Posner's Why America Slept gets rave in NYTBR

[carolinayellowdog]

Hey,

When I first heard of the book I posted about it, and the ensuing discussion combined with amazon reader comments led me to conclude it wasn't worth reading. Another Clinton-bashing, Bush-whitewashing tome, several said. But Eric Lichtblau's review in the current New York Times Book Review depicts Posner as evenhanded in blaming both administrations for negligence, and ultimately blaming the Saudis. A senior aide to Bin Laden named Abu Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan in March 2002 and tricked into believing he was in Saudi custody. His captors then (quoting from the review)

were shocked to hear what a relieved Zubaydah finally had to tell them. He instructed them to call a senior member of the ruling family...and gave them a phone number from memory. "He will tell you what to do," Zubaydah said. He went on to tell his interrogators that bin Laden had struck a deal in the late 1990s to gain the blessing and support of top Saudi leaders in exchange for assurances that his holy war would spare the Saudi kingdom...three of the Saudi leaders whom the prisoner named as allies...wound up dead within a week of one another in three separate incidents...
(end quote)

Has anyone here read Posner? Anything involving Saudi secrets seems to be more damaging to the BFEE than to the Clinton administration. Looks like I will have to get this after all.

CYD

[JohnyCanuck]

1. Wasn't he the guy that wrote the book "Case Closed"

Claiming, IIRC, that the Kennedy Assasination went down just like the Warren Comission report claimed. Well I know that is bullshit. Not saying he couldn't have something useful to say, but speaking for myself, anyone who would try to pass of an organized coup d'état (Kennedy Assasination) as the work of a lone fruitcake will always be suspect in my book.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Yep

That's him

[RobertSeattle]

3. I've heard Posner on some RW radio talk shows

And he uses the tired line "I voted for Bill Clinton twice, but I wouldn't do so after researching thsi book". So I don't know if he's doing this to sell books or really means it. I thought Posner's JFK assassination book was a classic.

My basic tenant on all these "Blame Bill" books is if Bill is so blameable for 9/11, why didn't Bush/Cheney want a full blown investigation of 9/11?

[On the Road]

4. Is this Gerald Posner

one of the few hacks who tried to defend the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision?

If that's any indication, he's capable of squirming into any politically advantageous point of view.

[Octafish]

5. Proof BFEE controls NYT

That little turd Posner wrote "Case Closed" to support the Warren Commission's "lone nut" findings. It was released during the 30th anniversary of the assassination, a time when MANY books supporting the House Select Committee on Assassinations verdict of conspiracy were coming out. The durn NYT devoted three-fourths of its coverage (according to my thorough content analysis) to the turd Posner's book and WC findings. They are Traitors of the BFEE.