from August 6, 2001 titled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside
the United States." You'll recall that it was the subject of some fairly pointed
questions to Dr. Rice yesterday in her testimony...The White House saying they're
working hard for declassification and at this hour the CIA is reviewing it for sign
off...It's unclear whether this will occur by the time we go to air...
What does it all mean? Basically it comes down to "What did the Bush administration
know before 9/11 and what did they do about?"
Under pressure from the 9/11 commission, the White House on Friday worked to
declassify an intelligence memo that was used to inform President Bush on Aug. 6,
2001, that Osama bin Laden wanted to launch attacks inside the United States.
(Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4794693
We'll also get into the issue of the hearings, the PDB and what is all means with
intelligence and terrorism analysts Skip Brandon & Neil Livingstone...
Finally we talk to famed Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales about the dramatic
spectacle of yesterday's hearing...Here's his analysis in the Post this morning
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62757-2004Apr8.html
Latest Pentagon Release
Date: April 9, 2004
Release No. 040409a
COALITION UPDATE
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Attacks killed five Coalition service members April 8 and 9. The
casualties occurred in the following incidents:
· One 1st Cavalry Division Soldier was killed and another wounded at about 8:30 a.m.
April 9 when their quick reaction force (QRF) was targeted by a coordinated attack.
The QRF was responding to an earlier mortar attack in the vicinity of Camp Cooke. The
attack consisted of an IED followed by small arms fire. The wounded Soldier has been
returned to duty. The Soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of their
next of kin.
· One 13th Corps Support Command soldier and one civilian truck driver are dead and 12
are injured as the result of an attack on their convoy at approximately 12:25 p.m.
April 9 near the Baghdad International Airport. The injured were evacuated to
Logistics Base Seitz and some were further evacuated by air to combat support
hospitals. The names of the dead are being withheld pending notification of next of
kin. The incident is under investigation.
· Three Marines serving with the First Marine Expeditionary Force were killed April 8
as a result of enemy action in the Al Anbar province while conducting security and
stability operations. Note: A fourth Marine who died April 8 has already been reported
to the press via Release No. 040408a.
-30-
President Bush Issues Easter Message
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040409/D81RA7M00.html
PS NBC News legal eagle Pete Williams guest hosts tonight as Chris is off today...
Happy Easter to you all!
Dominic Bellone wrote, compiled and edited The Briefing from Washington, DC
U.S. recaptures one city, but Iraq remains tense...First anniversary of Baghdad's fall
comes with British warning (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4667742/
The United States said it unilaterally ordered Marines to stop fighting in the
besieged Sunni city of Fallujah on Friday, but after dark the U.S. military apparently
rescinded the order as it called in punishing airstrikes from AC-130 gunships. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040409/D81RFDM80.html
Insurgents says 2 Americans among 6 hostages...Meantime, Shiite militia denies holding
Japanese captive (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4684713/
Bloody turmoil reigned in Iraq on Friday, the first anniversary of Saddam Hussein's
fall, with Sunni and Shi'ite rebels battling U.S.-led forces and holding three
Japanese and other foreign hostages. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4794322§ion=news
Shiites rally to their Sunni 'brothers'...Fallujah, once Sunni stronghold, gains
shared identity (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4697207/
Leaders of Italy, Poland and El Salvador reaffirmed support for a "free and democratic
Iraq" and vowed to defeat insurgents, the White House said on Friday as casualties
mounted from attacks on U.S.-led forces. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4794864§ion=news
Democratic challenger John Kerry on Friday said the ideology and arrogance of the Bush
administration had created gridlock in Iraq that made it "a lot tougher" for the
United States to succeed there. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4794702
Knowing the enemy...Wounded U.S. soldiers give an inside look at the Iraq insurgency
(MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4701323/
9/11 debate shifts to Aug. 6, 2001 memo...White House now says it will be released
soon (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4700899/
Post Analysis: Zeroing in on a classified document...Commission narrows focus in 9/11
inquiry (The Washington Post) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4696656/
Condoleezza Rice emphatically assigned blame for the pre-Sept. 11 failures to
"frustratingly vague" U.S. intelligence, setting the stage for the top men at the CIA
and FBI to explain next week what went wrong and what's been done to fix it. (AP)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040409/D81RA1L00.html
Clinton meets with 9/11 commission...Explains decision not to retaliate after USS Cole
blast (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4697339/
Former Vice President Al Gore testified behind closed doors on Friday before the
independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
(Reuters) http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4794908
>From the same sets of facts, Condoleezza Rice and former counterterrorism chief
>Richard Clarke have offered the Sept. 11 commission conflicting conclusions. Rice
>avoided directly criticizing Clarke during her appearance Thursday before the panel
>that is looking into the Sept. 11...(AP)
>http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040409/D81R9V580.html
Presidential poll: Iraq violence a concern...Despite lavish spending on ads, Bush,
Kerry still neck-and-neck (AP) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4701027/
Cheney seeks to reassure allies...Asia trip coincides with increased turmoil in Iraq
(NBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4694005/
Kerry says Bush should reach out for help on Iraq...U.S. 'almost alone,' Democrat
charges (MSNBC) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4694062/
The author who alleges that three boxes of FBI files dealing with Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry's anti-war group were stolen from his home last
month, did not allow police officers the opportunity to process the crime scene.
(CNSnews.com)
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200404\SPE20040409a.html
Fineman: Does Rice really know her role?...How national security adviser's testimony
hurt Bush http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4695313/
Former President Carter on Thursday called the Bush administration's decision to wage
war against Iraq "ill-advised and unnecessary," adding the resulting campaign "has
turned out to be a tragedy." (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2494559
Opinion/Editorial
Wall Street Journal: Rice on the Record...Democrats on the 9/11 Commission
inadvertently underscore Bush's successes.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004932
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/
=========================================
This email is never sent unsolicited. You have received
The Hardball Briefing Newsletter because you subscribed to it or,
someone forwarded it to you.
To remove yourself from the list (or to add yourself to the list if this
message was forwarded to you) simply go to
http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19
<http://www.msnbc.com/tools/newstools/e/emailextra.asp?nfeature=19>
