Bush Missed Killing bin Laden Three Times and Failed Us

July 21, 2003

Bush knew about U.S. armed predator drone technology in early 2001  And he was informed of three sightings of Osama Bin Laden, and was urged to use  armed predator drones to attack the terrorist leader.

Nothing happened .......   until after 9/11.

Before 9/11, there was debate and no decision by Bush and his inner circle to respond to the USS Cole bombing by using drones. This indecision allowed bin Laden to escape harm and likely lead to 9/11.

Some have said armed drones weren't possible or reliable before 9/11. Nonsense. They were used successfully just weeks after 9/11. This shows they were ready and able before 9/11. Armed drones were very effective and killed many al Qaeda leaders.

It is surprising Bush did not feel the pressure after hearing advice from his experts and advisors.  His terrorism advisor and many others asked him to use drones to find and kill bin Laden.  The plan to attack bin Laden wasn't pulled out of the air, or just something thought of on the "spur of the moment".

You see, the Clinton administration had devised a plan to go after al Qaeda after the Cole was bombed in October 2000. Bush's advisors were just following through with a good plan.

Unfortunately for the Clinton administration, the weather was poor in Afghanistan so the drones could not be used until March and time was short politically. The Cole was bombed in October 2000 and Bush took over just months later. Clinton did, however forward his plan to Bush who as we now know, ignored it.

What we do have are excuses. The hold up, according to some Bush officials, was an argument within the administration about a drone's effectiveness and who should control and be responsible for them.

Ridiculous!

Again, the drones proved effective after 9/11. They were the same drones Bush did not use in early 2001 but finally used in the fall of 2001 and

Clinton signed a secret order that bin Laden was a target and should be killed. This applied to all military and intelligence agencies. It didn't matter who controlled what. They just needed to do it!

Though Clinton's presidential order was secret to the citizen it was not to Bush or his advisors. Bush never rescinded that order and did not use it until after we were attacked.

The Bush administration failed in early 2001 to respond to the USS Cole bombing. Responding may have stopped the 9/11 attacks later that year. Further, they had several opportunities to attack those thought responsible such as bin Laden. They also admitted there were escalating and "general" threats in the weeks before 9/11. Finally, many on the administration urged Bush to respond to bin Laden and those terrorist threats by using armed drones. Nothing happened.

Bush failed us then.

Bush incompetence in 2001 may explain why he and his administration have been uncooperative with the 9/11 commission which is trying to find answers to the attacks in 2001.  It has dragged its feet when asked for information and has labeled important files as secret making them unavailable to anyone on the commission.

Bush fails us now in finding the truth.