He Knew. Obama Warned About Terror Threat to Homeland Before His Golf & Snorkeling Getaway …Update: Obama Finally Links Bomber to Al-Qaeda
Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, January 1, 2010, 11:44 PM
If he was a Republican this would be the headline for the next 10 weeks…
Obama was warned about the threats to the homeland in a Christmas briefing before he flew off to his golfing and snorkeling Hawaii holiday vacation.
Newsweek reported:
President Barack Obama received a high-level briefing only three days before Christmas about possible holiday-period terrorist threats against the US, Newsweek has learned. The briefing was centered on a written report, produced by US intelligence agencies, entitled “Key Homeland Threats”, a senior US official said.
The senior Administration official, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, said that nowhere in this document was there any mention of Yemen, whose Al-Qaeda affiliate is now believed to have been behind the unsuccessful Christmas Day attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to bring down a transatlantic airliner with a bomb hidden in his underpants. However, the official declined to disclose any other information about the substance of the briefing, including what kind of specific warnings, if any, the President was given about possibly holiday attacks and whether Yemen came up during oral discussions.
According to the senior official, the holiday threat briefing, one in a series of regularly-scheduled sessions with top counter-terrorism officials, was held in the White House Situation Room on December 22. Present were representatives of agencies involved in counter-terrorism policy and operations, including Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FBI Director Robert Mueller. The CIA and National Intelligence Directors Office were represented by deputy agency heads: CIA deputy director Steven Kappes, and David Gompert, the principal deputy to National Intelligence Czar Dennis Blair. Also present was Michael Leiter, director of the National Counter-terrorism Center, a unit of the Intelligence Czar’s office which was created after 9/11 to ensure that intelligence reporting about possible terrorist plots was shared quickly among all US agencies who might have some capability to do something about it.
It looks like Obama was too busy getting ready for his vacation to warn the American public.
UPDATE: Obama finally linked the Christmas bomber to Al-Qaeda today…
More than a week after the attack.
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Busted!… Obama Headlined a DEMOCRAT SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA Event in 1996 **FLIER**
Published May 24, 2012 at 8:46 pm - 52 Comments
pettyfog commented:
Knew WHAT?
I’m no obama fan but there’s nothing in there.
Same as the aug 2001 ‘AQ may use airplanes’ PDB.
crystal commented:
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the Bush adminstration warn us if the terror threat level was high? Oh, right–the color codes the Department of Homeland Security used, which everyone on the left mocked. Didn’t Bush himself go on the T.V to warn us of high terrorist threat levels? Particuarly around the holidays that were especially celebrated by Americans, I.e Christmas and the Fourth of July. Or am I imagining things?
Flyover Sam commented:
So when Barry received this briefing and asked each of his national defense executives what their top potential “boat rockers” were, did Napalitano fess up to DHS’s intel on Yemen? Or did Hillary point out that the Nigerian embassy was getting code red data on a rogue? What about the CIA or NSA’s intel they were collecting indicating the threat level had increased; what was Barry’s discussion which lead to a decision to leave the threat level unchanged?
Don’t tell me Barry voted absent. In these times, that’s akin to authorizing the enemy to strike and succeed against American citizens. “Looking the other way” with full knowledge of a pending enemy strike is no different than picking up arms and joining the enemy side. Certainly Barry Soetoro isn’t a rogue agent.
crystal commented:
Sam said:
“Looking the other way” with full knowledge of a pending enemy strike is no different than picking up arms and joining the enemy side. Certainly Barry …
Worth repeating.
bg commented:
++
scheduled briefings??
Bush was briefed every morning,
even when he as on “vacation”..
==
Bruce Cunningham commented:
the trools strike early in the morning since they have no jobs or might I say menial jobs
spayandneuter commented:
“crystal
January 1st, 2010 | 11:55 pm | #3
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the Bush adminstration warn us if the terror threat level was high? ”
Yes he did. Many times he was accused of trying to scare us.
–
IOpian commented:
Does anyone recall the how the progressives in congressional hearings made the quantum leap of logic that because Condi Rice and the administration had an intelligence briefing with a title about Bin Laden striking inside the US they were therefore incompetent because they failed to act?
Now watch them lay out a defense for Obama that implicitly exonerates Bush from their accusations all those years ago.
jonyjoe101 commented:
I’m surprise nancy pelosi wasn’t in the meeting. Isn’t she suppose to be kept in the loop on CIA matters. If she was there she can always deny that she was brief on anything and state on the record that the CIA lied to her.
Very strange indeed that she wasn’t there, she might have been able to prevent the attack.
Just_Saying commented:
Obummer and family ought to fly commercial when they go on vacations — maybe then he’d care a little more…
.
