Bush Did Not Keep Us Safe

As President Obama has just announced that he will close the Guantanamo Prison within a year, outlaw torture, end the flawed trials of the Al Qaeda suspects, and review the entire conduct of his predecessor's "war on terror," already one-time members of the Bush administration are complaining that Obama is dangerously weakening America in its fight against terrorism.

The common assertion of these former officials is that Bush, through all of the techniques which Obama is now dismantling, kept America protected from any further extremist attacks. But what these so-called patriots fail to mention is that Mr. Bush did not keep the USA safe. In fact, on his watch, the greatest terrorist attack in the history of the country occurred despite a plethora of advance warnings about potential Al Qeada threats. As we have learned from the 9/11 Commission and other investigations, Mr. Bush initially had information at hand suggesting a possible assault on our homeland but took no action to prevent it. So, now, are we supposed to praise this man for his several years of post-9/11 peace when he made no preparations for or paid no attention to menace of terrorism in the first nine months of his presidency -- an act of negligence which eventually lead to the worst tragedy on American soil since Pearl Harbor?

Comments

[mjc]

It would be possible to go back to some of the blogs and some of the internet reporting about the hijackers before the attacks on the Trade Center and the Pentagon but it would also be somewhat tedious. Think most of us who really wanted to get to the bottom of the 9/11 attacks have concluded that the completely incompetent Bush administration and the inadequate communication amongst the various intelligence agencies were the main reasons the attacks were so successful. You had Saudis and Yemenis taking flying lessons in Venice, Florida, learning how to fly but no concern about how to land. Some of these men were on the lists of either the FBI or the CIA and were being watched, their addresses known, their contacts known, especially with one another. Within 24 hours of the attack on the Towers the names and nationality of the hijackers were known BECAUSE they were persons of interest. Remember how long it took jets to get to New York City and coming all the way from Florida to engage the hijackers.­...suppose­dly. There are more terrible examples of the incompetence or collaboration? of the Air Force; however, at this point think it is fair to say that the Bush administration, rather than keeping us safe, contributed to allowing terrorists to attack us with impunity.

[etbuzz]

shut up you whining little cry babies. Safety and security restrict personal freedom. The fact of the matter is some people in this world do not like us. They did not like your demi-god bill clinton when he was in office and they hated Bush when he was there. They are going to hate Obama as well. It is IMPOSSIBLE to increase security without infringing freedom. You also have no idea how many terrorist attacks have not happened because of the measurements taken. That is not something you can validate beyond your own feeling. You cry in one blog about losing privacy and person freedom and then blame Bush for 911. The hipocrasy is astounding. I don't care if you are left, right or whatever just stop whining against someone because that is what your party told you to whine about. Think for yourselves

[PaulMagillSmith]

Spin of the Republican far right is almost unbelievable. They talk about Bush keeping us safe from foreign attack on American soil for 7 years, while uselessly spending hundreds of billions of dollars on programs like DHS, headed by Michael Chertoff, a dual Israeli/US citizen with obvious conflicts of interests, creating almost unmeasurable hatred of the US by 'Gitmo', Abu Ghraib, extraordinary renditions, 'axis of evil' speeches, and siding with Israel on Palestine.

Clinton didn't spend hundreds of billions yet didn't have an attack by foreigners on American soil for EIGHT years. Let's at least have a bit of honesty on the 'spin' here.

[JoeSausage]

People need to keep repeating this over and over and over, until Americans understand it. Al Qaeda staged the largest, most successful terrorist attack on American soil in history, while George Bush was in charge. WHILE GEORGE BUSH WAS IN CHARGE. He ignored intelligence that may have prevented it, he fabricated intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq (who had nothing to do with it) and Bin Laden is still at large. BIN LADEN IS STILL AT LARGE! America was successfully attacked by terrorists while George Bush was in charge. America, repeat with me, "America was successfully attacked by terrorists while George Bush was in charge!" Maybe that's the Republican idea of keeping America safe. Or maybe they think you're too stupid to figure it out yourself. But the indisputable truth is, America was successfully attacked by terrorists while George Bush was in charge.

[NWGuy]

Not only did Bush respond inappropriately to the warnings about potential attacks prior to 9-11, his policies have encouraged and supported more hatred toward the US.

