[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Bush deserves some blame for 09/11, it happened on his watch, and the buck stops with him. However, I don't recall that we had any actionable intelligence at the time to suggest that 09/11 was in the works, and you can't defend against every possible scenario, we don't have resources for that.I agree we don't have resources for that and that is why I don't hold him responsible for 9/11. However, he clearly was given briefings about OBL and we also warned airlines about OBL's desire to hijack planes. And that is the same reason I don't hold Pres. Obama or SOS Clinton responsible for Benghazi. Pres. Bush's reports had 000s of pieces of data to sort through just as Pres. Obama's reports had prob. 000s of requests for $.

Benghazi happened after 09/11, and by that time, any sane Westerner knew we are at war with radical jihad, and that we need to safeguard against that. Specific to Benghazi...as I have said, and you have ignoredI have not ignored and have repeatedly stated that just bc some other country (and the Red Cross isn't even a country) leaves somewhere, doesn't mean we should. I have said multiple times, I wouldn't want our policies dictated by what the French or Italy (or the Red Cross) does. , several nations (and the Red Cross) evacuated theeir people from benghazi, becaus ethey concluded it was too dangerous. Stevens also sensed that, and asked for additional security, which was denied. And Pres. Obama and SOS Clinton where not informed of this. As you yourself said, "you can't defend against every possible scenario, we don't have resources for that"

Prior to 09/11, we didn't see other countries grounding airplanes because they suspected Al Queda was going to use them as missiles. Had other countries done that, and we ignored it, THEN Bush would be similarly accountable (and stupid) as Obama and Clinton. Yet we warned the transportation dept. - see below.

You said it was a good hitng that we didn't follow the herd out of Benghazi, because that's what you call "leadership". That is way, way, way beneath you.

Was General Pickett (Confederate General at Gettysburgh) what you would call an effective leader, because he led his men into an ambush that sealed the fate of the South?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91651&page=1


U.S. intelligence officials warned President Bush weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks that Osama bin Laden's terrorist network might hijack American planes, but White House officials stressed the threat was not specific.

A White House official acknowledged to ABCNEWS that the information prompted administration officials to issue a private warning to transportation department and national security agencies weeks before the attacks