En mor till salu

Your situation needs to be handled with discretion.

Look at the intelligence structure

that you've put together.

Should you hand over the keys to this house

so soon after its construction?

They sent a fucking cable

saying that this guy is coming into our country.

53 people from the CIA have read it.

We're not sharing this yet?

Vince, you got to trust the process.

Diane will tell us when we can share.

They're not passing anything on.

They're saying it's not pertinent.

Not pertinent? What the fuck does that mean?

If they've got something, it's pertinent.

Yes, I saw Agent Soufan's cable.

We were wondering if you'd like us

to pull the relevant intel, draft a response?

Let's find out why I‐49 wants this information,

and we'll go from there.

Sound good?

You recognize any of these goobers?

Nope. Who are they?

- I don't know. - You don't know?

No, they just want me to see if you guys know.

Anything to add, George?

No.

I'd like to say that covers it,

but when can we ever say that?

We never can say that

which is why we keep working.

You reported directly to President Clinton,

- did you not? - I did.

You won't be needed to report

directly to President Bush.

What did he say about bin Laden?

He said you never met him. It doesn't matter.

I did meet him.

Who introduced you?

Abu Jandal.

You think flattery will get you to Abu Jandal.

It will not.

Why can't I speak to him?

Because there is no need.

"The New York Times" is gonna publish this story on you.

- So kill it. - You need to resign.

I've been here 25 years.

You need to resign today.

Is there someone in the United States

that is a clear and present danger

that I need to be worrying about right now,

or are you talking about swatting flies?

Because the President has told me

he has no interest in swatting flies.

George.

We must speak.

It appears we've lost our two Saudis,

al Mihdhar and al Hazmi.

I thought responsible eyes were on them.

I thought so too.

These guys are obviously craftier than we thought.

Hm.

Interesting.

You know the definition of art?

Boiled spaghetti thrown against a clean white wall.

- Add sauce. - It's the expression

or application of human creative skill

and imagination.

And you might be the most artistic person I know.

On March 5th of 2000,

the CIA learns that Hazmi had entered the United States

on January 15th,

seven days after leaving the al‐Qaeda meeting in Malaysia.

But the CIA still doesn't put him

or Mihdhar on the watch list

and still doesn't notify the FBI

about a very critical fact:

A known al‐Qaeda operative,

we're at war with al‐Qaeda, a known al‐Qaeda operative

got into the United States.

My question is, do you know specifically why

the FBI wasn't notified about

that critical fact at that time?

The cable that came in from the field

at that time, sir, was labeled "information only"

and I know nobody read that cable.

But my question is, do you know why the FBI

was not notified to the fact that this al‐Qaeda operative

was now known in March of the year 2000

to have entered the United States?

Why did the CIA

not specifically notify the FBI?

Sir, if we weren't aware of it

when it came into headquarters,

we couldn't have notified them.

Nobody read that cable in March... in the March time frame.

So that this cable that said that this al‐Qaeda operative

came into the United States

came to your headquarters, nobody read it.

It was an "information only" cable from the field, and

nobody read that "information only" cable.

- Should it have been read? - Yes, of course, in hindsight.

And should it have been read at the time?

Of course it should have been read at the time.

All right, so my question is,

do you know who should have read it?

I don't know that, sir, but I can found out...

Was somebody responsible to have read it?

Well, a group of people. Somebody should have read it.

Yes, sir.

We need... we need to also look at

where it came in to, but I can find that out for you.

You don't know who that person was?

- No, I do not. - Should they've been watch-listed?

At the time? Both of them.

Now we're talking March of the year 2000.

Yes, sir, we've acknowledged that fact.

Do we know why at that specific time

now we know that Hazmi has entered the United States

- this is another trigger point. - Yes, sir.

They should've been watch‐listed.

Who was responsible

for watch‐listing at the time?

I don't know the answer to that,

but I will provide an answer.

- Good morning, Dr. Rice. - Good morning.

I want to ask you some questions

about the August 6, 2001, President's Daily Brief.

You said to us that the President

directed the CIA to prepare the August 6th PDB,

the extraordinarily high terrorist attack threat level

on the summer of 2001 is well documented.

You acknowledge that Richard Clarke told you

that al‐Qaeda cells were in the United States.

Did you tell the President at any time

prior to August 6th

of the existence of al‐Qaeda cells in the United States?

Um, first, let me just make certain...

If you could just answer that question, because I only

have a very limited amount of time here.

Did you tell the President?

No, no, please. Please.

Commissioner, it's important that I also address

the other issues that you have raised.

If you will just give me a moment...

Well, my only question to you

is whether you told the President...

If you will just give me a moment

I will address fully

the questions that you have asked.

Uh, first of all, yes,

the August 6th PDB

was in response to questions from the President.

There was no recommendation

that we do something about this.

The FBI was pursuing it.

I really don't remember

whether I discussed this with the President.

- Thank you. - I remember very well

that the President was aware

that there were issues inside the United States.

He talked to people about this.

But I don't remember the al‐Qaeda cells

as being something we were told

we needed to do something about.

Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6th PDB

warned against possible attacks in this country?

And I ask you whether you recall

the title of that PDB.

I believe the title was

"Bin Laden Determined to Attack

Inside the United States."

There's no way that we...

Can I help you?

Sir, you're not supposed to be in here.

The cockpit is off limits. Please return to your seat.

My apologies.

I thought this was the door to the lavatory.

Please forgive the intrusion.

Here are your drinks, gentlemen.

Put this on your tab, Mr. O'Neill?

Sure, thank you, Brenna.

Thank you.

Here's to being downgraded

like an aging centerfielder who's lost his legs.

It would appear the new regime

no longer requires my services.

I've lost my cabinet‐level status.

I report to the Deputies Committee now.

But they need you, Dick.

If there's one person they need

in the White House right now, it's you.

It's got nothing to do with your legs, by the way.

- Hm. - It's your mind

which they're probably afraid of.

Fucking bozos aren't interested in

subtlety or actually learning anything

about how al‐Qaeda thinks.

I feel like I'm screaming from the rooftops

and nobody's listening.