Recently hearing about those prisoners released from Guantanamo that, upon release, joined Al Qaeda to fight the US. Well, duh! If you were imprisoned for years without charges, not allowed a lawyer or due process, and possibly tortured, how friendly are you going to feel about your jailers? Would you do anything and everything you could to take revenge on them? Of course you would! So those that were 'innocent' of any wrong doing but where sent to Cuba for years, have now become sworn enemies. Thanks, George!

[VikingQuest]

"Mr. Bush initially had information at hand suggesting a possible assault on our homeland but took no action to prevent it"

Please, there is pleanty to rip Bush over but come on . . . 9/11 was something no one saw coming and the plan was out of a Hollywood movie.

We caught that one guy but because of what Janet Reno had done made it impossible for the CIA & FBI to talk with each other.

BTW, you'll never know if what he did kept us safe or what attacks were foiled because they wouldn't let us know anyways. We'll just have to see.

[WorkingClass]

Its difficult to have a discussion about "did he keep us safe" when we are not allowed to discuss the 9/11 commission report. Why is this taboo? What is everybody so afraid of?

[davism97]

We aren't allowed to discuss it? Last I saw anyone who wants a copy can get one.

Side note to the conspiracy theorists: Steel didn't have to melt from the burning jet fuel...it just had to weaken enough to bring the towers down. That's a fact that any structural engineer will tell you (or anyone who's studied engineering and physics)

[slg]

It's why every steel frame building that catches fire and burns for an hour collapses on itself. The 9/11 Commission offered no other examples but i'm sure anyone who's studied engineering and physics can site many cases, like those hundreds of architects and engineers over at ae911truth.org/.

[WorkingClass]

The 9/11 commission report is itself a conspiracy theory. But its not a very good one because it fails to explain what happened that day.

Molten steel was found in the wreckage. What melted it? I think most defenders of the official story simply don't want to know the truth.

[arthuride]

Bush did not keep the USA safe. He destroyed/­dismantled habeus corpus, worked tirelessly at dismantling environmental protections, created numerous illegal CIA prisons that tortured people from Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, to Peru and elswhwere, justified waterboarding that was applauded and endorsed by Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld, curtailed FOIA, denied women in the USA and around the world sane information on birth control, limited choice in numerous matters and tied religion (Jewish and Christian) to civil posts and charities and schools discriminating against those who were of opposing faiths or no faith. I cannot find one thing he did that helped the USA, and having lived for several years abroad (Europe and South America) I do not know of a single nation that has any respect or love for the USA, but consider it and Bush the most stupid mortals of this past decade. W Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Ashcroft, Powell, the entire CIA, and Gates should be tried by a World Court for crimes against humanity, and when found guilty--executed.

[ohdem]

I think it was Mike Malloy who pointed out the answer to those who claim Bush kept us safe for 7 years, "He was supposed to keep us safe for 8."
Bush, Cheney and BinLaden all got what they wanted; America frightened and willing to give up freedoms for security. We ended up with neither.
Now under Obama maybe we can get some of those back.

[leftcoastindy]

Who stood to benefit the most from any significant terrorist attack?

It sure seems to me Bush did really well. Not to mention Haliburton, KBR and the whole Military Industrial Complex. Which members of our Government were invested in or most likely to benefit if those companies experienced high ROI's?

[vegas9999]

Yeah, Gore and Clinton have really suffered. There should be a reality show about this site. It would be a big hit. Years and years of planning 9/11 under Clinton-Gore mean nothing so lets blame Bush. We know the media will go along so I do think a reality show would be a big hit. Hope Larry David reads this.

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

You forget that when Clinton was leaving the WH he gave Bush information that AQ was planning and attack on US soil but he did nothing i.e Condolezza Testimony to congress. He had a chance so to speak to redeem himself and left Afghanistan for Irag! WTF! The entire world knew that Saddam Hussein had noting but talk and that was proven by ALL of the inspectors that were sent from every corner of the earth to Iraq, what did they find nothing!. Did Ex-President Bush (43) fail, the naswer is yes.

[JoeSausage]

911 didn't happen while Clinton was president. Terrorists successfully attacked America while Bush was president. Nice spin though!