Today's Cartoons

Sep 10 2006

Path to 911- Biased or not?

Published by Karl at 10:31 pm under 9/11, Democrats

I am watching Pathway tonight.

Why?  Because the Democrats tell me not to.

The question of the hour is:  Is it biased against Clinton unfairly?  In order to be so, it must falsely give the impression that Clinton was inept and did not miss chances to get Bin Ladin.

But…

Is that untrue?  Or, is there other documented proof that Clinton had a chance to get Osama and did not, as the movie suggests?  If so, then the Demoratic complaints are just a smoke screen to protect the reputation of their ideal president.

You decide.  Courtesy of Sister Toldjah and Ann Althouse , here are some clips and testimonies to consider.  And please note that the movie does not paint Bush any better.   But the left is only concerned with Clinton’s reputation. 

They claim they want to protect the truth.  The truth is, they are afraid of it.

First up, the Main Stram Media and Clinton’s record on OBL:

Next, Clinton damned by is own words, though he would later claim this was a misquote.

Micheal Schuer, the CIA operative mentioned in the 9-11 Commission’s report (named “Mike”) says in this video:

“His [OBL’s] innards, sir, should be splattered all over the desert of southern Afghanistan. There’s no reason why Osama bin Laden is alive today except President Clinton and his national security advisors refused to press the button.”

And finally, Col. Buzz Patterson, USAF Retired, and carrier of the ‘nuclear football’ during the Clinton admin from 1996-1998, from his book Dereliction of Duty via Flopping Aces:

The White House Situation Room was buzzing. It was fall 1998 and the National Security Council (NSC) and the “intelligence community” were tracking the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, the shadowy mastermind of terrorist attacks on American targets overseas. “They’ve successfully triangulated his location,” yelled a “sit Room” watch stander. We’ve got him.”

Beneath the West Wing of the White House, behind a vaulted steel door, the Sit Room staff sprang into action. The watch officer notified National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, “Sir, we’ve located bin Laden. We have a two-hour window to strike.”

Characteristic of the Clinton Administration, the weapons of choice would be Tomahawk missiles. No penetrating bombers or high-speed fighter aircraft flown by our Air Force and Navy forces. No risk of losing American lives.

Berger ambled down the stairwell and entered the Sit Room. He picked up the phone at one of the busy controller consoles and called the President. Amazingly, President Clinton was not available. Berger tried again and again. Bin Laden was within striking distance. The window of opportunity was closing fast. The plan of attack was set and the Tomahawk crews were ready. For about an hour Berger couldn’t get the commander-in-chief on the line. Though the President was always accompanied by military aides and the Secret Service, he was shomehow unavailable. Berger stalked the Sit Room, anxious and impatient.

Finally, the President accepted Berger’s call. There was discussion, there were pauses- and no decision. The President wanted to talk with his secretaries of defense and state. He wanted to study the issue further. Berger was forced to wait. The clock was ticking. The president evenutally called back. He was still indecisive. He wanted more discussion. Berger alternated between phone calls and watching the clock.

The NSC watch officer was convinced we had the right target. The intelligence sources were conclusive. The President, however, wanted a guaranteed hit or nothing at all.

This time, it was nothing at all. We didn’t pull the trigger. We “studied” the issue until it was too late- the window of opportunity closed. Al-Qaeda’s spiritual andorganizational leader slipped through the noose.

This lost bin Laden hit typified the Clinton Administration’s ambivalent, indecisive way of dealing with terrorism. Ideologically, the Clinton Administration was committed to the idea that most terrorists were misunderstood, had legitimate grievances, and could be appeased, which is why such military action as the Administration authorized was so halfhearted, and ineffective, and designed more for “show” than for honestly eliminating a threat.

The lesson we should have learned from this whole period of history was that in regard to terrorism, we didn’t take it as seriously as we should have in the Clinton Years, nor in the years before and after, leading up to 911.

And sometimes, to me, it seems the Democrats want to return to a happy go lucky pre 9/11 mentality, and not take the present threat seriously either.

Regardless, the movie does not misrepresent Clinton at all, it shows him as exactly what he was:  Ineffective and distracted by his mixed up priorities and personal whims.

3 Responses to “Path to 911- Biased or not?”

  1. veggiedudeon 11 Sep 2006 at 1:06 am

    There is plenty of blame to go around. Everytime Clinton tried to go after OBL the Republicans and news media called it ‘wag the dog’ to take the heat off from the Lewinsky debacle. Also, the Republicans voted down more than once Clintons appropriations for more money to be spent on takling terrorism saying it was unnessessary tax spending. Despite that, spending on anti-terrorism did go up by 400% under his admin, but not as much as he would have hoped for.

  2. B. N. Ewellon 12 Sep 2006 at 9:08 am

    The fact that all of us, especially those protective of the Clinton image, are even discussing the situation in terms of personalities shows our national immaturity.  Mistakes were made.  On all levels, and especially at the fartherest removed level in both political parties.  The Path to 911 shows details already in evidence.  There is nothing new here.  The people who are upset are jarred by the dramatization.  So they blame the script, not  the errors in judgment. 

  3. Brian Stormson 03 Oct 2006 at 3:34 pm

    The movie portrays Clinton not making the executive decision until it was too late.  One thing to keep in mind, hypothetically, is if President Bush were in office when OBL was in the cross-hairs he wouldn’t blink an eye to pull the trigger.   Bush has proven that his he is ready and willing to lose the soft image and approval ratings to keep America safe.  I did like Clinton during most of his term (before the Monica scandal erupted) but knowing that he choked when he had those prime opportunities to take down OBL, as shown in the movie, really is outrageous and irresponsible.  Is it all propaganda as many have suggested? Come on, did he stall when all he had to do was say "Go ahead - Take OBL out".  Was it really that simple and he complicated things?  I feel the movie has answered these questions in a definitive way, so is the movie propaganda or reality?  The reality is that the Clinton White House staff knows the truth, and President Clinton himself knows the truth.  Other questions: Did the Republicans stop or influence his decision?  Where does the buck stop anyway?  So far I’m left with an opinion that It with Clinton there is a pattern of denying (or lying) and then the truth comes out.  I’m still waiting…

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