Richard A. Clarke (External Links 2004)

The following are articles and information about Richard A. Clarke, including references to his book Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror (ISBN 0743260244), as well as Richard A. Clarke's testimony before the 9/11 Commission. Also see Richard A. Clarke (External Links) for earlier material.

Please note that a large number of links have either expired or have been deleted. They have been relocated here. Quotes and other citations still intact.

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By Richard A. Clarke: 2004

• Richard A. Clarke, "The Wrong Debate on Terrorism," New York Times Op-Ed, April 25, 2004. Note: Subscription required.

Articles & Commentary 2004

• Billmon, "Clarke Kent," Whiskey Bar, March 20, 2004.
• "Did Bush Press For Iraq-9/11 Link?," CBS News/News 4 (Denver), March 20, 2004. Page has link to video of Clarke 60 Minutes interview.
• Philip Shenon, "Clinton Aides Plan to Tell Panel of Warning Bush Team on Qaeda," New York Times, March 20, 2004. (Subscription required).
• "Clarke's Take On Terror," CBS News, March 21, 2004.
• "Richard Clarke, Fraud," PowerLineBlog.com, March 21, 2004.
• Billmon, "Grand Slam," Whiskey Bar, March 21, 2004: "I thought Clarke exuded hardliner crediblity -- through the pores as it were. And whichever Mayberry Machiavelli thought it was a good idea to put Steven Hadley on the air as the designated flackcatcher should be fired, forthwith. He was awful -- the classic stereotype of the whiny, nasel-voiced bureacrat, complete with horn-rim glasses. (Aren't those kind of guys all supposed to be on our side?) ... When Hadley trotted out his non-denial denial of Clarke's surreal post-9/11 encounter with the president, and Leslie Stahl came back at him with the independent confirmation, it was just a classic 60 Minutes moment. Hadley looked like Donald Rumsfeld on Face the Nation, confronted with his own use of the word 'imminent'."
• "The 9/11 Record. 1600 vs. Richard Clarke. An NRO Primary Document," National Review, March 22, 2004: "This is the text of a White House release issued right before the 60 Minutes interview with former White House counterterrorism official Richard Clarke aired on Sunday, March 21."
• "Richard Clarke Book Reaction," National Public Radio, March 22, 2004.
• "White House goes after former aide. Bush accused of ignoring al-Qaida before Sept. 11," MSNBC.MSN.com, March 22, 2004. Article title changed to "Government ‘failed you,’ Clarke testifies. Ex-counterterror chief apologizes to victims at 9/11 hearing, says Bush didn’t consider terrorism an urgent issue."
• "Bush administration rejects Clarke charges. Rumsfeld to testify before 9/11 panel Tuesday," CNN, March 22, 2004: "Top members of the Bush administration sharply rebuffed their former counterterrorism chief Monday, calling his assertions in a new book about the White House's handling of terrorism and Iraq 'deeply irresponsible' and 'flat-out wrong'."
• Stephen F. Hayes, "On Richard Clarke. Richard Clarke blames the Bush administration for September 11, but what does he think about President Clinton?," Weekly Standard, March 22, 2004.
• Phil Carter, "White House engages in public duel with former counter-terrorism aide. Comments reveal deeper issues with White House decisionmaking in the war on terrorism," philcarter.blogspot.com, March 22, 2004: "Analysis: I find it interesting that the White House has chosen to engage the Clarke criticisms on the level of his personal credibility -- not the truth of the matters asserted. Surely, there are classification and security issues at stake which may preclude a full and fair response by the White House to the Clarke book on the merits. But given the political stakes of this issue -- which could ultimately decide the November 2004 election -- I would think the White House would find some way to actually rebut Clarke's claims (if they weren't true) using unclassified arguments."
• Paula Zahn, Transcript: "Bush Administration Strikes Back Against Critics; No Smoking on the Beach?," Paula Zahn Now/CNN.com, March 22, 2004.
• "White House dismisses former adviser's charges. Clarke's allegations of pre-9/11 failures called politically driven," CNN, March 22, 2004: "The White House is dismissing as a 'red herring' charges from the administration's former counter-terrorism coordinator that President Bush has been more focused on Iraq than al Qaeda."
• Mark A.R. Kleiman, "Slime & defend hits Richard Clarke," markarkleiman.com, March 22, 2004: "Just checked in with one of my pro-war, pro-Bush national security expert friends. Here's what I learned..." Follow updates to the original posting.
• Katherine R., "Corroboration of Clarke's account," Obsidian Wings, March 22, 2004.
