Did Clinton Do Enough? (TIME)

[UpInArms]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040426-612309,00.html

Earlier this month, Bill Clinton returned to Washington to try to convince the 9/ 11 commission that as President he did what he could to stop Osama bin Laden. Others who have testified before the commission—particularly National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and former counterterrorism official Richard Clarke—did so before a phalanx of reporters and opponents hoping to see them eviscerated on live TV. But like George W. Bush, who will meet with the commission (together with Dick Cheney) at an undisclosed time, Clinton was allowed to appear in private—in a secret, bugproof room called, in a typical Washington solecism, a SKIF—a secure-conference intelligence facility.

It's a disservice to history that Clinton's four hours of testimony on April 8 went unrecorded—and that the commission has offered the same cloak of secrecy to Bush—but sources close to the panel briefed TIME on the session. One commissioner described the atmosphere in the SKIF as "clearly not hostile." Clinton brought along Sandy Berger, his affable National Security Adviser, and Bruce Lindsey, his longtime friend and White House consigliere. The former President offered to stay "as long as any of you want," according to commission chairman Thomas Kean, a Republican, who wouldn't reveal anything else Clinton said.

<snip>

The most memorable part of Clinton's testimony may turn out to be what he said to his successor. The panel quizzed Clinton in detail about a meeting he had with President- elect Bush during the truncated transition period after the 2000 election. Clinton said he told Bush in that meeting that bin Laden would be his No. 1 national-security problem.

...more...

[mbperrin]

1. News flash! Everything still Clinton's fault!

Repeat as often as needed. Spin. Rinse. Spin again.

[the Kelly Gang]

4. Bill or Hillary's ??

"Clinton said he told Bush in that meeting that bin Laden would be his No. 1 national-security problem."

He did his job but what hope has an intelligent man telling a moron what to do?

[Spazito]

2. Well, we know one thing for a fact...

Clinton did a hell of a lot more than bush and his cabal of neocons.

[UpInArms]

5. here's a short list for you

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"

[iamjoy]

6. Source?

[never cry wolf]

8. Great list UpInArms, thanks!

I have read all of these variously in different articles but not seen them all put together so nicely. This is now an email I will be sending out with the subject line, "The anti-terror president."

[LiberalFighter]

11. Yes we need sources/cites... then anyone that has a website...

or can get it posted elsewhere would be able to make it easier for the public to gain access to the info.

[peterh]

12. Oh so true….and what did the twit do…

In between his vacationing at Camp David and the ranch, he gave speeches to 2nd graders and worked to secure the secrecy of all relevant papers from Raygun to himself. The twit wasn’t interested in the security of America until he had the security of the junta’s asses covered.

[Bluzmann57]

3. "Did Clinton do Enough?" isn't the question

at least he did something. His successor has done nothing.

[wildmanj]

7. President Clinton

has one thing bush will never have-----he was elected by the people no selected by the u s supreme (political) court 5/4

[Lindacooks]

9. Yes, he did do everything he could, considering

that the Repukes whined 'wag the dog' whenever he tried to do anything that took attention away from the important issue of Monica. And that Repukes constantly scorned and doubted his efforts to combat terrorism (remember the tracerts?).

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

10. one small point... clinton wasn't president on 9/11

it's so nice not to have alter the word president when talking about clinton. no asterisks, no pResident, etc.

[grasswire]

13. this is bad writing

"...Bill Clinton returned to Washington to try to convince the 9/11 commission that he did everything..."

That's a slimy characterization, in the first sentence.

[rocketdem]

14. No, it's good writing...

...if the intention was to slime Clinton (which, of course, it was).

[SOS]

15. Time has been a Republican magazine

since the days of Luce. It's just another CNN-style deflection of Bush's complete failure as "president".

[juajen]

16. I firmly believe that he did all he could do to get Biin Laden

I also believe it amazing he accomplished all he did considering the partisan witchhunt that was going on at the time. Anything he did he knew they would use their influence to denigrate. Remember the "wag the dog" scenario every time he turned around?

As far as I'm concerned, if they want to lay this at Clinton's door we should get our attack dogs to lamblast the media who conveniently have forgotten the part they played in the skullduggery the GOP was fostering. The blood of the 9/11 victims splashes them all, not to mention the mental horrors inflicted on this country as we watched this horrific event go down. Can you say nation-wide Traumatic Stress Syndrome? I cried sporadically for weeks, not to mention the nightmares!

Now, of course, we know that they were attempting a coup; and, if unsuccessful, would do what was necessary to regain the White House.