On May 22, letter writer Robert Raymer writes condemning The Herald’s article regarding the lack of government action to prevent the attack on New York City and the Pentagon (“9-11 knowledge: Democrats knew what Bush knew”). He writes that the Democrats also knew about the threat of terrorist attacks and asks why they didn’t do something, Perhaps the reader should read the May 22 issue of Newsweek which outlines that the administration knew a great deal more than they admit.
Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, was so alarmed about the terrorist threat that she (along with Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona) sent a draft copy of legislation on counter-terrorism and homeland defense to Vice President Dick Cheney’s office on July 20, 2001. She was told by Scoop Libby, Cheney’s top aide, that it might be another six months before he would be able to review the material.
On the same day, Attorney General John Ashcroft submitted his budget request, barely mentioning counter terrorism (even though he no longer traveled on commercial aircraft due to warnings from the FBI). In fact, he cut $58 million from the budget for this work. George Tenet, head of the CIA, was frantically issuing warnings about the al-Qaida threat and was ignored.
Six days after President Bush took office, he received a report that showed clear evidence that the al-Qaida were responsible for the attack on the USS Cole. He took no action, even though during his campaign he said regarding the attack, “There must be consequences.” Eight months later nothing had been done.
Let’s face it, all the Republican president and Congress were interested in doing during his first year in office was to reduce taxes on their millionaire friends, eliminate controls on funds being deposited in offshore banks by their tax-dodging supporters (like “Kenny Boy” Lay and the rest of the Enron gang that were running the Energy Department), destroy 50 years of progress to preserve the environment, and prevent desperately poor women from obtaining birth control information.
I’m sure the destruction of the World Trade Center was a surprise to Mr. Bush as he did not then, nor does he now, know or understand much about the world outside of Texas. At least now he is trying.
Arlington
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