Justice, FBI officials prepare for 9/11 testimony
In opinion article, Freeh defends FBI's efforts against terrorism
From Terry Frieden
CNN Washington Bureau
 |  Louis Freeh wrote in an opinion article Monday that the FBI did all it could against terrorism "short of total war." |
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Stay with CNN for ongoing reports on reaction to President Bush's news conference -- and for updates on the testimony scheduled by the 9/11 commission for Wednesday's sessions in Washington, featuring CIA Director George Tenet and FBI Director Robert Mueller.
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| PLANNED 9/11 TESTIMONY | 
Tuesday, April 13:
Louis Freeh, 9:30 a.m. ET
Janet Reno, 11 a.m. ET
Thomas Pickard, J. Cofer Black, 2 p.m. ET
John Ashcroft, 3:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 14:
George Tenet, 9:30 a.m. ET
Robert Mueller, 2:30 p.m. ET
Watch CNN-USA for live coverage of these testimony sessions and ongoing analysis and updates on their impact.
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 CNN's Suzanne Malveaux on the White House memo.
 CNN's Bill Schneider names the 911 panel vs. Bush his Play of the Week.
 CNN's Howard Kurtz analyzes media coverage of the Rice testimony.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Top Justice Department and FBI officials from the Clinton and Bush administrations are expected to issue spirited defenses of their actions when they face a likely grilling from members of the 9/11 commission beginning Tuesday morning.
Former FBI Director Louis Freeh signaled his defense with an opinion article Monday in The Wall Street Journal, in which he faulted political leaders for not declaring war on al Qaeda -- the terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden -- before the attacks of September 11, 2001.
"Short of total war, the FBI relentlessly did its job of pursuing terrorists, always with the goal of preventing their attacks," Freeh writes in the article.
Meanwhile, Attorney General John Ashcroft huddled Monday with aides in preparation for his testimony, aides said.
The aides vowed an "aggressive" response to suggestions that Ashcroft had failed to recognize the importance of counterterrorism funding before the attacks.
Ashcroft staff members insisted the attorney general did not receive requests for substantial increases in counterterrorism funding until after September 11, and lesser requests made before the attacks were approved in full.
One commissioner, who requested anonymity, said Thomas Pickard, the acting FBI director in summer 2001, previously told the panel that Ashcroft had shown little interest in counterterrorism before the attacks.
Pickard is scheduled to testify Tuesday afternoon before the commission. When reached by CNN, he refused to comment on his planned testimony.
Ashcroft himself has made only one public appearance since returning from emergency surgery last month, and he also declined to comment before his testimony.
On Monday, Ashcroft spokesman Mark Corallo termed "flatly false" an report that the attorney general had shown little interest in FBI counterterrorism before the attacks.
"The attorney general received FBI briefings, and challenged the FBI to do everything possible to confront the threat," Corallo said. "He repeatedly asked them, 'What are you doing? What more can we do?' "
In his opinion article, Freeh defended the FBI and sought to place the burden on the nation's elected leaders for belatedly exhibiting the will to declare war on al Qaeda.
"The question before the 9/11 commission is why our political leadership declared war back on al Qaeda only after September 11, 2001," Freeh wrote. "Osama bin Laden had been indicted years before for blowing up American soldiers and embassies, and was known as a clear and present danger to the U.S."
Freeh's article appears to be a rebuttal of sorts to critics who have questioned the FBI's antiterrorism policies and its coordination with other agencies.
Sunday, a Republican member of the 9/11 commission, Slade Gorton, a former U.S. senator from Washington, suggested the FBI has a lot of explaining to do.
"It seems to me the FBI has more questions to answer than Condoleezza Rice or [former White House counterterrorism adviser] Dick Clarke or anyone we've had testify before us so far," Gorton said.
With help from longtime FBI friends and allies, Freeh prepared for his appearance from his office in Wilmington, Delaware, where he now holds a position in private industry, sources close to Freeh said. They said that among those who assisted him in preparing for Tuesday's testimony was his former deputy and successor, Pickard.
Officials said one current FBI executive who also has served as a key contact for Freeh in preparation for his Tuesday appearance is Assistant Director Pasquale "Pat" D'Amuro, who heads the New York FBI field office. D'Amuro was special agent in charge of counterterrorism in the New York office on September 11, 2001.
What Freeh called "various threads and pieces of information" in his article will likely be a main focus of members of the commission. Other probes have faulted intelligence and law enforcement agencies, particularly the FBI and the CIA, for not sharing tips and information before September 11.
Monday, FBI officials confirmed the existence of 70 investigations relating to al Qaeda in the United States before September 11. Those investigations were referred to in the presidential daily briefing of August 6, 2001, released over the weekend.
CNN's David Ensor contributed to this report.
