July 19, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5969 $150 billion in a country that has more Pakistan is a key ally. We have made ministration’s recent public state- to do with errors in judgment than them a non-European NATO ally. Is ments on terror. It also symbolizes the threats of terrorism against the United that good for Pakistan and the United lack of a coherent terrorism policy. States. States? If so, why? Is it a good thing Today the administration basically The patchwork of actions and reac- for relationships between India and says just trust us. Just trust us. Amer- tions about terrorism are long on rhet- Pakistan and the United States? If it ica’s response should be mine from the oric but stop well short of defining po- is, does this mean that the world is so Reagan administration, ‘‘Just Say tential threats and responses or a phi- interconnected that the notion of No.’’ We did trust, and that is how we losophy to guide America. Questions friend or enemy no longer applies? got into Iraq. The safety and security need to be asked and answered, and After all, we remember the television of America is everyone’s business. It that is why what the gentleman from networks have shown pictures of De- should be debated in this House before Missouri (Mr. SKELTON) is doing to- fense Secretary Rumsfeld bringing the People’s Body. Every district, night is so important. greetings to Saddam Hussein, not that every person in this country is rep- The acting director of the CIA admits many years ago, in the administration resented on this floor. It should not be that a good case can be made for a new of Bush I. He was a bad guy then, but decided by one man. I think the aver- Cabinet-level Secretary to oversee all Mr. Bush liked him, and I guess that age American knows that and knows of the Nation’s intelligence agencies, was good enough for those days. what the administration has given us but the director thinks some changes b 2230 so far is not a policy but wishful think- in the CIA could accomplish just as ing. much. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago he became a Mr. Speaker, the President has 105 Now, in Washington, D.C., turf issues bad guy. We did not like him any more, days to articulate the terror policy, are big issues. Are the remarks by the and we all know what happened then. what he is really trying to do. If he acting director turf or analysis? When What is the distinction between Sad- does not do that, we are going to have it comes to terrorism, the old ways of dam Hussein in Bush I and in Bush II? a new President. Washington, turf among them, must He just gassed people in his own coun- Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman change. try in Bush I. America needs a better from Missouri (Mr. SKELTON) for yield- The President took America to war definition of policy than just expedi- ing me this time. in Iraq over alleged ties to terrorism, ency. American policy today is ground- Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank now proven incorrect. We learned just ed in reaction, not philosophy. the gentleman for his comments. Let today that eight of the 9/11 hijackers There has been enough time since the me close by saying at the end of the passed back and forth through Iran be- tragedy of 9/11 for the President to ar- day we all need to pay tribute to those fore the attacks. We learned the Ira- ticulate a terrorism policy for the Na- wonderful, wonderful young men and nian government instructed border tion to debate, adopt and defend. All of young women in uniform, whether they guards to let all al Qaeda pass. The CIA us gave him some slack right after 9/11. come from Missouri, Washington, Ohio, says there is no evidence of an official Who would not want our President to New York, Florida, or all across our connection, but there is tacit approval, have the power to deal with what he country. They are professionals. They at a minimum. The same could have needed to deal with at the moment, but know what their duty is, and we cer- been said before Iraq, but that did not that is a long time ago. tainly wish to salute them this evening stop the President from going to war. We see nothing. We do not have a pol- as well as the families that support What does this new information icy, and the headlines can prove it. We them and wish well for them and of mean about Iran? The President says have a military stretched so thin that course pray for them. the President launched an undeclared he launched a preemptive war in Iraq. f Well, will the President launch a post- draft to compel soldiers to return to emptive war against Iran? Iraq had no active military duty. If officers did not 9/11 WAS NOT PREDESTINED weapons of mass destruction. Iran is resign their commission, the service The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. openly developing a nuclear capacity, can reach back 20 years to bring them HENSARLING). Under the Speaker’s an- claimed peaceful at this point, but out- in. nounced policy of January 7, 2003, the side the scope of objective knowledge The New England Journal of Medi- gentleman from California (Mr. ROHR- and data. Is Iran next for U.S. military cine just carried a study that 1 out of ABACHER) is recognized for half the action? Why? Why not? 5 people coming home is subject to psy- time before midnight, approximately 43 Given Iraq, would Congress write this chological problems, post-traumatic minutes. President another blank check for any- stress disorder, depression, and other Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, where else in the world? What about problems. We are suffering casualties. let me thank the gentleman from Mis- North Korea? There is a regime that is If we think out of 160,000 people, 1 out souri (Mr. SKELTON) who has always as oppressive as Saddam’s. There is a of 5 coming home, that is 30,000 people, had the respect of his colleagues. I country that bought weapons tech- never mind all of the people who have know that the gentleman is very seri- nology from our old friend or our new lost an arm or leg. Now we have psy- ous and sincere about the national se- friend and our old nemesis Libya. chological problems coming home as curity of the United States. I appre- There is a country where weapons are well. ciate him trying to put forth some cre- almost certainly not theoretical. Are Does America need a draft? The ad- ative and positive alternatives to the we going into North Korea anytime ministration says no, or not until at current policies he may or may not soon? We are pulling our troops back in least after the election. They say this agree with in terms of the war on ter- South Korea from the border. We are ‘‘no’’ just after they have issued stop- rorism. thinking about moving some of them loss orders to prevent soldiers from There are positive opponents to the to Iraq. What does that mean? leaving active duty in Iraq. We have an President and there are negative oppo- Today, Libya must be in line for, and indefinite military commitment in nents to the President. There are peo- I am not kidding about it, a football Iraq. But why, if we supposedly handed ple who offer alternatives, and there game. Mr. Qaddafi may have isolated the country over to the Iraqis? are people who do nothing but under- himself economically for years, but he America lives in perpetual terrorism- mine the President’s policy; but there could still watch television. So, today, alert status. Is there nothing to be are also those who have legitimate Qaddafi is trying to buy a British gained other than a CYA for this pol- complaints and alternatives to offer, sports club, hoping that the English icy? Who decided that we should be and I thank the gentleman from Mis- version of football will thaw the icy re- told to be very worried just after souri (Mr. SKELTON) for always trying lations. America was told not to worry any to provide the alternative. Then there is Pakistan. They were more that we were already worried? Let me note, after hearing our last not at the top of our list until we need- They are moving the fear back and colleague who spoke, Saddam Hussein ed a friendly Nation in the Middle East forth and keeping the American people had a blood grudge against the people after the September 11 attacks. Now, on edge, and that summarizes the ad- of the United States of America. He

