Replies to post #50790 on Politics and Money

[FadeMeToWin]

14 I, me, my in the speech. and he used the word God. I guess at that time, it was ok to be a Christian and belive in God.

[DesertDrifter]

whose my's and me's? the re-election banner on the aircraft carrier that said, "Mission Accomplished"? he bagged out on going after his family's pals, even said it was not a priority. Till obama ordered the go.

[StephanieVanbryce]

AND BUSH closed that OFFICE!_July 4, 2006__C.I.A. Closes Unit Focused on Capture of bin Laden

Bush started the whole process of the intelligence community focusing on searching for bin Laden.

WASHINGTON, July 3 — The Central Intelligence Agency has closed a unit that for a decade had the mission of hunting Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenants, intelligence officials confirmed Monday.

The unit, known as Alec Station, was disbanded late last year and its analysts reassigned within the C.I.A. Counterterrorist Center, the officials said.

The decision is a milestone for the agency, which formed the unit before Osama bin Laden became a household name and bolstered its ranks after the Sept. 11 attacks, when President Bush pledged to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice "dead or alive."

The realignment reflects a view that Al Qaeda is no longer as hierarchical as it once was, intelligence officials said, and a growing concern about Qaeda-inspired groups that have begun carrying out attacks independent of Mr. bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

SNIP ~~

The decision to close the unit was first reported Monday by National Public Radio.

Michael Scheuer, a former senior C.I.A. official who was the first head of the unit, said the move reflected a view within the agency that Mr. bin Laden was no longer the threat he once was.

Mr. Scheuer said that view was mistaken.

"This will clearly denigrate our operations against Al Qaeda," he said. "These days at the agency, bin Laden and Al Qaeda appear to be treated merely as first among equals."

Go READ the whole thing
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/washington/04intel.html

[StephanieVanbryce]

CNN In 2008:__Obama "Wants To Renew The U.S. Committing To Finding ... Bin Laden." From a November 12, 2008, article on CNN.com:

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-12/politics/binladen.hunt_1_tora-bora-bin-intelligence-officials?_s=PM:POLITICS

Bush In 2002: "I Truly Am Not Concerned About" Bin Laden. From a March 14, 2002, Reuters article titled, "Bin Laden not a concern: Bush"

Bush Quotes about Bin Laden

November 13, 2002

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01

"I want justice...There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,'"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI

"...Secondly, he is not escaping us. This is a guy, who, three months ago, was in control of a county [sic]. Now he's maybe in control of a cave. He's on the run. Listen, a while ago I said to the American people, our objective is more than bin Laden. But one of the things for certain is we're going to get him running and keep him running, and bring him to justice. And that's what's happening. He's on the run, if he's running at all. So we don't know whether he's in cave with the door shut, or a cave with the door open -- we just don't know...."
- Bush, in remarks in a Press Availablity with the Press Travel Pool,
The Prairie Chapel Ranch, Crawford TX, 12/28/01, as reported on
official White House site

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden's whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/11/13_Laden.html