Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Rove's Revenge? Selective declassification of historical docs.

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU
 
JDPriestly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:12 PM
Original message
Rove's Revenge? Selective declassification of historical docs.
It looks like another Rove stunt to shift blame away from the obviously incompetent Bush administration and onto Clinton.

Although the Bush administration keeps documents from the Reagan and Bush I regimes classified and under wrap and key, it has declassified and released a 1998 document regarding U.S. Taliban negotiations on Bin Laden about which CNN reports as follows:

U.S., Taliban bargained over bin Laden, documents show
Declassified State Department papers detail 1998 meetings

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- During secret meetings with U.S. officials in 1998, top Taliban officials discussed assassinating or expelling Osama bin Laden in response to al Qaeda's deadly bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa, according to State Department documents.

. . . .


A State Department cable sent on October 19, 1998, said the best course of action in getting bin Laden handed over would be through Saudi Arabia, which "maintains significant prestige in Pakistan and Afghanistan."

. . . .

"The U.S. should appeal to the natural trading mentality of many Afghans -- and perhaps some Taliban -- by setting out what the Taliban stand to gain by expelling bin Laden as well as what they stand to lose," the cable said.

. . . .

By the end of the November 28 meeting, pressed on why the Taliban refused to turn over bin Laden, Ahmed said that the Afghan people "would not understand why the Taliban had expelled a man who was regarded as a 'great mujahid,' or Islamic fighter, during the war against the Soviets. They would reject the Taliban if the Taliban took this action."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/19/taliban.documents/index.html

The article is poorly organized and poorly written. It uses innuendo to criticize the Clinton administration's handling of the Bin Laden presence in Afghanistan.

Designed to make Clinton look foolish and ineffective, the article shows or attempts to show that Clinton tried both stick (bombing) and carrot (negotiation) to get Afghanistan to turn over Bin Laden, but could not persuade Afghanistan to so much as plainly admit that Bin Laden was guilty of bombings, etc. The Taliban feared they would be out of power if they handed over Bin Laden.

Unless it is part of a large number of documents released on various subjects, the release of this document is obviously intended to embarrass Clinton. In spite of that intent, the article highlights Clinton's aggressive approach to chasing down and trying to destroy Bin Laden and the kinds of choices the Taliban forced him to make: declare war, entrust them with weapons we should not give them or put up with the Taliban's protection of Bin Laden. Had Congress been more supportive of Clinton, we must ask, had they not mesmerized the nation with the whole Monica nonsense, Clinton might have gotten rid of Bin Laden right then and there. The article shows he certainly did what he could to try to get rid of Bin Laden considering the lack of support he could expect from the vindictive, hateful Republicans in Congress. Clinton had the focus and will, but the necessary support from Republicans was not there.

What is so typically Rove about this is that Bush is hiding huge numbers of documents that date from the 1980s, which should, by law, have already been declassified, released and which cannot be obtained by scholars, historians, affected parties or the media. If Bush could release this document from the more recent Clinton era, certainly we should demand very loudly that it declassify and release documents from the 1980s and early 1990s on Iran, Nicaragua, etc. immediately. Again, Rove is using his power to leak information to manipulate public opinion. Let's demand full declassification and disclosure of documents from the Reagan and Bush I administrations.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
Dynasty_At_Passes Donating Member (254 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:18 PM
Response to Original message
1. I am sure he is behind it.....
Try to get back at those no good libruls who exposed him as the fraud he is, and the law for finding out he leaked classified information and broke numerous espionage acts.

See now Clinton is to blame for everything, even though Clinton had hardly any control over his government anyway! :crazy:
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
xray s Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:25 PM
Response to Original message
2. It's time for Clinton to step up to the plate
He has to stop playing grab ass with Poppy and start kicking some Bush.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
dchill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:43 PM
Response to Reply #2
6. LOL!
That is a great line!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
FormerRepublican Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:29 PM
Response to Original message
3. This is old news.
They've been whining about how Clinton could have nabbed bin Laden but didn't ever since 911. They never mention their own culpability in not preventing 911.

Typical spin.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
JDPriestly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:42 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. Absolutely. But the respin of the spin is what we get instead of
news. We have to be ready to rebut it.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
wli Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Aug-19-05 11:41 PM
Response to Original message
4. Iran-Contra coverup v2.0 if you ask me
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Fri Apr 19th 2024, 09:46 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion: Presidential (Through Nov 2009) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC