Clinton the Anti-Terrorist

Saxby CHAMBLISS is a little perplexed. The Republican congressman from Georgia is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security and a key player in the congressional investigation into the roots of the September 11 attacks. He knows a lot about the subject. Yet it was not until he read a recent issue of Time magazine that he learned that in late 2000 the Clinton administration came up with a new, aggressive, wide-ranging plan to topple the al-Qaeda terrorist network. In an article headlined “Could 9/11 Have Been Prevented?” Time reported that top Clinton officials handed the plan to the incoming Bush administration, but, tragically, the Bush team chose not to act until it was too late. The heroes of the article were Richard Clarke, a top anti-terrorism aide who is said to have put together the plan, and Samuel Berger, President Clinton’s national security adviser, who is portrayed as a tough-talking hardliner on terrorism.

And that’s what has Chambliss perplexed. “I’ve had Dick Clarke testify before our committee several times, and we’ve invited Samuel Berger several times,” Chambliss says, “and this is the first I’ve ever heard of that plan.” If it was such a big deal, Chambliss wonders, why didn’t anyone mention it?

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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Saxby CHAMBLISS is a little perplexed. The Republican congressman from Georgia is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security and a key player in the congressional investigation into the roots of the September 11 attacks. He knows a lot about the subject. Yet it was not until he read a recent issue of Time magazine that he learned that in late 2000 the Clinton administration came up with a new, aggressive, wide-ranging plan to topple the al-Qaeda terrorist network. In an article headlined “Could 9/11 Have Been Prevented?” Time reported that top Clinton officials handed the plan to the incoming Bush administration, but, tragically, the Bush team chose not to act until it was too late. The heroes of the article were Richard Clarke, a top anti-terrorism aide who is said to have put together the plan, and Samuel Berger, President Clinton’s national security adviser, who is portrayed as a tough-talking hardliner on terrorism.

And that’s what has Chambliss perplexed. “I’ve had Dick Clarke testify before our committee several times, and we’ve invited Samuel Berger several times,” Chambliss says, “and this is the first I’ve ever heard of that plan.” If it was such a big deal, Chambliss wonders, why didn’t anyone mention it?