Richard Clarke: Bush Didn't Save Any Lives

In a New York Daily News editorial, former counterterrorism adviser Richard Clarke harshly criticizes his one-time boss for suggesting he saved American lives during his presidency. The idea that President Bush kept us safe (a cornerstone of his current legacy tour) is just "Karl Rove spin," Clarke writes.

There wasn't a second 9/11? That's obviously true, but it misses the point. First, we must remember that Al Qaeda terrorists are patient, deliberate planners who often wait years between strikes. Second, there was the first 9/11 - and it happened on Bush's watch. Without rehashing the entire 9/11 Commission Report, the historical record is pretty clear by now that Bush did virtually nothing about the repeated warnings to him that those cataclysmic attacks were coming. Unfortunately, I can personally attest to that as well.

...

Bush saved American lives? Tell that to the families of the 4,200 U.S. military personnel who have perished in the needless war in Iraq. While they served heroically and deserve the great thanks of the American people, the tragic truth is that they were engaged in a war we should not have been fighting and which was sold to the Congress, the media and American people with exaggerated and even false claims.

...

Let George Bush keep pushing the buttons on the spin machine. That cannot change the facts. His administration's actions on terrorism, including Iraq, killed many more Americans than U.S. intelligence agencies saved in the past eight years

Read the whole thing.

Clarke recently said that Barack Obama's election has "taken the wind out of al Qaeda's sails." During the election, he criticized John McCain for being even more eager to go to war than Bush.

Comments

[bygollymissmolly]

I hope that Obama finds a place for Clark in his administration.

[PATina]

I was hoping that someone would actually come out and say this !!!! It is frustrating to hear people say he did well because he prevented another attack.... when truth is he could have prevented the FIRST attack.

[laocoon]

It is also true that once the attacks started the high command did the worst job in history. the second plane struck in NY 40 minutes before another hits the Pentagon and remember there was no air cap nor were there any shots fired at the Pentagon plane. Simply incompetent. We did not make any effort to defend our command center even though it was clear some sort of attack from the air was in progress. Can you name any worse performance?

[AZ85283]

When Bush was elected I said to my friends that Bush will accomplish something no other American president has done and that is destroy America. Little did I know that I would be so right. We are so at the bottom of the barrel now and it will take years to move back up. While GOP want to think that everything will fall apart now that Obama is going into office, they know we can't get any lower anyway. What they worry about is their pocketbook. They don't want the gravy train to end for them. While they can't point to many things Bush did good for the country, they can point to their increase in personal wealth. But I wonder like others, does anyone in politics have a backbone? Does anyone speak out when they see something wrong and not wait until it's too late? Does anyone have the "courage of convictions" to speak out anymore? While I think what Mr. Clarke said is needed, I wonder why he couldn't/wouldn't say it earlier. I guess courage, and standing up for your beliefs is no longer an admired quality.

[laocoon]

I think Clarke has said similar in the past.

[eremite]

The same could be said of your post. If you were so prescient why didn't you do something earlier? Where was your courage these last dismal years? What great sacrifices did you make to save the little people? Maybe you can stop patting yourself on the back long enough to respond.

[BannedFromCommenting]

Before you question what someone else did or did not do, list that which YOU did to make a difference, enabling you a little more right to question others. Let me guess, not bring fingernail clippers on your flights or bring bottled liquids? Wow what a trooper!

[StillIRise]

Apples and oranges. Your comment is ridiculous!

Ordinary people were speaking out, protesting, writing letters, calling their representatives, and standing up for what is right in spite of the greater powers that silenced us for 8 long years! Meanwhile, many of these same ordinary people were organizing and volunteering their time and effort to make a difference in any small way they could, even if it was just within their own communities or within their own families. Many of us said or thought the same thing AZ said when Bush went into office, but how do you stop a GOVERNMENT bent on destroying America from doing just that! Had we been able to do it, we certainly would have, and most of us certainly tried, if in no other way than by casting our vote. Your comment is very self-righteous and very ignorant!

[LiberalUnderYourBed]

OK apologist, here's what I did:

* Donated a lot of $$ to O's campaign and to any other DEM being smeared by the right-wing
* Donated time to O's campaign
* Voted for O
* Helped dismantle the G O P by doing all of the above

In short, I worked like hell to sweep this sorry administration and future n e o co ns outta office. Good riddance.

[starlady7]

He was was one of the ones that tried to warn Bush and Co. of an immenent attack. He was there and they refused to listen. They said there was not enough "credible facts", so Bush, Cheney, Rice etc. ignored the evidence presented!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!! When Clark finally was fed up with their handling of things and the lies being spun, he quit! When he spoke out about what really happened before 9-11, the Bush people tried to tarnish him and called him unpatriotic!!!

[MrWampler]

Clarke has been screaming his head off since 2002. Have you not been listening? Look up his books on Amazon.

[ulrich27]

Thank you Mr. Clarke!

[Kaye08]

I truly appreciate Richard Clarke's honesty and courage in speaking the truth for many years now. I'm really glad he spoke out about this now. The brainwashing of America is still going strong with the Bush & friends legacy tour!

[Bompa]

... CLARKE...W­e need you!......

[Wilbur]

Ditto!!!

Wilbur

[whatawebb]

FACTS - this is something that Republicans will REFUSE to believe - because THEY live in NEO-LAND.

[Forester]

We need his sworn deposition entered into the record.

[DMM1029]

Right on Richard Clarke. Too bad you did not step up and take the helm at the CIA. It would have been the ultimate revenge, or at least the ultimate irony.

Dave McGlaughli­n--Harrisb­urg, Pa.

[IndyGirl19]

Thank you Mr. Clarke.

The truth can't be repeated often enough. Bush, Cheney and Rove are desperate to salvage a legacy but we cannot allow them to spin the truth out of their story.

[dnegri]

Whenever someone brings up the "Bush kept us safe" argument, I ask them for details as to how many
actual AQ plots were stopped. The answer. None. Which at the very least adds credence to the argument that in fact 9/11 was essentially a one-off action. And Clarke is right about the long incubation period. In any case, Bush's historical record will be lousy based on his domestic record and on how corrupt and politicized the government became under the Bush/Rove/RNC leadership.

[laocoon]

Our allies have been attacked. If that does not count then you are not really considering them allies. Eventually we will have none if they understand our attitude towards their welfare. Couldnt that strategy -- attack the allies until the US is isolated- be the one AQ has adopted?

[jan4insight]

Finally, someone with the courage to stand up and speak the truth! Thank you, Mr. Clarke!

[PKSSK]

A voice of honesty and integrity, which is a rare voice from the right. Thank you Mr. Clarke for speaking truth to power at time when it was rarely heard and always attacked as unpatriotic.

[Lisette]

DAM STRAIGHT !!!
.

[ILibertine]

And yet the fellow got re-elected and not even a serious attempt to impeach. Talk about Teflon!

[tobyjack]

Because Pelosi and Reid are firmly in bed with the repugnantcans and their dirty little wars.