On This Date in Bush History 12/11: Big Threats, Small Actions
"Well done is better than well said." Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1737
2001: President George W. Bush says today: "One former al Qaeda member has testified in court that he was involved in an effort 10 years ago to obtain nuclear materials. And the leader of al Qaeda calls that effort ‘a religious duty’ ... Together, we must keep the world’s most dangerous technologies out of the hands of the world’s most dangerous people. A crucial partner in this effort is Russia - a nation we are helping to dismantle strategic weapons, reduce nuclear material, and increase security at nuclear sites".
Decisive talk from the president. Yet, in 2004, the Washington Post publishes the results of a Harvard study. That study states: "Less fissile material was secured in the two years after [9/11] than in the two years just before" and "Half the equipment dispatched to Russia nearly four years ago as a fast, interim solution [to secure nuclear materials] remains in warehouses". This, despite Bush's stated belief that the danger of weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons, falling into terrorists' hands is the greatest threat we face. It seems odd, therefore, that in the wake of 9/11 the Bush administration would actually be securing less foreign nuclear material than had been done prior to 9/11.
It would also seem puzzling that President Bush, as his major initiative against terrorism, mobilizes the U.S. military at great expense to invade a country that inspectors had said, prior to the war, showed no evidence of possessing nuclear materials. Meanwhile North Korea and Iran were known to be developing their nuclear capabilities. While force is not the solution to every problem, it does seem odd that the country where the most U.S. military resources are being expended is non-nuclear Iraq.
"you disarm, or we will." President Bush, October 5th 2002
Read more in the 2008 Calendar/Day Planner/Stocking Stuffer: "Poor George's Almanac"
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Comments: 11
And your revisionism on the inspectors, and what the "said" before the liberation of Iraq-- spectacular, and so closely in line with the dogma from the DNC.
Gotta love it baby.
We're doing exactly what we should be doing over there.
Gotta love it baby.
I thought you did your research on this. In the years leading up to 9/11, we OVER halved the Russian stockpile, by negotiation and outright purchases. The quantity available to downgrade is getting smaller and smaller by the year.
In 2002 the countries of the 'G8' vowed to raise $20 billion to fund the work of securing nuclear material. To date only $3.5 billion has been made available. The Center for Strategic and International Studies shows that there are 165 nuclear research reactors around the globe, many with weak security. No plans have yet been made to deal with small nuclear devices, called tactical nukes, scattered around Russia. A Harvard study, 'Securing the Bomb' by Matthew Bunn and Anthony Wier, notes that "Civilian facilities such as research reactors often have little more security than a night watchman and a chainlink fence".
Former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia, now cochairman of the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative, notes the contradiction between world leader's statements, which emphasize the dangers of these materials in the wrong hands, and what they actually are doing, which is not enough.
"Acquiring weapons and material is the hardest step for terrorists to take but the easiest step for us to stop" Nunn says. He points out that there is "a big gap between words and deeds, a big gap between pledges and programs, and a big gap between goals and accomplishments".
Incidentally, I respect Sam Nunn immensely. Now there's a Conservative 'strong on defense' Democrat that can be admired. Why are men like Mr. Nunn in such short supply in the Democratic party?
Or because we're the only country who gives a damn?
I don't see anyone else in the world stepping up to help terrorized nations the way America does. And that makes all the difference in the world.