Clinton raps Bush over Iraq: 'number five' security threat (story freeped)

[Barrett808]

TORONTO (AFP) - Former US president Bill Clinton said the Bush administration had damaged the US anti-terror campaign by toppling Saddam Hussein in Iraq -- which he branded Washington's "number five" security threat.

Clinton, in Canada to promote his memoirs, said in a television interview that the Iraq war had drained vital resources from the US battle against al-Qaeda.

He rapped his successors in the White House for not pouring enough men and funds into the battle to catch Osama bin Laden, and al-Qaeda and Taliban holdouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

"Why did we put our number one security threat in the hands of the Pakistanis with us playing the supporting role and put all our military resources into Iraq which was I think at best our number five security threat?" Clinton said in an interview with CBC television.

"How did we get to the point where we have 130,000 troops in Iraq and 15,000 in Afghanistan?"

(slightly more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040805/pl_afp/canada_us_iraq_clinton&cid=1521&ncid=1480

[Cha]

1. This is Good!

Brilliant analysis! No Blood for Oil!

[Nite Owl]

2. Don't forget to rate this article.

Looks like the freeps have done it already it's only at 1.38.

[GCP]

3. This needs a higher rating

Go to the site and rate it 5. At the moment it's been freeped by the look of it.

[whistle]

4. Because when you are a school yard bully you pick on the...

...easier and less equipped targets to make your point. Plus, Afghanistan doesn't have the third largest oil reserve in the world.

[CityDem]

5. I beg to differ

I don't think it is wise for Clinton be critical of Bush for not spending enough resources going after Bin Laden. Clinton himself did not aggressively pursue Bin Laden after the embassy bombings and the Cole and the media will surely point this out. We need other dem leaders to take the lead on this matter and use Clinton as a spokesman on the economy where he was very strong.

[Barrett808]

6. Actually, Clarke blames the CIA

He has very harsh words for the CIA in Against All Enemies. The judgment was that it would be too difficult/risky to send in a hit squad to sanction Osama in Afghanistan, but Clarke sees this as bureaucratic timidity and incompetence.

[Jim Sagle]

22. I see it as deliberate CIA sabotage of a Democratic president.

[Roy]

7. Hmmmm...............

I remember a speech Clinton made before leaving office when he said that the NUMBER ONE THREAT TO THE USA was Osama Bin Laden. (or something very close this.

Sandy Berger also said that after successfully stopping the millineum attack, they immediate huddled to assess the results and analyze what could be done better to stop future attacks. The host quickly changed the subject.

Done nothing?????

This is only some casual observations? And I am not the most informed. Maybe Clintons administration deeds efforts are not being reported on, or misrepresented??????

Why hasn't the media analyzed the report by Senator hart? Certainly it contains at least as much useful information as a video of Mr Hacking making a purchase in a local convenience store.

[shraby]

9. It wasn't definitely determined that it

was bin Laden who did the Cole until Bush was in office. It was only suspected a bin Laden attack.

[merh]

10. Read Clinton's book -- you will find the answers in there...

Warning us about what the media will do in this election is like warning someone that is standing in the rain that they might get wet.

If you are truly concerned about the issue and a logical and intelligent response, read clinton's book. He explains how his admin was trying to hire assasins to take out UsamaBL and that since the attack had not been on the home front, he did not have the support to conduct a full fledge attack in Afghanistan the way the clown-n-chief had (and wasted) after 9/11.

Don't confuse the issues. GWB has not agressively pursued Usama - he invaded a sovereign nation that had no connection to 9/11 instead.

[Qutzupalotl]

11. Couple of things.

1) Clinton bombed al Qaeda training camps in 1998 in an effort to kill Bin Laden, and
2) the CIA didn't firmly state that al Qaeda was behind the Cole bombing until a month before Clinton left office.

[never cry wolf]

20. The anti-terrorist president

HOW MANY TERRORIST ATTACKS CLINTON STOPPED.

Just for the record, under Richard Clarke's leadership as Czar of Counterterrorism:

CLINTON Developed the nation's first anti-terrorism policy, and appointed first national coordinator of anti-terrorist efforts.

CLINTON Stopped cold the Al Qaeda millennium hijacking and bombing plots.

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to kill the Pope

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up 12 U.S. jetliners simultaneously

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up UN Headquarters

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up FBI Headquarters

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Washington

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up Boston airport

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up Lincoln and Holland Tunnels in NY

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up the George Washington Bridge

CLINTON Stopped cold the planned attack to blow up the US Embassy in Albania

-- Tried to kill Osama bin Laden and disrupt Al Qaeda through preemptive strikes (efforts denounced by the G.O.P.).

