White House Attacks Terrorism Whistleblower

Unable to defend itself substantively, the White House is resorting to character assassinations of Richard Clarke, the Bush administration's former counterterrorism expert whose new book exposes the administration's failure to protect the nation. But as Morton Abramowitz, former assistant secretary of state for intelligence in the Reagan administration, stated, "I can only tell you I think Dick has enormous credibility. He's got a first-class intellect. He's very dedicated. He tries to make things happen. He doesn't hesitate to take unpopular stances, and he doesn't hesitate to push the envelope... You can't overlook what Dick is saying."

• The Bush administration reduced counterterrorism efforts and neglected threats from al Qaeda prior to 9/11. Internal Department of Justice documents show that the Bush administration dropped counterterrorism altogether as a priority and tried to cut funding to fight terrorism just before 9/11. The president's national security strategy prior to 9/11 focused extensively on national missile defense and not on heightened efforts to fight the diffuse terrorist threats of groups like al Qaeda.
• After 9/11, the Bush administration shifted critical resources away from the fight against al Qaeda to go to war in Iraq. Despite clear evidence that al Qaeda was behind the 9/11 attacks, and no credible proof of Saddam Hussein's involvement, the Bush administration rapidly shifted priorities to deposing Saddam. The shift in resources allowed al Qaeda to regroup and prepare for new attacks against the United States and its allies. "As the people of Indonesia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and most recently, Spain, have learned painfully well, this president failed to execute the real war on terrorism," said Sen. Bob Graham yesterday.
• When they fail at policy, they get personal. The administration's inability to confront the truth and address credible questions about its policies undermines our national security. The administration exposed Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife's covert identity for political revenge – an illegal act still unresolved – and now they are smearing a lifelong public servant who revealed its deceptions and ideological motives in the war on terrorism.

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