• "Administration Ignored Real Terrorist Threat," Center for American Progress, March 22, 2004.
• "9/11: Warnings Ignored," Center for American Progress, March 22, 2004.
• "9/11: Internal Government Documents Show How the Bush Administration Reduced Counterterrorism," Center for American Progress, March 22, 2004. Article includes numerous links.
• "Claim vs. Fact: Administration Officials Respond to Richard Clarke Interview," Center for American Progress, March 22, 2004.
• Margaret Warner, Interview: "War on Terror: Richard Clarke," PBS Online NewsHour, March 22, 2004: "This book would have come out three months earlier if the White House hadn't taken three months to clear it. It sat in the White House for three months or else it would have been out earlier."
• Paul Waldman, "Bush's 9/11 Balloon is Punctured. And it's about time," The Gadflyer, March 22, 2004.
• "Bush Aides Blast Ex-Terror Chief," CBS/Associated Press, March 22, 2004.
• Justin Raimondo, "Is Anybody in Charge? Former anti-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke exposes White House's criminal negligence," antiwar.com, March 22, 2004.
• Chaim Kupferberg, "Richard A. Clarke Creates Legend of 9-11 and Osama," Conspiracy Planet, March 23, 2004. Also see Global Research Article Extract, December 6, 2003, and original article "There's Something About Omar: Truth, Lies, and The Legend of 9/11," October 21, 2003.
• Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo Re Richard A. Clarke March 23, 2004 (scroll down); March 22, 2004; and most significantly March 21, 2004.
• Richard O. Boorstin, "The Canary in the Coalmine," Center for American Progress, March 23, 2004.
• Elisabeth Bumiller and Judith Miller, "Ex-Bush Aide Sets Off Debate as 9/11 Hearing Opens," New York Times, March 23, 2004.
• "The White House panics over Richard Clarke's charges," The Carpetbagger Report, March 23, 2004.
• Moe Blues, "Just Gets Better, Or Worse," Bad Attitudes, March 23, 2004.
• George Wright and Jackie Dent, "Powell denies ignoring 9/11 warnings," Guardian Unlimited (UK), March 23, 2004.
• Robert Scheer, "Blowing a whistle on Bush's 9/11 failures. President Bush failed country in its hour of greatest need," Working for Change, March 23, 2004.
• Fred Kaplan, "Dick Clarke Is Telling the Truth. Why he's right about Bush's negligence on terrorism," Slate, March 23, 2004: "First, his basic accusations are consistent with tales told by other officials, including some who had no significant dealings with Clarke. ... Second, the White House's attempts at rebuttal have been extremely weak and contradictory. If Clarke were wrong, one would expect the comebacks--especially from Bush's aides, who excel at the counterstrike--to be stronger and more substantive. ... Third, I went to graduate school with Clarke in the late 1970s, at MIT's political science department, and called him as an occasional source in the mid-'80s when he was in the State Department and I was a newspaper reporter. ... The key thing, though, is this: ... he's too shrewd to write or say anything in public that might be decisively refuted."
• "White House Attacks Terrorism Whistleblower," Center for American Progress, March 23, 2004.
• "White House Tailspin," Center for American Progress, March 23, 2004.
• "Enemies of the truth," Guardian Unlimited (UK), March 24, 2004.
• Regis T. Sabol, "George Bush bungled the defense of America, then lied to justify invading Iraq; now all America is hearing the truth," Intervention Magazine, March 24, 2004.
• Joe Conason, "Richard Clarke terrorizes the White House. In a provocative Salon interview, the former terrorism czar fires back at the Bush administration, blasting its 'big lie' strategy and 'attack dog' Dick Cheney," Salon, March 24, 2004.
• "Government 'failed you,' Clarke testifies. Ex-counterterror chief apologizes to victims at 9/11 hearing, says Bush didn't consider terrorism an urgent issue," Associated Press (MSNBC.MSN.com), March 24, 2004.
• "Clarke's take on administration. Ex-aide criticizes many on Bush's team," MSNBC, March 24, 2004.
• Fred Kaplan, "Richard Clarke KOs the Bushies. The ex-terrorism official dazzles at the 9/11 commission hearings," Slate, March 24, 2004.
• Larry King, "Interview with Richard Clarke" (Transcript), Larry King Live, March 24, 2004.
• Sarah Bouchard, "At 9-11 commission hearing, Clarke says he 'failed' victims," The Hill, March 25, 2004.
• "Sales soar for book by former terrorism adviser. Against All Enemies into fifth printing," AP, March 25, 2004.
• Romesh Ratnesar, "Richard Clarke, at War With Himself. Viewpoint: On TV, the former counterterrorism official takes a much harder line against Bush than in his book. That undermines a serious conversation about 9/11," Time, March 25, 2004.

