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Clinton âmissed chance to get rid of bin Ladenâ
EFLIn early leaks from Losing bin Laden, Richard Miniter, an investigative journalist, claims that Mr Clinton allowed the September 11 attacks to happen by squandering more than a dozen opportunities to capture or kill bin Laden. In two cases the terrorist leaderâs exact location was known, the book says. [Just after the USS Cole attack,] Mr Clintonâs counter-terrorism chief, Richard Clarke, urged an immediate strike on al-Qaâeda camps and Taliban buildings in Kabul and Kandahar. Such a strike would destroy terrorist infrastructure and with luck might kill bin Laden, Mr Clarke told senior colleagues. But he was overruled - first by the CIA and FBI, which wanted more investigation of the attack, and then by the Clinton cabinet. Janet Reno, then the attorney general, said an attack would break international law. Madeleine Albright, the secretary of state, is quoted as saying that "bombing Muslims wouldnât be helpful at this time". Most controversially, the book quotes William Cohen, then the defence secretary, as saying the Cole attack "was not sufficiently provocative" and retaliation might cause trouble in Pakistan. What can I say but: Damn you. Damn you all (OK, at least Reno and Albright) to hell. Posted by: someone 2003-09-02 |
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