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September 10, 2004
Putting aside the Bush administration's campaign rhetoric on terrorism, a very serious question remains: Are we safer than we were on 9/11? From the failure to capture Osama bin Laden and fully dismantle al Qaeda to major holes in homeland security and a disastrous war in Iraq, the answer is a resounding no.
- The war in Iraq has allowed al Qaeda to regroup and plan new attacks against the U.S. Rather than finishing off Osama bin Laden when it had the chance and focusing its efforts on dismantling al Qaeda, the Bush administration made a strategic blunder of the first order by shifting focus and resources to invade Iraq – a country that had no connection to the 9/11 attacks. While American troops fight nationalist insurgents in Iraq, al Qaeda is rebuilding and planning its next wave of attacks.
- America remains unprotected from future terrorist attacks. President Bush promised to protect America after the 9/11 attacks. But three years after 9/11, our cities, ports, borders, and critical infrastructure remain highly vulnerable to attack due to the administration's inaction and underfunding of homeland security measures.
- The U.S. military is stretched dangerously thin. Extended back-to-back deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq have damaged troop readiness and reenlistment, particularly within the National Guard and reserves which now comprise more than 40 percent of the troops in Iraq. On top of these burdens, the Bush administration has shortchanged our soldiers by resisting providing adequate combat pay, health insurance, education for military families, and disability care for troops overseas and their families at home.
Click here for the full report on the Bush administration's failed efforts on terrorism and recommendations for action by the Center for American Progress.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.
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Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund. |
