Bush: "I Don't Know Where Bin Laden Is... I Really Don't Spend Much Time On Him."

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I really just don't spend that much time on him, to be honest with you."

George W. Bush actually said this. 

***

"George W. Bush Completely Deaf To Numerous Warnings Of Pending Al Qaeda Attack"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/09/george-w-bush-completely-deaf-to.html

***

The GOP is as inept at managing the economy as it is at eliminating terrorists. 

"Republican Rule and Economic Catastrophe: A Lock-Step Relationship"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/05/republican-rule-and-economic.html

***

VIDEO: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/02/972256/-Bush-March-2002-I-really-just-don-t-spend-that-much-time-on-bin-Laden#

This is for those with short or selective memories, say like The Washington Times, which reported: "Former President George W. Bush, who made getting bin Laden a top priority of his U.S.-led war on terrorism said in a statement: 'The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.'"

Bush: Who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not. We haven't heard from him in a long time. The idea of focusing on one person really indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission. Terror is bigger than one person. He's just a person who's been marginalized.... I don't know where he is. I really just don't spend that much time on him, to be honest with you.

What was Bush spending time on in March, 2002, and if fact just a month after the 9/11 attacks? Surely you remember:

October 18, 2001 – The CIA writes a report titled, Iraq: Nuclear-Related Procurement Efforts. It quotes many of the Italian report's claims, but adds that the report of a completed deal is not corroborated by any other sources. (Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 36-37, July 2004).

February 5, 2002 – The CIA's Directorate of Operations – the clandestine branch that employed Valerie Wilson –  issues a second report including "verbatim text"of an agreement, supposedly signed July 5-6, 2000 for the sale of 500 tons of uranium yellowcake per year. (Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 37, July 2004).

February 12, 2002 – The Defense Intelligence Agency writes a report concluding "Iraq is probably searching abroad for natural uranium to assist in its nuclear weapons program."Vice President Cheney reads this report and asks for the CIA's analysis. (Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 38-39, July 2004)....

February 19, 2002 – Joseph Wilson meets with officials from CIA and the State Department. According to a State Department intelligence analyst's notes, the meeting was convened by Valerie Wilson. She later testifies that she left the meeting after introducing her husband. (Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 40, July 2004).  

February 26, 2002 – Wilson arrives in Niger. He concludes, after a few days of interviews, that "it was highly unlikely that anything was going on."(Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 42, July 2004).

March 5, 2002 –Wilson reports back to two CIA officers at his home. Valerie Wilson is present but does not participate. (Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 43, July 2004).

March 8-9, 2002 – An intelligence report of Wilson 's trip is sent through routine channels, identifying Wilson only as "a contact with excellent access who does not have an established reporting record."(Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 43-44, July 2004). The CIA grades Wilson's information as "good,"the middle of five possible grades. Cheney is not directly briefed about the report. (Senate Intelligence Cmte., Iraq 46, July 2004).

For the record, again, what came next:

January 28, 2003 – Bush's State of the Union Address includes this 16-word sentence: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."(Transcript of "State of the Union").

March 7, 2003 – The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – the international body that monitors nuclear proliferation – tells the UN Security Council that, after a "thorough analysis"with "concurrence of outside experts,"that the Italian documents— "which formed the basis for the reports of recent uranium transactions between Iraq and Niger—are in fact not authentic."(Status of Nuclear Inspections in Iraq..., March 2003).

March 19, 2003 – President Bush announces the start of the Iraq war in a televised address, saying it is "to disarm Iraq , to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger."(Bush, "Addresses the Nation").

Surely we all remember what happened after that, since we're still in Iraq, and our troops there just experienced the deadliest month April since 2009.

Finally, a reminder for those, like Rep. Eric Cantor, giving former President Bush credit for the death of bin Laden, from Steve Benen.

In July 2006, we learned that the Bush administration closed its unit that had been hunting bin Laden.

In September 2006, Bush told Fred Barnes, one of his most sycophantic media allies, that an "emphasis on bin Laden doesn't fit with the administration's strategy for combating terrorism."

Many military and government personnel valiantly served during in Afghanistan and Iraq in the Bush and Obama administrations. Credit is due to all of them, but the credit for this one, for finally bringing bin Laden to justice cannot be attributed to the vigilance of Pres. George W. Bush.