Ashcroft Lied Under Oath - 9/11 Commission

[yardwork]

This seems very serious to me. If this is a dupe, my apologies. Seems like this should be all over the news, though.

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THE DAILY MIS-LEAD

< http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2459566&l=47467 >
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ASHCROFT PUBLICLY MISLEADS 9/11 COMMISSION

During his public testimony before the 9/11 commission, Attorney General John Ashcroft attempted to deflect criticism from his own lackluster counterterrorism efforts by pinning the blame on a 1995 memo written by former deputy Attorney General (and current 9/11 commissioner) Jamie Gorelick. Ashcroft said, "The 1995 guidelines and the procedures developed around them imposed draconian barriers, barriers between the law enforcement and intelligence communities. The wall effectively excluded prosecutors from intelligence investigations. The wall left intelligence agents afraid to talk with criminal prosecutors or agents."<1> Ashcroft called the memo "the single greatest structural cause for the September 11 problem." In their final report released yesterday, the bi-partisan 9/11 commission concluded that Ashcroft's public testimony was false and misleading.

The commission bluntly stated that Ashcroft's public testimony did not "fairly or accurately reflect the significance of the 1995 documents and their relevance to the 2001 discussions."<2> Specifically, "The Gorelick memorandum applied to two particular criminal cases, neither of which was involved in the summer 2001 information-sharing discussions." Any barriers between the law enforcement and intelligence communities were not created from written guidelines by internal Justice Department conflicts which "neither Attorney General acted to resolve" prior to 9/11.

Even Ashcroft himself has recently backed away from his April testimony before the commission. In a recent document released by the Justice Department, Ashcroft conceded that Gorelick's memo permitted "interaction and information sharing between prosecutors and intelligence officers" and allowed the FBI to use the fruits of an intelligence investigation "in a criminal prosecution."<3> Ashcroft failed to mention that guidelines issued by his own deputy Attorney General, Larry Thompson, were more restrictive because they affirmed the Gorelick memo and added additional requirements.<4>


Sources:

1. "Transcript: 9/11 Commission Hearing," The Washington Post, 04/13/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2459566&l=47468.
2. 9/11 Commission Final Report, p. 539, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2459566&l=47469.
3. Report from the Field: The USA PATRIOT Act at Work, U.S. Department of Justice, July 2004, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2459566&l=47470.
4. "Thompson Memo," U.S. Department of Justice, 08/06/01, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2459566&l=47471.

Visit www.Misleader.org for more about Bush Administration distortion.

[liberalmuse]

1. He needs to be immediately relieved of his job.

People here knew he committed perjury on the day of his testimony. For the leading law enforcement official in the U.S. to do so is unacceptable. Fire him!

[blm]

4. Now THAT is perjury because it's lying under oath about an INTEGRAL

piece of information.

[lottie244]

43. Of course you are correct, he committed perjury but nothing will happen

Law in America are made only to provide an opportunity to prosecute those out of power and out of line with the powers that be.

[Jack Rabbit]

53. Frat Boy will say he's doing a great job and stand behind him 100%

!!

[Straight Shooter]

70. Not only that, a superb job. A faaab-yu-lus job.

Please, God, crack a tablet on Ashcroft's head.

[shraby]

67. Email the news outlets.

He also lied about Pickard by saying that he didn't tell Pickard that he didn't want to hear about al Queda anymore.

[Bluebear]

2. A.G.'s who lie under oath need to be fired TODAY

No "probes". FIRED!

[Birthmark]

5. Actually, they need to be fired yesterday.

DAMN Einstein! Damn him!!!

Seriously, I agree with you. If he perjured himself, he should resign immediately. I would respect that.

[AndyTiedye]

7. He Needs to be Fired AND Probed

and if the probes come up with what we think they will,
he should be in prison.

We all saw him perjuring himself before the Commission.

[Bluebear]

8. Agreed! nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Oh, he's a real piece of .....work, isn't he?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. Kick. Let's keep this one near the top.

[powergirl]

9. WHAAAAAAA ASHCROFT LIED??? WHAT A SHOCKER!! NOT!

Well, duh! I'll be that is why all of this Sandy Berger crap has risen to the surface. Those Republicans knew this report would shine the light on this joke of an administration and the cockroaches like Ashcroft would come scurrying about in fear. Try to make Clinton via Sandy look like a sinister villain and maybe people won't pay attention. It won't work. The public doesn't care about some guy with a chick's name who worked for Clinton. They don't pay attention to that crap. The Repubs used up all of their ammo on Clinton and they don't have anyone else to dump on. This is clearly desperation. Oh and have I said today - I hate those Republicans so very very much.:tinfoilhat:

[Disturbed]

10. Lying under oath is not a crime...

if it'a Rethug doing so.

[yorgatron]

11. but look at all the important arrests he's made

like Tommy Chong,that evil bong-maker...

[tom_paine]

16. Bingo, we have a winner. Two sets of laws for Imperial Amerika

One for Party Loyalists.

One for the Imperial Subjects.

Just like any nation as Imperial Amerika is rapidly becoming, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Ferdinand Marcos Phillipines, Papa Doc's Haiti, Caeser's Rome...

