You decide who has been more effective at protecting Americans from terror

[11 Bravo]

1983 - President - Ronald Reagan
241 U.S. marines killed in Beirut, Lebanon
Response: Pull American troops out of the country.

1993 - President - Bill Clinton
4 Americans killed in car bomb explosion at the WTC
Response: 4 perpetrators captured and each is sentenced to 240 years in prison in 1994. Mastermind Ramzi Yousef captured and sentenced to 240 years in prison in 1995.

1995 - President - Bill Clinton
5 Americans killed by a car bomb in front of a military training center in Riyadh.
Response: 4 Saudi nationals captured and executed by the Saudis.

1996 - President - Bill Clinton
19 Americans killed in Khobar Towers bombing.
Response: 13 Saudis and 1 lebanese chemist indicted by U.S. courts. All remain in Saudi custody.

1998 - President - Bill Clinton
12 Americans killed as U.S. embassies in Nairobi , Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania car bombed.
Response: 4 perpetrators convicted and sentenced to life in prison in U. S. federal court. 3 suspects fighting extradition in London, 14 suspects indicted and at large.

2000 - President - Bill Clinton
17 sailors killed in bombing of uss Cole.
Response: Undisclosed number of Yemeni nationals and other suspects in custody in Yemen.

2001 - President - George Bush
2,792 people killed at the WTC
184 killed at the Pentagon
40 killed on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania
Response: Osama bin Laden, identified as mastermind, remains at large. The bin Laden family was allowed to leave U.S. jurisdiction of 9/12. No one named as a suspect in the 9/11 crime currently in custody. United States invaded Afghanistan, then Iraq.

Totals:
Reagan: 241 American dead, no one in custody
Clinton: 57 American dead, 4 perpetrators executed, 23 in custody, 17 others under indictment or fighting extradition, an undisclosed number of suspects imprisoned in Yemen.
Bush: 3,016 dead, no one in custody, over 500 U.S. soldiers dead in Iraq.

You tell me, who has done a better job of protecting American lives and pursuing those who would harm us?

[UrbScotty]

1. You forgot one: Oklahoma City, 1995.

One of the masterminds has been executed.

[11 Bravo]

3. I wasn't counting the homegrown variety, but

you're absolutely right.

[truthspeaker]

2. yeah, but Bush is big & tough & macho!

Forget about the facts, let's base all our decisions on gut emotions manipulated by advertising and corporate news!

"Don't confuse me with the facts." - Bill MacNeil

[tinanator]

4. get some facts about Khobar

you also might consider the feelings of the surviving family members
of these tragedies you would make political hay out of. This is actually very poor behavior to those who grieve.

[markses]

5. Be a bit more honest

There are several al-Qaeda people in custody in connection with the September 11 attacks (among them Zacarias Moussaoui and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed).

That said, there is no question that Clinton was much more effective at combatting terror than the imbecile Bush, who has made only made the threat worse with his bumbling, half-steps, and greedy appropriation of American patriotism for his corporate crook buddies.

I would argue that if Al Gore had rightfully taken the mantle in January 2001, September 11 would never have happened. He would have responded vigorously to the increased threat level in June, July and August, those FISA warrants would have gone through, and the nation's defenses would have been on high alert, rather than the quiet slumber into which Bush drove us, with his out-dated and inept (and probably corrupt) focus on China/Russia/missile shield. Bush's incompetence did us in in September 2001. Let's show him the door so we can get strong and competent leadership in where it counts.

[Spoon]

6. The main "suspects" in 9/11 attacks are kinda dead -

but indeed OBL, planner, still roams the earth a free man.

[JerseyGuy]

7. Correction

Six people died in the 1993 WTC bombing, not four. As a matter of fact, if it happened today, it would be counted as seven since one of the victims was pregnant.

[rinsd]

8. Not a very effective list...

A couple things...

First, if you are doing solely American lives you have to change your 9-11 total. If it is all lives you should adjust for that in your other figures. Also, we do have several people in custody who are purported to be involved in 9/11.

Second, by listing only 2 examples for Reagan and Bush, with the time lag for Reagan you make it seem as if terror events were a regular occurence Clinton and therefore he wasn't as effective. After all they kept attacking right?

There are just better ways to present this info. It's better to simply list Clinton's accomplishments in the war on terror to give lie to the charge he did nothing.

[placton]

9. You forgot to add: 1999

Clinton Administration FOILS several (3 or 4) terrorist attempts - by, like, paying attention!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

10. one small detail

The hundreds of nameless people still detained at Guantanamo Bay.