VerDate jul 14 2003 03:07 Jul 20, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K19JY7.105 H19PT1 H5970 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 19, 2004 wanted to hurt us and would have hurt During the war with the Soviet occu- Contrary to leftist cliche, and this is us had he been given a chance. It is a pation, I hiked into Afghanistan with a what is important, contrary to leftist good thing that Saddam Hussein was small mujajadin infantry unit. On our cliche, the roots of the current ter- removed from power. Those who way to the seige of Jalalabad, which rorist crisis lie not in our support for nitpick our President and backbite him was the last major battle in that war the Afghan people in their gallant fight as we try to make this situation, turn with Soviet troops, we came across an against the Soviet occupation, but in- the situation around in Iraq, would not encampment of Saudi volunteers. In stead on America’s willingness to let return Saddam Hussein to power. That stark contrast to the spartan living Pakistan distribute war supplies and is not the question. conditions of the Afghan fighters who I our unconscionable decision after the So with that, Mr. Speaker, let me was with, this camp site was complete retreat of the Soviet Army to walk note that we need to look at the ter- with large safari-style tents, cots, and away ourselves and leave the poor and rorism angle which is what the gen- even SUVs. I was told not to speak wounded Afghans to live in the rubble tleman from Missouri (Mr. SKELTON) English because the Saudi crazy man and suffer their misery. was suggesting for tonight. I have a who led this bunch would rather kill To fix responsibility on that decision, speech to talk about what happened on Americans than Soviet troops. His look at the list of senior foreign service 9/11, the terrorist attack, and I give name was Osama bin Laden. officers at our embassy in Islamabad, this speech leading up to some time So by the end of the 1980s, the pres- Pakistan, in the 1980s and 1990s. Up to this week when the terrorism task ence of dangerous wackoes in Afghani- this day, there are high-level State De- force will report to the American peo- stan was well known. I can assure partment officials and career foreign ple on what happened on 9/11. Members that complaints were made at service officers who still toe the Paki- The most important thing that the the highest levels about American sup- stani line, who still seem unable to call American people need to know when port ending up in the hands of these fa- Pakistan to task for its transgressions, looking at 9/11, the 9/11 terrorist at- natics. I personally made such protests its sins of omission and commission. tack, was that it was not predestined. while working in the Reagan White It was not unavoidable. Unfortunately, House, yet the policy continued, prob- These State Department pros, always the commission investigating 9/11, and ably because those representing us on trying to prevent a crisis on their we will find this out when they issue the scene, meaning in Pakistan and Af- watch, always trying to avoid a deci- their report, they seem to be uncom- ghanistan, did not complain. In fact, sion that will mandate a confrontation, fortable with fixing responsibility, everything indicates that the Amer- these people gave us 9/11. Put them on branding such attempts of fixing re- ican so-called professionals on the the list. sponsibility to individuals or to policy scene supported the let-Pakistan-de- Furthermore, it was a policy decision as the blame game or pointing fingers. cide policy. to walk away and abandon our devoted So instead of looking for policies that Milton Bearden, senior CIA officer Afghan allies even after psychopathic were dead wrong or people who were in- overseeing America’s support for the killers like Gulbadeen rose up as the competent, we have heard about Afghanistan insurgency, has suggested Soviets departed. President George glitches in the system or a lack of com- that his job was beating the Soviet Bush, father of our current President, munication or a lack of a shared data- Army and he should not have been ex- has to accept the lion’s share of the base. Expect the recommendations of pected to keep our weapons out of the blame for this cowardly, arrogant and the task force to be consistent with hands of those who might pose a long- selfish policy. There would be no Mar- this thinking. We will hear about term threat to us, to the United States. shall Plan for Afghanistan or anything changes in flow charts, organizational Nonsense. else like that because like during the restructuring and the creation of a new Had he raised the issue, coupled with war itself, we left postwar construction central authority, an intelligence czar. the complaints like the ones I was and assistance basically up to the If there has ever been a cliche, let us making to the National Security Coun- Saudis and up to the Pakistanis which create a czar and give him all of the cil, as well as other people who I know was another indefensible policy deci- power, and that will solve the prob- who were making these complaints, sion. lems. this policy would have been reviewed b 2245 No, I am sorry, 9/11 represents a dra- and it would have been reversed. But matic failure of policy and people. A Milt did not want to rock the boat. He As we went into an era in the 1990s of number of insane policies led to the did not want to upset the Pakistanis, prosperity, the Afghans were stuck in creation of a hostile, radical Islamic so our weapons continued to be deliv- misery and they could not even take movement, the one that we face today, ered into the hands of people who hated care of their wounded, the people who and we had policies in place that en- us. So put this man, Milton Bearden, had lost limbs during the war. They abled this weird, feudalistic religion, CIA station chief, on the list of people could not even clear away the land religious zealots of radical Islam to be- who helped bring about 9/11. mines. come a major threat to the western Also put unnamed high-level Reagan So what happened when we left it up world, and especially to the people of officials, perhaps even CIA Director to the Saudis and Pakistanis to take the United States. Bill Casey, who I have a great deal of care of the situation? Predictably, they Yes, the origins of this frightening respect for, this might have been one of had their own agenda, which included reality go back aways. In the 1980s, the mistakes he made. We all make the creation of a radical Islamic state high-level officials in the Reagan ad- mistakes. But in the end, we made a in Afghanistan. They were not upset ministration, and this is probably deal to give Pakistan the dominant about violent extremists like where it started, agreed to the demand role in this operation. To be fair, there Hekmatyar and Sayyaf being so well of Pakistani President Zia Al-Haq that was no indication at that time that armed. The Saudis and the Pakistanis his