President Bush: Bill Clinton Soft on Terror

Newsmax ^ | Sept. 22, 2005

[ArmyBratproud]

President Bush fired back at ex-president Clinton on Thursday, saying his weak response to repeated terrorist attacks on U.S. interests during the 1990s encouraged al Qaida to launch the 9/11 attacks.

"The terrorists saw our response to the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings in the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole," Bush noted, after getting an update on the war on terror at the Pentagon.

"The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves and so they attacked us," the president added, in quotes picked up by United Press International.

Four of the six terrorist attacks cited by Bush took place on Clinton's watch, with the first two coming during the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Bush's decision to invoke Clinton's poor record on terrorism comes just five days after the ex-president slammed him for attacking Iraq without just cause.

"The administration . . . decided to launch this invasion virtually alone and before the U.N. inspections were completed - with no real urgency, no evidence that there was any weapons of mass destruction there," Clinton complained to ABC's "This Week."

"I did not favor what was done," he added.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Clinton played kick the can with history, or as others have said, took a vacation from history.
Bush is making history. Changing the map of the world for the better.

[Victor]

"...He forgot to mention one more of Slick's greatest hits, Khobar Towers....."

That photo is eerily reminiscent of Oklahoma City as well.

[altoidboy]

newsmax is poor journalism. the president did NOT say that and that should not be the headline. yes, there was the clear implication that the prez was speaking of his predecessors, but bush has too much class and respect for the office to say "clinton was soft on terror". it should not be reported that way.

that's just newsmax eager for blood. they may be conservative and (generally) believe the right things, but i think they are childish schoolchildren eager to gin up the controversy and eager to grab publicity with the national enquirer-esque headlines. how many stories on newsmax take a paragraph or more to remind you that you heard this story first on newsmax!!

plus, they can't spell and have cheap web programming chops!

[Berlin_Freeper]

Bill Clinton Soft on Terror (Hard on Lewinsky)

+ On Jan. 6, 1996, Clinton had a sexual encounter with Lewinsky the White House intern. (Starr Report)

+ Week of Jan. 14 - 21, Clinton had several sessions of phone sex with Lewinsky. (Starr Report)

+ On Jan. 21, Clinton had another sexual encounter with Lewinsky. (Starr Report)

+ On Feb. 4, Clinton activities included a sexual encounter followed by a leisurely chat with Lewinsky, as the two "sat and talked [afterward] for about 45 minutes," (Starr Report)

+ On Feb. 6, U.S. Ambassador to the Sudan Tim Carney met with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Osman Mohammed Taha at Taha's home in the capital city of Khartoum. "If you want bin Laden, we will give you bin Laden," Foreign Minister Taha told Ambassador Carney. (Losing bin Laden-Richard Miniter)

+ In late February or March, the president telephoned her (Lewinsky) at home and said he was disappointed that, because she had already left the White House for the evening, they could not get together. (Starr Report)

+ On March 10, Sudan's Minister of State for Defense Elfatih Erwa met with the CIA's Africa bureau chief. On instructions from its president, the government of Sudan agreed to arrest bin Laden and hand him over to U.S law enforcement at a time and place of the Clinton administration's choosing. "Where should we send him?" Erwa asked the CIA representative. (Losing bin Laden-Richard Miniter)

*That same day* (March 10)- Ms. Lewinsky took a visiting friend, Natalie Ungvari, to the White House. They bumped into the president, who said when Ms. Lewinsky introduced them, 'You must be her friend from California.' Ms. Ungvari was 'shocked' that the president knew where she was from. (Starr Report)

+ On March 31, Clinton had sex with Lewinsky. (Starr Report)

+ On May 18, bin Laden boarded a chartered plane in Khartoum with his wives, children, some 150 al-Qaida jihadists and a cache of arms - and flew off to Jalalabad, Afghanistan. (Losing bin Laden-Richard Miniter)

+ Sunday, April 4, 2004- The ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Sunday that President Clinton's affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky compromised U.S. national security because it left him unable to deal with the threat posed by al-Qaida.

"What really happened here, I think, is President Clinton's greatest mistake was Monica Lewinsky,"Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., told Fox News Sunday. "And that forced him to take his eye off the ball. He lost the ability to lead the nation."

[Yellow Rose of Texas]

BUMP!

[Finalapproach29er]

I glad, but include not going to Baghdad in 1991 to finish off Saddam, too.

That made the war about oil instead of people, in the eyes of the Arabs.

This nation has been to soft on the crazies for 35 years. IMHO

At least we're trying to smack them once in a while.

[TheCrusader]

"This is not what Bush said. Read the text of the article. Bush is stating a general principle, not criticizing anyone."

I hope you don't really believe this. Five of the six attacks Bush alluded to were under the watch of Democrats; the last four were arrows directed right at Clinton's head. Bush was very wise to mention one terror attack under a Republican President, this way nobody can say he was being partisan and attacking Clinton, though he clearly did just that.

Just add it up, he sets it all up with one arrow directed at the insignificant Peanut Man, then balances it with one shot at Reagan; and then delivers the knock-out blow with four thunderous haymakers right into the kisser of Slick Willy. It was a masterpiece.

[NetValue]

"Clinton was soft on terror." It's about time we said it.

Say it louder!

[thegreatbeast]

"The terrorists saw our response to the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings in the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole," Bush noted, after getting an update on the war on terror at the Pentagon.

"The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves and so they attacked us," the president added, in quotes picked up by United Press International.

Really? Bush said this? I'm really surprised, and proud that he finally paid someone back for insulting him.

[taxesareforever]

It's taken 5 1/2 long years for GW to finally see the big picture. Time now for him to get on the horse and chase that turkey out of town.

[BigSkyFreeper]

The WOT is the only area Bubba was "limp".

[BigSkyFreeper]

Just add it up, he sets it all up with one arrow directed at the insignificant Peanut Man, then balances it with one shot at Reagan; and then delivers the knock-out blow with four thunderous haymakers right into the kisser of Slick Willy. It was a masterpiece.

President Bush has been saying it the way I have been articulating it here on FR for about a year or more.

[nopardons]

Really? Then why did he use that cigar on Monica? :-p

[BigSkyFreeper]

A diversion! :p

[Tim Long]

A Harry Potter reference? We can do better than that can't we? : )

[luvbach1]

True, there never was a true sense of urgency for Bubba, except in his pants.

[ArmyBratproud]

Get a clue. He does not need to mention anyone by name. That way he stays above the fray. The indication between the lines is huge. Easy to see.....well, for most anywya.