Most of those who acted against us on 911 were Saudis. Bin Laden was a Saudi, living in exile.
So, you can say Saudis knocked it down...but that does not mean they were guided, directed, or controlled by the Saudi Royal Family/Government.
It also does not mean Bush was principle at fault. That, IMHO, goes to eight years of Clinton as the terrorists fought us and prepared to attack the US, and Clinton pretty much sat on his hands.
This is something we pretty much already know.
I have never heard anyone say that Iraq knocked down the buildings.
Bush made a mistake (IMHO) saying that the reason we went into Iraq was for WMDs.
I believe we went into Iraq to defeat Saddam who had violated about every term of the desert Storm cease fire over ten years. But also to establish a strong presence for our military next to Iran, and to set up a fly trap for terrorists to come fight us.
They did...and died by the tens of thousands.
Bush should have been forthright about these goals...I believe after 911 he could have gotten the country to buy into them.
But he succeeded in:
1. Defeating Saddam and his military.
2. Defeating the terrorist insurgency.
3. Establishing a secular Iraq on the road to stability.
4. Establishing a strong base of operation right next door to Iran, the largest state sponsor of terror on earth.
All of that worked and was in place when Bush left office and all of it was worthwhile having.
In fact, it worked so well that in 2009 the Iranian people rebelled and would have themselves over thrown the Mullahs. I believe that the spreading of that type of freedom was a principle goal of the Bush administration...and I believe it was working.
The Iranian people wanted what the Iraqi people were achieving.
But one thing had changed.
Obama was in power. He did not lift a finger to help the people of Iran (he did not want Bush to be remembered as being successful, and he himself is sympathetic to Mullahs.
Then, he squandered all the gains in Iraq and pulled out sustainment force out of country before it was ready to stand on its own which gave us ISIS.
All of that is on Obama’s plate...not Bush’s. and all of this is what actually happened...despite Obama’s rhetoric and propaganda...and unfortunately, despite Trump’s comments to the contrary.
“All of that is on Obama’s plate...not Bush’s. and all of this is what actually happened...despite Obama’s rhetoric and propaganda...and unfortunately, despite Trump’s comments to the contrary.”
Great analysis. Saving to hard disk.
What you say is true.
I’m just wondering why Trump is running against GW Bush.
Great post as always Jeff, thoughtful and eloquent
Wish we had more of it around here instead of the constant snark and barbs being tossed around.
“I believe we went into Iraq to defeat Saddam who had violated about every term of the desert Storm cease fire over ten years. But also to establish a strong presence for our military next to Iran, and to set up a fly trap for terrorists to come fight us.”
No offense, but completely immaterial to 9/11 and Bush’s backhand, IMO, to the American people (’religion of peace’, kissing Saudi ass’ [the $$ behind 99% of terrorism], nation building, winning-hearts-and-minds, NOT fighting war to WIN, TSA, NSA, etc.)
Course, the pony-trick was already in place w/ Gorlick on the commission and 28 pages of ‘secret’ report details.
We the People, especially over 3K of our fellow Citizens whom perished in towers, got the shaft all around. Now, we have the wolves in positions of authority (from Jarrett on down) w/out batting an eyelash...
Well done Jeff.