NSA James Jones: Obama's Decisions Make U.S. More Secure

ryanc...Threat: 1.Expression of an INTENTION to inflict something harmful. 2.An indication of impending danger or harm. 3. One regarded as a POSSIBLE danger: MENANCE

Houghton Mifflin College Dictonary

To say Saddam Hussein posed no "threat" to either our allies or ourselves is someone who is in complete:

Denial: 1. A refusal to comply with or satisfy a request. 2. A refusal to acknowledge the truth of a statement or allegation: CONTRADICTION. 3. A rejection as of a doctrine or belief. 4. The act of disowning or disavowing: REPUDIATION...And finally...SELF-DENIAL

One additional comment regarding Saddam Hussein, as you recall President Bush frequently stated: "If you hide a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you provide comfort to a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorist."

Within the Authorization For Use Of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 are the following statements:

"Whereas Iraq’s demonstrated capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction, the risk that the current Iraqi regime will either employ those weapons to launch a surprise attack against the United States or its Armed Forces or provide them to international terrorists who would do so, and the extreme magnitude of harm that would result to the United States and its citizens from such an attack, combine to justify action by the United States to defend itself;"

AND

"Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens;" (NOTE: Saddam Hussein provided at least $10 million to the families--up to $25,000 per family--of Palestinian suicide bombers who attacked Israel.)"

I ask you, what would your response be today if we had NOT invaded Iraq and Iraq had given WMDs to terrorists who then attacked Israel, Europe or even the United States? I reiterate, it was the result of our invasion of Iraq that PROVED that Iraq no longer had WMDs.

1. The Democrats claimed that Iraq's WMDs posed a serious threat to the United States and Iraq's neighbors in 1998. Some even said the threat was imminent. So Congress passed the Iraq Liberation Act. All throughout 1998-2000 the the Clinton Administration continued to talk about the threat that Iraq posed to the United States.

2. The Bush Administration was briefed during the transition by the Clinton Administration on Iraq's WMDs and the threat that it posed to the United States and Iraq's neighbors in Dec 2000 and Jan 2001.

3. The intelligence agencies continued to brief President Bush on Iraq's WMD programs.

4. Former Ambassador Joe Wilson returned from his African trip and verbally told the CIA that an Iraq delegation had traveled to Niger in 1999 and that Niger officials believed that they were interested in buying uranium. Contrary to what his article stated, the CIA believed that this corroborated their belief that Saddam Hussein was seeking yellowcake uranium. NOTE: Iraq sold 550 metric tons of yellowcake uranium to Canada in July of 2008.

5. At one point, Iraq actually launched a missile at one of our planes while it was in Kuwaiti airspace. NOTE: This alone was an act of war.

6. Following the attacks of 9/11, President Bush changed our national security policy to one of being proactive -- we would no longer wait until after an attack or until a threat became imminent before taking action.

7. Congress passed the Authorization For Use Of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Read the entire resolution. It's on the Internet.

8. We learned that Iraq did not have WMDs ONLY AFTER the invasion. However the fact that Iraq did not have WMDs is irrelevant. That's because one of the conditions of the 1991 Cease Fire was that Saddam Hussein had to prove that he no longer had WMDs. After 12 years of failing to comply with a single condition of the ceasefire, the UN Security Council finally issued it final ultimatum in 2002. However, they made it clear that they had no intention of following through on the ultimatum. So President Bush issued his own final ultimatum. When Saddam Hussein refused to comply, President Bush rescinded the 1991 Cease Fire and resumed the original Gulf War.

9. The Bush Administration did not view the invasion as a cakewalk. For months leading up to the invasion there was much discussion of how difficult the street fighting would be. Then, when at the very last minute Turkey denied our use of their airspace for the northern flank of the invasion, the Bush Administration knew that minus the northern flank we would not be able to contain Saddam Hussein's army in Baghdad. And that would make the battle even more difficult.

"Kuwait Invaded by Iraq forces, Gulf War, NFZ Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch protecting Kurds and mission of preventing further inhumane acts against civilian populations American and British received anti-aircraft fire from Iraqi forces daily"

ZERO THREAT to the United States.

ZERO Threat to our allies in the MidEast.

The attack on Iraq was viewed by the lunatics in the Bush admin as a cakewalk and something to burnish Bush's national defense credibility in the wake of 9/11 happening on his watch.

Over 4000 Americans have died, with tens of thousands maimed as well as over a hundred thousand Iraqi civilians dead because Bush made the decision to attack a country that was no threat to us. Even cooking up intelligence to scare the American people to go along with it.

ryan c...Kuwait Invaded by Iraq forces, Gulf War, NFZ Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch protecting Kurds and mission of preventing further inhumane acts against civilian populations American and British received anti-aircraft fire from Iraqi forces daily....Ummmm sounds like threat too me...

James Jones' comments make his NSA job more secure.

"Following the attacks of 9/11, the Bush Administration changed our national security policy from being "reactive" to being "proactive.""

So they attacked a country that was zero threat to us or our allies.

Makes total sense.

