Loyalty Trumps Incompetence, Incompetence Trumps ... Anyone?

The war. 9-11. The only things they have in common are the incompetent responses by Bush and his neo-con advisors. Condoleezza Rice said no one could have anticipated planes flying into buildings and Donald Rumsfeld said no one could have anticipated the insurgency in Iraq.

Really? Maybe Condi didn't read the Presidential Daily Briefing she gave on August 6, 2001 ...1998 saying that Bin Laden wanted to hijack a U.S. aircraft to gain the release of "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel Rahman and other U.S.-held extremists.

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

I'm sure they missed this, too, from The Indian Express October 19, 1999 Osama bin Laden's reported announcement of jihad against the US and India and his concomitant call to all the Kashmir militant groups to fight together against these countries has provoked fears concerning his ability to execute terrorist acts in Kashmir. The pertinent issue would be to assess the links that Bin Laden has with the militant groups operating in Kashmir.

And maybe they missed this also from August 23, 2001 on CNN Pakistan has been wracked by years of bitter fighting between militant Sunni and Shiite Muslims belonging to several organizations.

I could keep researching until I fill the entire page with documentation, but it's pretty clear they were following their own agenda instead of identifying potential threats. I also realize I have the benefit of hind-sight to search for stories, but didn't anyone in the White House see a pattern emerging? Isn't that someone's job?

Even worse, what is being overlooked right now? This administration can keep spinning the reason for starting this war, but how could they be so blatantly arrogant to believe there is any way to defeat someone who thinks dying for jihad is the ultimate reward? I have a hard time understanding how anyone with any knowledge of middle eastern customs and religions could advocate our involvement in this fiasco. It's also hard to understand how anyone can claim to feel more secure with the three stooges - Bush, Rumsfeld, and Rice - in charge.

I'm truly baffled when I see people urging Condoleezza Rice to run for president. Don't they recognize her incompetence as national security advisor is what caused 9-11? Bush, in his infinite wisdom, chose not to fire her, but promoted her instead. We know now how rewarding loyalty at the expense of competency turned out. Now that she's out of the country most of the time I do feel more secure. I just hope Americans will take off their blinders and objectively look at what's going on. We can't keep following this course.

I've heard the analogy "you don't switch horses mid-race", but if your horse is going in the wrong direction, you probably want to do something to turn it around. If that means getting off, then so be it, but you don't keep going when you know you're about to crash. It's common sense.

Sources:
The Indian Express October 19, 1999
Presidential Daily Briefing August 6, 2001
CNN August 23, 2001

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