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Bill Clinton: I got closer to killing bin Laden »
Posted by: jeremytoday 1 year, 11 months agoIn a contentious taped interview that aired on "Fox News Sunday," former president Bill Clinton vigorously defended his efforts as president to capture and kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
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Comments: 514
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CodeNameHawk
Sept. 24, 2006, 4:06 p.m.How many embassies, world trade center, SS Cole ships happened on Clinton's watch? That planning of the Towers was long in preparation. It was not planned the 'second' Bush became President, yet he is blamed for the 7 months (I say 7 cause he took the month off in Jan and it was at the beginning of Sept.)the planning was done on Clinton's watch and just happened during Bush's term. Clinton showed his true colors by his buldging eyes when Chris broached the subject of bin Laden. Had he have used that firey temper on bin Laden, he might have gotten him early on.
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miklkit
Sept. 24, 2006, 5:29 p.m.We only have 1/7th as many troops in Afghanistan as Iraq???!?!?!?!? Further proof that the Bin Laden family owns Bush, body and soul.
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jordan11
Sept. 24, 2006, 6:32 p.m.CodeNameHawk: It was bush's responsibility to set priorities, whether he took a month off or not. Terrorism was NOT one of his priorities. That is a fact. Terrorism WAS one of Clinton's priorities. That is a fact. Nothing you say will change that.
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kesac
Sept. 24, 2006, 7:04 p.m.I think it is significant that Clinton has been asked this question only once in the last 5 years, and he goes off the deep end about Conservatives being out to get him and the Reporter doing "Fox's corporate bidding".
The FBI and the CIA have told us that they were ready to pick up bin Laden in '98 in Afghanistan, and that plan was canceled by Janet Reno. I wish she had canceled Waco instead, but hindsight is 20/20.
Clinton tells us he made the effort and then gave up. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time.
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holden-caulfield
Sept. 24, 2006, 8:26 p.m.OH, the ol' "bait & switch" huh? Well at least Clinton was prepared to answer the question and back it up with facts even though he TOLD those ppl that he was there to discuss his "global initiative".
((Clinton also lashed out at Fox's Chris Wallace, accusing him of promising to discuss Clinton's initiative on climate change, then straying from the issue by asking why the former president didn't do more to "put bin Laden and al Qaeda out of business."))
BRAVO, President Clinton! Would GW have pulled an answer out of his @ss and articulate it so well? I think NOT!
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Locky12
Sept. 24, 2006, 8:50 p.m.Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades. Clinton is belly-aching that Bush had 8 months to catch Bin Laden, meanwhile, Clinton had 8 Years and did NOTHING when the Cole was bombed!
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Locky12
Sept. 24, 2006, 8:52 p.m.Kesac brings up Waco. Speaking of Waco, Janet Reno ordered a tank to be driven into the Koresh compound when David Koresh killed himself, and then the tank killed 89 women and children. But I never heard anyone yelling about excessive force or "torture". But it was Clinton, and he could do no wrong.
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joeeddie
Sept. 24, 2006, 8:59 p.m.In the video of the Larry King interview that is linked on the same page, Clinton's "smugness" is quite obvious. His eyes tell a different story than his words. On the Fox interview it sounds as if he is slightly drunk. The intonation of his words and his mannerisms are very reminiscent of his "I did not have sex with that woman" interview.
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austinandjustin
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:19 p.m.Bush has had six years and counting to bring in bin Ladin. During this time he has said that capturing him wan't a priority. When Kerry brought it up as an election issue, Bush changed his mind and decided it once again was. When it comes to Waco, to me it's always been simple if the government, whether it is your local police force, the state patrol, or federal agents surrounding you, you come out with your hands up. You don't wait 51 days before you do so. If you don't think they have a case you bring it up in court after you surrender.
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mamasan
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:34 p.m.And why bring up Waco?
If it had been Bush who had done that you would be applauding him for being so Macho.
Bill is wonderful, glad to see him around again.
The only smug person I saw was the dweeb who did the interview.
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william-sire
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:39 p.m.This interview shows why Clinton failed. Osama Bin Laden was not Lex Louthor and all would not have been well if Clinton had been successfull in killing Bin Laden. He should have gone after terrorism in the same manner Gorge Bush has, recognizing we are at war with Islamic extremist.
That being said Bill Clinton is just a cry baby. "I'm mad !! FOX is bieng mean to me." Boo Hoo Hoo. Pathetic ! Chris Wallace should have offered him a cigar.
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mamasan
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:42 p.m.Still love ya Bill and I will have a cigar with you any day!
HO was that the dweebs name?
