On September 12th and 13th, Bush had top-level meetings to figure out what to DO after 9/11.
The first and most obvious target was Afghanistan, and that is what many at the meeting said should be our top priority. It was going to be hard, but they were DANGEROUS. Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld and others (with Cheney laying back and keeping quiet) argued that Iraq should be the first, most pressing target. Fortunately, they were overruled by Bush, who listened to others about Afghanistan being the most pressing real, actual threat. Bush asked for plans for Afghanistan. Rumsfeld had some difficulties getting the Pentagon to give him a plan he liked (they were talking half million troops and almost a year to get moving on the ground. It seems they hadn't yet bought into the Rumsfeld quick-light-and-mobile "transformation" plan) The CIA (in the person of George Tenet) went around Rumsfeld and pitched a covert ops plan (that took advantage of exactly the desire you mentioned to be free) to Bush. Which Bush accepted. And told Rumsfeld to give Tenet all the support he needed. Everything was going pretty well in Afghanistan until Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, et all got Bush to take his eye off that ball and let himself be sidetracked into Iraq. We pulled troops out of Afghanistan in such numbers that the great strides being made in Afghanistan slowed to a trickle. And the troops left in Afghanistan had a much tougher time due to the reduced force levels. So SOME of Bush's advisors were against going into Afghanistan. And for leaving Afghanistan undone behind them as the moved on to Iraq. Jerry Johnson >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/28/04 11:09AM >>> The Bush administration was against going into Afghanistan?????? Where did you come up with that? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Purchase from House of Fusion, a Macromedia Authorized Affiliate and support the CF community. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=38 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:133194 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