government oversee, read that con- these medieval mullahs would ever supported these violent extremists. trol, America’s support for those Af- pose a threat to the United States, but They were the ones who armed the vio- ghans who were fighting against the we should have supported people who lent extremists and did so in many Soviet troops occupying their country. were more pro-western and more en- cases with our own weapons. Predict- Much of the lethal inventory that we lightened. They were available, but we ably, what followed when the Soviets sent to the Afghan freedom fighters would have had to make Pakistan mad left and we walked away was a period ended up in the hands of Pakistan’s fa- at us for us to we have delivered weap- of havoc and bloodshed. Hekmatyar vorite Muslim fanantics, like Rasul ons to them directly. Nevertheless, we Gulbadeen peppered Kabul with Amer- Sayyaf or Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. could have helped these others and it ican rockets that were stockpiled dur- Hekmatyar was a fiend, for example, would have been a better world and ing the Soviet occupation. Thank you, who in his college days threw acid in better path for us to be on in the long Mr. Bearden. the face of young women who refused and short run had we done that, and There was a way out of this bloody to cover themselves with a burqa. That had the CIA and Milton Bearden in- mess. Afghanistan’s benevolent old is who ended up with the lion’s share of sisted this was the best way to go and king, King Zahir Shah, was exiled in our aid to the Afghan freedom fighters. the moral way to go. Rome and he was ready and willing to

VerDate jul 14 2003 03:07 Jul 20, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K19JY7.107 H19PT1 July 19, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5971 return to Afghanistan to offer a mod- vate humanitarian relief to a non- and Mr. Richardson, went there and erate leadership to that country. He is Taliban area in the northern part of saved the Taliban and they convinced now and was at that time the most be- Afghanistan only to be blocked by As- them not to take advantage of this one loved man in Afghanistan. He is a pro- sistant Secretary of State for Southern opportunity they had. western force for stability and decency Asian Affairs Rick Inderfurth. If there So let me underscore this again. We in that country. But instead of sup- was any doubt about my suspicions knew by that time that the Taliban porting King Zahir Shah, our State De- about U.S. policy, it was confirmed in were evil. Yet we helped save them be- partment opted for the creation of a 1997 when high-level executives from cause we had made a deal with Paki- third force. This new force was to be the Clinton administration saved the stan and with Saudi Arabia to create made up of religious fanatics educated Taliban from total defeat and extinc- the Taliban and to keep them in power. in the Madrassas, the so-called schools tion. Here is what happened. In April of Just to note, right after the cease-fire in Pakistan that were financed and 1997, the Taliban launched a major of- and the release of prisoners that were built by the Saudis. I pleaded with my fensive aimed at taking control over brokered by these high-level Clinton own government and I pleaded with the the northern third of Afghanistan administration officials, the Paki- Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Turki, which up until that point had remained stanis began a Berlin-like airlift to re- to at least give the old king, Zahir a free zone under the control of re- supply and re-equip the Taliban which Shah, a chance to lead an interim gov- gional leaders. Those regional leaders was obviously financed with Saudi ernment and bring some stability are commonly referred to as warlords. money. If I knew of this massive resup- there. ‘‘No way’’ was the answer. Again One of those regional leaders, General ply effort, certainly the Clinton admin- our State Department sided with the Malik, tricked the Taliban and man- istration officials who set up this disas- Saudis and Pakistanis, going with the aged to capture almost all of their trous scenario also knew. Why were the radical Muslim fanatics rather than front line troops along with most of anti-Taliban leaders not notified of going with a pro-western alternative. their heavy weaponry. It was an utter this situation? Why did we continue to We ended up, yes, with the Taliban. disaster for the Taliban. The road to enforce an arms embargo which only That is what we are talking about the capital, Kabul, was wide open. The affected the anti-Taliban forces even as being created. Taliban were totally vulnerable and the Taliban were being rearmed and re- Make no mistake about it, the could easily have been wiped out. I sent supplied by Pakistan and Saudi Ara- Taliban’s ascent to power as well as a message to Commander Masoud and bia? The answer is, it was U.S. policy their ability to stay in power was a others that Kabul should be liberated to keep the Taliban in power during Clinton administration policy decision and the king of Afghanistan, Zhir the Clinton administration. So add the promoted by the know-it-alls at the Shah, this moderate force I have been Clinton appointees, Assistant Sec- State Department. Again, put on the talking about, should be brought back retary of State Rick Inderfurth and list of those whom to blame for 9/11 to oversee a transition government U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson on those people in the State Department which hopefully would evolve into a the 9/11 blame list, but, to be fair, they that supported and advocated this pol- democratically elected government were obviously carrying out policies icy. The policy of the State Depart- perhaps like we saw in Spain where the that were made elsewhere and higher ment again and the Clinton adminis- monarchy was brought back and they up. How much higher up? All the way tration in collusion with the Saudis evolved into a democracy. But before up to the very top of the Clinton ad- and the Pakistanis was to create and the anti-Taliban forces could strike, ministration. support the Taliban control of Afghani- before the anti-Taliban forces could Last year, the current Foreign Min- stan. They obviously did not learn a take advantage of this incredible op- ister of Pakistan visited California. thing from the horror that they cre- portunity to get rid of the Taliban, As- Furious by my repeated accusations ated by backing Islamic fanatics like sistant Secretary of State Rick that Pakistan was responsible for the Hekmatyar. Inderfurth and American and United Taliban, he blurted out at a well-at- Two specific diplomats to put on the States Ambassador Bill Richardson tended event that from day one, Amer- 9/11 blame or shame list are Ambas- flew to northern Afghanistan and con- ica was part of the deal that created sador Robert Oakley who was on the vinced these anti-Taliban leaders that the Taliban. I had been trying to prove scene as U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan this was not the time for an offensive. that the Clinton administration was when following Pakistani lead became Instead, they insisted, this was the covertly supporting the Taliban and U.S. policy. Another diplomat, John time for a cease-fire and an arms em- now at last I had a confirmation. As a Holtzman, was the deputy chief of mis- bargo. This was clearly a statement of member of the Committee on Inter- sion at our embassy in Pakistan during U.S. policy that two top foreign policy national Relations, it had been my re- the 1990s. He discouraged and undercut leaders in the Clinton administration sponsibility