• Kevin Drum's take on Ratnesar's article: "Today's Winner," Political Animal, Washington Monthly, March 26, 2004: "Here's my award for the most laughable effort (so far!) to discredit Dick Clarke. Romesh Ratnesar, in a piece highlighted on their home page, writes in Time that Clarke's performance on TV seems rather more dramatic than what he wrote in his book -- a potentially defensible point -- but then dives straight down a spider hole and never returns. ... The scene is the White House the day after 9/11 and President Bush is asking repeatedly about possible Iraqi involvement."

• Harold Meyerson, "Professional Revolt. Many conscientious civil servants, including Richard Clarke, relied on empirical data while working for Bush. Then were forced to leave," The American Prospect, March 25, 2004.
• Rachel L. Swarns, "Ex-Aide's Book Corners Market in Capital Buzz," New York Times, March 26, 2004. Note: Subscription required.
• Transcript: "Bush Administration Continues Attack On Richard Clarke's Credibility," CNN, March 28, 2004.
• Tim Russert, Interview on NBC News' Meet the Press: "Fmr. White House counterterrorism official Richard Clarke" (Transcript), MSNBC, March 28, 2004.
• Bob Somerby, "We Know What He Said That Summer," The Daily Howler, March 29, 2004: "By the way, what did Bush think about Iraq's involvement? You'll never learn it from your 'press corps', but the president's thoughts are on the record--and they tend to support Clarke's impressions. In Bush at War, Bob Woodward quotes Bush at a crucial NSC meeting on September 17, 2001 ... [which] certainly tends to support Clarke's portrait of Bush-on-Iraq.":

• WOODWARD (page 98-99): As for Saddam Hussein, the president ended the debate [about immediate military action against Iraq]. "I believe Iraq was involved, but I'm not going to strike them now. I don't have the evidence at this point."

• Michael Isikoff and Evan Thomas, "Storm Warnings. Bin Laden was a threat, but Clinton never pushed it and Bush seemed more interested in Saddam. What went wrong," Newsweek, March 29, 2004 (Edition).
• Floor Statement of Sen. Daschle on the Abuse of Government Power, U.S. Senate, Office of the Floor Leader, Tom Daschle, March 30, 2004: "Richard Clarke did something extraordinary when he testified before the 9-11 Commission last week. He didn't try to escape blame, as so many routinely do. Instead, he accepted his share of responsibility and offered his perceptions about what happened in the months and years leading up to September 11. ... The retaliation from those around the President has been fierce. ... The point was to damage Mr. Clarke in any way possible. ... This is wrong-and it's not the first time it's happened. ... There are some things that simply ought not be done - even in politics. Too many people around the President seem not to understand that, and that line has been crossed."
• Kevin Drum, "Dick Clarke's White Whale," Washington Monthly, March 30, 2004: "... a true believer, and his religion is counterterrorism -- something that he himself acknowledges. 'Maybe I'm becoming like Captain Ahad with bin Laden as the White Whale,' he quotes himself telling Condi Rice in May 2001. ... This explains a lot of what's happened. He didn't find a home in the Bush administration because his monomania was different from Bush's and that made him an intolerable pain in the ass."
• Joan Vennochi, "Card's cautious criticism of Clarke," Boston Globe, March 30, 2004.
• Christopher Dickey, "How (Not) to Win," Newsweek, March 30, 2004: "Richard Clarke's new book is about more than the Bush administration's handling of 9/11. It offers a thoughtful guide to the nuts and bolts of eliminating terrorists--and an antidote to the assumption that extremist violence is inevitable."
• Evan Thomas, Michael Isikoff and Tamara Lipper, "The Insider," Newsweek, April 5, 2004 (Edition): "The Town Crier: He came, he bore witness and he sent Washington into a frenzy. How Richard Clarke fueled a firestorm over who's to blame for 9/11, why two presidents missed the warning signs--and what we can learn to keep it from happening again."
• James Risen, "'Against All Enemies' and 'Ghost Wars': Connecting the Dots," New York Times, April 11, 2004 (Edition) (Note: Subscription required): "Discounting the possibility that the White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, is secretly a publicist for the Free Press, one must assume that the Bush administration really is angry at its former counterterrorism czar, and isn't simply trying to help him sell more books. But if President Bush and his advisers were hoping that their loud pre-emptive attacks on Against All Enemies would make this book go away, they were sadly mistaken. Richard A. Clarke knows too much, and Against All Enemies is too good to be ignored."
• "Welcome to Cyberspace Security Organization," originally posted September 30, 2001; reposted April 8, 2004: "Clarke has repeatedly warned the U.S. Congress, companies and local agencies about the potential for a `Digital Pearl Harbor' in which a terrorist attack would paralyze computers, electrical grids and other key infrastructure."
• Sharon Waxman, "Sony Pictures Buys Richard Clarke's Book for the Screen," New York Times, April 10, 2004. Note: Subscription required.