Bush misled the American public in the 2000 Election Campaign

[Dreadsox]

To me there a quite a number of unanswered questions about the attacks. For example, why were wealthy Saudis allowed to fly out the of the US just days after the event at a time when all civilian aircraft were grounded? Why were the planes not shot down?

Richard Clarke in his book, which is mostly a criticism of the Bush Administration, took responsibility for allowing that to occur.

My wife, has hidden all of my books on this topic, when I get the information as to their location I will type out the information.

Clarke based on my recollection stated that the people they allowed to fly where known individuals who had been checked before 9/11. There were no unknown commodities allowed this privelage. He also did not allow them to fly out of the country but approved of their flights inside the US to get to places where international flights were set to resume.

Richard Clarke's book was very interesting to me because he had worked for President Bush, President Clinton, and President Bush. His career spanned different administrations and was no fan of the son's administration.

In terms of the reasons for the attacks, there is a theory, which I find intriguing, that Bush administration was in negotiations with the Taliban to build an oil pipeline - however the negotiations broke down and a few months later 911 happened. According to this theory, although Bin Laden was probably planning the attacks for quite some time, he did not give the final instructions until he got clearance from the Taliban who at that stage were protecting him.

I do not buy this, but maybe I need to read more into it.

I still believe that it has more to do with the US having to use Saudi Arabia to enforce the no fly zones and UN Resolutions after Gulf War Iraq.

In my opinion, the causes of 9/11 are more closely linked to this. I think the US had to invade to be able to have a chance at leaving the area. Granted, this is through the lense of thinking Iraq would have the a-bomg in 2005-2006 as German intel believed.

 

[financeguy]

I still believe that it has more to do with the US having to use Saudi Arabia to enforce the no fly zones and UN Resolutions after Gulf War Iraq.

In my opinion, the causes of 9/11 are more closely linked to this. I think the US had to invade to be able to have a chance at leaving the area.

Quite possibly, I don't have fixed views on the subject.

 

[verte76]

But do you really believe we would have had a war in Iraq IF 9/11 did not happen?

I happen to think that Iraq would have been invaded if it hadn't been for 9/11, yes. But I can't prove this obviously.

 

[Dreadsox]

Quite possibly, I don't have fixed views on the subject.

I am also of the opinion that Saddam did everything possible to make people think that he had WMD. I think he was fearful of losing power to people from within and from outside of Iraq.

 

[Dreadsox]

I happen to think that Iraq would have been invaded if it hadn't been for 9/11, yes. But I can't prove this obviously.

I do not think he would have had the votes in the House and Senate to get the war powers.

 

[verte76]

I do not think he would have had the votes in the House and Senate to get the war powers.

Quite possibly not. 9/11 did change the public's mind about certain kinds of military activities, I don't question that. I remember feeling so strange supporting Bush on Afghanistan because I normally don't support his policies. But I did support that ouster of Islamofascists.