As president, Clark added, he would "take care of the American people" and "we would not have one of these incidents."
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), who often touts his record on security issues, and who is well behind Clark in New Hampshire polls as both men seek support from the state's independent voters, called Clark's claim "odd" and said such a blanket guarantee "runs the risk of creating a credibility gap."
He also reiterated a claim he last aired in mid-December that "repeated meetings" between al Qaeda operatives and Iraqi intelligence officers during the 1990s suggest the possibility of a link between the terrorist organization and the government of Saddam Hussein. "I couldn't conclude that they were not involved with al Qaeda, because there were all these contacts," Lieberman said. "There's smoke there, and I don't think we should dismiss the possibility that there might have been fire."
Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), before leaving New Hampshire for Iowa, said: "I don't think any of us saw anything to prevent 9/11. The truth is we all failed on 9/11." Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), also campaigning in New Hampshire, called Clark's comments an "overstatement," adding that because the United States is an open society, it is vulnerable to attack.
Clark stood by his remarks Friday, but he acknowledged, "Nobody can guarantee anything in life but it's clear that we can do much more to prevent an attack on the American homeland."
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