Finally!

Hey, maybe if President Bush had paid some attention to the outgoing Clinton Administration's contention that the bombing of the USS Cole must be dealt with as an act of war, and responded accordingly, America could have continued their efforts to roll back Al Qaeda BEFORE they successfully attacked the homeland in the worst national security breakdown in the history of this nation.

I mean seriously people: 1:45 minutes after the first plane is hijacked there is STILL no defense of the Pentagon and a plane is able to slam into this known target unimpeded while Vice President Cheney tracks the off-course airliner on-screen?

From Republican Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta in testimony to the 9/11 Commission:

""During the time that the airplane was coming into the Pentagon, there was a young man who would come in and say to the Vice President...the plane is 50 miles out...the plane is 30 miles out....and when it got down to the plane is 10 miles out, the young man also said to the vice president "do the orders still stand?" And the Vice President turned and whipped his neck around and said "Of course the orders still stand, have you heard anything to the contrary!??"

That would be orders to not shoot down the plane.

The "release" smells of tribal politics and Al-Badawi is most likely in the hands of his tribe instead of actual Yemeni government custody. Being in tribal custody is not unlike prison and any perceived breaking of any rules leads to death. The Yemeni government most likely explained to the U.S. government what they meant by release to maintain their improving, and needed, relationship with the U.S.

So the Yemenis (?) can capture this guy twice but we can't get Bin Laden? What's wrong with this picture!

Jones, since the Cole was bombed in October, three months before Bill left office, I think he should have done something. Response should be quick, not later.

Once again, for the umpteenth time, Dyslin: Blame for the October 12, 2000 Cole bombing was not confirmed until January 9th, 2 weeks before George Bush would take office.
http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/crs/coleterrattck13001.pdf
Here's a link to the January 9th Lehrer Hour that broke the story. http://www.pollyticks.com/item/clintonbush--the-uss-cole-bombing
What would you have him do, invade Afghanistan without a Congressional resolution and drop it right in Bush's lap?

No. One could only imagine what a reactionary such as yourself would say had he done so! It would be "wag the dog" times 100! Tying the next president's hands!! Clinton Derangement Syndrome to perpetuity (well, that's pretty much the case now anyway).

Clinton told Bush to treat the bombing like an act of war. Bush was more concerned about easing restrictions on arsenic in our water. Bush went to sleep until September 11 when the worst security failure in the history of this country took place under his "able" leadership.

Spin away.

Clinton did not call it an act of war. Instead, he said, ""If, as it now appears, this was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act. We will find out who was responsible and hold them accountable." However, it was the Pentagon, under the control of Clinton, which forbade the Cole crew from firing on the small boat filled with explosives without first asking for permission from the captain, a tune-consuming procedure that denied the
crew the chance to defend themselves from an instantaneous attack. The fact remains, however, it was not Clinton's or Bush's fault, it was the terrorists whom we continue to fight in the Middle East and will continue to battle for the foreseeable future unless the wimp Left forces withdrawal of our forces. Then we'll fight them here. But fight them we will for they are bent on destruction of America.