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sarabara
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:43 p.m.Chris Wallace said that he was allowed to spend half of the interview talking about Clinton's initiative on climate change, and the other half asking Clinton whatever he wanted.
With the war going on and all of the drama surrounding the docudrama on ABC, I think it was a perfectly fair question. Clinton should have expected he would be asked about it. He could have answered it without being rude.
He looked like an a--hole.
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ShredOutOfBounds
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:45 p.m.Holden Caulfield, check your facts! The agreement between Fox and Clinton was for a half hour interview: 15 minutes of open questions(you know, like the derrogatory and accusatory ones your favorite reporters ask of Republicans ALL THE TIME), and 15 minutes on Clinton's Global Initative. Clinton chose to use his Global Initative time to defend himself and attack Wallace, the Republicans, and any starry-eyed interns within reach.
Well, I'll give ******on credit for going into a forum that wouldn't kiss up to him. Beyond that, boo diddy freakin hoo for having to answer a difficult question. Clinton's accusation that Fox's Chris Wallace was "trying to be clever and make his bones"and that he had a "smug little smile ", apparently Clinton has never watched Fox News Sunday, because Wallace grills EVERYONE! Clinton's accusation of a vast right wing conspiracy holds as much water as Perot's black helicopters.
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ShredOutOfBounds
Sept. 24, 2006, 9:53 p.m.Mamasan, the "dweeb" was Chris Wallace, son of CBS's Mike Wallace, democrat, and a fair, objective journalist. The kind that grills everyone, not just Republicans, as you would have it.
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Twistoflex
Sept. 24, 2006, 10:12 p.m.It's so much easier to walk around sleepwalking suffering from amnesia than it is to face the horrible truth - even when that truth was once reported.
An air corridor was cleared for bin Laden's escape from Tora Bora. High level al Qaeda were evacuated on two Blackhawks and over 600 al Qaeda and Taliban fighters evacuated on C-130s - all bound for neighboring Pakistan. This occured in the most militarily secured airspace in the world.
How did this happen? How could it happen? There's only one way it could have happened: by direct orders from our titular POTUS.
Flummoxed Special Forces troops on the ground awaiting orders to move in were horrified to witness the evacuation. They were later stationed at a base in Fayetteville, N. Carolina. Soon reports emerged of mysterious murder suicides of three of these troops and their wives at this base.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1016720641536424083
See for yourselves.
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mamasan
Sept. 24, 2006, 10:19 p.m.I do not watch the fox enough to know who is who.
Well sad that wallaces son will never have the kind of career he had. He wound up on fox!
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zeker
Sept. 24, 2006, 10:40 p.m.Great job Chris. Slick Willy looked like he had something bothering his conscience again. Goodness I hope this country don't let him and his whatever she is in the whitehouse again.
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ShredOutOfBounds
Sept. 24, 2006, 10:41 p.m.Mamasan, FYI
Chris Wallace was:
NBC Nightly News, Chief White House Correspondent (1983-1989)
ABC Primetime Live, Contributing Anchor (1989-1998)
ABC 20/20, Correspondent (1998-2003)
Among many other assignments in his long, distinguished career.
And as for Fox News, check the Nielsen ratings. Are you one of the three people who watch MSNBC?
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kriicket
Sept. 24, 2006, 11:18 p.m.Excuse me, but wasnt he the PRESIDENT of the country???? Why did he let the CIA and FBI stop him?? Seems to me that as president, he might have a little bit of pull somewhere along the lines.
I have wondered though, what Al Gore would have done if he had been in office instead of Bush. Would we (the nation) be bashing him in the same way if he did things the same way as Bush??
As far as Bill Clinton goes, I have no respect for him at all. Bill made a laughing stock of the U.S. with lies about his affair, long before Bush ever became president.
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lfergie812
Sept. 24, 2006, 11:25 p.m.kriicket
Al Gore would not have done the same thing as Bush. Al Gore was not a friend of the family of bin Laden. Gore would have carried out the orders that Clinton put in place before he left office that Bush chose to ignored or cancel.
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lfergie812
Sept. 24, 2006, 11:34 p.m.That's why Chris Wallace is on FOX. He couldn't get a steady job on the other networks.
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ShredOutOfBounds
Sept. 24, 2006, 11:40 p.m.lfergie812 What?! Did I miss the pictures of the Bin Ladens in Keenebunkport at Thanksgiving or something? And what orders did Clinton leave? To pardon Bin Laden on sight? Oh I guess Bin Laden didn't make the long list of convicted felons/democratic campaign contributors that Clinton pardoned...
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