Weak on Terrah

March 22, 2004

The Center for American Progress has released some government documents which show that the Bush Administration was not only soft on terror before 9/11, but immediately after 9/11: Internal Government Documents Show How the Bush Administration Reduced Counterterrorism

The Bush Administration actually reversed the Clinton Administration's strong emphasis on counterterrorism and counterintelligence. Attorney General John Ashcroft not only moved aggressively to reduce DoJ's anti-terrorist budget but also shift DoJ's mission in spirit to emphasize its role as a domestic police force and anti-drug force. These changes in mission were just as critical as the budget changes, with Ashcroft, in effect, guiding the day to day decisions made by field officers and agents. And all of this while the Administration was receiving repeated warnings about potential terrorist attacks.

Washington Post: FBI Budget Squeezed After 9/11

In the early days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Bush White House cut by nearly two-thirds an emergency request for counterterrorism funds by the FBI, an internal administration budget document shows.