Blacque Jacques Shellacque commented:
He Knew. Obama Warned About Terror Threat to Homeland Before His Golf & Snorkling Holiday Vacation
Had the Undie Bomber been a more capable person, that flight probably would not have made it to Detroit in one piece. Judging from the TSA’s actions since the incident, I seriously doubt that if Obie told Napolitano about the elevated threat in advance that it would have made any difference.
YeahRight commented:
So what??? Bush knew about the attacks of September 11, before they happened and he did nothing…just like BO and his gang.
So when are you (can’t say morons because it might offend) people going to wake up???
It is not obama or bushes past that we are fighting now…but the oligarchy known as democrats and republicans.
These are true haters of America who want nothing but power and hide behind ‘these’ political parties to divide and conquer the real America.
Think about where your allegiance is….is it for your ‘political’ party or for America? (Jefferson and Washington both talked of this.) If it is for America then stand up…and if it is for your political party…then beware the party coming for you!!!
JSF commented:
This leaked becase the CIA is fighting back against Obama.
Read, understand and link.
http://valley-of-the-shadow.blogspot.com/2009/12/while-president-obama-dreams-of-sulla.html
Agent99 commented:
Yeah Right @ # 16 Are You Referring to Bilderbergers Trilateral Commission and the CFR Here is a link for the so-called Global Elitists http://www.augustreview.com/ As for ME ….. I hold BHO responsible ( I do, however, believe in sharing information )
No Man commented:
The anon right-wing,racist teabagger doesn’t give the part of the leaked report stating that said mass murdering terroritst were last reported scoping out golf courses in Hawaii.
Prez Typical Black Man is working 24 hours a day for the American people.
No Man commented:
PS: I use “typical black man” with impunity.
The typical black man we have posing as prez used THAT B/S LINE in explaining his grandma’s racism.
So, you idiot liberals (I repeat myself) STFU!
Agent99 commented:
No Man ….YEP and then he called himself a Mutt… On FNC “predictions” Brett Baier said “Rham Emmanuel will leave WH and run for Senate” WOW!! I forgot who he said would be new Chief Of Staff. One never knows. And…if the undie bomber had been successful then the death toll would be more than just the passengers. For Maximum Impact, imo, the bomb would be set off over the airport. Only reason undie bomber did not succeed is due to incompetence and the actions of the staff and passengers. THE INTENT WAS THERE! Ka Boomb!
Joe College commented:
Obama links terrorism by rich guy to “poverty.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8437496.stm
“We know that [Mr Abdulmutallab] travelled to Yemen, a country grappling with crushing poverty and deadly insurgencies,” said Mr Obama, who is on holiday in Hawaii.
Sojourner commented:
Agent 99.. I think it was Tom Daschle that Bret speculated on re: R.DeadFish
daryl commented:
Is it just me, or do the leftist trolls seem less dedicated to the cause since they found out the horn they thought they were blowing all over the blogs was just one of obama’s appendages and he would never deliver on any of those lofty promises?
Dean commented:
YeahRight and pettyfog
What you leave out is the fact the left for years described Bush as stupid and bumbling. The won is much smarter then President Bush. President Bush had to react to an attack that was unthinkable.
The won who is so much smarter then President Bush has history to know that you don’t ignore this information. His reaction is to go on vacation and place our lives at risk. O yes I feel so safe knowing that the won cares so much for the little people.
Texmom commented:
Objectively, I would guess that Obama did not take the threat seriously, as I’m sure it’s the same every holiday and people get “immune” to it. That does not excuse it by any means. Even if he had taken it seriously, I don’t think we’d have heard about it, because he is trying to convince us that the “war on terror” is a figment of our imaginations.
Fuzzy commented:
Well, hmmm. Not sure there’s much there, no more than the left was blaming Bush for “ignoring” so that “he let 9/11 happen.” I’m not jumping on that train, even though I’m always willing to bash D’ohBama for real failings (and they are myriad). Besides, even without this, this administration CLEARLY dropped the ball here, with the gazillion red flags popping up all the panty bomber, that man should never have been allowed on an American airplane, regardless of where it originated.
DomesticGoddess commented:
Hope this “Deep Throat” leaks more! Maybe he can snap a pic of Obama on his prayer rug.
