Despite Bush's obvious and disgraceful attempts to hide the truth about 9/11 and the Iraq agenda, some of the truth seems to be getting out. Enjoy Dan!
Front page link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/Direct link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3561827.stmBin Laden 'topped Clinton agenda'
Albright sympathised with the Bush administration's difficulty in fighting terrorism
A former US secretary of state says President Bill Clinton did all he could to defeat al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.
She said Mr Clinton had authorised action to "neutralise" Bin Laden after the 1998 US embassy attacks in Africa.
The hearings come after ex-White House counter-terrorism aide Richard Clarke criticised the Bush policy on terror.
He accused it of ignoring the threat from al-Qaeda - concentrating instead on Iraq.
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell will also testify on Tuesday and are expected to defend the current administration against the wider charge that it simply did not take al-Qaeda seriously enough.
Mrs Albright said the day of the embassy bombings had been the worst during her time in office - and days after learning that al-Qaeda had been behind the attacks, President Clinton had authorised cruise missile strikes against al-Qaeda targets.
She advised the current administration that al-Qaeda was not a military organisation - it was an ideology that needed to be fought.
"Al-Qaeda is an ideological virus. Until the right medicine is found, the virus will continue to spread," Mrs Albright said.
"We must be sure that Bin Laden goes down is a murderer, traitor to Islam and a loser."
She said she sympathised with Mr Bush and others who now held positions of responsibility.
She warned that, after the Madrid train bombings, Americans should expect more attacks on their soil.
The hearing will try to find whether any specific warnings were given
White House spokesman Scott McClellan has accused Mr Clarke of political opportunism ahead of November's presidential poll.
Vice-President Dick Cheney said that Mr Clarke clearly missed a lot of what was going on during his time at the White House.
He also questioned Mr Clarke's effectiveness in running anti-terrorism efforts, citing the attacks on the US embassies in East Africa in 1998 and other incidents.
Mr Clarke served as head of counter-terrorism under four consecutive US presidents, from Ronald Reagan to George W Bush.
Bin Laden chase
This is the eighth public hearing held by the bi-partisan commission, established in 2002.
The hearings - on Tuesday and Wednesday - are on "the formulation and conduct of US counter-terrorism policy, with particular emphasis on the period from the August 1998 embassy bombings [in Kenya and Tanzania] to September 11, 2001".
ISSUES FOR COMMISSION
Congressional oversight and state of aviation security
Terrorism, al-Qaeda, and the Muslim world
Intelligence warnings against trans-national threats
Emergency preparedness
Security and liberty
Border and aviation security
In his opening statement, commission chairman Thomas Kean said he regretted that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice had declined to give evidence.
But they had had "extensive" private meetings with Ms Rice, who had been "co-operative", he said.
Former Defence Secretary William Cohen will also be testifying on Tuesday.
Mr Clinton's National Security Adviser Sandy Berger will testify on Wednesday as will Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet.
A commission statement read before evidence was heard focused on US diplomatic efforts during the Clinton presidency to track down Osama Bin Laden and bring him to the US to face trial.
The Bush administration had agreed on a plan to combat Bin Laden, one day before the 11 September attacks, it said.
