nelms Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/06/60minutes/main923095.shtml From 60 minutes interview. Long article, so here's an excerpt: Freeh thought Clinton disgraced the presidency; Clinton felt Freeh was out to get him, and that Freeh was an insufferable Boy Scout. As FBI director, Freeh operated strictly by the book and annoyed the president in his first week on the job when he returned his White House pass after learning the president was under investigation for Whitewater. “The implications of a White House pass would mean I could go in and out of the building any time I wanted without really being recorded as a visitor,” explains Freeh, adding “I wanted all my visits to be official. When I sent the pass back with a note, I had no idea it would antagonize the president. I found out years later that it did.” We were told that relations between the two men had deteriorated so badly, that former Chief of Staff John Podesta says Clinton always referred to the FBI director as ‘Effing’ Freeh. “Well you know, I don’t know how they referred to me and I really didn’t care. My role and my obligation was to conduct criminal investigations. He, unfortunately for the country and unfortunately for him, happened to be the subject of that investigation,” says Freeh. Freeh says he stayed on longer as FBI director because he didn’t want to give Clinton a chance to name his successor. “I was concerned about who he would put in there as FBI director because he had expressed antipathy for the FBI, for the director. I was going to stay there and make sure that he couldn’t replace me.” Freeh had another reason for wanting to outlast Clinton. It was the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia, where 19 U.S. servicemen died and more than 370 were wounded. President Clinton had sent the FBI to investigate and promised Americans that those responsible would pay. “The cowards who committed this murderous act must not go unpunished. Let me say it again: we will pursue this. America takes care of our own. Those who did it must not go unpunished,” the president said. But Freeh says the President failed to keep his promise. The FBI wanted access to the suspects the Saudis had arrested but then-Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar said the only way to get access to prisoners would be if the president personally asked the crown prince for access. Freeh says Clinton did not help him. He writes in his book: “Bill Clinton raised the subject only to tell the crown prince that he understood the Saudi’s reluctance to cooperate, and then he hit Abdullah up for a contribution to the Clinton Presidential Library.” “That’s a fact that I’m reporting,” says Freeh. It’s a strong charge. And 60 Minutes wanted Mr. Clinton’s side of all this. He declined to talk to 60 Minutes, but told his spokesman to say: "The assertion that he asked the Saudis for funding for his library while he was president is absolutely false." And Clinton’s former national security advisor, Sandy Berger, told us that Mr. Clinton did press the Saudis to cooperate with the FBI. Freeh says to get access to the Saudis’ suspects, he eventually sought help from another president, the first President Bush. “Former President Bush, at my request interceded with the Saudis, spoke to Crown Prince, now King Abdullah, asked for his assistance and it happened just like that.” The FBI concluded that Iran had orchestrated the Khobar attack, but Freeh said the White House did not want to pursue the prosecution, because Iran had just elected a new president and Clinton hoped to improve relations with Iran. “I was very disappointed that the political leadership of the United States would tell the families of these 19 heroes that we were going to leave no stone unturned and find the people who killed them, to give that order to the director, because that’s the order that I got, and then to do nothing to assist and facilitate that investigation. In fact to undermine it,” says Freeh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chomerics Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 More right wing noise machine nonsense. . . Even Fox News last night said his allegations held no water. There were 6 people at the meeting and all six say what is in Freech's book was a lie. That is what Fox was reporting last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 More right wing noise machine nonsense. . . Even Fox News last night said his allegations held no water. There were 6 people at the meeting and all six say what is in Freech's book was a lie. That is what Fox was reporting last night. At least part of it is true President Clinton had sent the FBI to investigate and promised Americans that those responsible would pay. “The cowards who committed this murderous act must not go unpunished. Let me say it again: we will pursue this. America takes care of our own. Those who did it must not go unpunished,” the president said. That's exactly what happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 Damn... So, Clinton wasn't the greatest President ever... Guess what, Bush sucks too. Wow.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cskin Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 I think in this day and age... if you're POTUS... you are required to suck. Something about all the favors, backroom grab a$$ deals, and special interest donor money that corrupts them. And... to think... .a third party candidate isn't even allowed anywhere near the Presidential campaign as far as the Dem/Repubs are concerned. Something about the third party candidate holding the value of the people and their interests to heart being unacceptable by the other two parties. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelms Posted October 10, 2005 Author Share Posted October 10, 2005 More right wing noise machine nonsense. . . Even Fox News last night said his allegations held no water. There were 6 people at the meeting and all six say what is in Freech's book was a lie. That is what Fox was reporting last night. Since when did Freeh become a right winger? chomerics - you are reaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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