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--- Begin Message ----Caveat Lector- http://www.nbc5.com/news/2982509/detail.html??z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=6519 4 White House Says It's 'Working On' Request To Declassify Memo National Security Adviser: No 'Silver Bullet' Could Have Stopped 9/11UPDATED: 10:38 p.m. EDT April 8, 2004 WASHINGTON -- A National Security Council representative says the White House is "working on" a request from the 9/11 Commission. The panel wants a classified document declassified. Word of the request came the same day that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice testified before the commission. In perhaps the most-anticipated testimony of the 9/11 commission's public hearing, Rice spoke under oath before cameras Thursday, telling investigators that "there was no silver bullet that could have prevented" the worst terrorist strikes in the nation's history. Under contentious questioning, Rice said the United States -- particularly at the level of intelligence sharing between local law enforcement, the FBI and American international counterterror agencies -- was ill-prepared despite a threat that had been building steadily over two decades, beginning with the attacks on Marine barracks in Lebanon in the early 1980s and continuing with the attacks on the USS Cole in 2000. She said preparation by administrations from both parties over that time was "insufficient." In nearly three hours in the witness chair, Rice sternly defended Bush when Democrats on the commission questioned her assertion that there was nothing specific or "actionable" that might have clued the administration into al-Qaida's plan for Sept. 11, 2001. Several Democratic panel members -- most notably Richard Ben-Veniste and Tim Roemer -- raised questions about an Aug. 6, 2001, classified memo in that day's presidential daily briefing, or PDB. Panel chairman Thomas Kean has asked that the PDB be declassified, and the National Security Council spokesman said later the office "has every intention of doing so." "Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6th PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?" Ben-Veniste asked. Rice replied, "I believe the title was, 'Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States'." She said the classified briefing paper prepared for the president was a "historical" document despite its title, adding that it contained no "actionable" intelligence -- lacking information that would have alerted agencies to a specific threat at a specific time and place. In her prepared statement, Rice spoke in detail about the extensive and "frustrating" chatter from terrorists planning "something major." The problem, she said, is that they never had any "when, where, or who." "We had nothing actionable to tell us that terrorists would use planes as missiles" to try to "decapitate" our government and kill American civilians, she said, adding later under questioning that the majority of intelligence that was more specific hinted at attacks overseas. Ben-Veniste suggested the PDB reported that "preparations were being made consistent with hijackings within the United States." "There was no new threat information," Rice replied. "And it did not, in fact, warn of any coming attacks inside the United States." Asked by Ben-Veniste whether is should be declassified, Rice said that the panel has already had "exceptional access the memo." Commission member Bob Kerrey (pictured, right) also had pointed questions for Rice, suggesting there were more specifics than the administration is letting on. Kerrey mentioned a pre-9/11 memo from an FBI field agent about suspicions that al-Qaida operatives were training at U.S. flight schools, looking to learn how to fly and not land airliners. Rice blamed "structural" problems with getting information from field offices to the higher-ups in the bureau. Rice Takes Issue With Clarke After a 30-minute opening statement that didn't mention him much, Rice took issue with allegations made by former counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke, who charged -- among other things -- that the Bush administration saw al-Qaida as merely an important threat -- not an "urgent one." Rice told the panel that nothing Clarke proposed would have prevented the attacks -- and none of the memos he wrote -- including one about Osama bin Laden -- contained a "warning" or "premonition." She said Clarke wasn't an expert on Afghanistan or Pakistan, two potential trouble spots the United States -- including the Clinton administration -- had been focusing on before Sept. 11, 2001. Rice said that if the administration had acted on all of Clarke's recommendations, then it might have gone off in the "wrong direction." In his testimony last month, Clarke said he repeatedly tried to change the administration's mind about the urgent threat al-Qaida posed but never got enough of the president's ear because he answered to Rice. Rice told 9/11 commissioners on Thursday that if Clarke had wanted to brief the president, all he had to do was ask. Rice said Clarke was an "expert in his field, as well as an experienced crisis manager" with whom she had a good relationship. But she said to her recollection, Clarke never specifically asked her if he could brief Bush on what he perceived as terrorism threats. Families: Rice Testimony Is Start Testifying in front of an audience that