to oversee this policy. Dur- efforts to those who were offering an for that region flew to northern Af- ing the last 2 years of the Clinton ad- alternative to the Taliban in Afghani- ghanistan to convince the anti-Taliban ministration, I made numerous re- stan. forces not to take advantage of their quests, with the support of the com- Of course our government’s support one opportunity to soundly defeat and mittee chairman, Ben Gilman, for for the Taliban was never publicly ac- thus eliminate this enemy. Taliban-related documents so I could knowledged. It is too diplomatic for Let us remember, by this time it was prove what our policy was and what we that. We do not mention that but that clear that the Taliban were Islamic were doing behind the scenes in terms was the policy and it was never pub- Nazis. I had fought the Taliban for of the Taliban in Afghanistan. I asked licly acknowledged but for those of us years trying to present the king as an for these documents. I asked for cables, who were engaged in that region. Let alternative. When they took over talking points, meeting notes. Sec- me say there were darn few of us who Kabul, I remember even my comment retary of State Madeleine Albright were engaged in that region after the was, ‘‘Well, let’s wait and see. Let’s made a commitment to me and to the Soviets had left. We knew it was clear give them the benefit of the doubt.’’ I chairman of the committee in an open that the United States was supporting was very skeptical, even for just a mat- congressional hearing to provide my of- the Taliban, but what is even more ter of 2 weeks, but within 2 weeks there fice and Chairman Gilman all related poignant, most Afghans believed that was no doubt what these people were documents. We were stonewalled. That the Taliban were created by the United about: Making women stay inside their is it. The elected officials got States of America and that they had homes. They could not get adequate stonewalled by the permanent govern- our support. Why should they not be- medical treatment, much less have ment, by the pros who made the policy lieve that that was our policy? Amer- jobs. Repression of any type. Listening in the first place, the people who they ica’s aid, for the most part, was chan- to music much less expressing some sent over to take over the policy in neled, and I say this, channeled dis- type of opposition to their government. Islamabad and oversaw this, protecting proportionately through the Taliban- No, these were fascist Islamicists. In- themselves but also protecting the se- controlled areas. I remember trying to stead of letting them be defeated, the cret agreement with Pakistan and clear the way for the shipping of pri- Clinton administration, Mr. Inderfurth Saudi Arabia. So instead of sending the

VerDate jul 14 2003 03:07 Jul 20, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K19JY7.109 H19PT1 H5972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 19, 2004 dossiers, the documents about the ganized, financed and implemented at- bility in criticizing our President, who, Taliban, they sent to us, the people tacks that caused tens of millions of as we now know, when he was sworn in who were elected to oversee that pol- dollars of damage and the deaths of as President of the United States, the icy, meaningless documents that in- thousands of innocent people, not just 9/11 plot to attack the United States cluded innocuous news clippings. This in the United States on 9/11 but in a was well on the way, that it had been is about as arrogant as it gets, worldwide campaign over a 2-year pe- planned long before George Bush was unelected State Department careerists riod. even elected. It was planned and start- dismissing the requests of elected offi- ed and put into place during the time b 2300 cials for security-related information. when Richard Clarke was a senior guy One wonders if the current inde- Yet the same CIA that declared bin at the White House and could have pendent commission examining 9/11 has Laden as their number one target, with done something about it and instead asked to see these documents. We will all the power, the money, the tech- did nothing. have to see if the commission inves- nology, and other assets available to From the first attack to the World tigating 9/11 goes into why the Taliban our CIA, they could not thwart 9/11 nor Trade Center in 1993, to the bombing of was in power in the first place. This is did they even warn us about 9/11. Re- the U.S. military barracks in Saudi a vital piece of information. If the member, 9/11 was a major operation Arabia, to the attack on the USS Cole, Taliban would not have been in power, planned and carried out by the CIA’s and the destruction of our embassies in these radical Islamicists would not number one target and hundreds of Africa, the response from the last ad- have provided bin Laden and the ter- others, many of whom were also on ministration was so tepid and so weak rorists with the base of operations that most-wanted list. that the perpetrators thought Ameri- which led to 9/11. In some ways, it is If this is not incompetence on the cans were cowards. That was why they hard to characterize the Clinton ad- part of our intelligence establishment, went ahead with 9/11, which was aimed ministration’s support of the Taliban then what is? Furthermore, there were at killing not just 3,000 Americans but as covert. The stench was hard to miss. mind-boggling missed opportunities to tens of thousands of Americans that Covert or overt, it was disgraceful and get bin Laden before 9/11. Either inten- they thought they were going to kill in led to 9/11 by creating a safe base of op- tionally or as a matter of policy or those towers. This we have learned erations for bin Laden and a training through incompetence, bin Laden was from those we have captured since 9/11. base and staging area for al Qaeda. never stopped, even though there were It was the weakness of the 1990s that Bin Laden is from an enormously numerous opportunities to stop him led to the war that we are in today. It wealthy Saudi family. While our petro permanently. was the weakness during the Clinton dollars flowed into Saudi Arabia by the The government of Sudan paid close administration years and the weak re- hundreds or tens of millions, the Saudi attention to bin Laden when he oper- sponse and limp-wrist response that we establishment not only turned a blind ated in that country. I am told they gave to the terrorists that encouraged eye but also attempted to buy off this catalogued all the people to whom he them to move forward with a mon- violent anti-western Islamic fringe in spoke on the phone and in person. The strous attack on 9/11. their own country. Billions of our dol- former Ambassador for Sudan in the By the way, after one attack it is re- lars, our petro dollars, came back to United States, Mr. Mahdi Ibrahim ported that Richard Clarke was the bite us in a big way. It obviously con- Mohamed, told me personally that he White House official who insisted that tinues to this very day. The first gulf offered our government this terrorist retaliation be taken against guess war in 1990 and 1991 did nothing but ex- catalogue, which was a silver bullet for what target they chose after an attack pand bin Laden’s hatred for the United the total destruction of bin Laden’s where our people died? The target was States. In terms of our presence in terrorist network. a pharmaceutical factory in the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, he has piously pro- Vanity Fair reports that the Suda- which had nothing to do with ter- claimed that it is an insult to his faith. nese government’s offer was abruptly