Some things NEVER change even though they sometimes come dressed up in new packages...

[enough]

12. kick

[90-percent]

17. lying under oath?

Well, gee wizz, prosecuting Ashcroft should be this administrations NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. They have no choice but to act immediately, because we voted them in to restore honor and integrity to the White House.

If lying under oath about a legal consentual act can get you impeached, then this lie should get Ashcroft about 25 years in jail!

If he goes to DAnbury, I'll vist once every five years and bring a treat.

-85%

[catzies]

60. removed

self-edited post

[Bluebear]

26. kick

[mike1963]

13. kick

..

[CaTeacher]

15. This is huge!

This needs to be pursued and not covered up!

[LittleApple81]

22. What do you think that Liberty's BOOB cover was designed for?

To hide all the HUGE horrible things he has done to the country and all of us. That is where they will put this one also.
Remember the repug congress didn't want to declare him in contempt of congress?

[neuvocat]

14. How can the eagle soar

if it does time in Leavenworth?

[sadiesworld]

18. Ruh Roh.

The freepers' favorite myth, i.e., Clinton turned down UBL's "head-on-a-platter" is debunked, now their second favorite (the Gorelick memo) bites the dust. And Asscroft "added additional requirements"!!!

Seems to me, I like the sound of exploding freeper heads!

:evilgrin:

[yardwork]

20. I don't know how to get this into the media's hands.

Those of you with connections, please help.

This is being ignored in the press. We need to make a big deal out of it.

Everyone who called for Clinton to be impeached and jailed because he lied should be equally outraged by this. In fact, this is far, far worse since it involves an issue of national security.

The press is trying to ignore this. Please help make sure it is not ignored.

[sadiesworld]

21. Let's start by keeping it kicked.

:kick:

[WarNoMore]

19. Big kick! eom

[sadiesworld]

23. A healthy kick...

for the debunking of another RW talking point.

[yardwork]

24. kick - please spread the word

[Disturbed]

25. In public view.

His lies are on tape. Maybe someone with the skill and time could make a short video of this?

Off topic: Rumsfailed confessed in public of violating the Geneva Convention, thereby also violating The Constitution. No ripple in the pond from Repubs or Dems.

[Mr_Spock]

27. I remember "Haldeman, Erlichman, Mitchell and Dean" song during

the Nixon Watergate impeachment. I think of that song a lot lately "Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Cheney and Condi" are all OBSESSIVE liars. I actually do not believe a single word that emanates from their filthy lying mouths. It's good to see at least a couple of these dirty rotten liars will likely go down in infamy...

[JerseygirlCT]

28. May I add another kick? eom

[joanne]

29. Disgusting that the media is ignoring this

:mad:

[JerseygirlCT]

32. It's awfully frustrating, isn't it? I'd guess we've all grown

significant forehead callouses over the past few years. (From that brick wall, you know?)

[devilgrrl]

30. Un-f***ing-believable!

Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie and lie some more!

:grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

Throw his ass behind bars!

[joanne]

31. But then, he didnt lie about sex

Cant expect the Repukes to be upset about it.

[maxpower]

33. Kick

n/t

[Generator]

34. False and misleading?

Why I didn't hear about this on the "most trusted name in news" so it can't be true. Our media is Pravada. I want to scream.

And for this Gorelick got death threats? How much shit can decent people take?? Are their any decent people left? They sure aren't people that defend these treasonous lying bastards.

John McCain-this means you too!

[mmonk]

35. Someone in their speech

at the convention ought to make the comment that America needs an attorney general that would be truthful to the 9/11 commission. That's all someone has to do to really get it out there. If it is prime time, it will be hard for the mediawhores to ignore it.

[loudsue]

36. Great idea, mmonk!!! I can hear it now:

"I will install an Attorney General who would NEVER TELL LIES, UNDER OATH, to the 9/11 commission, much less concerning matters of national security!!!"
....and then go on about ALL the obvious lies that we have withstood from the bush administration.

Nobody even noticed how badly Condosleezo Rice lied during the commission hearings....oath or no oath!!

Amerika's Pravda won't report it!!

"We won't report, so you can't decide!!"

:kick::kick::kick::kick:

[ocean girl]

37. Kick

This makes me sick!! Maybe this is why he's been so scarce lately??

[yardwork]

38. I think it's the reason the Sandy Berger story was leaked

and exaggerated all over the news.

[BurtWorm]

42. Hey, yardwork, nice find!

How did you know about this?

[yardwork]

77. I got this in my email from the Daily Mislead

Go to the link in my original post. You can sign up to get daily emails from them.

Challenged by a fundie on another board, I actually looked up the page reference in the 9/11 Commission Report, and it's there. Sure enough. Says so in black and white.

How come the media are still ignoring this?

[Doosh]

39. hope this finds legs

though I doubt it.

[in_cog_ni_to]

40. So what!

This is no big deal. Sandy Berger took copies of archive papers home to study. Now, THAT is important. <sarcasm> :eyes:

I expect to see all of the cabal in waders. The shit is getting DEEP!

