Help me win an argument re: Clinton, terrorism

I'm arguing with a winger who keeps insisting that Clinton "failed" as an anti-terrorist and specifically in his anti-al-Qaeda actions. So he's partially to blame for 9/11 etc.

How can I argue against him?

I would concede that the Clinton admin could have done a better job, as they were not perfect. BUT, they did somethings right: they captured the 1st WTC bombers, foiled the millinium plot, increased counter-terrorism spending, and attempted to assasinate OBL despite the petty mewling of GOPukes crying "Wag the Dog".

Bush did NOTHING. He didn't listen to experts like Clarke. He wanted to re-create the Reagen years by focusing on Star Wars and other such non-sense.

This is an easy arguement to win.

You can also go the simplistic route and say that Clinton lost less Americans due to terrorism under his watch than George II and St. Ronnie. St. Ronnie lost several times more than Clinton in a single day due to his poor decision to put Marines in barricks in Beirut overruling the military brasses wishes to put those troops on ships offshore.

millenium plot, assasination attempt etc.

I would like to win the argument. Thanks.

was perfect. The African continent was sorely neglected during his admin. I am an adult so I'm not going to argue with you like I'm defending my favorite Superhero and claim Clinton had a perfect record.

Seriously, the Customs Dept. thrawted an attempt to smuggle in bomb-making materials intended for LAX around the turn of the millinium. This was against a backdrop of heightend alert across many government agencies, because the Clinton administration took this stuff seriously. Bush's ghouls ignored increased terrorist chatter prior to 9/11.

OBL has always been a hard target to reach, but the Clinton admin. used modern technology like the Predator drone to attempt to find him and Al-Q training camps. A couple of times, they thought they had him and Clinton ordered missle strikes narrowly missing him. This is when the crotch-sniffing GOPukes in congress cried "Wag the Dog". BTW, the Bush admin suspended the Predator drone program.

(compliments of Randi Rhodes - Talk show host)

For starters - 1993 WTC bombing where the repugs are saying very WRONGLY that CLinton didn't go anything. Hello? The people responsible were arrested and are in jail. Hello again? After capturing Yosuf, the Clinton admin got his computer and they were the FIRST to find out the names OBL and al Qaeda! Before 1993 WTC bombing, no adminstration even knew they existed.

And to really "rub the salt into the RW's wound," Clinton wanted to set up some type of Terrorism Dept. and all the Repugs said NO!

Tom Delay was the ring-leader.


Oh, and tell them to COMPARE how many people died from al-Qaeda when Clinton was in office - 35. Bush*...well you know the answer.

Also Clinton thwarted the Millenium bombing and the bridge in New York bombing.


If you need sources I will have to google for them. But this should shut them up for awhile.

1. Clarke's counterterrorism position was on the cabinet level, and so he met several times a week with Clinton. After Bush took office, he downgraded the counterterrorism position to one that reported to Hadley, Rice's second in command.

2. Whenever there was extensive terrorism "chatter" and warnings from other countries, Clinton would require daily meetings with all of the heads of all of the agencies. According to Clarke, this allowed him to "shake the trees" and forced the agency heads to daily go back to their agencies and shake the trees in their departments. It is Clarke's belief that this kept everyone on their toes, and may have prevented several attacks, including the LA millenium bombing. Also during these high alert periods, all border posts and local and state police were put on high alert. This alert process resulting in a border guard at the Canadian border capturing the terrorist attempting to enter the US with explosives.

3. After the alleged plot to assasinate Bush I, Clinton bombed the heck out of Iraq, and sent messages through diplomatic channels that if Sadaam did anything like this again, we would invade Iraq and take him down. All Iraqi terrorism immediately stopped.

4. After the embassy bombing by Al-Queda in 1998, Clinton bombed the heck out of Afghanistan camps. The GOP went after him claiming that he was "wagging the dog" although the strikes were recommended by the entire NSC, the CIA and the FBI. You need to look up the quotes made about Clinton by the republicans after Clinton took this step. They are truly amazing.

5. The Boznian conflict put an end to Islamic extremists' attempts to control this area. Again, Clinton was attacked by the right for this action.

6. The counterterrorism funding under Clinton was increased by several multiples (I don't recall off the top of my head, so if someone else knows these numbers, please give them to AngryYoungMan). Under Bush Jr., these funds were cut substantially.

7. Under Clinton, the 3 top priorities for national security were listed as (1) Al-Queda; (2) N. Korea & (3) the Israeli & Palentine peace process. When Bush came into office, those priorities were changed to (1) Star Wars; (2) Iraq; and (3) Russian-US relations. Counterterrorism was not listed in the new administration's top 7.

8. The Rudman Hart report on terrorism, commissioned by Clinton, was handed to the Bush White House as soon as they took office. They ignored it.

Perhaps reading Clarke's and Suskind's books would help your friend.

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