rorism. This was while our government Get that. An insult to his faith. This is turned down by none other than Sec- was still helping the Taliban stay in a mass slaughterer of unarmed people retary of State Madeleine Albright her- power. So we attacked a pharma- and, of course, slaughtering these un- self. Reportedly she instructed that no ceutical company in Sudan. Something armed people and these noncombatants one look at the material or copy the stinks about this situation, and some as we saw on 9/11 and others who he has material offered by Sudan. So in bold day we are going to get to the bottom slaughtered is perfectly consistent print add to the list of those respon- of it and we will learn what forces were with his faith, but he is insulted by sible to 9/11 Secretary of State Mad- at play and what the positions of our America being in the Middle East. Per- eleine Albright. government and those people really haps we should quit taking seriously I should note that former President were. all of this self-righteousness from rad- Clinton is denying that he turned down Then an even more personal incident ical Islamicists because in reality what such an offer from the Sudan, and it is happened about bin Laden. In April and we are talking about are psychopathic not unreasonable to assume that the May of 1999, America, our country, had killers. And whatever religion they wording of his denial has been crafted an incredible opportunity to be capture would be part of, whether it is Christi- in such a way that we really do not bin Laden. And, yes, I was personally anity or Hindus or Israelis or Ameri- know what is, is. involved in this one. It is, unfortu- cans, whoever we are talking about, And while we are at it, we can add nately, another example of incom- there are psychopathic killers in every Richard Clarke to the list. Let us take petence by those we trust to protect us society, only what we have got here is a look at Richard Clarke, who got from attacks like the one that oc- in the name of the Muslim faith, these much attention a few months back by curred on 9/11. In April of 1999, a friend people have managed to wrestle lever- criticizing President George W. Bush of mine, a long-time friend, who was age which gives them enormous power before the investigating 9/11 panel. deeply involved in the Afghan fight to attack us and to kill our people. Clarke was a senior government policy against Soviet occupation, contacted In the mid 1990s, bin Laden and his official. And while all of that that I am me. My friend, an American, had an cohorts began to set up his terrorist describing took place, Richard Clarke impeccable record, had credentials, and underground army for the war that he was there in high-level positions of au- he was widely known and admired intended to wage on America. In the thority. He either approved of what among the Afghan people. My friend mid 1990s, he operated not out of Af- was going on in all these things, espe- called to tip me off that bin Laden was ghanistan but out of Sudan. America’s cially that were happening during the out of Afghanistan and could be easily official position was that bin Laden Clinton administration; he either ap- captured. I told him I would pass on his was a terrorist on our most wanted proved of the policy of the Taliban, he phone number and his name to the CIA, list. In fact, CIA director George Tenet approved of not following up on these and I did so the very next day. There I declared him the CIA’s number one tar- leads to get bin Laden, or he did noth- passed on my friend’s name and phone get. Inexplicably while designated as ing. Either way, he is certainly high on number and explained that they had to such this self-aggrandizing monster or- the 9/11 blame list, and he has no credi- get to him right away because he could

VerDate jul 14 2003 03:07 Jul 20, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K19JY7.110 H19PT1 July 19, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5973 give them bin Laden on a platter and Zacarias Moussaoui’s computer. They have sent American military forces that he had great credentials, so he determined that he might have links to into Afghanistan from the south, where was believable. the terrorists, and when this FBI agent the goal was occupying a few major cit- A week passed, and my friend was asked that his computer be searched, ies like Jalalabad and Kabul, leaving not called by the CIA. So I went back the FBI headquarters ignored her the Taliban in charge of the country- to the CIA, and this time they were ad- warnings and ignored her. So agent side. We would then negotiate with the amant that they would contact my Rowley basically notified the CIA Taliban and offer to withdraw our friend because they insisted they want- about the Moussaoui case, and the FBI, forces if they turned over bin Laden. ed to get bin Laden. when they learned that she had told The Taliban would have been left in As time passed, guess what. They did the CIA to watch out for this guy, rep- power. That is insane, but that was not call my friend again. So I went to rimanded her. what the policy was. The plan was to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. come in through the south and to have b 2310 GOSS), who is the chairman of the our troops supplied out of bases in House Permanent Select Committee on There is something terribly wrong in northwestern frontier areas in Paki- Intelligence, and let me note that I a culture at the FBI if when they get stan, an area that we now know as have deep respect for the gentleman admonished for telling the CIA, and being a anti-American stronghold. from Florida (Mr. GOSS) and hope that they will not investigate themselves, An alternative plan, based coopera- he becomes the next Director of the and then admonish the person for con- tion with the battle-tested troops of CIA because he is a man who knows tacting the CIA. the Northern Alliance took time to de- that agency and a man who is com- Clinton appointee Louis Freeh head- velop, because the Pentagon didn’t mitted to the security of our country ed the Bureau for almost 8 years. The know who the players were, much less and whom I trust explicitly. new director, Robert Mueller, took what the anti-Taliban forces in the When the gentleman from Florida over just 7 days before 9/11. The Bureau north could do. My staff, my personal (Mr. GOSS) heard my story, he imme- obviously needed a major overhaul, and staff, ended up providing the Pentagon diately went into action and arranged this became painfully evident shortly with the names and satellite cell phone a meeting for the next day. At that after the World Trade Center crashed numbers of those significant Afghan time I met with not just the CIA but to the ground and shocked the Nation. leaders who opposed the Taliban who with representatives from NSA, Na- The troubles at the FBI were not just could help drive them out of Afghani- tional Security Agency, and the FBI. organizational, but there was a stan. They were the ‘‘bin Laden Task mindset there, and that was a problem, That the Pentagon was unprepared Force.’’ I told them what had hap- but there were also mandates and re- was no surprise to me. In early 1999, a pened. They apologized for those dun- strictions that were put on the Bureau DIA analyst came to me for help. She derheads at the CIA, they will never during this time period. was in the process of being fired, and get it right, and they promised they Let me note that we had all sorts of her story tells us volumes about why 9/ would get on it. Another week passed, political restrictions put on the FBI, 11 caught America off guard and ill- and my friend still was not contacted. especially during the 1990s. The one prepared. Julie Sirrs was one of a small number So here we had bin Laden vulnerable case in point, Jamie Gorelick, who now of Afghan analysts at the DIA. She for weeks, and our intelligence estab- passes judgment on the Bush adminis- took her job seriously, as she should lishment did nothing. I mentioned it to tration as part of the 9/11 investiga- have. She, in fact, went to Afghani- the gentleman from Florida (Mr. tion, she is part of that committee. In stan, but was only permitted in those GOSS). He was appalled. The very next the 1990s, she was in the Clinton ad- ministration. She ran our domestic ter- areas controlled by the Taliban. day, and I am sure it had something to Upon returning, she realized that her rorist law enforcement and intelligence do with the gentleman from Florida one-dimensional view of Afghanistan operations, and she wrote a memo (Mr. GOSS), a representative from an left gaping holes in the Department of while a Clinton lawyer forbidding any intelligence agency called my friend, Defense’s understanding of the situa- cooperation between intelligence orga- but the caller’s tone of voice suggested tion. She requested to go to Northern nizations and law enforcement agen- that the call was obligatory and he Afghanistan, especially to that area cies. really was not interested but he made controlled by anti-Taliban Commander So right here on the 9/11 inves- the call, but it would not make any dif- Masoud. She was denied permission to tigating panel is an example of why we ference anyway because by then the go. trail was too cold to follow. suffered 9/11. The presence of Jamie Realizing the danger posed by her This was very strange and very dis- Gorelick on the investigating panel lack of information, Julie Sirrs took heartening. We had passed up a chance represents a massive conflict of inter- the initiative. She paid her own way, again to get the America’s most-want- est, and this was well-known and has organized her own trip to the Panjshir ed terrorist, and there was no expla- been well-known. She should have been Valley in Northern Afghanistan, which nation. Either incompetence or by de- removed a long time ago. The panel is the bastion of Commander Masoud, sign, I do not know. Clearly, however, thus is demonstrating the same inflexi- and he was the last Afghan holdout there was something dreadfully wrong bility and aversion to correct action as against the Taliban. at the CIA or with American policy. it is investigating. Well, I met with Masoud in one of his Over at the FBI, it was just as bad, if The Gorelick directives reflected a mountain strongholds 2 years before not worse. It is widely known now that mindset in the last administration, a and had dinner with him and discussed 2 months before the September 11 at- mindset that was reflected even by strategy. That was risky. What Julie tacks, Phoenix FBI agent Kenneth Wil- high-level career intelligence officials. Sirrs did was even riskier for her. What liams sent a memo to FBI headquarters The Defense Intelligence Agency, for she did was heroic. in Washington and New York warning example, is supposed to provide the When she got to the Panjshir Valley, that bin Laden’s disciples might be Pentagon with detailed information she found out her assumptions were training at U.S. flight schools, and he necessary for it to deal with any poten- right. Something vital to America’s se- asked for a review of documents and a tial threat. With all that is spent by curity was happening, something she review of the situation to determine if the DIA, the Pentagon, like the rest of was not allowed to discover when she bin Laden’s people were being trained the government, let us just note, the visited the Taliban-controlled areas. in other parts of the country. The Wil- Pentagon was caught off guard and un- Commander Masoud told her he was liams memo was ignored by David prepared for 9/11, just like the rest, facing a new enemy in Afghanistan. Frasca, the Supervisory Special Agent even though we spent enormous Masoud’s militia was finding itself in in Washington, D.C. amounts on the DIA. fire fights with some kind of fundamen- One month before 9/11, Minnesota The Pentagon’s lack of information talist foreign legion. Apparently, bin FBI agent Colleen Rowley asked FBI and analysis almost had disastrous re- Laden was making Afghanistan his headquarters to issue a warrant allow- sults beyond 9/11. A counterattack base of operations and importing Is- ing agents to search would-be terrorist strategy almost implemented would lamic radicals from around the world,

VerDate jul 14 2003 03:07 Jul 20, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K19JY7.112 H19PT1 H5974 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 19, 2004 training them as terrorist killers and elected official with experience in Afghanistan. the terrorists we have captured now tell us then setting them against Masoud’s I requested a meeting with the General and that it may have been given them second troops for combat experience. right off the bat he insisted Sirrs was insubor- thoughts. Masoud offered to let Julie and other dinate. I told him that from my view she was I took pride in those days as being one of Americans interrogate these foreign a hero, risking her job, and her life, spending the few Members of Congress who had main- prisoners, many of whom he had cap- her own money, all this to get information she tained an interest in Afghanistan, which I saw tured. believed necessary for our country to be pre- as a potential major national security threat to This was an intelligence bonanza. pared if something happened in Afghanistan. our country. Julie Sirrs was uncovering the cre- After hearing each other out, I rec- Then, 2 days before 9/11, the news came ation, the organization and the train- ommended to the General that we com- that Commander Masoud had been murdered ing of bin Laden terrorist army, al promise. If he just gave her back her job she’d in Afghanistan. I felt as if I had lost a friend. Qaeda. She only had a short time. She end up neither hero nor scofflaw. I’d back off As I mourned his loss I struggled to fully un- collected enough information for a pre- and he could use political pressure from me derstand the significance of his death. Then it liminary report and then she headed as an excuse for reinstating her. dawned on me why Masoud had been assas- home. After the General left my office he not only sinated. America was going to be attacked The minute she got back, she was or- reaffirmed the firing of Julie Sirrs, but later and it would be so monstrous that bin Laden’s dered not to distribute her report and stripped her of her security clearance as well, gang in Afghanistan wanted to cut us off from limit her briefings within her own thus eliminating her ability to earn a living as the means of counterattacking. We would agency. The commanding officer of an intelligence analyst. He demonstrated how have turned to Masoud if we were attacked; DIA labeled her as insubordinate, fired he could destroy anyone who would deviate now he was dead. Perhaps his death was a her, and when she fought her dismissal, from his program or defy his directives. ‘‘In- signal to set the planned attack in motion. he set out to destroy her. subordination’’ was the ultimate challenge to So on the 10th of September I tried to alert Amidst the fight to save her job, the his authority, and reaffirming his authority, was anyone and everyone who would listen to my DIA Director complained that he was more important than the security of the United warning of an imminent terrorist attack. A few upset with Julie because she had made States