What Clinton Knew — And What Clinton Did Ex-president become Second-Guesser in Chief.

NRO ^ | October 17, 2003, 9:39 a.m. | Rich Lowry

[.cnI redruM]

If only President Bush had listened to Bill Clinton. The former president, who is now the second-guesser in chief, told an audience the other day that he had warned President Bush about Osama bin Laden in an "exit interview" as he left office in early 2001. "In his campaign, Bush said that he thought the biggest security issue was Iraq and national missile defense," Clinton said. "I told him that in my opinion, the biggest security problem was Osama bin Laden."

Oh, the Delphic wisdom of the Arkansas bubba! He's a Metternich with an eye for the interns. Clinton was right, of course. Bin Laden was a big security threat, who became steadily bigger during Clinton's years in office. What else could Bush have learned from Clinton during that exit interview? He could have learned how to retreat, how to apologize, how to slap wrists and how to temporize. He could have learned, in short, everything that would need to be reversed in U.S. terror policy within months of his taking office.

Al Qaeda-trained Somali fighters downed American helicopters in the Black Hawk Down battle in 1993. Eighteen Americans died, which was enough for a jumpy Clinton to order a hasty retreat. Bin Laden took notes. "The youth realized," he later explained, "that the American soldier was a paper tiger." By way of explaining the bug-out, a former top Clinton official told me in my new book, Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years, "We didn't know we were at war with those guys at the time." Oh, well.

The next attack against U.S. interests came in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. servicemen. In the midst of the investigation that focused on Iran, which was clearly implicated, Clinton made a quasi-apology to Tehran. "Iran," he said, "has been the subject of quite a lot of abuse from various Western nations." The poor mullahs. Both the Saudis and the FBI became convinced that the administration didn't want to pursue the Khobar investigation because hard evidence of Iranian involvement might force a military response — and who would want to subject Iran to more "abuse"?

After al Qaeda nearly leveled two American embassies in Africa in 1998, Clinton responded militarily, but with two inconsequential cruise-missile attacks. One was against a probably mistaken target in Sudan. The other was against a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. "We used kid gloves after the embassy bombings," retired Gen. Wayne Downing, former commander of U.S. special forces, told me. "Cruise missiles — that's the coward's way out."

And why attack just one Afghan training camp? Mike Rolince, former chief of the international terrorism division of the FBI, explained to me: "We never went back to the camps and dismantled the neighborhood where these people were allowed to train, test chemicals, recruit, plan operations. On a regular basis, we saw intelligence that documented what they were, where they were, how big they were, how many people were going through there, and the administration lacked the political will to go in there and do something about it."

Amazingly, the Clinton administration didn't even designate Afghanistan a state sponsor of terror. That would have been too bellicose. By 2000, various government reports had recommended what were consensus measures to address the terror threat, from squeezing state sponsors of terror, to cutting off funding, to tightening visa policy, to loosening restrictions on the CIA and FBI. Clinton did none of it.

He was, fundamentally, the do-nothing president about terrorism, although he knew — as he tells us now — the grave nature of the threat. It was Bush who could have told Clinton a few things about how to respond to terror in their exit interview, since his instincts were so much sounder. After the al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, Bush as a candidate said that "there must be a consequence." Common sense, right? Not for Clinton. He let the attack go unanswered.

[.cnI redruM]

What stuns me the most about this article is that CLinton was a smart enough man with good enough instincts to understand what Bin Ladin was doing. Yet, he still did nothing. Only one thing can make a person know what the situation is and understand the necessary actions but still not take them. That thing is cowardice.

[Evil Inc]

It astounds me the Senatrix from NY knew all this but did nothing to prevent 911, Not what you would expect from the smartest woman in the whole dang USA.

[r9etb]

What stuns me the most about this article is that CLinton was a smart enough man with good enough instincts to understand what Bin Ladin was doing.

I don't agree. This is pure legacy-building and Hillary '04 campaign rhetoric.

In real life, Clinton may have heard about Bin Laden, and he may even have mentioned him to Bush. But he's probably lying about what he told Bush, and he's probably lying about "knowing" Bin Ladin was such a threat.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Clinton was busy making sure our taxpayer-paid weapons secrets were being sold off to the Red Chinese.
THANKS, BILL !

[DustyMoment]

I think you pegged it. Clinton has pussy-footed around the bin Laden issue since he left office, including claiming he tried to kill him in one raid of a couple of cruise missiles, or so. This is the first time that Clinton has acknowledged that bin Laden was a threat and I concur that the is trying to pull his legacy out of the mud.

