Bremer Hit Bush Over Neglecting Terrorism Before 9/11

According to this article, which cites a book /conference of the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation, Paul Bremer was very critical of the Bush Administration's failure to defend the country before 9/11. According to the article, he said in late February of 2001, "The new administration seems to be paying no attention to the problem of terrorism. What they will do is stagger along until there's a major incident and then suddenly say, 'Oh, my God, shouldn't we be organized to deal with this?' That's too bad. They've been given a window of opportunity with very little terrorism now, and they're not taking advantage of it."

This quote is consistent with everything we've heard from Richard Clarke, and everything we know about the White House's neglect of counterterrorism before the attacks.

White House Lies About U.S. Troop Needs

CLAIM:

"The President looks to the commanders in the theater to make the determinations of what is needed for our troops. They're the ones who are in the best position to look at circumstances on the ground and determine what is needed. And we have received assurances from Pentagon officials that the resources they have at this time are more than enough to meet their needs."
- White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 4/21/04

FACT:

Military officials say "more money will be needed soon" and have "identified unmet funding needs, including initiatives aimed at providing equipment and weapons for troops in Iraq. The Army has publicly identified nearly $6 billion in funding requests that did not make Bush's $402 billion defense budget for 2005, including $132 million for bolt-on vehicle armor; $879 million for combat helmets, silk-weight underwear, boots and other clothing; $21.5 million for M249 squad automatic weapons; and $27 million for ammunition magazines, night sights and ammo packs. Also unfunded: $956 million for repairing desert-damaged equipment and $102 million to replace equipment lost in combat. The Marine Corps' unfunded budget requests include $40 million for body armor, lightweight helmets and other equipment."
- Washington Post, 4/21/04

Why would this pro-defense spending Administration oppose immediately funding these shortfalls with an emergency spending bill? Politics: The President and his allies in Congress probably don't want another contentious vote/debate right before the election like the one that took place last time on the $87 billion. In other words, George Bush's partisan political goals are more important to the White House than adequately protecting troops on the frontline.

Enough Said.

As excerpted from today's Progress Report:

"I kind of like ducking questions."

- President George W. Bush, 4/21/04

At least he's being honest here...for more, sign up for the Progress Report.

Bush Flip Flopping On Woodward's Book?

CLAIM:

"Administration: Woodward Book Wrong on War"
- Fox News Headline, 4/21/04

FACT:

"[The Bush campaign] has given their equivalent of four stars to Bob Woodward's 'Plan of Attack', his account of how Mr. Bush decided to go to war with Iraq...On the Bush campaign's Web site, georgewbush.com, there is a link to a 'Suggested Reading List.' At the top of that list - above the new book by Karen Hughes, Mr. Bush's trusted aide, and others by such Bush loyalists and admirers as Mary Matalin, Lynne Cheney and David Frum - is 'Plan of Attack.'"
- NY Times, 4/20/04

If they thought the book was so inaccurate, why would they be urging people to read it? Or is this just a case of Fox trying to do the Administration's dirty work?

Condi Rice Needs a Geography Lesson

From today's Progress Report...

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice told CBS' Face the Nation she had no details about the President's alleged decision to secretly divert $700 million from Afghanistan operations to Iraq war planning without approval from Congress. However, she did say circumventing Congress was acceptable because Afghanistan and Iraq are "within the entire region." While she might have been referring to official military regions, her answer was deliberately evasive. The fact is, Asia and the Mideast are separate geographic regions - more than 1400 miles separate Kabul and Baghdad, which means by Rice's logic, Austin, Texas is in the same region as Nicaragua. In fact, the U.S. State Department has two separate bureaus and two separate Assistant Secretaries of State to deal with Iraq and Afghanistan. Her answer also ignores the fact that fighting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan (as approved by Congress) had nothing to do with invading Iraq.

