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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Book review: 'Decision Points' by George W. Bush



The following is an excerpt from an article on November 10, 2010 Los Angeles Times along with my comments (in red) on the article as stated by George W.
  The former president delivers an unexpectedly engrossing rehash of what he considers to be the pivotal moments of his eight years in office.



George W. Bush
Former U.S. President George W. Bush waves while signing copies of his
new memoir "Decision Points" at Borders Books on November 9, 2010 in
Dallas, Texas. (Tom Pennington / Getty Images /November 9, 2010)


Nearly midway through "Decision Points," Bush writes that, "History can debate the decisions I made, the policies I chose, and the tools I left behind. But there can be no debate about one fact: After the nightmare of September 11, America went seven and a half years without another successful terrorist attack on our soil. If I had to summarize my most meaningful accomplishment as president in one sentence, that would be it."

The following is a comment by the Editor 'Bush Decision Points' regarding Bush's statement above...

No doubt that history will debate the decisions George W. has made. Unfortunately for him, history will not be so kind. As George W. states, the "most meaningful accomplishment as president in one sentence, that would be it". He is referring to the 7 1/2 years without another successful terrorist attack. Pardon me George W. but most presidents in history have prevented terrorist attacks. Some were not so lucky, and neither were you. The only difference here is that because of your failure to act, the terrorists had the opportunity to strike. Mr. George W. you knew about the possibility of an attack.  

Here is the proof, and I plan to publish articles to prove it..



Bush Knew AND Bush lied before and after 9/11: White House quietly acknowledged that the threats are not urgent and that they are partly motivated by political objectives. Hosni Mubarek, the recently deposed leader of Egypt also warned Bush of an imminent attack just 12 days before Sept. 11, 2001. We now know that Bush and his supporters knew that the terrorist attack was coming, and we're learning more every day about just how much they really knew. Bush's people spent quite a bit of time trying to blame the FBI, CIA, and others for either massive intelligence failures, or a failure to more fully inform Bush, or both. Additionally, Cheney advised Bush not to hand over any of the intelligence briefings prior to September 11, 2001, he has also refused to cooperate with the idea of convening an independent commission to investigate those terrible events. 


Bush is singularly unapologetic and clear about the fact that he personally ordered the torture of key Al Qaeda members, who CIA interrogators were convinced held information of other planned terrorist attacks. (Bush also continues to insist that water-boarding is not torture.) When then-CIA Director George Tenet asked whether he had permission to water-board Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind, Bush replied, "Damn right." Bush writes that about 100 "terrorists" were placed in the CIA interrogation program and that about a third "were questioned using enhanced interrogation"; three were water-boarded. All, according to Bush, gave up usable intelligence that thwarted other acts of terrorism. Other reports have contradicted that assertion, but Bush is firm on the point.


The following is a comment by the Editor 'Bush Decision Points' regarding Bush's statement above...

The fact that George W. did personally order the torture of key Al Qaeda members, who CIA interrogators were convinced held information of other planned terrorist attacks, it another reason why George W's. torture methods should be used on him, so that America can find out exactly what he knew. Of course, Barack Obama has more common sense, and torture and water-boarding will not be used on Bush. Still, he did know about the possible attacks but will not admit to it, rather he unquestionably claims credit for no other future attacks. He says that is his greatest accomplishment. All of his failures that he cannot hide could have all been accomplishments, for example, helping the people of New Orleans overcome the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, instead of not doing much to help the flooded city. I can go on and on here. 


Similarly, he writes that his stomach still churns over the fact that he and the rest of the country were misled by faulty intelligence concerning Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, but that the nation and world still are better off with the Iraqi dictator deposed. His only real regret, in fact, is that he failed to act more rapidly and decisively when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.


The following is a comment by the Editor 'Bush Decision Points' regarding Bush's statement above...

George W. feels he was misled, and for this I'll give him the 'shadow of a doubt'. But I truly believe that George W. had more motives and in a sense, allowed the 911 attacks to happen because then he wanted to show the country he could take control and muster up an offensive against Saddam Hussein. George W. and the CIA definitely knew that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction, but he needed a reason to retaliate against a man who caused his father so many problems concerning Kuwait, that he decided to take the matter up under his watch and finish what his father started. What a prime opportune time to get the country to back you in an attack after the event of 911. President George W. used the American people. 
George W. feels that because the Iraqi dictator is gone, the nation and the world is better off today. That may be the case, but did that give him the right to carry on what his father George H.W. started, and that was to continue to kill thousands of Iraqi citizens to get to one man?! To be a commander and chief with those notions, it's almost hard to believe that he didn't start a world war. Tensions in the Middle East during his Presidency were at a 'boiling point', and it wouldn't have taken much to get countries to retaliate against the United States. As far as hurricane Katrina goes, at least he does admit fault for not acting rapidly and decisively. The only problem with that statement is that during his whole 8 years as president, he failed to act rapidly and decisively on most every domestic front, because he was too busy concentrating on his self made war in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

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