If Bill CLinton had killed Bin Laden, would we still have been attacked on

[patricia92243]

9/11?

I believe if Clinton had been able to kill him we would still have been attacked by terrorist. I'm not sure if Bin Laden being dead would have postponed it a little bit, but we would still have been attacked.

Bin Laden may be the head of Al Quada (sp), but he is by no means the only one that wanted to do us harm. The training of their youth to hate all things American was going on at least in the 1960-70. I remember seeing clips about it on TV even back then.

For once, I agree with Bush. Terrorism is the enemy - not necessarily Bin Laden. He is only a symbol, and we would still have been attacked if BIll Clinton had killed him.

[CJCRANE]

1. Depends how and why

9/11 was carried out.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. My point exactly.

And until we know as much as Cheney knows about those Energy meetings, we may never know the answer to your question.

[leesa]

8. Good answer. I doubt OBL had much to do with the equation other than to

lend his name as the boogieman...they could have just as easily picked another.

[marmar]

3. Terrorism is one of many...

so are leaders who lie and subvert the Constitution to achieve aims.

[Crazy Dave]

4. For every terrorist leader killed or captured

There's dozens more ready to take their place and more willing to do things worse in order to make a name for themselves and get support. Or they thought the previous leader wasn't violent enough and now they'll show westerners what a real Jihad should be like.

[liberal N proud]

5. Who knows

There is more to the 9/11 attack then we will know in our life times. Who was involved, who knew it was going to happen, who could have stopped, too many unanswered questions.

[CTyankee]

6. No, because with Al Gore president we would have been

minding the store. Bush dismantled Clinton's antiterrorism program that Gore would have continued. Once Bush did what he did, al Quaeda figured the heat was off and took their chance. And they were right. Bush left our country vulnerable to attack. Al Gore never would have.

[patricia92243]

10. Good point. If CLinton HAD managed to kill Bin Laden, at that time, the R

Republicans would have only had more made-up reason to criticize him. Bush would STILL not have taken it seriously.

Al Gore would have realized that it was a real threat. I'm still not 100% sure he could have stopped them, but at least he would be TRYING. Bush wasn't.

[CTyankee]

14. I read somewhere that it was Gore who persuaded Clinton

in the final analysis that he had authority to order the killing of bin Ladin. Up to that time Clinton had some reservations, but Gore was certain and forceful in convincing him.

[INdemo]

7. There was more to it than just killing bin laden

Destroying the terror cells was the key. In the interview President Clinton touched on that subject..he made the comment that all the intelligence reports were given to the Bush administration to do just that and they failed to follow up on those reports.

[warrior1]

9. in his interview

with wallace, he mention something about the CIA and FBI not signing off on killing bin-laden. Why?

[maddezmom]

11. I think he said they wouldn't certify that Bin Laden was behind the

USS Cole attack, but eventually did in Feb after Clinton was out of office. Just my recollection of the interview.

[patricia92243]

12. But that is the point of this post. If the FBI/CIA had killed Ben Laden,

would we still have been attacked. They act like if CLinton had killed Bin Laden, everything would have been o.k. I say no.

[whistle]

13. Of course, or something similar would have happened within the first

...twelve months of Bush's term. The BushCo people and the neocons were following a specific plan for world empire, PNAC which called for a major expansion and modernization of the U.S. military capabilities involving over $1.0 trillion in new military capital expenditures. To jump-start this and get the process moving, PNAC contained a paragraph which suggests that this would take decades to accomplish but that the American people might be supportive to a rapid commitment of such expenditures "...should a major event such as a new Pearl Harbor" take place.

The military with the support of the White House, the republicans in congress and the neoconservative and Christian right wing were all prepared to support and initiate this plan when Bush was sworn into office. Whether the actual events would have happened on that date and at that specific location, no one can say. But, there were most assuredly factions in government and private business who had the interest, the incentive and the motives to make such an event happen.