[marron]

That's right. Few of Clarke's ideas for direct action got any traction at all with Clinton in the White House. It was Bush that took his ideas, pronounced them not-ambitious-enough, and acted. Clarke wanted a commando raid on Osama and couldn't get Clinton's attention even for that. Bush took down the Taliban, chased Al Qaeda into hiding, and determined to drain the swamp that produced and funded and protected them.

That is the bottom line. Clarke could not get Clinton to focus; Bush thought Clarke was too timid. Clarke and Clinton did not act. Bush did.

[mrsmith]

History: Clinton and Clarke ineffectual.
They both lack an ability to get outside of themselves. To rise above ego.

Despite the "urgency" Clarke says they had about the AlQueda threat, a reasonable person could think other matters, like women's and children's issues, were put first at the insistence of the future junior senator from NY: Benazir Bhutto at 1995 Washington visit
"recently, we had the First Lady and the First Daughter visit Pakistan, and we had an opportunity to discuss women's issues and children's issues with the First Lady. And we found the First Daughter very knowledgeable. We found Chelsea very knowledgeable on Islamic issues. I'm delighted to learn from the President that Chelsea is studying Islamic history and has also actually read our Holy Book, the Koran Shariah. "

The whole SE Asia foreign policy doctrine of Clinton had to be replaced before any action could be taken.