Bush Administration Asleep at the Switch Pre-9/11

Today the Bush Administration is attempting to spin away their complete in-attentiveness to the issue of terrorism prior to 9/11. It has taken five years, but finally, someone is asking them to explain themselves. Thinkprogress has assembled some rather indicting facts about Bush being asleep at the switch. Among them:

Bush said that the #1 threat facing the United States was not international terrorism, it was "ballistic missles." In a speech to the National Defense University delivered on May 1, 2001, Bush said, "...today’s most urgent threat stems not from thousands of ballistic missiles in the Soviet hands, but from a small number of missiles in the hands of these states..."

In a June 2001 meeting with the heads of NATO, Bush did not mention Al Queda or international terrorism. "After his first meeting with NATO heads of state in Brussels in June 2001, Bush outlined the five top defense issues discussed with the closest U.S. allies. Missile defense was at the top of the list, followed by developing a NATO relationship with Russia, working in common purpose with Europe, increased defense spending in NATO countries, and enlarging the alliance to include former East European countries." (Washington Post)

It gets worse the more you look into it....

Tag: Bush