codeorama Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Saw this and decided to post it, says book is critical of Bush and Clinton in regards to terrorism. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1506&ncid=1506&e=4&u=/afp/20040623/ts_alt_afp/us_attacks_cia_qaeda_040623131125 Book by CIA official slams US war on terrorism, Iraq Wed Jun 23, 9:11 AM ET Add U.S. National - AFP to My Yahoo! WASHINGTON (AFP) - A book by an anonymous CIA (news - web sites) official titled "Imperial Hubris," describes Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) as two "failed half-wars" that have played into the enemy's hands and complicated the war on terrorism, reports said. AFP/File Photo Latest headlines: · U.S., Europe May Work to Limit Iraq Debt AP - 24 minutes ago · Suspected Mastermind Vows to Kill Iraq PM AP - 25 minutes ago · Iraq PM Vows to Hunt Militants Behind Death Threat Reuters - 33 minutes ago Special Coverage The 309-page book was written by a still serving Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites) officer who from 1996 to 1999 headed a special office to track Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and who, in the book, is identified only as Anonymous, said the New York Times which obtained a copy of the book. In a highly unusual move allowing the publication of a book on a politically explosive topic, the CIA vetted the book to ensure it included no classified information, and a CIA official asked the daily not to reveal the identity of its author -- a former CIA official identified him -- because he could become a target of bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, the daily said. In criticism directed both at US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) and his predecessor Bill Clinton (news - web sites), the author of the book says US leaders "refuse to accept the obvious". "We are fighting a worldwide Islamic insurgency -- not criminality or terrorism -- and our policy and procedures have failed to make more than a modest dent in enemy forces," he said. He said the threat from radical Islam is rooted in opposition not to American values, but to policies and actions, particularly in the Islamic world. The book denounces the US occupation of Iraq as "an avaricious, premeditated unprovoked war against a foe who posed no immediate threat," and said it would fuel the anti-American sentiments on which bin Laden and his followers draw. "There is nothing that bin Laden could have hoped for more than the American invasion and occupation of Iraq," the author writes. In warning that the United States is losing the war on terrorism, Anonymous writes: "In the period since 11 September, the United States has dealt lethal blows to Al Qaeda's leadership and -- if official claims are true -- have captured 3,000 Al Qaeda foot soldiers. "At the same time, we have waged two failed half-wars and, in doing so, left Afghanistan and Iraq seething with anti-U.S. sentiment, fertile grounds for the expansion of Al Qaeda and kindred groups." Anonymous said he has "a pressing certainty that Al Qaeda will attack the continental United States again, that its next strike will be more damaging than that of 11 September 2001, and could include use of weapons of mass destruction." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 hmmmm, if it attacks Bush more than Clinton....then its just a Jerk trying to turn a buck. If its the other way around...he's a patriot and should be put on the Ten Dollar Bill! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleSteve Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Originally posted by Bufford hmmmm, if it attacks Bush more than Clinton....then its just a Jerk trying to turn a buck. If its the other way around...he's a patriot and should be put on the Ten Dollar Bill! If you wade through Andrea Mitchell's interview on MSNBC, he really attacks the senior CIA management for not listening to him and taking his insights to the elected officials of the government. Also for underestimating the size, resources and ingenuity of the barbarians. He also blames our Mid-East policies for almost all of the problems. Interview at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5279743/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefhogskin48 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 No Bufford. I don't buy into any of the ex post facto criticism because, well, people make mistakes and aren't always aware of dangers. A lot of people these days are making a living out of second-guessing. I still laugh when I hear conspiracy theories about how FDR "knew" about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and didn't do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 The book signings will be interesting. I hear the author is expected to show up at Barnes and Noble wearing a Spider-man mask. I think we all know that the middle-east threat has been growing since Reagan and Carter. We have not addressed it well for thirty years. If Bush is guilty of missteps because he is blindly swinging and trying to deal with something then it is forgiveable if he corrects as he goes. THis is new territory. What makes many of us queasy is that the move may not have been only wrong-headed, but done so with knowing deceit. The anger that Iraq could stir throughout the Islamic nations could lead to much more horrific things and if the threat wasn't there in the first place or was enormously, purposefully exagerated... I just hope that we have gotten much, much better at protecting ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted June 24, 2004 Author Share Posted June 24, 2004 Originally posted by Burgold The book signings will be interesting. I hear the author is expected to show up at Barnes and Noble wearing a Spider-man mask. :laugh: :laugh: :point2sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfdc Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 :laugh: :rotflmao: Oh man Burgold, that my friend was a good one! Seriously though, I really believe a lot of the guys in the trenches got left behind when some of the rewards for greed attracted the higher ups. The warnings, the tell tale signs and the information served up from guys so close, they could hear a whisper, were ignored. Now that the CIA is under far more scrutiny than ever before, its probably the BEST time to unload the book. that window of opportunity will close fast, since after June 30th Bush devotes almost his entire attention on the 2004 elections. When that happens, every word in the media will be checked out and if it doesn't favor him, he will have it "profiled" as some auspicious attempt at his presidency, and not for the facts it may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 Oh man Burgold, that my friend was a good one! Whew, I was half-thinking when I posted that joke someone would ask me to provide a link. Scary thing about the book is that it is another along along line of diplomats, agents, former Bush admin members, and intelligence folks who are heavily criticizing Bush. I don't remember an active President being so criticized so much by his "own" people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted June 24, 2004 Author Share Posted June 24, 2004 They are not his "own" people.. once they criticize him, they are liberal traitors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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