:kick:

[BurtWorm]

41. This sick, twisted motherfucker thinks he's doing the Lord's work!

:puke:

I'm getting an image of him sitting on his fat ass picking through papers looking for things to hang Democrats on. He's the most political AG in my lifetime--bar not even Mitchell and Meese! What an asshole!

[joanne]

44. And the lie was about National Security

It DOES need to come out at the convention next week.

PLEASE!!!!

[buycitgo]

45. isn't THIS moreimportant, by far?

In the critical months before Sept. 11, did Ashcroft dismiss threats of an al-Qaida attack in this country?

At issue is a July 5, 2001, meeting between Ashcroft and acting FBI Director Tom Pickard. That month, the threat of an al-Qaida attack was so high, the White House summoned the FBI and domestic agencies, and warned them to be on alert.

Yet, Pickard testified to the 9/11 commission that when he tried to brief Ashcroft just a week later, on July 12, about the terror threat inside the United States, he got the brush-off.



Mr. Ashcroft told you that he did not want to hear about this anymore," Democratic commission member Richard Ben-Veniste asked on April 13. "Is that correct?"

"That is correct," Pickard replied.

Testifying under oath the same day, Ashcroft categorically denied the allegation, saying, "I did never speak to him saying that I didn't want to hear about terrorism."

However, another senior FBI official tells NBC News he vividly recalls Pickard returning from the meeting that day furious that Ashcroft had cut short the terrorism briefing. This official, now retired, has talked to the 9/11 commission.

huh?

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5271234/

[BurtWorm]

46. There must be a note about that in the report somewhere.

Does anyone know where to find it?

[buycitgo]

47. that wason TV, too!

the story lasted that day, IIRC

media, of course didn't go after this huge story, in which one of them was OBVIOUSLY lying

gee..........who's your money on?

[sadiesworld]

65. It was also included in F9/11, IIRC.

:kick:

[ClassWarrior]

48. He's a criminal

A perjurer. A liar. A hypocrite.

[BurtWorm]

49. kick

[joanne]

50. Another kick

[joanne]

51. Here we go again

[ClassWarrior]

52. He's vile scum. A demon in Christian clothing.

A turd.

[ClassWarrior]

54. The rule of law!! The rule of law!!

He committed PERJURY!!! <doing my best Henry Hyde impression>

[ClassWarrior]

55. Kicking Ashcroft's sleazy ass one more time.

He lost to a dead guy, y'know. It'd turn anybody to a life of crime.

[BattyDem]

56. False and misleading my ass!

HE LIIIIIIIIIEEED!!!!! :grr::grr::grr:

[Oilwellian]

57. Remember the smirk on his face that day?

I'm sure you can wade through the videos of those hearings and find his testimony. He had a big, shit-eating smirk on his face when he played "gotcha" with Gorelick. I hope his perjury comes back to bite his pompous ass.

:kick:

[Kat45]

58. Another kick!

This is too important to be that far down the page.

[Murdock]

59. Sadly...

Just like the rest of Bushco.. Ashcroft is above the law and untouchable.. The Corporate media won't even come near touching this.. and nothing will come of it..

Remember it took a MAJOR outpouring of pressure to even get the 9/11 Commission formed or any of the other investigations ongoing, this won't even be a blip on the radar..

[ClassWarrior]

61. Nope. Nothing will happen. The Mighty Bush* Administration...

...is untouchable. So go home everybody. Give up.

<sarcasm off>

[ClassWarrior]

62. He's a fundamentalist hood.

To jail with him.

[nookiemonster]

63. What really happened

to Mel Carnahan, Mr. Attorney General? :evilfrown:

[lil-petunia]

64. let us prey

covered up marble breasts are more important than our country's safety.

[ClassWarrior]

66. Free the statues!!!

Viva la bronze!!

[Name removed]

68. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Straight Shooter]

74. Be careful. You are not allowed to make threatening remarks against ...

Repubs.

[ClassWarrior]

69. HE'S A LIARRRR!!!

Tell everyone you know!!! Especially your Congresspeople!!...

[Disturbed]

73. "He's a liar" is not ehough to say.

We demand that he be prosecuted!!!

[ClassWarrior]

75. Look up...

I think I called him every name possible. And yes. He needs a long stay in the federal pen.

[DaveSZ]

71. This site is a bit like newsmax (they distort things)

Still, I hope it's true.

[yardwork]

78. I looked up the page in the Commission's report.

It says exactly what it says. Follow the references and look it up yourself. The Commission report is online. It takes a while to load, but you can search by page number.

[hippiegranny]

72. so what does it take?

what has to happen for this oily snake handler to be brought up on charges of perjury?

[ClassWarrior]

76. Be vocal.

I ask myself what can I - an individual - do? I can get in the face of my Congresspeople and the press. I can write LTTE. I can volunteer for campaigns and groups. I can be heard. And I will be heard.

[John_H]

79. Mediawhores: DO NOT REPORT THIS.

Karl Rove and Dan Bartlet will make you use porta poties at the White House.

[ClassWarrior]

80. Kicking to see Ashcroft in stripes.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

81. kick!

:kick:

[Karenina]

82. Back to ONE!

:kick: