A Day That Will Live in Infamy--08/06/2001

What happened on Aug. 6th, 2001?

The Bush administration was warned that Osama bin Laden was determined to strike the United States . Specifically, 'Federal buildings' in New York City.

Clandestine, foreign government, and media reports indicate Bin Ladin since 1997 has wanted to conduct foreign terrorist attacks on the U.S. Bin Ladin implied in U.S. television interviews in 1997 and 1998 that his followers would follow the example of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and "bring the fighting to America."
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After U.S. missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Ladin told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a [deleted] service.
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We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a [deleted] service in 1998 saying that Bin Ladin wanted to hijack a U.S. aircraft to gain the release of "Blind Shaykh" Umar 'Abd al-Rahman and other U.S.-held extremists.
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FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

The FBI, was on it, of course, and the intelligence community was still functional--they reported the threat:

The FBI is conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the U.S. that it considers Bin Ladin-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our Embassy in the UAE in May saying that a group of Bin Ladin supporters was in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives.

But, despite the fact that Richard Clarke's 'hair was on fire' and this report landed on Bush's desk, it went unremarked and ignored.

Here's what Bush said, right after he was briefed it was going to happen

"All right. You've covered your ass, now."- George W. Bush

Then, of course, there was 9/11.

Someone please tell me again how Republicans are so much better at keeping our country safe.

Senator McCain, please tell me again how invading and occupying IRAQ has helped the U.S. hunt down Osama bin Laden?

Here's what Condi said after the incident:

"I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center"- Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor

Republicans, deeply cynical of a working government and therefore, deeply incompetent at governing. Oh, but very good at covering their ass.

Any questions?