included families of 9/11 victims, Rice gave no formal apology for the attacks as did Clarke, who drew applause for saying "I failed you," but described her sorrow as the tragic day unfolded. "As an officer of government on duty that day, I will never forget the sorrow and the anger I felt," she said. Nikki Stern, who lost her husband in the World Trade Center attacks, said she was waiting to hear Rice say mistakes were made, but says she didn't hear that. Some family members of victims say Rice's testimony seemed less important than the fact that she had been pushed into public testimony. After nearly three hours of testimony, Rice stood and turned to greet victims' families. She offered handshakes to a few at first, then reached out to embrace others. Some thanked her for her testimony, but others wanted more. One woman called out, "I want the full truth." She says she was too flustered to remember Rice's response. Bruce DeCell, who lost his son-in-law, said the testimony revealed little. He added that security holes exposed by the attacks still haven't been closed. But he said no one president or political party was guilty. He said the fault "falls on all of them, for the last 25 years." Anthony Gardner, who lost his brother, said he was glad to see Rice testify. He just hopes the 9/11 commission's work isn't used to score political points. Rice: Terror Policy In Place By Sept. 4 Upon taking office in early 2001, Rice said, confronting terrorists competed with other foreign policy concerns -- "and the occasional crisis." But, she said, the administration's top national security advisers completed work on the first major national security policy directive of the administration on Sept. 4, 2001. The subject, she said, was "not Russia, not missile defense, not Iraq, but the elimination of al-Qaida." She said all elements of national power -- financial, military and intelligence -- would be brought to bear. She said before the new policy was used, the Bush administration was in effect using the Clinton team's policy -- a policy she said was becoming "ineffective" at making progress against al-Qaida. "President Bush understood the threat, and he understood its importance," she said. "He made clear to me that he did not want to respond to al-Qaida one attack at a time. He told me he was 'tired of swatting flies'," she added, responding to claims made last month by former terrorism aide Richard Clarke. Kerrey had a heated back-and-forth with Rice over that assertion, asking, "What flies had he swatted that he would tire?" He said that as he sees it, the United States only swatted once -- a Clinton-ordered strike on suspected terrorist camps. Rice said Bush believed the CIA was going after only individual terrorists, and that American interests were better served by a broader response against al-Qaida. Panel Wants To Understand Pre-9/11 'Choices' Commission vice chairman Lee Hamilton said the purpose of the hearing was to "understand the choices that were made" in deciding how to combat terrorism. Rice said the new administration asked whether targeting bin Laden would cripple the entire terrorist network. She said the feedback they got, especially from CIA Director George Tenet, suggested the network would still go on without bin Laden. She said the United States was "simply not on a war footing" at the time of the attacks. Rice suggested the U.S. policy toward al-Qaida wasn't working at the time because the country's policies in nations where terrorists had a presence weren't working. She mentioned Afghanistan and Pakistan. Clinton Meets With Panel In Private Former President Bill Clinton testified in private Thursday before the 9/11 commission after Rice's public testimony. After hearing from Rice, the commission met with Clinton for more than three hours and said he was "forthcoming and responsive to questions." Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are to be questioned soon, also in private. The White House recently gave Rice the go-ahead to testify publicly after calls from Democrats and some members of the bipartisan, 10-member panel. Rice, who testified in private for four hours in February, cited executive privilege for not agreeing to testify in public earlier, arguing that sitting presidential advisers don't historically testify in public under oath for fear of discouraging frank, private discussions with the president in times of threatened national security. Panel chairman Thomas Kean said the commission values executive privilege but pointed out that the Sept. 11 attacks were a uniquely devastating event in American history that should create an exception. Kean said commissioners did not seek public testimony from the Bush and Cheney. Bush Watches Testimony Live Her boss was watching. The White House says Bush watched the live coverage while on vacation at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. His aides had said earlier that Bush did not plan to watch the testimony. A senior administration official had said Bush would get updates from his top advisers. In addition to watching the Rice testimony, a spokeswoman said Bush also spoke by phone Thursday morning with Russian President Vladimir Putin for 20 minutes. Bush said Rice "will be great." He said she's a smart, capable person who knows exactly what took place and "will lay out the facts." ------------------------ Yahoo! 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