Agent99 commented:
Thanks Sojourner! And from the link from Joe College. Ah Hah! Just as I suspected. I spent Christmas with 2 Rangers. One is nephew the other his buddy. I told them be prepared for an undeclared war in Yemen. From the BBC article …BHO plans withdrawal from Iraq t o refocus on A-Stan and throws Yemen in the mix. Who Programed TOTUS to say that?? I need to read that article again. Maybe I’m confused. ((Coffee Deprivation)) lol
Bobbi commented:
According to Webster Tarplat, the whole “flight 253″ affair was a”false flagoperation” arranged by the CIA, The “Undie Bomber” is a controlledl US.asset. Remember Brzezhinski is Obowmalot”s mentor, as well as the architect of Al-Quaeda and Osama bin Laden etal.
Bobbi commented:
Webster Tarplay . Sorry
Chisum commented:
Tools for 2010: Contacting GOP Senators
Carol Brown
For anyone inclined to write e-mails to Republican senators, here’s a list of all of them, the state they represent, and a link to their contact page. Unfortunately, there are no direct e-mail addresses, which would make doing mass e-mails a lot quicker. Instead, you have to use their web forms. But, once you type your template letter, you can copy and paste it. You’ll still need to type in your contact info, but this is the most stream lined (and least expensive) way I know of to send something in writing en masse. (If anyone has any better ideas, please share!)
It’s a tiny measure in a large effort to turn this boat around.
PS If you send a snail mail (which is a more powerful form of communication as it represents 10 e-mails), don’t send it to DC. Or at least, don’t only send it to DC. The mail gets very delayed once it hits the capitol. If you want to communicate via snail mail, make sure you send a letter to at least one of the state offices, if not all of them.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/01/tools_for_2010_contacting_gop.html
Finncrisp commented:
Let’ s see – Barry’s stepfather, father and grandfather were all muslims. Barry has reportedly spent 3 million dollars to supress viewing of his birth certificate. My guess it lists Barry as a muslim, which is why he spent the money to surpress it. Additionally, he has no time for the national prayer breakfast, but hours to spend in the white house entertaining muslims for a ramadan dinner. On the face of it, I would say he is at the very least a muslim sympathizer. So he takes a week to make the obvious connection between Al-Quaeda and the undie bomber. Case in point. We have at best an unprepared and weak president, at worst a closet muslim that is selling us out in every way.
Auntie Em commented:
Worst.President.Ever.
I do hope the CIA shows Obama for the treasonous traitor he is at every opportunity.
Chisum commented:
Could this actually be the greatest and potentially the deadliest of Obama’s screw ups so far?
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/01/01/could-this-actually-be-the-greatest-and-potentially-the-deadliest-of-obamas-screw-ups-so-far/
marie commented:
There are just not enough adjectives to describe how despicable this president is. When will Leon Panetta be thrown under the overcrowded bus?
sandy commented:
Obama said during the campaign that he wanted to be a symbol while delegating others in his administration to do the grunt work. Now the symbolic President has run into problems with an American public who believe that the buck stops with him while he wanted to take a vacation. Obama did us a favor just speaking about this attack 3 days later. His petulance was obvious. Obama doesn’t feel our pain — he’s too busy feeling his own.
sandy commented:
I think Obama didn’t want to take this threat or Fort Hood seriously because it doesn’t go with his meme–Be nice to Muslims and they’ll
away. But terrorists like rabid dogs can smell fear and that’s when they attack.
Michelle commented:
Nothings gets in the way of Barry’s vacations.
Zero is an incompetent disgrace.
Zero votes “present” or “absent.”
There should be calls for him to resign.
Michelle commented:
correction: NOTHING gets in the way…
Barry’s response to homeland threat: “Fore!”
jim from cleveland commented:
Just as the Blowhard went to the microphone and misrepresented the Henry Louis Gates arrest before the facts came out, so again he initially claimed this terror attack was an isolated incident.
We have a president whose dominant characteristic is his mendacity. Whenever he says “Let me be clear about this,” expect a lie to follow.
Jamest155 commented:
obama, what did you know and when did you know it. How many more americans have to die because of obama’s negligence. obama couldn’t carry President George W. Bush’s jock strap. obama, the worst president in american history.
JR - FLA commented:
I’m impressed that it only took POTUS over a week to finally come to the same conclusion we had already come to Christmas Day – that this was not an “isolated” incident and that the panty bomber was part of Al-Quada. Yes, we can all rest easy knowing that the great won is on the job and that this incident was Bush’s fault. I heard that Al-Quada called TOTUS to say they were sorry to have interupted his $4000+ a day tax payer golf and snorkeling vacation and that they wouldn’t do it again. Hail the great won !!!
Anon commented:
The political correctness bullying doctrine brought Obama to power. Political correctness, and hatred for America is Obama´s ongoing defeat.
Obama is treason 24/7/365.
Impeach Obama
pettyfog commented:
@ Dean #25
Lemme make it perfectly clear. Would someone please point out something specific in that cited article.
