Washington, D.C.
A U.S. government plan to attack al Qaida before Sept. 11 got bogged down in the transition between the Clinton and Bush administrations, Time magazine reported this week. Clinton’s top advisers devised the plan in the closing months of his presidency, but decided it would be inappropriate to launch such an ambitious and dangerous project in Clinton’s final days as president. Given the plan, Bush administration officials conducted an eight-month “policy review.” They decided to go beyond the Clinton proposal to “roll back” al Qaida, and instead try to “eliminate” the terrorist network. Top White House officials approved the plan on Sept. 4, 2001.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'Time-honored political tactic: Throw your wife under the bus'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Best non-alcoholic spirits for summer cocktailsThe Week Recommends As hard liquor takes a backseat for many, the ingredients for the perfect mocktail are dryly delicious
-
Will Biden's tariffs hinder China's EV dominance?Today's Big Question Climate change goals and American jobs in tension
