On Clinton...I posted these notes earlier today:
By the way, today C-SPAN interviewed Michael Scheuer, former Chief (and creator) of the CIA Bin Laden Unit from 1996-1999, on Washington Journal today.
He was asked if it (getting Bin Laden) happened the way he thought it would happen or planned it to happen.
“It did not happen the way we planned it because under Mr Clinton we had no lethal authority. We could not have done this operation against Bin Laden. We were directed either to capture him through a kidnapping or to give the US military to use their air power.”
He said Clinton had TEN specific opportunities to get Bin Laden.
In the best opportunity, when Bin Laden was in the desert meeting with several UAE princes, he said that Clinton, rather than get Bin Laden, contacted one of the princes to warn them because Clinton was in the middle of a deal to sell planes to the UAE-—so, Scheuer said, Clinton chose to sell planes to Arabs rather than get Bin Laden and protect American lives.
Clinton had another opportunity in the third week of May 1998-— an opportunity to kidnap Bin Laden. He cancelled the operation.
Caller asked about Clinton & Bin Laden. Scheuer said the 911 report describes the 10 specific opportunities in detail. Had they been given lethal authority, Bin Laden would have been dead in spring of 99.
PS: Scheuer must have mentioned Clinton dozens of times in the interview and not ONCE did he refer to him as President -— it was always as Clinton or Mr. Clinton. His description of Clinton was scathing. Basically said Clinton never made a decision not based in pure self-interest.
On the recent terror alert, Scheuer said that the one thing the government has not mentioned is how these three terrorists got into the US. It would be terrible if they got through an airport or customs, but it’s going to be worse politically if they got in from Mexico or Canada, where there are no controls in some areas....In terms of our borders, the great majority of our maritime and land borders are completely uncontrolled.”
This interview is well worth listening to if you get an opportunity to read a transcript or catch a repeat of the program.
Thanks, I’ll look for it.