What I’m saying is that is as dumb as the complaint on Bush’s aug PDB supposedly being a specific warning. It had been known for YEARS that AQ was thinking about planes, in fact they’d already done a run in the Far East.
And I agree, Obama cant carry Dubya’s jock. Dubya made his decisions on what was right, not on flash polls and blog opinions.
So let’s concentrate on the stuff the current admin can be nailed to the wall with, not thumbtacks.
One Way commented:
I’m annoyed when liberals complain – in defense of BO – that Bush was slower to make a statement following the Richard Reid incident.
This American didn’t need to hear from Bush. I knew he was doing everything he could to keep us safe. I knew where he stood with our enemy.
Not so with this guy. I need to hear from him. Immediately, at times like this.
But more than that, “Just Words” aren’t enough from him. I wish it weren’t so. I need to see him make decisions that actually say, “I love America and value her – our – history and her people.”
Almost everything he’s done so far has telegraphed the opposite. His words, his behavior, his decisions.
I still have a nagging doubt. That sense that he values our enemies more than he values us.
And I don’t think it’s going away any time soon.
Lenore commented:
Did they do away with the threat chart? I do not remember Bush renting 5-10 million dollar mansions for his vacation. He went to his home, his fathers home and Camp David. But then again Obama has a arrogant you owe me attitude, Bush didn’t.
Chisum commented:
No More Splendid Isolation for the Lap Bomber
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2010/01/no-more-splendid-isolation-for-lap.html
spayandneuter commented:
I’m still thinking we are better off with him and Congress on “vacation” till the next election. Put McChrystal in charge of security. Give Suze Orman the gov’t checkbook and credit cards. She’ll whip that budget into shape in about a week.
Change a few age limits on the Medicare, change some income and age limits on Medicaid, make parents responsible for their kids health insurance thru college until they are working and carry it on their own, and VOILA, health care reform.
–
LifeTrek commented:
From Master Strategist to Master Batter Of Blame
We’ve gone from an administration of master strategists the press labeled as a bunch of bunglers to a bunch of bunglers the press labels as master strategists.
They spend more time trying to pass the buck back to Bush then figuring out how to defeat terrorists.
Iraq was no more a distraction from the War on Terror then the invasion of Sicily and Italy was in the War on Fascism. It managed to eliminate thousands of al Qaeda from the battlefield in the same manner Churchill called Italy the soft underbelly of Europe. (See reports early this year showing numbers of al Qaeda killed or captured in Iraq, al Qaeda appears near destroyed, zero combat deaths in 12/09 in Iraq, etc.)
As long as the left fails to see (for political reasons) that these aren’t separate wars but separate battles in one war then we will never make headway again (as one US commentator said in late 2001, “we will just have to get used to terror attacks as a way of life like the rest of the world.”)
We went from al Qaeda being near functional destruction, based on reports early 09, to resurgent and ready to attack by Christmas.
In 1989 after 8 years of Reagan the Berlin Wall fell because smart men kept up the pressure he had ramped up. In 2009 the smart men were sent home in favor of the polished — to all our loss.
spayandneuter commented:
“One Way
January 2nd, 2010 | 1:33 pm | #53
“I need to hear from him.”
Did you want to hear “HOPE”, “CHANGE”, or “YES, WE CAN”?
sarc/off
–
Sickofobama commented:
Obama doesn’t care about the security of this country he hates. He doesn’t want to call out his Muslim brothers because that’s not something you do in Islam.
Obama only cares about changing this country into a socialist hell hole.
If 300 Americans were to die on his watch, it wouldn’t bother him a bit.
Look back to Ft. Hood.
bg commented:
++
Lenore @ 2:09 pm #54
$12,000+/day
not the first time..
An Absentee and Complacent President
[And what was the President doing since Friday morning? He played a round of golf. He went to the gym. He played a game of basketball. He went to the beach. He went out to dinner with friends. He picked up a new game, tennis. All very acceptable and time-consuming pursuits on an event-free vacation. Nobody begrudges a young father spending time with his family over the holidays.
But the Office of the President bears some extra responsibility and yes, burden. As former White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott Stanzel astutely points out, this was a president who was woken from sleep at 6:00 am to learn he had won the Nobel Peace Prize but wasn’t even informed of this attack on our homeland for over two hours. And if
anyone knows the President’s priorities, it is his closest advisors.
[..]
Being the president is not an easy job. The man deserves a vacation. Just as President George Bush did when he went to Crawford, Texas or Ronald Reagan to California or Bill Clinton to Martha’s Vineyard. President Bush on these “vacations” found time to visit with nearly twenty heads of state in Crawford, and in 2002 he wired his ranch so secure video conferencing with intelligence officials could take place. In other words, Crawford, TX was indeed the Western White House. Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard has so far not given President Obama that same ability to project leadership.]
