cnn.com - white house dismisses former adviser's charges - mar 22, 2004
white house dismisses former adviser's charges
clarke's allegations of pre-9/11 failures called politically driven
monday, march 22, 2004 posted: 11:51 am est (1651 gmt)
richard clarke speaks in stanford, california, in this september 2002 photo.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
story tools
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on cnn tv
former white house counterterrorism chief richard clarke joins "american morning" to discuss his claims about the white house and 9/11.
Video
new book cliams president bush has done "a terrible job" battling terrorism.
Play video
the morning grind
weekdays: Cnn's exclusive perspective on the fray
related
• o'neill: Bush planned before 9/11
your e-mail alerts
iraq
white house
george w. Bush
national security council
or create your own
manage alerts | what is this?
Washington (cnn) -- the white house is dismissing as a "red herring" charges from the administration's former counter-terrorism coordinator that president bush has been more focused on iraq than al qaeda.
Richard clarke detailed his allegations that bush has done "a terrible job" battling terrorism during an interview sunday night on cbs's "60 minutes" and in a book to be published monday.
A white house spokesman said clarke is motivated by politics.
"he has chosen at this critical time, in the middle of a presidential campaign, to inject himself into the political debate," spokesman dan bartlett said. "and he has every right to do so. But in so doing, his judgments -- his actions, or the lack thereof -- should also come under scrutiny."
clarke said he asked for a cabinet-level meeting in january 2001, shortly after the president took office, to discuss the threat