Clinton's Counter-terrorism bill was outstanding... Republicans failed.

[madfloridian]

They called him a warmonger. Oh, yeah, who is the warmonger now, dear little Republicans. They said he would restrict our freedoms. Oh, yeah, well who is really restricting our freedoms now because he failed to keep us safe. Oh, right, that would be our illustrious leader Bush.

Read this bill President Clinton proposed in 1996. And shed a few tears because the WTC need never have happened. The Republicans failed to let Clinton keep us safe...and they are failing miserably now...the bastards.

http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/WH_fact_sheet_10_96.html

SCREEN CHECKED BAGGAGE: $91.1 MILLION (APPROVED)

SCREEN CARRY-ON BAGGAGE: $37.8 MILLION (APPROVED)

CANINE TEAMS: $8.9 MILLION (APPROVED)

AUGMENT FAA SECURITY RESEARCH: $20 MILLION (APPROVED)

SECURITY WORKFORCE: $18 MILLION (APPROVED)

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS: $5.5 MILLION (APPROVED)

PASSENGER PROFILING: $10 MILLION (APPROVED)

SCREENER TRAINING: $5.3 MILLION (APPROVED)

SCREEN PASSENGERS (PORTALS) AND DOCUMENT SCANNERS: $1 MILLION (APPROVED)

ANTI-TERRORISM ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS: $2 MILLION (APPROVED AS EARMARK OF EXISTING FUNDS)

DEPLOYING EXISTING TECHNOLOGY TO INSPECT INTERNATIONAL AIR CARGO: $31.4 MILLION (APPROVED, BUT NEED ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY TO MAXIMIZE EFFECTIVENESS)

PROVIDE ADDITIONAL AIR/COUNTERTERRORISM SECURITY: $26.6 MILLION (APPROVED, BUT NEED ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY TO MAXIMIZE EFFECTIVENESS)

TAGGANTS STUDY: $21.3 MILLION (APPROVED)

There is so much more at the website link.

http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/WH_fact_sheet_10_96.html

Apparently these programs were either never followed through on because they were too busy hassling Clinton for a blow job....or they dismantled them.

[madfloridian]

1. Interesting items...pertinent today. 9/11 did not have to happen.

CUSTOMS SERVICE: EXPLOSIVES AND RADIATION DETECTION EQUIPMENT: $2.2 MILLION (APPROVED)

Provide Customs with explosives/radiation detection equipment for use by inspectors at heavily trafficked gateway ports. This equipment will he used to assist inspectors by helping them detect explosive and radioactive materials smuggled in imported merchandise. (Customs Service)

IMPROVE TECHNOLOGY TO PREVENT NUCLEAR SMUGGLING: $8 MILLION (DENIED, BUT RELATED ITEM FUNDED IN THE FY 1997 ENERGY/WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL)

Expand DOE assistance in control of nuclear materials at U.S. Customs and border control points. Expand analytical and technical support by DOE's national laboratories to U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Speed the development of prototype equipment for "tagging" nuclear materials and for active methods to enhance detection and trace the source of trafficked material. (Energy Department)

FBI: CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE FACILITY: $2 MILLION (DENIED)

Fund architecture and engineering for a facility to support the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG). The CIRG is currently staffed by 147 Special Agents and 60 support personnel who provide operational support, guidance, and training in cases involving crisis management, hostage negotiation, abduction or mysterious disappearance of children, serial killings, Criminal Investigative Analysis, Special Weapons Tactics, the protection of the Attorney General, and the assessment, selection and training of FBI undercover employees. The CIRG building would be located at the Quantico Marine Corps Base. (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The small man behind the curtain failed us during Katrina and also 9/11

And yes, we saw a president "descend into failure" in front of the whole world. Thanks for saying that, Governor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUyMsYzRwZs

Our Democratics can fight terrorism much better than they can.

[LeighAnn]

2. Here is my favorite article on this subject

Follow me back in time, if you will

http://www.cnn.com/US/9607/30/clinton.terrorism/

GOP is blasting "Phony" issues

[madfloridian]

3. And another from that time...also at CNN from 1996...

The Republicans really have their nerve to criticize our party and blame Clinton for this when they were the whiny babies. Ah, how the worm has turned, and they need to be called on it by the media.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9603/terrorism_bill/13/

"The House of Representatives ripped the guts out of pending anti-terrorism legislation with a single vote Wednesday. Passing 246-171, the amendment deletes provisions which would:

Allow the government to label certain groups as "terrorist."

Streamline the deportation of terrorists.

Allow the use of wiretap evidence obtained without a warrant.

Permit disclosure of certain consumer reports to the FBI.

"We have just eviscerated the heart and soul of the anti-terrorist bill," Rep. John Conyers, D Michigan, said from the House floor.

The amendment was backed by an unusual alliance of groups on the right and left who felt the original bill gave the federal government too much power."

[Sinti]

4. He worked incredibly hard on this. I remember those days

When they wouldn't give him what we needed, he tried to get as much of it done through the governors as he could. It was priority one for his administration, because they felt it was pretty much the number one threat we were facing, at home and abroad.

The Republican Congress at that time was very concerned about China and the 'Soviet Union' (like nobody gave them the memo that it fell apart). They were to a lesser degree also concerned about Iran, the whole "Not One Pistachio" unilateral sanction business (pistachios are apparently a cash crop for Iran). The Clinton folks begged for a little cooperation and got kicked in the teeth for it.

Think about it, though, had 9/11 never happened * would still be the AWOL president, golfing and fishing and doing nothing, his base wouldn't be making half the blood money they are now, and the buyer's remorse in the general population would have been so bad there would have probably been a recall.

[Lasher]

9. No, Junior wouldn't still be the AWOL president if 9/11 hadn't happened

There is no way this mindless buffoon would ever have been re-elected in 2004 if it hadn't been for TERRA TERRA TERRA!!

[hughee99]

5. Can someone help me with this...

According to the website, the bill was signed into law on October 6th, (Presumably 1996, though the website doesn't give the year). The money was allocated to several governmental organizations such as the FAA, ATF, FBI, Secret Service, State Department and other agencies. Once the money was allocated, what did the repukes do to prevent this money from being spent as intended by those agencies?

[madfloridian]

6. Good question.

I have no idea. The two articles from CNN we posted in this thread indicate it was gutted.


The world believed America could fix anything until Katrina happened.

[hughee99]

7. I saw that some considered it "gutted"

but those articles are from march and july. When the bill was signed into law in october (from the link in the OP) and it looks like pretty much everything was appproved, and most of it was fully funded.

[madfloridian]

11. The very things the government is doing now was denied them in 96.

I don't like some of these sections, but just think what they are doing now. Think about it. From the CNN article above:

"The House of Representatives ripped the guts out of pending anti-terrorism legislation with a single vote Wednesday. Passing 246-171, the amendment deletes provisions which would:

Allow the government to label certain groups as "terrorist."

Streamline the deportation of terrorists.

Allow the use of wiretap evidence obtained without a warrant.

Permit disclosure of certain consumer reports to the FBI.

"We have just eviscerated the heart and soul of the anti-terrorist bill," Rep. John Conyers, D Michigan, said from the House floor."

[hughee99]

12. So was John Conyers in favor of this in 1996? n/t

[AtomicKitten]

8. Buzzflash: President Clinton's Efforts to End Terrorism

http://www.buzzflash.com/perspectives/Clinton_and_Terrorism.html

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. Like so much else, it was a fiction created by bent media and

pollsters. The Republicans have been masters at creating an imaginary received wisdom.