“Violence between Israelis and the Palestinians, moreover is making Sunni extremists more willing...
...to participate in attacks against US or Israeli interests,” the CIA wrote in February 2001.
I remember the run-up to 9/11. It isn't like the Middle East was quiet and peaceful. Bush and his national security team were doing their ABC routine, "anything but Clinton." Clinton could not get an agreement signed between Israel and the Palestinians, so the Bush Administration decided to just let nature take its course for a while. The Bush administration just sat back and watched while I/P violence spiked through the roof.
You might think that after making this big change to our national security apparatus—reversing our I/P posture—that the Bush Administration would be especially diligent about monitoring all available intelligence for possible negative developments. Maybe someone should ask them for evidence that they did. It looks like there is a lot evidence that they didn't. They just pulled a big national security lever to the off position and walked away.
"Now watch this drive!"