Posted on 08/01/2003 7:31:17 AM PDT by bedolido
WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Gary Aldrich, former FBI agent and best-selling author, accuses the Clinton administration of failing to "connect the dots" to prevent the September 11 terrorist attacks in his new book, "Thunder on the Left."
His latest book is a follow-up to his blockbuster about the Clinton White House, "Unlimited Access" that detailed, among other things, a disdain for established security protocols by the Clinton administration that Aldrich claims had disastrous results.
In a chapter titled, "Go Ahead and Blame Clinton - I Do!", Aldrich writes that the attacks were "a continuation of an assault on the United States that began in 1993." He tells that Usama bin Laden ordered the first attack on the World Trade Center, with a truck bomb that held not only explosives, but also "a significant amount of poisonous gas."
Aldrich attributes Clinton's decision to handle the attack as an FBI investigation with emboldening bin Laden to engage in further terrorist activity. He states that the debacle in Somalia was "a testing ground for [bin Laden's] dream of engaging in war with the U.S."
Aldrich maintains that Clinton's bombing of an aspirin factory in response only served to encourage the terrorists, not because of the retaliation, but because of the weakness of the symbolic gesture.
The 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers that killed a large number of American troops in Saudi Arabia is also credited to bin Laden. But at the time, Aldrich contends, the FBI investigation suffered from a lack of cooperation from the Saudis and, more importantly, a lack of proper response from the United States. Aldrich suggests a military strike should have been appropriate to deal with the looming threat.
Aldrich's condemnation of the Clinton White House is strongest in discussion of its handling of the U.S.S. Cole bombing in 2000. Aldrich asserts that the administration "dropped the ball" on the warnings received prior to the deadly attack that killed 17 American sailors. He claims that serious warnings about the possibility of a terrorist strike in that part of the world were not passed along to the Navy ships in the area.
Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Directory Louis Freeh don't escape Aldrich's stinging criticism. Aldrich points out that most of the planning by bin Laden for September 11 happened on Freeh's watch. He suggests that Freeh be called on to "explain the sorry condition of the FBI" that current director Robert Mueller inherited just two weeks before the most deadly terrorist attack in American history.
Aldrich also accuses Reno of misusing the Department of Justice resources, pursuing "drug companies, and doctors, and Big Tobacco and Microsoft" instead of the obvious threats to the nation.
Aldrich told Talon News that the recently released Congressional report on 9-11 is "a colossal waste of time and money."
Aldrich points out that the report "fails to emphasize the oversight responsibilities of Congress." The implication here is that Congress failed to act when the security agencies were being decimated by the negligence of the Clinton administration.
His book contains a broader indictment of the Clinton administration and the Democrat Party that he says has undermined the security of the United States. Aldrich comments on a variety of topics, including a potential Hillary Clinton presidency as well as threats against civil liberties in the post-9-11 world. He offers suggestions on how to remedy the lack of national security and reform the institutions that are supposed to keep Americans safe.
Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
Speak for yourself.
If it was up to me, our borders would have been secure, the FBI would have been following up on the flight school leads instead of looking for 17" shotguns in Montana, and all passengers and pilots would not have their Right to fly armed infringed upon by the gov't.
In short, there would have been no 9/11.
Let's face it, the man at the top sets the tone. And the tone that Clinton set was hardly inspirational (unless you're into smut and sluts). Clinton NEVER visited ground zero in 1993. It just wasn't important to him.
No. The blame goes with the man at the top. The Right man at the top will steadfastly cling to his beliefs regardless of what others say. If Clinton truly believed that we needed to get bin Laden in 1993, and no one agreed with him, he could have used his bully pulpit to make his case and persuade. He never did. He never bothered to visit Ground Zero in 1993.
Bush on the other hand, does what he thinks is right regardless of the polls.
I'd disagree. We know that the moment Reagan became President, Iran released the American hostages. Bush I's reaction to the Kuwait invasion was more than just words. Carter and Clinton did nothing.
I disagree and have a different take on this. I think that Clinton and his liberal accomplices in the press told us for 8 years that all was fine and we had nothing to worry about - so they cut defense and intelligence spending. Meanwhile, most of America ate this up and slept while our enemies plotted. Sure, much of America has to admit that they were hoodwinked and fooled, but don't count on that admission.
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