Vice President Dick Cheney last night lashed out at congressional leaders who’ve unleashed a barrage of criticism toward the White House for concealing terrorist threats last summer.
Cheney said Democrats in Washington “need to be very cautious not to seek political advantage by making incendiary suggestions . . . that the White House had advance information that would have prevented the tragic attacks of 9/11.”
The vice president appeared in Midtown to support Gov. Pataki at the 40th anniversary celebration of the state Conservative Party.
Earlier, in Washington, leaders in both political parties called for a blue-ribbon panel to investigate what the White House and President Bush knew and when they knew it.
“Was there a failure of intelligence? Did the right officials not act on the intelligence in the proper way? These are the things we need to find out,” said House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.).
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said the White House should reveal the contents of Bush’s Aug. 6 briefing about Osama bin Laden and make public copies of an FBI memo last year warning about suspicious interest among Arabs in Arizona flight schools.
Sens. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), leaders of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, said they’re concerned that spy agencies had warnings of terror plots – but did nothing.
“There was a lot of information,” Shelby said. “I believe and others believe if it had been acted on properly, we may have had a different situation on Sept. 11.”
In New York, Cheney labeled some of the criticism as “thoroughly irresponsible and totally unworthy of national leaders in time of war.”
He said any investigation must be conducted in a responsible fashion, devoid of leaks or outrageous commentary and conducted by knowledgeable members, “not those who would seek short-term political advantage.”
“I believe, for the most part, members of the intelligence committees of both houses have conducted themselves in the proper fashion. That’s not necessarily true of every member of Congress,” Cheney added.
He warned that any congressional investigation must not interfere with efforts to prevent another terror attack.
“Without a doubt, a very real threat of another perhaps more devastating attack still exists. The people and agencies responsible for helping us learn about and impede such an attack are the very ones most likely to be distracted from their critical duties,” Cheney said.
In brief remarks, Pataki effusively praised the leadership of Cheney and President Bush in the anti-terror war.