Clarke part XLV
Hodgepodge

The January 25th memo described as a "laundry list" (Rice) not "comprehensive" enough (Hadley) and implemented by the Bush administration (Rice) is trying to be too overcomprehensive again "

"Mr. Clarke responded with a lengthy e-mail message on Jan. 25 that he describes as presenting a full plan to combat Al Qaeda. Ms. Rice viewed it differently. "It was a hodgepodge of ideas about how to make life miserable for Osama bin Laden," said an official who has reviewed the still-classified memorandum."

Someone sure has to get his or her story straight. For one thing the 9/11 commission has access both to the Jan 25 2001 memo and the September 4 2001 draft strategy and can see the fruits of 7.5 months of policy development.

I'd consider the NYTs respect fo the confidentiality of the unnamed "official" to be on the order of the protection of the identity of the "top Bush amdinistration national security principal who asked that her name not be used" mentioned by Matthew Yglesias a few months ago (I am quoting from memory).