The Memo

Well, having finally taken the time to read the released text of the 6 Aug, 2001, Presidential Daily Briefing memo, I’m seeing claims that it was some form of smoking gun as a more of a tempest in a tea kettle than ever before.

Let’s review. Here is the part that has people in an uproar:

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

Ok. So, what is the proper response to finding “patterns of suspicious activity"? Hrm…… Surveillance and investigation maybe?

Well, then, consider the next paragraph:

The FBI is conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the US that it considers Bin Ladin-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our Embassy in the UAE in May saying that a group of Bin Ladin supporters was in the US planning attacks with explosives.

Sounds like additional surveillance and investigation to me.

So. What more should President Bush have done? Should he have ordered people to do what they were already doing just to be able to say that he had “done something” or should he have taken the PDB at its word and waited for the results of the additional surveillance and investigation?