"I repeat, what did attacking and invading Iraq
have to do with the 9/11 attack"

Did you ever go read the authorization for war approved by both parties in Congress? If you get time, please do.

Following the attacks of 9/11, the Bush Administration changed our national security policy from being "reactive" to being "proactive."
Posted by: James Danley

I repeat, what did attacking and invading Iraq
have to do with the 9/11 attack

He explained the US was safer because of the decision to close the detention facility, increased defense spending, the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the responsible pullout of troops from Iraq.
This is an opinion based on an
already failed strategy aka blah, blah,
blah!
There is No Proof that the decision to
close Gitmo has made us safer unless
you count the fact that the Iranians and the North Koreans are going
forward with their nuclear programs
despite our "stern warnings"! LOL.
The new strategy in Afganistan and
Pakistan is working? How? When? Bull!
The Iraq withdrawn was negotiated
under President Bush.
In other words Jones is a Liar!

"The extent of the cuts remains unclear, but the flying-hour reductions will last until the end of the fiscal year as part of the Navy’s fleetwide efforts to deal with the budget crunch on Capitol Hill."

So much for that increase in defense spending Mr. Jones.

"So, Mr. President, are we still fighting a global 'war on terror', or not?"

Oh no, its overseas contingency operations. Friend of mine made an awesome recreation of an old WW2 poster that says "America is at War and Uncle Sam wants you!" He modified it and it said "America is at Overseas Contigency Operations and Uncle Same wants you to fight man-caused-disasters"

Lol its a riot.

"He has said clearly and unequivocally that we are at war with terrorism and terrorism can take many facets."

The former President was often accused of fighting a 'verb'...i.e., fighting 'terrorism', not 'terrorists'.

So, Mr. President, are we still fighting a global 'war on terror', or not?

Oh Yeah wrote: "I missed your explanation of what exactly did 9/11 have to do with the invasion of Iraq."

Following the attacks of 9/11, the Bush Administration changed our national security policy from being "reactive" to being "proactive."

"I'm not so sure that hundreds of years of animosity toward that West are really affected by the Gitmo closing.. it seems a stretch....to me..."

Does nothing really. Our enemies didn't care really. Any use of GITMO propaganda wise by our enemies was directed towards the west. It had a bigger impact with our allies though changing it doesn't some how magically mean our allies will commit more resources for US interests, that won't change either. So what we get out of it is closing something that was demonized by political banter. Sort of our own self created boogeyman that we have to get rid of now after we dressed him up as the boogeyman. In reality all we are doing is taking off the boogeyman costume and moving him elsewhere. Didn't change anything. But makes for good rhetoric.

Spencer wrote: "...however he did receive briefings in Crawford on August 6th prior to 9/11 from CIA who flew there out of grave concern of an impending attack."

Have you read the briefing? It's on the Internet for everyone to read. The last three paragraphs state:

"We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a ---- service in 1998 saying that Bin Laden wanted to hijack a U.S. aircraft to gain the release of "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel Rahman and other U.S.-held extremists.

"Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

"The FBI is conducting approximately 70 full-field investigations throughout the U.S. that it considers bin Laden-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our embassy in the UAE in May saying that a group or bin Laden supporters was in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives."

There was NO warning of an "impending attack." To the contrary it stated that there has been "suspicicious activity" since 1998.

What else would you expect President Bush to have done? The FBI and the CIA were investigating every reported threat. Unfortunately the "wall" that the Clinton administration placed preventing law enforcement from communicating with the intelligence agencies didn't allow the FBI and the CIA to share their findings. Would sharing or even join investigations have prevented 9/11? Possibly! But we will never know.

I'm not so sure that hundreds of years of animosity toward that West are really affected by the Gitmo closing.. it seems a stretch....to me...

...also, not convinced that the Iraq/Afghan/Paki.. policy is really a big change or adds to regional stability..

maybe this guy is using the POTUS's teleprompter... nothing new or convincing..so far as I can tell....

"increased defense spending"
Defense Budget in Billions (adjusted for purchasing power)

FY07 600.9
FY08 566.2 (Budget and emergency spending actually went up in FY08, but lost purchasing power)
FY09 515.4
FY10 523.8
FY11 530.3
FY12 539.1
FY13 548.9

According to the national defense budget, even by FY13, the Obama administration will still be below FY08 defense budget. OH but they increase defense spending from FY09 to FY13. What a joke.

"increased defense spending"

Ok Mr. Jones, you know people can look this up. Defense budget for FY09, according to Defense Budget Estimates for FY09, shows a decrease of 51 Billion dollars, going from current (at the time) 552.3 Billion to 501.4 Billion for FY09. I guess even Mr. Jones integrity can be compromised.

"He explained the US was safer because of the decision to close the detention facility, increased defense spending, the new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the responsible pullout of troops from Iraq."

Wow, Jones has really swallowed this one whole. I know for a fact cause I work in DOD that there are budget issues beginning to come up accross the DOD. The Navy has a hold on all PCS moves until next fiscal year! Pilots out on aircraft carriers are flying 3 times a week instead of twice a day. Wheres that increased defense spending Mr. Jones???