Why did Bush completely ignore Clinton when the great one told Bush al qaeda would be his number one threat?

Question

Not only did Bush ignore Clinton and Richard Clarke, he also ignored the August 6th, 2001 briefing outlining al qaeda's plans to fly yets into buildings.

Answer 1

Ever notice how republicans like to blame everything on Clinton even now 6 years after he left office. I'm sure there were warning signs 3-4 years before the attack, that Clinton should have heeded. However there were alarm bells going off in the few months leading up to the attack.

During that time, Bush was near totally disengaged relying on 1 paragraph briefing memos that were crafted to tell him the things he wanted to hear (ie those that fit into "god-given" vision of where he wanted to take the country, which included invading Iraq). Look it up, up until 9/11 he had spent more time away from the oval office, on vacation at his ranch, than any prior President.

Immediately after 9/11, his first reaction was to use it as an excuse to attack Iraq. When the few sensible staffers in his cabinet advised him that Saddam had nothing to do with it, he shelved that idea temporarily and went after Afghanistan instead.

Bush lied and people died. Clinton lied about a stupid BJ. Big deal. How many guys have done that. The Republicans spent millions of dollars and 8 years and that was the worst they could come up with?!

If Bush had a Democratically controlled Congress, the way Clinton had a Republican controlled one, he would have been impeached a long time ago. Manipulating intelligence data so that he could con the country into supporting his war, deliberately leaking classified information outing a CIA agent because her husband had the temerity to say the emperor had no clothes, filling his administration with hacks like former FEMA cheif Michael Brown, bringing in his oil industry honco cronies behind closed doors to formulate an energy policy designed to further pad their pockets, violating human and legal rights of detainees, illegal spying, I could go on and on, you take your pick.

But at least he hasn't gotten any blowjobs (that we know of). Instead he's screwed the country.

BTW, Republicans also like to pat themselves on the back that there hasn't been another attack in the US in the 5 years since 9/11 and point to that as a sign that Bush has made us safer. Excuse me, using the same logic there wasn't any attacks in the US in the 5 years leading up to 9/11 either. I guess that means since Clinton was in office during most of that time that he must have been doing things right. It doesn't work that way then any more than it does now. We haven't been attacked because we've been lucky and because of the same type of security that we had in place before 9/11. Just look at the Bush response to the Katrina disaster or their handling of the Dubai Ports deal and tell me he has gotten security and emergency response under control. Prior to 9/11 there were few if any Al Queda in Iraq. Today it has become their main training ground and an incredible recruiting tool given by Allah and GWB.

Answer 2

You need to actually read the 9/11 commission report

1. Clinton did mention to Bush in passing Al queada could be a problem but not his #1 threat. Bush has acknowledged this very short conversation right before the Inauguration. Things were uncomfortable as Clintons staff people had trashed the white house with garfitti, porn, distruction of computers, copy machines, and furniture. Something that has never happened before in our history.
2. The Richard Clarke report has never been found in the National archives or anywhere else. The 911 commission could not find any record of it. We have only his word that such a report ever existed.
3. In the 9/11 report you can read and compare the 1998 DB with the 2001 DB they contain exactly the same info. Absolutely nothing new beyond the 3 year earlier report. Bin laden might try to hijack a plane and blow up something. Wow that's enlightening. The one difference between the DB`s is in the 1998 report they also had SA-7 missiles possibly shooting down a civilian or military aircraft .
4. Sandy Burglar was caught sneaking documents in and out of the National Archives in his pants during the 911 commision investigation. He was noticed on 3 different occasions with bulging pants and socks and finally arrested. Surely He could have sneaked in a copy of Richard Clarke's report then But alas he was caught.
He claims he was just taking them home to copy, no doubt to save the 5 cents it would have cost the American tax payer at the library. He promises he didn`t replace or doctor anything. Oh yes and when the FBI found all the cut up documents at his home it was because they were just copies. Besides his shredder had been acting up and he had to use scissors to destroy them.

Answer 3

So if it was great a threat, why did Clinton not do the job? The August memo was a general infomation brief. It had no plans, targets, times, locations or any other actionable intel. Without soild info this memo is useless. Telling me The Japanese have a carrier task force, does not tell me they are going to attack Pearl Harbor on the 12/7/41 at 07:55am. To say They were the #1 threat also fails to take into account other things were going on at the time.

Answer 4

First of all your "great one" had Bin Ladin handed to him on a silver platter SEVERAL times and declined to take him into custody. Must not have been too great a threat in the "great ones" mind so why should we believe that "the great one" would brief Bush that AQ was the number one threat?

Taking an intelligence briefing as the Commander in Chief and not taking overt military action (like bombing someone or thing) is not the same as IGNORING the briefing.

Terrorists world wide have plans for all manner of destructive things. Blowing up bridges, dams, rail ways, etc. The intelligence community constantly assesses the threat, the capability of the group with the plan or associated with them to carry out the threat, in place deterents and safeguards, and a MULTITUDE of assets and resources that you and I have no need to know.

It's not perfect but there is absolutely no way that this country can protect all of it's vulnerable targets from all possible threats. America is a "target rich environment" and is ripe for the plucking. I find it amazing that we've had as few attacks as we've had. It is nothing but a testament to the ferrocious amount of work and intelligence capability that we have.

If you knew how simple it was to build a high explosive weapon with simple daily materials, or how easy it was to synthesize powerful toxins and hallucinogenics in your kitchen with over the counter products, you would understand the size of the job that is being done to protect us from the daily terrorist attacks that are suffered in the middle east.

Why don't you mosey on over to the Clinton Library and Sex Shoppe and see if the "great one" needs his big one wanked?

Answer 5

Bush was fixated on Saddam and didn't want to acknowledge any awareness that al qaeda might be a first priority problem. And his attitude toward briefings has always been "the briefer the better."

Answer 6

Exactly WHEN did Clinton tell President Bush that al Qaeda would be the number one threat?

And more to the point, WHAT did Clinton do during HIS eight years in office?????????????

Answer 7

Staff Sgt. C has expressed what I wanted to say so much better than I was going to. He is right on! I have heard his views expressed in various ways by many intelligent people who are "in the know". People I personally know and whose opinions I value. I guess Sgt. C will have to be included on the list of people whose opinion is worth listening to. Clinton should have had a sit-down with Sgt. C, then maybe he wouldn't have made such a mess of this country that Bush is now having to clean up!

Answer 8

how do YOU KNOW that he ignored clinton? where you there for the meeting? alright then, stfu! Bush has done an excellent job. he is the only president that has had this many wars and terrorist attacks and natural disasters while in office and he is handling them rather well! are you an *** by the way? i mean democrat. if you are a liberal, good ridance with ya! I support the president as I am in the Army. for those people in the military that want to protest against bush and not follow his orders as they have sworn to do, can be dishonorably discharged and join you in your anti bush bullshit

Answer 9

Al Qaeda was just tiring to finish what was started in the 90s with Dessert Storm. If Clinton would of had the balls he would of finished what was started and maybe things would of been different.

Answer 10

No he did not. The August 6th briefing was a regurgitation of previous intelligence and data, and not a specific prediction of any certain event. Anybody who was reading the news paper regularly at that point in history knew that Al Qaeda wanted to carry out a spectacular terrorist attack on the U.S. The presidents response was to ask for more than old data, "and stop swatting at flies."

Maybe Bill Clinton should have responded to two embassy bombings, an attack on U.S. militay barracks in Saudi Arabia, and the near sinking of the U.S.S. Cole with more than a suggestion to Bush than, "Hey W, that there Al Qaeda is BAD!"

Thanks Bill.