Absolutely excellent post here from talkingpointsmemo.com’s Josh Marshall. It discusses a Condi Rice piece in Foreign Affairs, from early 2000, laying out what she saw as the countries five key foreign policy priorities. Marshall writes:
Only the last made any mention of terrrorism and it was: “to deal decisively with the threat of rogue regimes and hostile powers, which is increasingly taking the forms of the potential for terrorism and the development of weapons of mass destruction.”
As Marshall points out, Richard Clarke’s testimony shouldn’t really be all that controversial. Clarke’s key points are perfectly in synch with what we’ve heard from the administration, before 9/11 and since.