by TChris

Former White House counterterrorism coordinator Richard A. Clarke reveals in a new book that Donald Rumsfeld advocated bombing Iraq the day after the attack on the World Trade Center. Never mind the absence of any connection between Iraq and the World Trade Center attack. Never mind that counterterrorism experts reminded Rumseld that Al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan, not Iraq.

Clarke, who is expected to testify Tuesday before a federal panel reviewing the attacks, said Rumsfeld complained in the meeting that "there aren't any good targets in Afghanistan and there are lots of good targets in Iraq."

Well, if that's where the "good" targets are, who cares whether they're the right targets?

Clarke also accuses the Bush administration of turning a blind eye to terrorism during the first months of Bush's presidency. As TalkLeft reported yesterday, his accusation is supported by testimony soon to be provided by President Clinton's Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and national security adviser, who repeatedly warned the incoming Bush team (including Condoleezza Rice) that Al Qaeda posed the worst security threat facing the country. An administration fixated on Saddam Hussein and tax cutting paid scant attention to the Al Qaeda warnings.