With the release of the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB), it is now clear that President Bush was personally given information before 9/11 that "spelled out the who, hinted at the what and pointed toward the where of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington that followed 36 days later" (1). Yet, even as the public had the PDB in hand, President Bush went before the cameras and was deliberately dishonest about what he knew prior to the attacks.

The president said the PDB "was no indication of a terrorist threat" and "said nothing about an attack on America" (2). But the PDB specifically said there were "patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks" with the FBI "conducting approximately 70 full field investigations" -- including one into allegations that "a group of Bin Ladin [sic] supporters was in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives" (3).

The president said there was no information about a "time and a place [of] an attack" (4). However, the PDB specifically said that terrorists had engaged in "recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York" and that "Bin Ladin [sic] told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington" (5).

Sources:

1. "News Analysis: CIA terror memo is the new campaign issue", New York Times, 04/12/2004, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=27794.
2. Remarks by the President to the Travel Pool, 04/11/2004, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=27795.
3. "President's Daily Brief on Aug. 6, 2001", Washington Post, 04/10/2004, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=27796.
4. Remarks by the President to the Travel Pool, 04/11/2004, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=27795.
5. "President's Daily Brief on Aug. 6, 2001", Washington Post, 04/10/2004, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1208987&l=27796.

Topplebush.com
Posted: April 26, 2004