Is it fair to blame former President Clinton for al-Qaeda?

Question

We all know about the hit & miss during the last years of his administration - failing to kill Osama Bin Laden.

In retrospect, if one is to believe that Republican politicians were so aware of the danger posed by Osama Bin Laden, why were no attempts made to neutralize him or his terrorist network during the beginning of the first Bush administration?

Answer 1

thats a toughie. let's just say he was totally ineffective as out prez and be done with it.

Answer 2

Let’s see:

Only weeks after Clinton took office in 1993 (following 12 straight years of Republican presidents), terrorist scum tried to bring down the towers.

What did Clinton do?

- within a month, four people were arrested,
- they went on trial that September,
- the trial lasted 6 months, and
- they were all convicted

Clinton stopped eight 9/11-size attacks, despite a Republican Congress that tried to stop his every move?

The very first thing that Clinton did as he was leaving the White House and Bush was moving in, was to tell Bush that the single greatest threat to the safety of the American people was Osama Bin-Laden and Al Qhaida.

Clinton had his staff stress to Bush’s staff that this was the most important thing Bush needed to know now that he was President.

On August 6, 2001, Bush received a PDBM (President's Daily Briefing Memo) warning that:

- OBL was planning an attack inside the United States, and
- that he might use airplanes, and
- that the targets would be politically important (DC) and major metropolitan centers (NYC)

Bush and his entire administration ignored Clinton's warning, intelligence information passed to them from Clinton's staff, and the memo.

If you were President in 2001, what would you have done?

Answer 3

Clinton is not to be blamed for Al-Queda, not the 9/11 attacks. Just for Osama bin Laden being released without being interrogated by US intelligence.

While the attacks of 9/11 hadn't happened, permitting coerced interrogations without formally arresting subjects. Clinton allowed his experience as a US lawyer to treat OBL as a criminal instead of a terrorist. With US intelligence services saying OBL must be detained and Clinton thinking about due process he allowed OBL to go free.

What Republican politicians thought is irrelevant, US intelligent officers said OBL was planning terror attacks in the US and they were ignored. Clinton didn't go to Congress with the decision to capture OBL, he made the decision based on his beliefs and those of his advisors..

Answer 4

Because they were to busy congradulating themselves for getting W in. And too bust rewriting laws that might allow for people to prove that they cheated in doing so.

Everyone blames Clinto for 9/11, but the truth is that during an extreme shift of administration Bush was more concerned about removing a garden installed by theprevious first lady and installing a baseball diamond than focusing on paperwork.

Forget not also that Clinto was surrounded by a legislature that refused to work with him on many levels. So even if he did want to do something, he needed congressional approval. This never happened.

The people to blame are the congress and senate for not doing anything. (Just like they are doing now)

It simply amazes me that a party can have control of EVERY aspect of government and STILL blame the minority party for thier failures.

Clinton, unlike this president, awaited for the worlds help (NATO & UN) before going into Bosnia, an equally nasty situation. It afforded him allies and munitions that, if they were all the burdon of US forces would have turned Bosnia into what Iraq is)

Answer 5

Is it fair to blame former President Clinton? The answer is no, the one to blame is President Bush, and the Bush I am talking about is papa Bush. If you go and some research, you will find that papa Bush gave money and support to Osama Bin Laden. The hit and miss incident, is said to have been a ruse to divert America's attention away from Clinton's sex scandal.

Answer 6

I do not believe it is fair to blame Clinton or Bush for the current Al Quaida situation, there was a different set of rules for pre 911 activities.

I will place blame on Jimmy Carter, he put Iran in the situation it is in now, without him terrorism would be no problem. That's OK he helps build houses once a year so he is a great guy plus he won a Nobel Prize for US bashing. So we can forget that he certified the Chavez election for only 10 million bucks.

Answer 7

Osama Bin Laden could have attacked us years ago... why didn't they? Only fascists think you have to eliminate the enemy, back then the USA wasn't what it is today.

Clinton was a very inspiring person, and when he was president the world loved us.

Bush was elected and pulled out of the middle east talks completely... a slap in the face, the precise timing needed to use their plan to attack to rally Muslim nations against us.

Nobody ever talks about that. Why? I'd say its because all you do is watch TV and let it think for you.

Answer 8

No I do not think you can blame him for al qaeda but you can certainly put a lot of 911 on him. Clitoon just plain screwed the pooch and it is going to ruin his legacy, which I believe he knows inside and that is why he went irrational with at Chris Wallace and why he had the forces out against ABC.

His reactions show a person who is guilty and knows it but his ego is out of control.

Answer 9

good question. also if he was so important why did the bush admin let him escape when they had the area he was in surrounded in a cave complex near Tora Bora and they pulled those troops out to send to invade iraq. in addition if ppl want to point fingers why didnt bush's father take care of him before clinton even got in office. in the end it comes down to : that clinton at least tried to capture or kill him and dubya only made the weakest attempt to get him and was more focused on getting into iraq.

Answer 10

Osama who? Osama knows no crap about hitting the US... look at his first reactions to 9/11... he doesnt seem to know if he ought to take credit for it or somebody else's job.

I'd rather blame Clinton for increased Made in China stuff and an inbalance in international trade with China. Lots of jobs lost to the Chinese and Indians.

Answer 11

well no president can be blaimed for the existance of alquida, they existed long before clinton. the attacks oh yes, they posed a serious threat and many republicans did try to do something about it, but it wasnt till 9/11 that their voice was heard.