It didn't start with Clinton. The previous administrations refused to acknowledge the resurgence of Islam , the role of the House of Saudi in funding their puritanical form of Islam, and continued support of "secular" leaders like Saddam--right up to the moment of his seizure of Kuwait.
You're quite right about the history of terrorism's brazenness being encouraged by our own history of comlacency, which preceded Billy Jeff's reign of error.