USS Cole ...

[Gerry Clinchy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/op...html?th&emc=th
Ali H. Soufan was an F.B.I. special agent from 1997 to 2005.

TEN years ago, Qaeda terrorists blew a hole in the side of the Navy destroyer Cole in Yemen, killing 17 sailors. Yet the attack’s mastermind still hasn’t been prosecuted, and many of the men tried and imprisoned for the bombing are again free.

As Washington debates whether to increase aid to Yemen, it should first remember its duty to seek justice for those sailors — and to heed the broader national-security lessons from the attack.

Fortunately, there is enough evidence to convict Mr. Nashiri based on confessions we gained legally from Mr. Badawi and Mr. Quso — we even read them the Miranda warning — and from other physical evidence we found during the investigation. Their presence in court would enable us to use their confessions.

It is not merely an insult to the 17 dead sailors, their families and our national honor that Washington does nothing while convicted terrorists walk free and Mr. Nashiri sits unprosecuted. It also harms our national security. We long ago realized that if the American government had not let the Cole attack go unanswered, and if our investigation had not been so constrained, we could have undermined Al Qaeda and perhaps even averted the 9/11 attack. After 10 years, we need to finally put that lesson to use.

Just to be clear ... Mr. Soufan points to the lack of action by 3 administrations in Washington. Nobody gets a "pass" on this one.

[Roger Perry]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/op...html?th&emc=th
Ali H. Soufan was an F.B.I. special agent from 1997 to 2005.





Just to be clear ... Mr. Soufan points to the lack of action by 3 administrations in Washington. Nobody gets a "pass" on this one.

I found a few interesting things on the USS Cole bombing. Remember the USS Cole bombing took place October 12, 2000 just weeks before the November Presidential election and it looks like it was after Bush took office that it could be confirmed by the CIA that al Queda could be linked to the bombings.

Both the Clinton Administration and the Bush Administration have been criticized for failing to respond militarily to the attack on the USS Cole before September 11, 2001. The 9-11 Commission Report cites one source who said in February 2001, "[bin Laden] complained frequently that the United States had not yet attacked [in response to the Cole]... Bin Laden wanted the United States to attack, and if it did not he would launch something bigger."[27]
Evidence of al-Qaeda's involvement was inconclusive for months after the attack. The staff of the 9/11 Commission found that al-Qaeda's direction of the bombing was under investigation but "increasingly clear" on November 11, 2000. It was an "unproven assumption" in late November. By December 21 the CIA had made a "preliminary judgment" that "al Qaeda appeared to have supported the attack," with no "definitive conclusion."[28]
Accounts thereafter are varied and somewhat contradictory. Then-National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice told the Commission that when the administration took office on January 20, 2001, "We knew that there was speculation that the 2000 Cole attack was al Qaeda... We received, I think, on January 25 the same assessment [of al-Qaeda responsibility]. It was preliminary. It was not clear."
The Washington Post reported that, on February 9, Vice President Dick Cheney was briefed on bin Laden's responsibility "without hedge."[29]
Newsweek reported that on the following day, "six days after Bush took office," the FBI "believed they had clear evidence tying the bombers to Al Qaeda."[30]

According to Dr. Rice, the decision not to respond militarily to the Cole bombing was President Bush's. She said he "made clear to us that he did not want to respond to al Qaeda one attack at a time. He told me he was 'tired of swatting flies.'" The administration instead began work on a new strategy to eliminate al-Qaeda.[32]

[Gerry Clinchy]

I believe that I mentioned that nobody gets a "pass" on this.

As Washington debates whether to increase aid to Yemen, it should first remember its duty to seek justice for those sailors — and to heed the broader national-security lessons from the attack.

Perhaps you have a suggestion on what should be done at this point? Perhaps this "aid" to Yemen would be a good place to start?

[ducknwork]

I believe that I mentioned that nobody gets a "pass" on this.



Perhaps you have a suggestion on what should be done at this point? Perhaps this "aid" to Yemen would be a good place to start?

But Gerry, placing blame is soooo much more fun...

[Roger Perry]

I believe that I mentioned that nobody gets a "pass" on this.

Quote:
As Washington debates whether to increase aid to Yemen, it should first remember its duty to seek justice for those sailors — and to heed the broader national-security lessons from the attack.
Perhaps you have a suggestion on what should be done at this point? Perhaps this "aid" to Yemen would be a good place to start?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerry Clinchy
I believe that I mentioned that nobody gets a "pass" on this.



Perhaps you have a suggestion on what should be done at this point? Perhaps this "aid" to Yemen would be a good place to start?

But Gerry, placing blame is soooo much more fun...

You are right, I guess Clinton could have started a war in the Middle East in November of 2000 over the USS Cole bombing then dumped it in the lap of the next President.

[road kill]

I believe that I mentioned that nobody gets a "pass" on this.

Quote:
As Washington debates whether to increase aid to Yemen, it should first remember its duty to seek justice for those sailors — and to heed the broader national-security lessons from the attack.
Perhaps you have a suggestion on what should be done at this point? Perhaps this "aid" to Yemen would be a good place to start?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerry Clinchy
I believe that I mentioned that nobody gets a "pass" on this.



Perhaps you have a suggestion on what should be done at this point? Perhaps this "aid" to Yemen would be a good place to start?

But Gerry, placing blame is soooo much more fun...

You are right, I guess Clinton could have started a war in the Middle East in November of 2000 over the USS Cole bombing then dumped it in the lap of the next President.

Wasn't Clintons "LAP" already pretty busy??



RK

[Roger Perry]

Wasn't Clintons "LAP" already pretty busy??



RK

And the Republicans will not forget it will they?

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