Osama bin Forgotten

If you don't like Pres. Bush's policy on Osama bin Laden, wait five minutes.

September 17, 2001, referring to OBL:

"I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'"

March 13, 2002, responding to a question at a White House press conference:

Q: But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.

3rd Presidential Debate, October 13, 2004:

"I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations."

January 26, 2006, speaking to reporters after visiting the NSA:

"President Bush, defending the government's secret surveillance program, said Wednesday that Americans should take Osama bin Laden seriously when he says he's going to attack again.

'When he says he's going to hurt the American people again, or try to, he means it,' Bush told reporters after visiting the top-secret National Security Agency where the surveillance program is based. 'I take it seriously, and the people of NSA take it seriously.' "

Joe at AMERICAblog comments on the final quote:

What a fraud. Never forget that Bush was warned on August 6, 2001 that Bin Laden was determined to attack in the U.S. He ignored that warning. He stayed on vacation -- just like he did when Katrina was destroying the Gulf Coast.
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Bin Laden meant it in 2001, but Bush didn't take him seriously. That's why 3,000 Americans died. Bush failed to protect America in the summer of 2001. Since then, Bush has used Bin Laden as a political weapon. But, Bin Laden is still alive...still threatening us...so Bush is still failing us.