blood feud between the US and bin Laden/Islam didn't start with Iraq. It started with the first Gulf War and even before..
The first Gulf war was with Iraq.
Staging for that war occurred in Saudi Arabia. That's considered Mecca by Muslims.
Nevertheless the first Gulf war was a war with Iraq. Therefore your claim AQ's grudge against the US didn't begin with Iraq makes no sense. Yes, we had troops in SA - to protect the country from Saddam. SA also fought with us in the first Gulf war.
While non-Muslims aren't supposed to go to Mecca, the whole country isn't Mecca and there have been non-Muslims in SA for many decades. There were some US troops there during WWII, btw.
The point is that Reagan was sticking his nose in ME affairs all during his tenure.
So what. We are a superpower and have interests in the area. Even Carter recognized that - he's the President who declared the free flow of oil through the Persian Gulf is a vital interest of the US. Prior to Carter, we relied on a friendly govt in Iran to maintain order in the region.
The 1993 attack on the WTC, the USS Cole bombing, the Tanzanian and Kenyan embassy bombings, the failed Millenium bombing plot, the failed Bojinka plot to blow up US airliners over the Pacific, the attack on US peacekeeping forces in Somalia - all occurred during the Clinton administration. The 911/01 attack was planned then too.
None of those events were as destructive as 9/11 which occurred on Bush's watch and had been planned ten years earlier under Bush I.
All those terror attacks don't count. They were just love taps, I suppose you think, delivered during the glorious era of Clinton. Funny you can't even admit the 911 attack was planned and launched during Clinton's time in office.
As I said, the facts don't bear out your claim that terrorists left us alone during the Clinton administration.
As far as blaming the left, I am blaming the left for giving comfort to our enemies (to the extent that our enemies now openly court the left), weakening our resolve, and trying to prevent our defending ourselves. |