of America. people listened as a courtesy but for most contact with Masoud, who, according A few months later the General retired and their eyes simply glazed over as I tried to to the DIA, was a bad guy. This general all this would have been a regrettable but for- warn them. One of my colleagues, JIM GREEN- was sending his people to be briefed by gotten incident, except for the resultant 9/11 WOOD, stood behind me in an elevator and the Taliban, but refused them any con- tragedy. Except for how terribly unprepared overheard me lamenting that something hor- tact with Masoud or he would dismiss the Pentagon was for a war in Afghanistan. rible was about to happen and that I couldn’t them. It is my sad duty to report to my colleagues Something is terribly wrong with get anyone to take my warnings seriously. It’s that the General to whom I’m referring is Lt. this picture. The vitriol in the attack like the Twilight Zone, I said. As I got off the General Patrick Hughes, who today is one of against Sirrs were shockingly false. elevator he lightheartedly patted me on the the top officials, as Assistant Secretary for In- Patently false charges were brought back and with a smile told me not to be so against her to overwhelm her defenses formation Analysis at the Department of melodramatic and certainly not so apocryphal. and to intimidate her and force her to Homeland Security. I am certain that over his Undeterred, I called the White House and go quietly. long and distinguished career he made many asked for an emergency appointment to see She was charged, for example, with contributions, but his indefensible conduct in Condoleezza Rice in order to warn her of a lying, even though the agency lie de- the Sirrs case cast serious doubt over his major impending attack. Her office apologized tector test proved she was telling the judgment. I have notified Secretary Ridge of that she was incredibly busy that day, but she truth. She was charged with misusing this side of General Hughes’ character and respected my opinion and would see me at 3 equipment, having borrowed an office recommended that he should not hold the high p.m. the next day. The next day was 9/11. camera to take pictures of Afghani- level position in the Department of Homeland The plans began flying into the buildings at stan. She returned the camera when Security that he does. 8:48 a.m. she got back, and she had taken valu- When George W. Bush took office in Janu- In the afternoon of that chaotic and fateful able pictures of Northern Afghanistan. ary of 2001, the 9/11 terrorist operation, unbe- day, my colleague, Congressman GREEN- The attacks on this sincere and re- knownst to anyone in our government, was al- WOOD, approached me. I’ve been telling every- sponsible intelligence analyst were ar- ready well underway. But the threat posed by one how you tried to warn people of this. You rogant, nasty, malevolent and loath- the radical anti-western Islamic regime in Af- knew it was about to happen? How did you some. The brutal treatment of Sirrs ghanistan was known, and policy towards it know? We must ask, how is it that one Mem- sent a negative message to anyone at needed to go. Having worked in the Reagan ber of Congress, with the help of one staff that time in the DIA who had idea of White House I understood it took time for a member, was able to analyze the situation and taking the initiative or thinking cre- new President to appoint staff, set policy and determine that the terrorists based in Afghani- atively. begin to take control of government. Neverthe- stan were about to launch a major attack on Let me just note that Julie Sirrs was less, during that brief interlude between us, when the CIA and others failed to do so. fired. She was fired by a general who Bush’s inaugural and 9/11, I met the new Na- The question is not how did I know. It is why was in charge of the DIA, who I had tional Security Council staff on three occa- didn’t the rest of the establishment know. come to my office. That general, Gen- sions, including one meeting with Those whose job it is to protect us should be eral Hughes, is now, unfortunately, a Condoleezza Rice, to discuss Afghanistan. held accountable for 9/11, for not thwarting the high level official in our Department of There were, in fact, signs noted in an over- attack or even warning us. Homeland Security in charge of anal- view story in the Washington Post that some On 9/11 there was an incident that under- ysis. steps were being made to break away from scored that something was dreadfully wrong at There are many things that we need the previous administration’s Afghan policy. the CIA. Shortly after the attack I called King to do, where we need to hold people ac- One thing was certain to me at that time, Zahir Shah in Rome. He was now America’s countable. General Hughes was wrong George W. Bush, unlike his predecessor, greatest asset in any action against the ter- and put our country in jeopardy. These would have an unmistakable response to bin rorist forces in Afghanistan. Masoud was other individuals that I have men- Laden’s terrorist attacks. As I stated earlier we dead, but the Afghan people would rally be- tioned tonight, their decisions were know now that those who planned and fi- hind the King. If I could figure that out so wrong, the policies were wrong. We nanced the 9/11 attack did not believe the could the Taliban, so I was shocked to find must hold them accountable. United States would act as forcefully and as that the King had no protection. He was totally We are looking forward to the report unrelentingly as we have. This calculation was vulnerable. I told the King to stay put and went by the 9/11 Commission that will be up a result of the tepid American response to ear- to work. I called the CIA and managed to this week to see if they name names, lier al Qaeda attacks from Africa to New York speak directly to one of Tenet’s top lieuten- hold people accountable, hold policy City. ants. I explained the situation and he acknowl- accountable, and we will be having a Here again, was an example of the rotten edged the importance of the King, assuring further talk on this issue later on. policy that led to 9/11. And yes, had we retali- me he would take care of it. Julie came to me because she had no one ated more aggressively when our Embassies About 5 hours later, I happened to run into else to whom she could turn. I was the one were blown up in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 this gentleman. I will never forget his response

VerDate jul 14 2003 03:07 Jul 20, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K19JY7.114 H19PT1 July 19, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H5975 when I asked if the King was now being pro- we believe that the House has a duty reports that have come in on a bipar- tected. ‘‘You don’t expect us to act that fast do not to sweep under the rug the accu- tisan basis, this President’s statement you?’’ mulation of errors, misjudgments and that Saddam Hussein was associated Just like at the FBI, there was something deceptions that have been foisted on with the attack on this country, this wrong with the mindset at the CIA. Yes, the American people by the Bush ad- venal, evil attack on this country was George Tenet must be placed on that 9/11 ministration leading to the war in Iraq. false, and it led to a war. And there is blame list; perhaps his name should be under- The reason we are here every week is no greater error, breach of democracy lined. that there is too much tendency to for- than an American President saying It is time for those who made possible the get the sacrifices that are being made that when this was false. And it con- rest