Did Bin-Laden Do It?

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf isn’t convinced thatOsama bin-Laden was behind the September 11 attacks. “Ididn’t think it possible that Osama sitting up there in themountains could do it,” Musharraf says in a New YorkerMagazine interview. “He was perhaps the sponsor, thefinancier, the motivating force. But those who executed itwere much more modern. They knew the U.S., they knewaviation. I don’t think he has the intelligence or theminute planning. The planner was someone else.”

Since there have been lots of threats, but no new attacks,perhaps the ?someone else? was killed in our attack onAfghanistan.

Before 911, we had already planned to attack al-Qaeda, butthe government dropped the ball during the changeover fromClinton to Bush.

A plan to attack al-Qaeda was developed in the final days ofthe Clinton administration and presented to Bush nationalsecurity adviser Condoleezza Rice in January 2001. The planwas developed by Richard Clarke, who served in the firstBush administration and advised Clinton on terrorism. Clarkewanted to break up al-Qaeda cells and arrest their members,to attack their financial structure, and aid nationsfighting against al-Qaeda terrorists. He also wanted todramatically increase covert action against Afghanistan.

The Bush White House decided to do its own policy reviewprocess on the terrorist organization before acting on anyof this, and didn?t pass the information along to topdecision makers until late April. A presidential directivewas finally drafted and approved by Bush on September 4,just a week before the 911 attacks. It was strong but toolate: Bush said the U.S. should not ?roll back? al-Qaeda,but ?eliminate it.?

Concern was growing last summer that a major terroristattack against the U.S. was coming soon, but no decision wasmade to send a Predator drone to fly over the terror campsrun by Osama bin-Laden in Afghanistan. “The Predator satidle from October 2000 until after September 11,” sayreporters from Time Magazine.

Why were we caught by surprise on 911? To find out, read?The Bureau? by RonaldKessler,clickhere.

To learnmore,clickhere andhere.

NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.