-- Brought perpetrators of first World Trade Center bombing and CIA killings to justice.

-- Did not blame Bush I administration for first World Trade Center bombing even though it occurred 38 days after Bush left office. Instead, worked hard, even obsessively -- and successfully -- to stop future terrorist attacks.

--Named the Hart-Rudman commission to report on nature of terrorist threats and major steps to be taken to combat terrorism.

-Clinton sent legislation to Congress to TIGHTEN AIRPORT SECURITY. (Remember, this is before 911) The legislation was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the airlines.

-Clinton sent legislation to Congress to allow for BETTER TRACKING OF TERRORIST FUNDING. It was defeated by Republicans in the Senate because of opposition from banking interests.

-Clinton sent legislation to Congress to add tagents to explosives, to allow for BETTER TRACKING OF EXPLOSIVES USED BY TERRORISTS. It was defeated by the Republicans because of opposition from the NRA.

-Clinton increased the military budget by an average of 14 per cent, reversing the trend under Bush I.

-Clinton tripled the budget of the FBI for counterterrorism and doubled overall funding for counterterrorism

-Clinton detected and destroyed cells of Al Qaeda in over 20 countries

-Clinton created national stockpile of drugs and vaccines including 40 million doses of smallpox vaccine.

-Of Clinton's efforts says Robert Oakley, Reagan Ambassador for Counterterrorism: "Overall, I give them very high marks" and "The only major criticism I have is the obsession with Osama"

-Paul Bremer, current Civilian Administrator of Iraq disagrees slightly with Robert Oakley as he believed the Clinton Administration had "correctly focused on bin Laden.

-Barton Gellman in the Washington Post put it best, "By any measure available, Clinton left office having given greater priority to terrorism than any president before him" and was the "first administration to undertake a systematic anti-terrorist effort"

[TahitiNut]

24. Despite these extensively confirmed facts ...

... reichbots will continue to spout the total falsehoods regarding Clinton. Responsibilty?? Ha! These people like to pocket the profits and off-load the expenses -- they're habitually incapable of learning from their own mistakes.

[louis-t]

28. thank you

good work.

[are_we_united_yet]

29. Uhh yeah sure

Reapeat after me: It Clinton's fault. There feel better?

[sandnsea]

30. wag the dog

Every time Clinton did anything militarily, the Republicans said he was just diverting attention away from his penis. I remember him talking about bin Laden several times, and Republicans always scoffing. And if he'd tried to gain any support in doing something about the Cole, with an election just weeks away, the Republicans would have had a hissy fit. Bush didn't do anything about the Cole because they were convinced Saddam was behind bin Laden and were determined to go after him from day one.

[featherman]

8. Actually Clinton went after bin Laden pretty hard

considering that 100% of the GOP Congress and Senate and 100% of the media was screaming "Wag the Dog" at him and refusing any support whenever he tried anything. I remember this period well and am still furious about it.

[wicket]

12. Rate this a 5 everyone!!!!

[Zorra]

13. "The Iraq war had drained vital resources from the US battle against

al-Qaeda".

That's it, the bottom line.

Bu$h has made the world a deadly place for Americans.

[Window]

14. Go Bill!

Rated.

[Barrett808]

15. Rating up to 1.92 with 237 votes -- keep voting it up, everybody! n/t

[sdfernando]

16. Rated

Come on people, lets get this on the radar. 1.75 with 281 votes

[Barrett808]

17. We're going head-to-head with freeps on this one -- DU this story! n/t

[section321]

18. Rated...

Done. Still only 1.84

[Babel_17]

19. Great story, I gave it a "5". NT

[johnfunk]

21. Kick

Done -- now DU this story

[yardwork]

23. Done. It's still only 2.3

What does it say about people when they try to suppress the truth because it doesn't match their preconceptions?

[lakeguy]

25. 2.48

[Barrett808]

26. Getting up there -- it was below 2.0 n/t

[Minstrel Boy]

27. video of the interview here:

link on the right side. Real Media, unfortunately. Nearly 22 minutes.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/05/clinton_iraq040805.html

Saw it tonight on The National. Good interview. Credit to both Clinton and Mansbridge.

[Barrett808]

31. Up to 2.85 with 481 votes n/t

[psychopomp]

32. Rate it

Now at 2.85 w/483 votes.

[Barrett808]

33. 2.85 with 516 votes n/t

[Kukesa]

34. It's still 2.85 with 520 votes. We need more! n/t

[annabanana]

35. more, more, more!

[Cerridwen]

36. Done - "Its current average rating is 2.85 with 529 vote(s)." n/t

[Seabiscuit]

37. 2.85 with 535 votes.

Just gave it a 5.

Must be a lot of freepers out there keeping the rating down.