Has Bush flip flopped on terror alert policy?

[chookie]

How come the Bush administration continually warns us post-Sept 11 of potential terror attacks when they lack specific information -- but maintain that there was absolutely nothing specific in the intelligence leading to Sept 11 to warrant alerting the public? Why is it good policy now, but not good policy then?

Is their intelligence somewhat clearer now than that in 2001? Can they prove that?

Have they learned from mistakes made in 2001 to pay better attention to certain indications?

Or are they just messing with peoples' heads?

I think the answer to this would be highly significant.

1) They would have to defend why lack of specific information NOW is important, but wasn't important prior to Sept 11.

2) Or, they would have to prove that the information they have now is of better quality than prior to Sept 11.

3) Or, they have to admit they made serious mistakes in interpreting evidence prior to Sept 11.

4) Or, they have to admit a political motive -- i.e. create a climate of fear that makes people accept authoritarian rule and eternal war.

Seriously -- what is going on here?

[cheezus]

1. 9/11 changed everything

but that only applies to their flipflops

[chookie]

2. Yes, he loves to say that

Yes, that is one of his fave talking points -- how his entire presidency changed because of Sept 11. Yeah yeah -- we were going in one direction, and he was FORCED to turn it in another. He NEVER would have liked the Patriot Act, and he NEVER had plans to go to war.

However, this statement is quite inconsistant with Reason for War with Iraq #313: "Tired of swatting flies, His Chimperial Highness had a long term plan to deal decisively with the problem of global terrorism." Given that Perle and Wolfowitz were the guys that he had advising him on foreign policy since he accepted his destiny to be president in 1998, kinda sounds like he was already planning to carry out the PNAC program. There is also evidence from Cabinet officials that he was already planning war with Iraq in Jan 2001.

The only thing Sept 11 changed was the excuse that His Chimperial Majesty would use to carry out his oil spoil wars.