of the Taliban; the rise of bin Laden and by our men and women in uniform in tinues to this day. With all of this yes, the tragedy of 9/11 to be held personally Iraq; to treat them as sort of back- mountain of evidence showing the accountable. ground noise; to sort of say, well, the falsehood of this President’s state- The list stretches over both Republican and casualties are down to several a week, ment, the Vice President of the United Democratic administrations. Through the fail- so we can just sort of forget about Iraq. States has the chutzpa, if one can ures of the CIA under Reagan to the blunders That is wrong. stretch that word that far, to try to of the State Department under Bush to the in- We have been here for months blow- continue to foist this on the American competence and disingenuous posturing of the ing the whistle on this administra- people, and it is falsehood number 2. diplomats under Clinton, accountability re- tion’s repeated failures in Iraq, and we Number 3: The American people were quires that their names be given. will continue to do so, because this Na- told repeatedly that we would be wel- Retired General Patrick Hughes, who as tion owes it to our men and women in come as liberators in Iraq. We would be head of the DIA fired Julie Sirrs and who uniform to continue to be vigilant welcome with rose petals at our feet. today holds a high position in the Department about what this administration is We would be welcome with nothing but of Homeland Security. doing and not doing in Iraq. clear sailing because the people would Former Ambassador and now Governor Bill b 2320 see us as liberators. There is no ques- Richardson, who save the Taliban from mili- tion in the belief that Saddam Hussein tary defeat. Perhaps, even more importantly, we was an evil tyrant, and there is no Former senior CIA Officer Milt Bearden, who owe it to the cause of democracy itself question he abused thousands of Iraqis. armed the most fanatic of the Afghan factions not to allow it to go unnoted when a But this President made a massive mis- in this struggle against Soviet Occupation. President of the United States starts a judgment by listening to Mr. Chalabi, Former Assistant Secretary of State Rick war based on deception of the Amer- one of the great sycophants in failures Inderfurth, who weakened the anti-Taliban ican people. We are here to say there is of predictions in international history, forces. perhaps no greater abuse of democracy, and the President was suckered and the Former CIA Director George Tenet, whose no more dangerous event in the great American people were suckered by this culpability should have led him to resign long American democratic experiment, than misstatement, and we have paid dearly ago. for an American President to foist with our treasure and our lives and the Former Secretary of State Madeleine falsehoods on the American people to health of our service personnel in Iraq. Albright, who was the point person for the pol- start a war, which we believe occurred Falsehood number 4: This President icy of covert support for the Taliban, and who in this case. ignored the clear, professional judg- derailed the opportunity to receive a detailed Now, I would like to start our discus- ment of people who said we needed to account of the entire al Qaeda terrorist net- sion tonight by quickly setting the have more boots on the ground to pre- work. stage for the history of the Iraq war to vent anarchy in Iraq, but this Presi- And finally, Richard Clarke, former senior date. Unfortunately, this administra- dent ignored that advice because he Clinton official, who along with a few others tion has made not 1, not 2, but 10 seri- has wanted to fight this fight on the was in a position to argue against if not to ous mistakes, deceptions, errors of cheap from day 1, and we have suffered change the grotesquely mistaken policies of judgment, negligence, and carelessness as a result. General Shinseki told him the 80s and 90s, but failed to do so. that have led to the troubles that our that we needed several hundred thou- If another 9/11 is to be avoided, we need people are facing in Iraq. I would like sand people in Iraq to quell disturbance accountability, not rearranging of bureaucratic to run through those very quickly be- after the Iraq war, and he ignored it, organization charts. There was nothing wrong fore I yield to the gentleman from Mas- and our people paid dearly for error with our system that brought on 9/11, which sachusetts (Mr. DELAHUNT). and falsehood number 4. will not be corrected by having different poli- There are 10 major errors the Bush Number 5: The President said we did cies in place and different people in positions administration has made in Iraq. Error not need the United Nations, we could of authority. number 1: This administration told go in there alone, as long as we had the Let us now, if nothing else, be honest with America in no uncertain terms, with Philippines and a couple of other small each other and insist on an honest account- no doubt, with no vagueness, with no island nations. Well, the Philippines ing. Then let’s beat our murderous enemy so ambiguity whatsoever, that it was re- have now withdrawn. This President completely that no one will ever miscalculate quired to start a war in Iraq because decided to go it alone in Iraq, and our about our power and courage ever again. Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. people have suffered dearly. Falsehood f The President said, in a culmination of number 5. his multiple statements, and this must Falsehood number 6: The President IRAQ WATCH not be forgotten; on August 26, 2002, said that by implication, everything The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. the President said, ‘‘Simply stated, would be aboveboard. There would not HENSARLING). Under the Speaker’s an- there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein be any war profiteering in Iraq, people nounced policy of January 7, 2003, the now has weapons of mass destruction.’’ would not make millions of dollars gentleman from Washington (Mr. INS- And there was not only no weapons of worth of profits in Iraq. Now we see LEE) is recognized until midnight. mass destruction, there was plenty of Halliburton, this company so inti- Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, we come doubt. This President’s statement was mately tied with this administration, to the floor this evening in the contin- false, and this was falsehood number 1. reaping millions of dollars of tax- ued responsibility of keeping a very Error number 2: The President told payers’ money, wrongfully. The GAO close eye on this administration’s pol- us on repeated occasions, and his ad- has reported on it. This is a scandal, icy in Iraq in the continued series of ministration, that they had clear, con- and Harry Truman rooted out world what we style the Iraq watch. vincing and cogent evidence that there profiteering in World War II. We need I will be joined by the gentleman was a working relationship between to get to the bottom of this war profit- from Massachusetts (Mr. DELAHUNT) Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda which eering by Halliburton and the like. this evening, and hopefully the gen- led to the attack on September 11. Falsehood number 6. tleman from Ohio (Mr. STRICKLAND.) They told us this over and over and Falsehood number 7, and error num- We have been now coming once a over again, and now that the evidence ber 7: This President and this adminis- week to the floor of the House because has been made clear from the multiple tration led us down one of the most

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