To: Raymond Duray who wrote (433644 ) 7/25/2003 4:41:37 PM From: Lazarus_Long Respond to Two intriguing -- and politically volatile -- questions surrounding the Sept. 11 plot have been how personally engaged Bush and his predecessor were in counterterrorism before the attacks, and what role some Saudi officials may have played in sustaining the 19 terrorists who commandeered four airplanes and flew three of them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. And while the report contains extensive details about counterterrorism policy andsomewhere , against U.S. interests. The intelligence community has said its focus was on possible attacks overseas. On the issue of Saudi Arabia, the report cited a CIA memorandum that said connectionsThe report makes no accusation that it was ever the policy of the Saudi government to Yesterday, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, issued a statement refuting the criticism of his country. "It is unfortunate that false accusations against Saudi Arabia continue to be made by some for political purposes despite the fact that the kingdom has been one of the most active partners in the war on terrorism," he said. Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.), chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he doubted Bush was complacent about warnings he received. "The intelligence community was providing him information. He wasn't AWOL," Goss said. "In hindsight, it might take on a little more significance . . . but it's a huge stretch to say the president had information he should have acted on."
