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Feeling Safe? Diane Sawyer Stumps Director Of Intelligence On Terror Arrests

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» 14 comments

Gen. James Clapper is the guy who’s tasked with coordinating everything the nation knows about terrorism and national security. It’s a huge task, and the job requires a certain kind of mind–you know, the kind that soaks up details and stays on top of the latest important events.

So it’s perhaps somewhat less than comforting to watch Diane Sawyer‘s revealing interview with our nation’s top terror team and see Clapper appear to know less about the arrests of 12 people in London as part of a potential holiday terror plot than anybody who, say, watched Good Morning America that day as they got the kids ready for school.

When Sawyer asked about London, and “how safe is it? Any implication that it was coming here? Director Clapper?” She gets the worst of all answers from a top intelligence figure (who’s still in their job): “London?”

Sawyer–who kindly let Secretary Janet Napolitano‘s gaffe about America’s anti-terror forces being on the job “24/7, 364″ slip without calling her on it, did not let this one go–and rightfully so:

SAWYER: I was a little surprised you didn’t know about London.

CLAPPER: Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t.

Well, that should make us all feel better. The pause and utter lack of comprehension on Clapper’s face is the very reason why television news exists. Pictures do tell the story.

After the interview, Clapper’s office–in fast-moving damage control–issued a statement to ABC News:

“The question about this specific news development was ambiguous. The DNI’s knowledge of the threat streams in Europe is profound and multi-dimensional, and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate.”

Is Diane Sawyer making network evening news must-watch again?

Watch the exchange here, from ABC News:

UPDATE: After suggesting that the problem wasn’t sheer ignorance, but rather Diane Sawyer’s “vague” question, the office of the DNI now admits Clapper, essentially, had no clue about what had happened in London. Details here.

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  • Pablo

    “The question about this specific news development was ambiguous. The DNI’s knowledge of the threat streams in Europe is profound and multi-dimensional, and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate.”

    “He is totally not as ill-informed as he clearly looked to be. Trust us.”

  • Atticus Draco

    Pablo said:
    “He is totally not as ill-informed as he clearly looked to be. Trust us.”

    lol,, very good!

  • Liberty Back For More

    What an idiot.

  • Big Eddie

    Clapper would have been up to speed on that , but he and Obama were decorating the room for the Alan
    Grayson going away party .

  • Atticus Draco

    Pablo said:
    “He is totally not as ill-informed as he clearly looked to be. Trust us.”

    I just watched John Brennen’s news conference,, your entry is NOT too far off from actuality
    John was content as hell that Clapper didnt watch TV that day
    YAY!
    “He was so focused on North Korea ,, he didnt have time for TV to update him”
    I feel secure now!

  • Newsjunky

    Yikes. He’s clueless. Nice.

  • redwriteblue

    Many Americans have been concerned about this administration’s “National Security Team” since the beginning of it’s service. Meanwhile, The U.S. State Department continues to bring thousands-more Middle Easterners to be “resettled” in our country as “Political Asylum” refugees, who are creating the problems in England.

    If even a small percentage of them have the desire to inflict mass casualties on New Yorkers out for a Saturday night in a crowded Times Square they are a disaster waiting-to-happen:

    http://patriotsforamerica.ning.com/profiles/blogs/palestinians-have-missle

  • Puter Boi

    Stunning…..

    Sleep tight!!

  • Liberty Back For More
  • Liberty Back For More

    http://www.mediaite.com/tv/ann-coulter-if-gays-in-the-military-i-demand-that-there-be-heterosexuals-at-the-ny-times/

    The above post was there one second, gone in the next. I was in the middle of a comment, then it just disappeared.

  • Atticus Draco
  • Liberty Back For More

    Atticus Draco said:
    Net Neutrality?

    Maybe an accident. Or maybe they decided to do some editing for grammar and facts.

  • felixw

    Once again ABC News shows that it is the least biased of the broadcast news operations. CBS and NBC will ALWAYS shill for the Democrats — and would never have run this story. But once in a blue moon the folks at ABC will give us an honest glimpse at what is going on in the Obama administration. If they did this consistently, they would emerge as the clear leader in broadcast news, grow their audience, and even deserve the title “journalists.” The poor hapless propagandists at CBS and NBC, in contrast, always put ideology ahead of honest reporting — with predictably abject results. Congrats to Diane Sawyer — you did well (but don’t ever expect to get a job at NPR after this).

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Helen-Nordo/100000884291530 Helen Nordo

    Thank you Diane, you’re back on track once again, asking the right questions and knowing how to handle a “questionable” reply. Shameful, that is the only word I can think of, those three, who are supposed to be “protecting our country” looked like 3 schoolchildren called into the Principal’s office, one looked at the other, the other looked to the only one who could “lie” faster than the other two..shameful..Janet attempts to appear knowledgeable and confident in her role but fails miserably as she turns her head, left to right, looking for someone to come up with an answer..where were these three…playing golf? They’re supposed to be on top of everything that is going on around the world..that is why they get paid BIG BUCKS!. Clapper should be discharged or, at least, reprimanded, but then who is there left in the white house to reprimand him..our big guy is in Hawaii soaking up that tropical sun..who cares..about terrorism, after all, he has nothing against the muslims, like he said “There are good muslims & there are bad muslims”..well, let’s see, which group do you think will make the next attack (that we may not recover from) hmm? What is happening in our country, I saw on the news where an airline pilot used his video camera to show a lack of security at the airport; instead of taking him in the office & thanking him, he is reprimanded & will probably get fired..Diane, thanks for coming back to us..I was becoming fearful that, someday, you might wind up like Barbara Walters who was once an honest correspondent and now has stooped so low as to join in with the View..Keep up the good work, Diane you have always been a star, get back in the limelight where you belong..you’ve got class, thanks for asking the right questions..that took GUTS! Have a nice Holiday! God Bless America~

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