Richard Clarke's indictment of Bush -- anything like it before?

[ochazuke]

In all of American history, has there ever been such a damaging assesment of the president's failure to defend the United States against foreign enemies?

[Postman]

1. It was a damning story in my eyes...

Then again, I read books and listen to alternative media, so I already knew the squatters in the WH where lying.

Bush criminals will spin it as "absurd" or "sour grapes"

God, I hate these liars for what they did to our country

[jrthin]

2. This is quite damning stuff.

If only we didn't have a lap-dog media who WON'T follow-up on such an important story.

[ochazuke]

5. How can the media ignore this?

Richard Clarke was the guy in charge of pushing the anti-terror agenda in the White House, but shrubco didn't think terrorism was as much a danger as Clinton-Gore did, so they demoted his position and ignored his requests to discuss what he called "the impending Al Qaeda attack".

You can forget about Paul O'Neil, but this is dynamite. Maybe we should flood our local media with letters to the editor focusing on some of the more damning points and finish it off with a demand for bush's head (if they can find it.)

[drthais]

8. the media?

I am in awe of the fact
that the Amercian PUBLIC is ignoring this
(to a large degree)

how can ANYONE plan to vote for this crowd
unless they purposefully stay uninformed?

it blows my mind

[ochazuke]

10. The pychobabble answer

Two terms:

1. Denial

2. Cognitive Dissonance


Lots of people will continue to believe that shrub is a great American patriot and his critics are small and evil men. What truly is amazing is the huge percentage of the population that seems to fit into that category.

Let's hope they start to pay attention soon.

[boobooday]

3. Bush - shredded

He's like cole slaw now.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[eaprez]

4. In My Mind

the most compelling and damning thing he said was the remark he made about our young men and women dying in Iraq thinking they were dying because of 9/11 and nothing was further from the truth. Although I have always held the opinion it was nice to hear it stated so directly for the public to digest. If I was the parent of one who had been lost I'd be outraged.

[Postman]

7. that was a great point.

and the truth.

[jcv1]

6. The fall of the American civilization

I feel so worried about my childrens' future... watching Clarke tonight put chills through me like I've never felt before about what is happening to our country and I don't think there is enough leadership to stop the madness. The neo-cons are in power, have the money and the power to stay there, and will do anything to keep their grip on the goose-steppers all over the country that I don't see an end in sight. I pray that Kerry lucks out and wins a swing state but, if that doesn't happen, Hillary in '08 is not the answer. By then, another attack on the US is certain and the Nazi's will use that to justify continued fear to paralyze us forever.

[NYC]

12. Welcome to DU, jcv1.

:hi:

[frankly_fedup2]

17. Another attack is probably already in the plans.

I'm 99.9% sure there will be another horrible attack against the U.S. before the elections. I know it is a horrible, horrible thing to say; however, I believed the Bush Administration turned their head the first time and they will turn their heads again. After all, this country was torn apart after the theft of the presidency by the Republicans. As horrible as 911 was, it brought this Country together and the rest of the world "appeared" to be there for the U.S. if we needed them.

Now we are right back to a Country torn apart by this war in Iraq, the world does not trust us (our President) and are speaking out loud about it. The Taliban and the warlords still control Afghanistan. The Iraqi people are terrorized more and more everyday by their fellow Muslims because they happen to have Americans near them.

Before we attacked Iraq, does anyone remember any type of terrorists acts going on there? I cannot! And then this administration does not realize why the people are not celebrating in the streets. By sending our soldiers into Iraq, we have created terrorism for them.

I use to think that since there are over 100,000+ young Americans in Iraq for the terrorists to pick off 1-2 a day, that they would not attack us again. After all, what they want is to kill Americans and we are serving them up to them thanks to Bush. However, Bush needs something to happen to unite this country again. Scares the living hell out of me when I think about what they could do. I'm talking about the Bush Administration more than the terrorists!

[madrchsod]

9. some thought that

Roosevelt knew the attack was coming and didn`t stop it so we would go to war, that`s the only incidence i can think off.

