Clarke contrasts Bush, Clinton terror priorities (BARF Alert)

Sac Bee ^ | 3/24/04 | Hope Yen - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government's former top counterterrorism adviser testified Wednesday that the Clinton administration had "no higher priority" than combatting terrorists while the Bush administration made it "an important issue but not an urgent issue."

Richard Clarke told a bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that "although I continued to say it (terrorism) was an urgent problem I don't think it was ever treated that way" by the current administration in advance of the strikes two and a half years ago.

[ottothedog]

Can anyone tell me this, what specifically is Clarke saying that the Bush Administration did wrong? All I have heard him say was that for Klinton terrorism was the #1 priority (this is easily proved false), and for Bush is was less so. What does that mean? Was there any specific thing that Klinton was doing right that Bush discontinued? That seems to be a pretty basic question that has not been answered.

[cwb]

This is the sad thing. Most of his criticisms of Bush are made in his book. Even today, while he chastised everyone in regards to failing, he didn't come off nearly as embittered as he did in his book. His main problem is that "he" thinks Bush's war in Iraq took away from "his" war on terror. Even one of the Republicans made mention about how his demeanor at both this hearing and an earlier joint committee hearing were far different from what he's saying in his book. Lehman, asked if he (or his publisher) wasn't being disingenuous with these charges so he could sell his book...bringing up 60 Minutes and the release date, timed to coincide with this hearing.

[ottothedog]

So basically the only *actual* criticism that he has is that he disagrees with taking out Saddam? His only criticism then is not even relevant to preventing 9/11. One guy has a disagreement w/ the Bush Admininstration over whether Saddam should have been left in power, and there is all this furor. I don't get it.