Bush, in a desperate attempt to cover his own ass and explain the Iraq war, today blamed Clinton and Reagan (among others) for 9/11. Notably, he did not blame his father for 'emboldening' the terrorists and encouraging an attack on American soil.
He cited as examples the U.S. response to the hostage crisis in Iran during the Carter administration, the Lebanon bombing under Reagan, and four crises that occurred during the Clinton administration: the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa, and the attack on the Cole. Bush did not mention any events during the first Bush administration, such as his father's decision to end the first Gulf War without sending coalition troops on to Baghdad to topple Saddam Hussein's regime.
Logically the man makes no sense. If we are to blame Iraq for terrorist attacks on American soil, then logically the first man to blame would be Bush Sr. and his refusal to invade Iraq and remove Saddam from power. So if Iraq is to blame for the terrorist attacks, then why isn't Bush Sr. being accused of being 'soft on terrorists?'
To leave Iraq now would be to repeat the costly mistakes of the past that led to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001," Bush said in remarks at the Pentagon after a two-hour briefing by Defense Department officials on the status of the U.S. offensive in Iraq and the war on terrorism.
Of course, we all know how wrong-headed this is. It's just surprising how many people still believe him.
The terrorists are testing our will and resolve in Iraq. If we fail that test, the consequences for the safety and security of the American people would be enormous. Our withdrawal from Iraq would allow the terrorists to claim a historic victory over the Untied States.
What would be Dad's response if his son took him on? Bush Sr. has been reasonably quiet on his son's bad behavior. Accusing his dad of causing 9/11 by not invading Iraq would have been the last straw.
Is this the last flailing spasms of a president in trouble? He certainly seems to be cracking at the seams.
Los Angeles Times article