Needless to say, I’ve never really understood this “but he kept us safe” talking point. It’s not like bin Laden and Al Qaeda suddenly appeared on the radar September 11th. And us regular civilians certainly aren’t privy to the classified intel and details of disrupted plots, so I guess none of us can really speak knowledgeably about whether 9/11 was the one or just the one that got through. But think it’s kinda silly praise him for what hasn’t happened while giving him a pass for what did.

ChenZhen on January 13, 2009 at 11:49 PM

Sort of like giving Roosevelt a pass for Pearl Harbor since he knew something was up in the Pacific.

From the press reports:

Among the known plots that have been thwarted under Bush are:

The West Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2002, the United States disrupted a plot to attack targets on the West Coast using hijacked airplanes. The plotters included at least one major operational planner involved in planning the events of Sept. 11.

The East Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2003, the United States and a partner disrupted a plot to attack targets on the East Coast using hijacked commercial airplanes.

The Jose Padilla Plot: In May 2002, the United States disrupted a plot that involved blowing up domestic apartment buildings. One of the alleged plotters, Jose Padilla, also allegedly discussed the possibility of using a “dirty bomb” in the United States.

The 2004 U.K. Urban Targets Plot: In mid-2004, the United States and partners disrupted a plot that involved urban targets in the United Kingdom. These plots involved using explosives against a variety of sites.

The 2003 Karachi Plot: In the spring of 2003, the United States and a partner disrupted a plot to attack Westerners at several targets in Karachi, Pakistan.

The Heathrow Airport Plot: In 2003, the United States and several partners disrupted a plot to attack London’s Heathrow Airport using hijacked commercial airliners. The planning for this attack was undertaken by a major Sept. 11 operational figure.

The 2004 U.K. Plot: In the spring of 2004, the United States and partners, using a combination of law enforcement and intelligence resources, disrupted a plot to conduct large-scale bombings in the United Kingdom.

The 2002 Arabian Gulf Shipping Plot: In late 2002 and 2003, the United States and a partner nation disrupted a plot by al Qaeda operatives to attack ships in the Arabian Gulf.
The 2002 Strait of Hormuz Plot: In 2002, the United States and partners disrupted a plot to attack ships travelling the Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the Persian Gulf from the Indian Ocean.

The 2003 Tourist Site Plot: In 2003, the United States and a partner nation disrupted a plot to attack a tourist site outside the United States.

Casings and Infiltrations
The U.S. Government and Tourist Sites Tasking: In 2003 and 2004, an individual was tasked by al Qaeda to case important U.S. government and tourist targets within the United States.

The Gas Station Tasking: In approximately 2003, an individual was tasked to collect targeting information on U.S. gas stations and their support mechanisms on behalf of a senior al Qaeda planner.

Iyman Faris and New York’s Brooklyn Bridge: In 2003, and in conjunction with a partner nation, the U.S. government arrested and prosecuted Iyman Faris, who was accused of exploring the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Faris ultimately pleaded guilty to providing material support to al Qaeda and is now in a federal correctional institution.

2001 Tasking: In 2001, al Qaeda sent an individual to facilitate post-Sept. 11 attacks in the United States. U.S. law enforcement authorities arrested the individual.

2003 Tasking: In 2003, an individual was tasked by an al Qaeda leader to conduct reconnaissance on populated areas in the United States.

And of course what about in Europe following the leadership of President Bush

It is widely accepted that al-Qaida relocated its base of operations across the border from Afghanistan after the United States launched the war that removed the al-Qaida-friendly Taliban regime following the 9/11 attacks. Since then, concerns have grown about the border regions becoming a haven for attacks against U.S., European and Afghan forces. What goes on in the lawless frontiers of Pakistan, however, has an impact beyond Afghanistan. It reaches all the way to places such as Amsterdam and Barcelona, and could conceivably extend across the Atlantic, just as activities planned inside Afghanistan had an explosive impact in New York and Washington in September 2001.

Despite Europe’s determined counterterrorism efforts and a long list of successes, the frequency with which plots are uncovered points to the very real possibility that, sooner or later, the terrorists will score another major victory. Already terrorists have inflicted massive casualties in London and Madrid. Extremist killers have struck in Amsterdam, and plots have targeted a number of major European cities, not to mention transatlantic passenger flights.

In 2008 alone, the list of arrests and plots — those made public — shows that militants have not given up their efforts:

* In January, authorities broke up a cell in Barcelona, arresting 10 men they believed were plotting an attack against the Barcelona subway. Most of the suspects were Pakistani and were known to have traveled to the tribal areas.

* In March, Dutch police arrested a 26-year-old Pakistani man in the city of Breda, claiming he was part of a terrorist cell plotting an attack against a Western European target.

* In May, police arrested 10 people in three countries — France, the Netherlands, and Germany — on suspicion of participation in terrorist activities.

* In June, Spanish police working in the anti-terrorism Operation Submarine arrested eight Algerian-born men in three cities. Authorities said the men were members of al-Qaida in the Maghreb, which had just claimed responsibility for bombings in Algeria that killed dozens of civilians, including U.N. officials.

* In September, German authorities at the Cologne-Bonn airport raided a KLM plane just before its scheduled takeoff for Amsterdam and arrested two men, a Somali and a Somali-born German citizen. Police said they had found a suicide note in which the men described their intention to die in a suicide attack.

This is only a partial list. The sheer number of anti-terrorist operations means authorities are doing their job. But it also means the terrorists, too, are pushing forward with their objectives.

Even without any major successes in recent months, terrorist plots concocted by jihadists in Europe are already reshaping the continent. In addition to security ramifications, the militants have an impact on social and political developments. Jihadists living in Europe stoke anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment and thus are changing the political landscape. If they manage to elude anti-terrorist efforts and bring a Mumbai-style massacre — or worse — to Europe, the impact will be even greater.

It has been a long worldwide fight against Al Quaida that began at least 7 or more years before Bush took office and is likely to extend long after he leaves office. If we let down our guard Al Quaida will surley attack us again. Even if we stay vigilant they may succeed again. How we handly that as a nation under Obama will be the deciding factor for our ultimate victory in this war.

kanda on January 14, 2009 at 6:17 AM