[HawkerHurricane]

11. Even then...

there were no administration officials saying that... just outsiders, trying to discredit FDR.

This is a definite case of a insider, the subject matter expert, coming forth with the goods. Not a conspiracy nut out to discredit.

[ochazuke]

14. Perhaps more similar than we might think?

Lots of people knew the Japanese were moving toward an attack. (See the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!)

In fact, it's entirely possible that FDR and his administration actually wanted the Japanese to attack. After all, we cut off Japan's supply of oil and other natural resources, leaving them with little choice but to expand their empire north into Manchuria and south into the Dutch East Indies. And, as history records, the attack turned America in the direction FDR had wanted all along: to enter the war on England's side.

Is there a parallel with 9/11? I don't know, but I thought Richard Clarke's reference to Pearl Harbor was very telling: Bush's response to 9/11 ("let's do Iraq") would have been like FDR trying to use the attack on Pearl Harbor as a reason to attack Mexico.

[HawkerHurricane]

19. Small historical error...

Japan already controlled Manchuria... we cut off thier oil and iron (among other things) because they were invading the rest of China... The Japanese Army needed a war to keep control of the government; so they attacked China. The Japanese attack on China led to the embargo. The need for oil led to Japanese plans to attack the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). To secure the supply lines to Indonesia, they had to take out the British base at Singapore and the American ones in the Phillipines. To buy them time to secure things without interference of the American Navy, they attacked Pearl Harbor.

It seems the idea of stopping the war in China to get the embargo raised never occured to the Japanese leadership...

AND always remember: FDR may have wanted a war with Germany to help Britain, but he NEVER asked for a declaration of war with Germany! He knew that Republican isolationists would refuse to vote for it, and he wanted to keep the vote as unaminous as possible... The US didn't declare war on Germany or Italy; Germany and Italy declared war on the US. If Germany had never declared war on us, there is no guarantee that we would ever have declared war on them...

We knew (do to intercepted messages) that the Japanese were going to war with us; but not that it would open with a raid on Pearl.

And using 9/11 to attack Iraq would have been like FDR using Pearl Harbor to attack Mexico.

[otohara]

13. Unbelievable...Stunning

My mouth was dropped to the floor during the entire interview.

[flamingpie2500]

15. Hats off to CBS and 60 Min.

Clarke is testifying publicly on tues. (i think) the media will have to approach it then. They certainly wouldn't want to appear as though they are promoting the book.
I never enjoyed anything as much--so straight to the point.
What drives be bonkers sometimes is that we all knew this long ago, (or at least suspected it)--answers the question as the why the administration knew the names of all of the hijackers within hours of the attacks!!

BUSH KNEW

[Abe Linkman]

16. "Failure to defend" or 9-11 was an inside job?

I didn't see the interview, but if he said that bush failed to defend the United States; in what respect did he say bush "failed to defend"?

The above wouldn't be newsworthy, in my opinion. If he said or even intimated that 9-11 was a modern Pearl Harbor-type operation; THAT would be newsworthy, in my opinion.

[thebigidea]

22. considering the amount of coverage Clarke is getting...

... it would seem that your sense of what is "newsworthy" might be slightly off.

[Abe Linkman]

18. There's one thing we've seen before, for sure.

Distracting attention from an important news story. This time, the Hamas founder did it. Unintentionally, probably.

[Disturbed]

20. Project for a New American Century

"Pearl Harbor was very telling: Bush's response to 9/11 ("let's do Iraq." In one of PNAC's statements the writer illudes to Pearl Harbor like attack on the US to allow the US to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.

That all the planes hit their targets was either gross impcometence or purposeful on Bushco's part. If people in the WH and the CIA and FBI had been doing their jobs properly the 911 Attack could have been thwarted.

[Abe Linkman]

21. Actually, they DID do what they were "supposed to do"

"If people in the WH and the CIA and FBI had been doing their jobs properly the 911 Attack could have been thwarted."