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Strategies & Market Trends : VOLTAIRE'S PORCH-MODERATED -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (52188)	5/28/2002 4:02:42 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 65232

When secrets are used as political ammo By Daniel Schorr Commentary The Christian Science Monitor from the May 24, 2002 edition WASHINGTON – A controversy has blown up over how much awareness there was in the Bush administration, before Sept. 11, of the potential for a terrorist attack. The administration is resisting congressional demands to see all the relevant documents. For all of my journalistic bias in favor of disclosure, I can appreciate Vice President Cheney's position that some information, involving sources and methods, must be protected. But his argument would carry greater weight were it not for two facts. First, something I learned in my reporting days, is that government agencies have a way of leaking classified information when it serves their purpose, especially when that purpose is putting down another agency. The current uproar about what the president knew and when he knew it revolves around two classified documents. One is a memorandum dated July 5, 2001, from FBI agent Kenneth Williams in Phoenix, urging his superiors to investigate men from the Middle East training in American flying schools and who might have connections with Osama bin Laden. The memorandum was not acted on, the CIA says it was only belatedly advised of it, and the president learned of it only recently. FBI Director Robert Mueller, along with Attorney General John Ashcroft, was told about the memo a few days after Sept. 11, and still did not find it necessary to advise the White House. And that made the FBI look bad. The other document in question is the CIA's Aug. 6 briefing memorandum for President Bush titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US." When that leaked, it was along with word to The Washington Post that the White House was disappointed in the CIA because the analysis lacked focus and provided no new intelligence. And that made the CIA look bad. It becomes harder to convince Congress of the need to keep secrets when these secrets seem to be selectively leaked by those in charge of protecting them. The other problem about recognizing the need to keep national security secrets is that the administration has acquired a reputation for being generally obsessed with secrecy. For example, the White House is resisting giving Congress information about Enron contacts with the Cheney energy task force. It is also sitting on Reagan-era documents that were, by law, scheduled to be released last year. The Justice Department withholds information about witnesses held for interrogation in the Sept. 11 investigation. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge is not allowed to testify under oath before congressional committees, bearing a figurative "secret" stamp on his brow. The administration would get more support for keeping real secrets if it didn't try to make so much secret, and, then, if it did a better job of shielding its secret documents from interagency feuds. _____________________________ • Daniel Schorr is a senior news analyst at National Public Radio. csmonitor.com

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (52188)	5/28/2002 5:17:59 PM
From: Clappy	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 65232

TLCowboy, Those are some fancy cows. Are they some sort of special breed? Do they do better in that area of the country or something? Does their meat taste better? Can sweaters be made out of their coat? Are they easy for California Beach Boys to raise? How come you don't want Black Angus, or Holsteins or big fat beefy cows? Just wondering and trying to broaden my knowledge of cowmanship... I think it's cool that you are making a move that many dream of but never do. When are you planning on leaving civilization for God's country? -ClappyTheCityBoyDreamer

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (52188)	5/28/2002 6:51:33 PM
From: Mannie	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 65232

Here are some new shots from our water project in Vietnam: photo.net photo.net photo.net photo.net photo.net This is a thank you plaque that they are putting on both wells, saying these public wells are a gift to the village from Scott, Yen and Friends: photo.net Both wells are all but done, one holding tank is complete and the second is almost complete. Mr. Hung says he can already see the health of the villagers improving. he says everyone is walking around with a big smile on their faces. Thanks, Friends. This was a major accomplishment. Scott