Officials Warn Attempted Al Qaeda Attack Months Away.

[Danno 1,228]

If we have a serious attack, something like 9/11 or worse, the political outcome for Obama or anyone should be the least of our concerns.

We will be dealing (again!) with the death of countless innocents, the destruction of property, the fear of our citizens to live freely and go about their lives, the paralysis of our financial markets and economy and airways, and an economic cost that would be added to our current economic woes.

In short, not everything is about politics. Some things should really just be common sense to all of us: it is MANDATORY that our government use all the means at its disposal to protect our nation and prevent such an attack from happening. There is no greater duty that a government has to its people.

I certainly wouldn't play politics for the sake of it however, if we should learn that Obamas actions led to the loss of intel or the prevention of gaining info or hindering some to act, that goes right to point you made.

"it is MANDATORY that our government use all the means at its disposal to protect our nation and prevent such an attack from happening. There is no greater duty that a government has to its people."

-I rather doubt any such spectacular event as 9/11 could be pulled off, but one can imagine the endless opportunities that exist from within the country.

[scandal 951]

I certainly wouldn't play politics for the sake of it however, if we should learn that Obamas actions led to the loss of intel or the prevention of gaining info or hindering some to act, that goes right to point you made.

"it is MANDATORY that our government use all the means at its disposal to protect our nation and prevent such an attack from happening. There is no greater duty that a government has to its people."

-I rather doubt any such spectacular event as 9/11 could be pulled off, but one can imagine the endless opportunities that exist from within the country.

Danno, I think we largely agree here, on the following principles:

1. The government has a responsibility to protect the nation, and do all in its power to thwart attacks by our enemies.

2. If an attack happens, and it can be shown that a government official was negligent in acting to prevent that attack, that official should be censured for this failing. I say this regardless of whether the official in question is Democrat or Republican, and regardless of the rank or position of that official. The President and Vice President, The CIA Director, The members of the Joint Chiefs, the President's National Security Advisor, The Secretary of Defense, members of the House and Senate Committees on Homeland Security -- all of these (and more) are sworn to protect our nation. If ANY of them fail to do so, they deserve the indignation and outrage of the People. Secretary Napolitano, for example, did not handle the Christmas incident well at all, in my view and I was quite dismayed by her.

3. However, if an attack happens IN SPITE of the best efforts of our government to protect us, then I don't see where 2. above plays a role. For example - 9/11 happened in spite of the best efforts (at the time) of the Bush administration and the branches of our government responsible for preventing it. We had a 9/11 Commission - they made recommendations on how things could be improved, but really nobody called for a witch hunt on Bush or his officials for allowing 9/11 to happen. Sometimes, unfortunately, these tragic things do happen. The enemy only has to be right once, we have to be right each and every time.