Just look at how mant Communist countries failed (and are failing) It must have made him sick.

I’ve thought for a long time the Bush Administration handled the stream of assessments in much the same way the Clinton Administration did. That’s to be expected – they inherited much of the same bureaucracy that had been running things for years. We’d had many attacks with hundreds of deaths – not just the Cole. But there was nothing I’ve seen that indicates that any steps Clinton, or Gore, or Bush could have taken that would have specifically identified the 9-11 plot and led to its disruption. There was no ‘near certain’ proof – there wasn’t even a ‘near certain actionable warning.’ Even when the FBI came close with that laptop computer incident, the established protocols prevented any possible exploitation.

In short, America had been dealing with this for years and years. If Gore had won I’d imagine nothing much would have changed. I view the 9-11 attack as pretty much inevitable in its likelihood of success and that no foreseeable action, whether by a Dem or Rep president, was likely to change that.

I’ve said if it happens on your watch you take the hit or get the credit. But, that’s not the same as saying full responsibility follows.

Taxpayer 8:58

I believe it was you who brought up Cheney’s motivation for vindication, not me. I asked, first, if the memo vindicated, then followed with the questions pertinent to the memos – if the system was out of control, if Cheney lied about the efficacy of EITs, that they, never work, that whatever we obtained from EITs could have been obtained from other methods.

That is what has implications for the manner in which America pursues operations against AQ – not a former VP’s motivations.

I really gotta quit hitting the refresh button.

Have a great afternoon! See ya

sorry for the deeeeelay – (quick conference call) –

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/19/AR2006061901211.html?sub=AR

the “you covered your butt” comes from Ron Suskind’s book

I’ve got to head to the forest and I see Jay B has decided to rehash what we rehashed yesterday, but you should really try to be more informed.

Perhaps a good start would have been secure doors separating the cockpit from the passengers. But wait, that cost money. Who will pay. My profit margin will erode.

I intended to put that up but I am still waiting for a pdf. So many question, so few answers. When is that book of your due to hit the shelves, Paul. Surely, you’ve amassed enough answers to fill a few pages by now.

“There was another very similar PDB in 1998 about the airports and according to Clinton Al Gore fixed all those security problems that could lead to hijackings.”

ohgoodgod. are you kidding me??? no one said they fixed ALL the security problems that could lead to hijackings –

first of all, they improved security in 1996, not 1998 – and it was in response to ValuJet and TWA crashes. They removed curbside check-in, screened more bags, etc.

USinUK,

Do you mind providing a little proof of that? I seem to remember that during the Clinton Cover-up Commission hearings they were trying very hard to limit Condi’s discussion of this issue to nothing more than the title of the PDB.