U.S. Democrats Accuse Bush of Allowing Terror Threat
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Monday 22 December 2003
As Americans digest the news that Al Qaeda is almost certainly planning a major attack on the US
during the holiday period, the Democrat Opposition has been quick to criticise President George W
Bush for allowing the terrorist network to remain a threat.
The Bush administration has raised the national terror threat warning to its second highest level,
saying it is receiving more intelligence of a possible attack now than at any time since September 11.
One of the front-running Democrat presidential hopefuls is former US Army General Wesley Clark.
General Clark says Mr Bush made the wrong move going after Saddam Hussein, instead of Al
Qaeda's leader Osama bin Laden.
"He did a bait and switch on us and substituted Saddam Hussein and boom, $150 billion, 460
American lives and no telling how much more of our treasury before this is over, and Osama bin Laden
is still out there, Al Qaeda is still out there," he said.
New York is believed to be one of the potential terrorist targets.
Steve Coleman from the New York Port Authority says the higher alert will make no difference to the
city's anti-terrorist systems.
"Since September 11th of 2001, we've been on a heightened level of security and we continue to be
under that heightened level of security today two years later," he said.
"Some of the measures that we have ongoing are visible to the public, such as increased police
patrols at the bridges, tunnels and airports that we operate.
"Other measures might not be so visible, and we don't discuss them for fear that we might
compromise what we're doing."
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