Their ‘battle stations’ were no defense BY James P. Pinkerton

[jbfam4]

Their ‘battle stations’ were no defense James P. Pinkerton

April 13, 2004
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vppin133754399apr13,0,5083022.column?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines


When terrorists plan to strike America, should they call in advance and make reservations? If not - if they aren't specific about time and place - should President George W. Bush and the rest of the federal government be held blameless for failing to stop them? That's been the view of the White House for the past two-and-a-half years, although public pressure may be changing that complacency.

As we all know by now, on Aug. 6, 2001, Bush received a briefing from the CIA, warning about "patterns of suspicious activity ... consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks." That's not a "historical" document, as National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice testified before the 9/11 Commission last week - that's an alarm bell that should have been heard.

But Bush wasn't listening, at least not closely. He said yesterday: "There was nothing in this report to me that said, 'Oh, by the way, we've got intelligence that says something is about to happen in America.'" It was not a warning, he continued, about "a hijacking of an airplane to fly into a building," but rather about possibly "hijacking of airplanes in order to free somebody that was being held as a prisoner in the United States."

So what could Bush have done, even without precise "intel"? He could have "shaken the trees," to use the Beltway phraseology. He could have ordered an immediate review of all ongoing counterterrorist activity, demanding daily follow-ups. Last week Rice said that Bush, in effect, had done just that: "The president of the United States had us at battle stations during this period of time."

[billybob537]

1. Here's my analogy

See if it makes sense to you.
I'm a deer hunter, I hunt with a bow and arrow. I don't always succeed when I go on a hunt. But I know if I scout the area, it Improves my odds of success. The more time I spend in the woods The more deer I see. The more deer I see the more possible shots I have. The more shots I take the more deer I harvest. If I don't go in the woods I don't see any deer. If I don't prepare for a hunt I'm not ready when I do see a deer. A lot of things can go wrong.In spite of all this I am successful because I keep trying. If you don't try you can't succeed. DID BUSH TRY?

[Old and In the Way]

2. Did Bush Try?

I think we know that answer now. One excuse why 9/11 succeeded was there was only 14 planes on alert on 9/11....only 2 of which were protecting NYC and Washington, DC from Massachussetts.

Since now the proverbial cat is out of the bag (the 8/6/01 PDB), we know that Bush had the following clues: "hijacking", "explosives", "determined to strike targets inside the USA", "terrorists", New York City", and "Washington, DC".

So why didn't he amp up the $400MM/year Defense Dept.? Well, except for the 3,000 Americans who died on 9/11 and the Trillion dollar loss to our economy, who's poll's went up to 90% favorability, who hit the Trifecta, and ho got to say he was a War President?

[Miss Authoritiva]

3. Bush doesn't do "follow-up"

Add this to the list of things that Bush does not "do" -- Bush does not do "nuance"....Bush does not do "details" ....Bush does not do "analysis"....Bush does not do "responsibility." But Bush does "do" vacations -- lots of them.

[scottxyz]

4. "Should they call in advance and make reservations?"

Hahahahaha George!

And this is a CONSERVATIVE columnist.

Why is Bush so soft on terror?

[cap]

5. question: when you are at battlestations...

do you continue reading the "hungry caterpillar" when an aid informs you that two planes have hit the WTC?

[BeFree]

6. Whispered in his ear

"Sir, America is under Attack"

Dumbfounded he sat there staring off into space, thinking: "Wow, here I am, the Prezidentalist of America, and I am about to become the WAR Previcationist, and these stupid little kids ain't got a clue about what just happened! Look at 'em, just reading along like nothing happened! Hah, I know, hell they been telling me along, why Dick told me just yesterday, Georgy, we are about to give you a bump. So what, me, worry? Hell no, I know Dick's got this handled....Now wait a minute, those are camera's out there....smile a bit, yeah, not much, don't overdo it...yeah, like that, that was good...anyway, those are cameras and America is under attack, Finally! Wow, I gotta move. It's time to lead, time to pull some strings,... ya know I love the way Carl says that.."Pull some strings"... hey! Where is Carl. Gotta find Carl and see what to do next. Can't scare the kids tho, they always tell me not to scare the kids. Why the little farts don't know nothing! Boy, are they gonna be surprised!...Hate to just get up and leave...but this is exciting....yep, time....to....go...."

[teryang]

7. An apt allegory

The pretzeldent reading the American children a story while the country goes to hell.