Clarke leaves a few things out of his book [my title]

New York Times Book Review, letters section | May9, 2004 | Daniel Willard

[firebrand]

Bombing bin Laden

To the Editor:
I would like to respond to your review of the timely books "Against All Enemies," by Richard A. Clarke, and "Ghost Wars," by Steve Coll (April 11).

I say "timely" because I am in the process of reading both and I find a curious difference in the way they report a certain incident.

"Ghost Wars" describes a discussion at the Clinton White House of the pros and cons of cruise missile attacks on hunting camps in Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden might have been. Despite his evident desire to "get" bin Laden, Clarke is said to have argued against attacking a particular site partly because he was good friends with sheiks of the United Arab Emirates (whose camp this was), and they would also be at risk if present. Clarke had negotiated arms deals with the royal family in the United Arab Emirates, and was apparently concerned about an $8 million military contract. "If the United States bombed the camp and killed a few princes," Coll writes, "it could put all that in jeopardy."

The same attack is discussed in "Against All Enemies," but there Clarke makes no mention of these details.

Daniel Willard
Bethesda, Md.

[2 paragraph breaks added]

[firebrand]

Wonder what else he forgot to include.

[firebrand]

I love Letter sections.

[firebrand]

Notice the way this guy in Maryland reads two books at the same time, to compare them. I'm impressed.

[firebrand]

Notice the way this guy in Maryland reads two books at the same time, to compare them. I'm impressed.

[firebrand]

I didn't do that!

[firebrand]

I didn't do that!

[jocon307]

"Notice the way this guy in Maryland reads two books at the same time..."

I can't ever, ever do that.

[RaceBannon]

Someone like you would might maybe KNOW what else got left out I bet!! :)

[firebrand]

No, I have no spy at Simon & Schuster. LOL. Even when I do know, I can't tell.

[Tabi Katz]

He must be able to employ both left brain and right brain at the same time, whereas the left brain absorbs the facts and the more creative right brain appreciates what Clark has done with them. LOL

[Doctor Raoul]

Eight million in the grand scheme of things post-9/11 is absolutely nothing. Eight million is the price for which Richard Clarke sold out his fellow citizens.

[Doctor Raoul]

Notice the way this guy in Maryland reads two books at the same time, to compare them. I'm impressed.

Anyone smart enough to read two books at the same time should be smart enough not to read the New York Times...