As each new story comes in about the scale of the intelligence failure before the September 11 massacre, the clearer it becomes that a large amount of anger is the appropriate response. Bart Gellman’s piece in the Washington Post actually shows that the Clinton administration had a chance to nab bin Laden as he was being expelled from Sudan. The reason they fumbled the ball was that the Saudis were unwilling to take custody of bin Laden, and the Clintonites decided they didn’t have enough evidence to indict bin Laden in an American court. Indict him? Why wasn’t he killed? Such are the fruits of treating terrorism as a simple criminal offense, rather than an act of war. Thanks to former national security adviser, Tony Lake, and to the secretary of state, Warren Christopher, bin Laden escaped to Afghanistan to plot the further murders of Americans. The Post also has a damning article about Clinton’s lame cruise missile strike against bin Laden after the embassy bombings. As one expert put it, “I think that raid really helped elevate bin Laden’s reputation in a big way, building him up in the Muslim world. My sense is that because the attack was so limited and incompetent, we turned this guy into a folk hero.” In other words, the Clinton administration let the guy go, then succeeded in cementing his reputation. Way to go, guys. A similar sorry tale is told by Sy Hersh in the New Yorker. If any of you think George Tenet has any reason to be still running the CIA, you should read Hersh’s article. Yes, the first Bush administration needs to take a hit. But the largest responsibility for running our intelligence services into the ground must be the Clinton administration’s. “From Bush to Clinton, what happened [in Afghanistan] is one of the most embarrassing American foreign policy decisions, as bad as Vietnam,” says Bob Kerrey. “We also had a half-baked Iraqi operation and sent a signal that we’re not serious.” Amen. Yes, I know this is hindsight. But accountability matters. When will Tenet resign? And when will Clinton himself fess up to his record of appalling negligence? In the last resort, the only ultimate responsibility of the president of the United States is the security of its citizens from foreign attack. Yes, both Bushes share part of the blame for our intelligence collapse. But Bill Clinton shoulders by far the most.
SPECIAL CLINTON-BASHING EXTRA: On the plane to Chicago today, I was busy reading the New Yorker and came across Nick Lemann’s piece on Hillary Clinton. Nick’s reporting on this administration has, I think, been easily the best out there, so I hope he doesn’t take this personally. But Senator Clinton’s response to a question Lemann posed is simply jaw-dropping. In the context of the World Trade Center massacre, he asked her “how she thought people would react to knowing they are on the receiving end of a murderous anger.” Clinton’s reply: “Oh I am well aware that it is out there. One of the most difficult experiences I personally had in the White House was during the health-care debate, being the object of extraordinary rage.” She talks about hecklers and the threat of violence and the rhetoric spewed by radio talk show hosts. I’ve no doubt these things hurt. Heck, I’ve had my fair share of the same kind of thing. But to equate that with the murder of thousands of innocent people by terrorists is simply deranged. Or rather, it’s just another sign that this woman adds whole universes of meaning to the word narcissism. Even after a massacre, it’s still all about her.
The Dish 