Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Bush and Mumbai, a fitting exit for a failed presidency

Months before the attack on the World Trade Center it is now revealed that Bush had months of intelligence warnings that an attack by air on an unspecified US target was being planned, and failed to prepare or respond until thousands were dead, and the buildings were a smoldering heap. Seven years later, and three months before the act, Bush was informed by US intelligence of an intercepted satellite call indicating that a sea-borne attack against Mumbai was being planned. To his credit the informed the Indian Government was informed but apparently filed the warning, and months of follow-up warnings, away and never passed it along to their own security services, who were totally unprepared when the attack occurred. For three months the Bush Administration followed the intercepts, for three months they were aware of the danger but never thought to issue a warning to citizens traveling to, or living in Mumbai. When the threat turned fact the administration denied prior knowledge. Callousness, or sheer ineptitude?