==
bg commented:
++
Sickofobama @ 3:41 pm #60
re: [Look back to Ft. Hood.]
Thank you former President George W.
Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush
[Well, we told you before how much the current president, Dr. Utopia, made us realize just how wrong we were about Bush. We shudder to think what Dr. Utopia would have done post-9/11. He would have not gone there with a bullhorn and struck that right tone. More likely than not, he would have been his usual fey, apologetic self and waxed professorially about how evil America is and how justified Muslims are for attacking us, with a sidebar on how good the attacks were because they would humble us.
Honestly, we don’t think President Gore would have been much better that day. The world needed George W. Bush, his bullhorn, and his indominable spirit that day…and we will forever be grateful to this man
for that.
As we will always be grateful for what George and Laura Bush did this week, with no media attention, when they very quietly went to Ft. Hood and met personally with the families of the victims of this terrorist attack.
FOR HOURS.
The Bushes went and met privately with these families
for HOURS, hugging them, holding them, comforting them.
If there are any of you out there with any connection at all to the Bushes, we implore you to give them our thanks…you tell them that a bunch of gay Hillary guys in Boystown, Chicago were wrong about the Bushes…and are deeply, deeply sorry for any jokes we told about them in the past, any bad thoughts we had about these good, good people.
You may be as surprised by this as we are ourselves, but from this day forward George W. and Laura Bush are now on the same list for us as the Clintons, Geraldine Ferraro, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and the other political figures we keep in our hearts and never allow anyone to badmouth.
Criticize their policies academically and intelligently and discuss the Bush presidency in historical and political terms…but you mess with the Bushes personally and, from this day forward, you’ll answer to us.
We hope someday to be able to thank George W. and Laura in person for all they’ve done, and continue to do. They didn’t have to head to Ft. Hood. That was not their responsibility.
The Obamas should have done that.
But didn’t.
Wouldn’t.
Thank goodness George W. is still on his
watch, with wonderful Laura at his side.
We are blessed as a nation to have these two out there…just as we are blessed to have the Clintons on the job, traveling the world doing the good they do.
And we are blessed to have Dick Cheney, wherever he is, keeping tabs on all that’s going on and speaking out when the current administration does anything too reckless and dangerous.
Cheney’s someone else we villainized and maligned in the past who we were also wrong about. There has never been a Vice President, including Gore, Biden, or Mondale, who was more supportive of gay rights than “Darth Cheney”. There has never been a Vice President more spot-on right about the dangers facing this country from Islamic terrorism.
We live in strange, strange times indeed.]
a bit more @ link..
==
Roland commented:
An annoying personal trait of mine is that I like to pull disparate bits of information together into a sharp clearly focused picture:
If I have this right obama and company had intelligence of:
a. The target of the attack.
b. The date of the attack.
c. The country of origin of the attack.
d. The weapon to be used in the attack.
e. The Al Qaeda sponsorship of the attack.
f. The specific identity of the attacker.
Yet, obama and his national security team were still surprised and impotent!
This time, due only to the blundering of UFA, this is but a comedy of obama’s “pre 9/11 mindset” induced errors. Next time?
ssgchester commented:
Hummm so after 8 years of Mr. Bush and company with Mr. Bush the president who took the most vacations in office, all of the sudden Obama is a bad man.
Let’s see…
Bush only left his ranch in Crawford after Katrina hit to go to a fund raiser in D.C.
Bush sat on his ass while the US was under attack on 9-11.
The “bomber” was identified by his own father to the US government and they still did nothing to stop the guy.
Homeland security didn’t do anything to stop they guy.
Hummmm
Yup.
I guess is you still think he was born outside the US like McCain was, I guess you think he’s responsible for this too.
I guess….
But then you’re still waiting for the WMD’s to be found in Iraq….
I’ve a better idea.
WAKE UP.
Realize that NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE 9-11.
Our GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND THEIR AGENCIES ARE FAILING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
LET’S CLEAN THEM UP AND FIRE THESE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHO WILL NOT DO THEIR JOBS.
If a military person had let this “bomber” get through they’d have already hung them out to dry.
JohnFLob commented:
President, DHS, and other security organizations should have been more attentive to activities in/about Yemen. But no, 12/25/2009 was completely isolating from any other incident or group.
BHO Briefed/Warned in October
JohnFLob commented:
Here is a collection of many other “isolated” events. It seems “isolated” is in reference to geographical separation rather than time frames or sponsorship.
Really Isolated?