I find it interesting to note that he waits until Bush is in Japan before revealing this juicy tidbit of non-news. Considering that Clinton refused 3 offers from other nations willing to hand bin Laden over, this latest mendacity smacks of sheer delusions of grandeur. Clinton is claiming to be in his post-presidential life what he now wishes he had been when he was the president.

[tioga]

-all bill all the time
-if he keeps talking long enough he will have "covered" every angle and done everything - yep, a "legend in his own mind"
-who's still listening?

LOL ;`)

[MamaLucci]

Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years

This new book by Lowry will definitely be on my Christmas gift-giving list.
Sounds like a "must read" to me.

[cousair]

Everytime Clinton opens his mouth it is in someway, somehow a way to rewrite the real history that happened in his eight years, and to build a legacy. Clinton's legacy will always stand as an empeached ex-President of the United States who shamed it's people people by lying to a judge and grand jury about his amoral conduct during his tenure. He totaled the justice system in our country during his tenure and set the stage for 9/ll by doing nothing when events occured by terrorists around the world. He took us into a war we had nothing to do with and used up our military needlessly. Clinton is first and always about Clinton. He didn't warn anyone about the Terrorists, wherever they were and to say he did is just another Clinton lie.

[tractorman]

So if it were true that he warned W during the exit interview, wouldn’t it also be true that Al Bore also was aware of the “biggest security problem”?

Yet we didn’t hear one peep from Al or Hitlery on the campaign trails who most surely would have used it as “insider” ammo against ALL opponents.

As usual, when Bill talks, something smells fishy.

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>>As usual, when Bill talks, something smells fishy.

Wow, you think the guy lies or something? Now that I think back, Gore assiduously avoided anything involving foreign policy issues back in Election 2K.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

The CLINTONS aided our Terrorist Enemies OSAMA bin LADEN during the 1990's & HO CHI MINH during the Vietnam War =

'Remember the Lost and Suffering on September 11, 2001'

http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33

[NYC GOP Chick]

Amazingly, the Clinton administration didn't even designate Afghanistan a state sponsor of terror. That would have been too bellicose.

Anyone else remember when Maddy "The Mad Bomber" Halfbright decided that using the term "rogue states" was too confrontational and thus redubbed them "states of concern"?

[Cicero]

Clinton knows that the media will blare out whatever lies he tells, but that they will suppress any counter information. So, Freepers know what the story is, but the average voter never gets to hear it.

Bush has shown some remarkable political skills in getting around this media blockade, but it's a neverending fight with these slimy liars.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Clinton has pussy-footed around the bin Laden issue since he left office, including claiming he tried to kill him in one raid of a couple of cruise missiles, or so.

Was that the daring aspirin factory raid?

[.cnI redruM]

"States of Concern" Oh yeah.

The whole theraputic approach to foreign policy fails. It hasn't gotten Syria out of Lebanon, it failed to 'reach' Mullah Omar and the Taliban. The only thing that bullies understand and react well to is JDAMnation. That changes minds.

[NYC GOP Chick]

In real life, Clinton may have heard about Bin Laden, and he may even have mentioned him to Bush. But he's probably lying about what he told Bush, and he's probably lying about "knowing" Bin Ladin was such a threat.

Actually, I think he had a pretty good idea -- although probably never imagined anything the scale and magnitude of 9/11/01. But since terrorism hadn't struck big here yet, eradicating islamofascist scum didn't poll well with the sucker moms and therefore didn't make it to his focus group-driven agenda. And he just never had the manhood necessary to take an unpopular stand and make the case to the American people.

[witnesstothefall]

Only one thing...

No there are others, and combinations thereof. Corruption, expedience, irrational optimism, denial.

Clinton possessed all these in abundance.

[NYC GOP Chick]

EXACTLY! And I thank G-d every day that when the islamonazis struck here, we had a President who saw it for what it was -- war, not a "criminal matter" to be handled in our courts.

[.cnI redruM]

Sure, he was evil as well as chicken. I like that concept.
The thing I like even better is the fact that he finally plays QB on Tues. morning, rather than Sunday afternoon.

[soozla]

"I don't agree. This is pure legacy-building and Hillary '04 campaign rhetoric."

I don't either...not 100%, anyway. The timing of these remarks and the remarks made OVERSEAS, by former secretary of TROLLS Madge Half-Bright, regarding GWB's foreign policy ecumen, make me think that it is ALL designed to deflect from the great foreign policy ADVANCEMENT our President made yesterday at the United Nations!!

Clinton is a narcisstic(?) A$$ who simply cannot STAND to see anyone accomplish anything that he couldn't...this dork has been "legacy building" since he could walk and talk...too bad it hasn't worked!!