Primer: Why Bush Secretly Moving $700 Million Violates The Law

Since Bob Woodward disclosed that President Bush in July of 2002 diverted $700 million into Iraq invasion planning without informing Congress, the Bush Administration has failed to provide one shred of evidence to rebuff the charge. According to Woodward, Bush kept Congress "totally in the dark on this” leaving lawmakers with "no real knowledge or involvement." Not only does the Constitution vest the power of the purse with Congress, but whichever of the two supplemental bills the President drew the money from had explicit language obligating him to inform key congressional leaders. Instead of opening an investigation, White House allies on Capitol Hill actually told USA Today that the move was acceptable because "the $700 million was small compared" with the overall spending bills. Here is a look at the provisions in the only two supplemental bills that Congress passed between 9/11 and July 2002, and thus which Bush could have gotten the money from:

- BUSH REQUIRED TO TELL CONGRESS, IF DREW FUNDS FROM THE 9/11 SUPPLEMENTAL: While the President was given discretion to direct $10 billion of the post-9/11 Emergency Supplemental bill, the legislation specifically obligated the President to "consult with the chairmen and ranking minority members of the Committees on Appropriations prior to the transfer" of any funds. In other words, the President was obligated to tell key congressional leaders of both parties anytime he moved money. [Source: Text of HR 2888, Post-9/11 Emergency Appropriations, 9/14/01]

- BUSH DELIBERATELY USED VAGUE LANGUAGE IN DOCUMENTS TO HIDE SECRET MOVE: The White House issued two legally mandated updates to Congress about where the 9/14/01 supplemental funds were being spent. Both covered portions of the time Bush made his $700 million order. But in these documents, instead of telling Congress money was going to Iraq, the White House deliberately used vague and evasive language. For instance, in both of its updates to the Appropriations Committee, the Administration only said it had used monies for "increased situational awareness" and "increased worldwide posture" – and did not mention Iraq at all. [Source: OMB Notification, 8/9/02 & 10/17/02]

- SUMMER SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIRED BUSH TO TELL CONGRESS BEFORE MOVING FUNDS: According to the text of the August 2002 Supplemental, the Bush Administration was only permitted to transfer "up to $275 million" of previously appropriated funds within the Pentagon, and only "15 days after notification to the congressional defense committees." In other words, the White House was obligated to tell Congress if money was moved. [Source: Supplemental Bill, 8/2/02]

- SUMMER SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIRED BUSH TO TELL CONGRESS IF FUNDS GIVEN TO FRONTLINE STATES: According to the text of the August 2002 Supplemental, the President was allowed to use $390 million for aid to countries assisting with the Global War on Terror. However, that money could only be spent only after “15 days following notification to the appropriate Congressional committees.” [Source: Supplemental Bill, HR 4775, 8/2/02]

- UNABLE TO PRODUCE ANY EVIDENCE BUSH EVER MENTIONED IRAQ TO CONGRESS: The Administration has yet to produce one reprogramming or transfer notice to Congress about the supplemental which mentioned Iraq. White House spokesman Scott McClellan “added that the White House had asked the Pentagon comptroller and OMB to document what had happened” but there has still been no evidence. [Source: LA Times, 4/20/04]

- CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE SAYS WHITE HOUSE DID NOT INFORM HIM: Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), who in 2002 was Chairman of the Appropriations Committee (the committee the President was legally obligated to report money transfers to), issued a statement on 4/20/04 saying, "To the best of my knowledge the Bush White House provided no consultations as required by law about its use of funds for preparation for a war in Iraq in advance of those funds being spent. There is nothing contained in the Administration's quarterly reports indicating that projects were being funded to prepare for war with Iraq. If the Woodward allegations are true, then the Administration failed to abide by the law to consult with and fully inform Congress."

Condi Rice Now Lying About Afghanistan

CLAIM:

"Resources were not taken from Afghanistan" when the President secretly moved $700 million out of the Afghanistan spending bill.
- National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 4/18/04

FACT:

"In 2002, troops from the 5th Special Forces Group were pulled out of the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan to prepare for their next assignment: Iraq." Former top Pentagon officials said the President's Iraq focus "siphoned spy aircraft and light infantry soldiers" and "diverted enormous military and intelligence assets."
- USA Today, 3/28/04