Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Ellen Ratner and John Ball
Schedule

The President had his usual round of briefings this morning. He met with the Secretary of State and then is having the 25th Cabinet meeting of his administration. They will discuss the priorities of the administration including the war on terror and the economic recovery. Later this morning the President will go to the National Federation of Independent Business Summit. He will discuss how small business is the backbone of the economy, how it creates the most new jobs, how it is the promise and opportunity of the economy, and how the economy has shifted into high gear. He will discuss how the administration's policies are working. He will take on critics and their "gloomy predictions." He will challenge pessimists who doubted the recovery. "I think you know who they are, you have heard from the directly," said McClellan. Later today he will travel to Spokane, Washington where he will speak at a Nethercutt fundraiser and spend the night in Fort Lewis. On the 21st he will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio. There is a 2:30 meeting at the Pentagon, and "Ask the White House" will have a meeting with Secretary Chao at 1:30.

9/11 Commission and New York Times Editorial

Scott McClellan was asked if the President plans on apologizing for misleading statements made prior to the war. He was also asked if he had looked at the New York Times editorial. McClellan said he did not believe the President looked at the New York Times although McClellan did say that he did "look at it." McClellan had several responses. He said that the press "should go back to what Secretary Colin Powell said before the United Nations." They talked about al-Zarqawi and his links to al Qaeda, McClellan said al-Zarqawi remains in Iraq today, and he described al-Zarqawi as a "senior al Qaeda associate."

When asked about the relationship between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda,
McClellan would only say that there were high level contacts. McClellan
said the 9/11 Commission and what the administration said were perfectly
consistent. The administration had said previously that there "was no evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime was involved in the 9/11 attacks." He then suggested that they look at what Tenet had outlined before the senate intelligence committee. Further defending the administration's position, McClellan said "if you want to ignore the facts, that is your prerogative."

He was then asked was Saddam an ally of al Qaeda. McClellan answered that Saddam had supported terrorists, he provided money for suicide bombers and there were "high level contacts with al Qaeda going back some time," and that he "had long standing ties to terrorism including al Qaeda." When asked about chemical and biological weapons training, he said "go back to what Secretary Powell and Tenet said before Congress and the United Nations." And that "Saddam Hussein had a history of using Weapons of mass
destruction," and that there is "a nexus of outlaw regimes and weapons of
mass destruction."

9/11 Hearings

McClellan said that there were lots of events on September 11th and that there were many who should be commended for their hard work. He said "we have learned many lessons from 9/11 especially around communication and information sharing." He said "we want to know everything we can from the 9/11 commission. We look forward to seeing all their recommendations." Asked about their shoot down authority he said "we want to look at all the issues the 9/11 commission raises."

Pentagon Not Informing Red Cross of Holding Suspected Terrorist

McClellan said the Pentagon has responded, that they have taken steps to rectify that matter and that the Red Cross should have been notified. "We believe we should be in close cooperation with the international committee of the Red Cross," he said.