Bush Credits ‘The Work That Was Done’ During ‘My Presidency’[sic] For Osama Bin Laden’s Death

[Ian David]

President Bush sat down with USA Today to discuss the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and his role in shaping U.S. policy in their aftermath. During the interview, Bush thought he’d take the opportunity to pat himself on the back for Osama bin Laden’s death:

Bush said the events that led to the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May began during his administration.

“The work that was done by intelligence communities during my presidency was part of putting together the puzzle that enabled us to see the full picture of how bin Laden was communicating and eventually where he was hiding,” he said. “It began the day after 9/11.”

The reality, of course, is that Bush’s attempts to capture or kill bin Laden were huge failures. While it’s been well documented that the Bush administration missed an opportunity to get bin Laden in Tora Bora in 2001, Bush himself subsequently stated publicly that he wasn’t spending much time thinking about getting him. “I truly am not that concerned about him. I am deeply concerned about Iraq,” Bush said in 2002, “I really just don’t spend that much time on him, to be honest with you.” Bush told reporters in 2006 that hunting the al Qaeda leader was “not a top priority use of American resources.”

And in 2005, Bush shut down the CIA’s unit dedicated to finding bin Laden in order to shift resources to Iraq. “The Central Intelligence Agency has closed a unit that for a decade had the mission of hunting Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants,” the New York Times reported in 2006, adding that resources “had been redirected from the hunt for Mr. bin Laden to the search for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed last month in Iraq.” When the right wing rushed to give Bush credit after bin Laden’s death in May, ThinkProgress produced this short video highlighting Bush’s failures:

Bush's Failed Hunt for Bin Laden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l3bH1IYe9I0

More:
http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/09/09/315518/bush-takes-credit-for-bin-laden/

[mmonk]

1. I guess allowing the attacks by planes eventually led to his death.

[treestar]

2. Assholes

I remember right wingers blaming Clinton for missing a chance to get him - yet notice here there is no credit given Clinton for whatever might have been found out about bin Laden then.

[Botany]

3. Please .... trying to rewrite some history W?

Oct 14, 2004 – I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned." W bush

[Generic Other]

4. Wow that illustration has a loaded message in it, doesn't it?

Like a double barreled shotgun! BOOM!

[HappyMe]

5. Chimpy continues to be delusional.

Go clear some brush, moran.

[supraTruth]

6. & NEVER forget how he TURNED IT OVER TO THE LOCALS @ TORA BORA;

IT WASN'T THEIR FIGHT!

[LadyInAZ]

7. Took way to long

to find him. the earth isn't that big for 1 to disappear with all the secret intelligence we have at our disposal.