Pattern of Errors Emboldened Terrorists, Bush Says
By Warren Vieth, Times Staff Writer
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.
"The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves, and so they attacked us," said the president, as Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and top military officials stood at his side.
I don't expect Bush to take responsibility for anything, and I don't even expect him to understand what is going on in the world, but I still find this disgusting.
Does anyone else remember that when the Clinton administration responded to the attacks on US embassies (US soil?) the Republicans didn't point out that he was over-reacting by attacking someone irrelevant, they attacked the whole idea of going after bin Ladin as a "wag the dog" distraction from their all-consuming obsession with Monica Lewinsky's oral sex activities.
When bin Ladin attacked New York, Bush ignored him as soon as he could get away with it and started a war against an unrelated foe. Now he wants to blame Clinton for the fact that bin Ladin attacked us on Bush's watch, because Bush turned off the spooks who were going after bin Ladin? What about the fact that he, Bush, let bin Ladin get away because he started a war against an unrelated country?!?!? Maybe Clinton is responsible for Bush's ignoring hurricane Katrina, too.
Have these people no shame? At long last, have they no shame?