Earn our Trust (5/23/02)
by Dean Hartwell
Recently, disclosures
that the Bush Administration had information before September 11 suggesting
Osama bin Laden would attack the United States put the Bush team on the
defensive. While Democrats and even some Republicans demanded to know what the
President knew before the attacks, Vice-President Dick Cheney responded that
these questions were ''thoroughly irresponsible . . . in a time of war.''
What did the Bush Administration see as irresponsible?
Most people in the United States, even many who opposed President Bush’s
policies, rallied behind him after September 11. With no reason to believe the
Bush Administration was withholding information, Democratic leaders in Congress
gave the President their full support in the "War against Terrorism."
Now information has leaked out that Bush Administration had received warnings
before the attacks. Some in the media have disclosed that there were memos by
FBI agents about suspicious pilot trainees. We now know that Bush was briefed
last August about the possibility of Osama bin Laden supporters hijacking U.S. planes.
Other similar reports landed on the desk of National Security Advisor
Condoleezza Rice.
Democrats have raised questions about why the Administration did not coordinate
this information and analyze it well enough to prepare law enforcement
agencies, airports and the general public. Answers to these questions will
assist our government in stopping the next attack.
Instead of answering, Bush, Cheney and others have simply changed the subject.
The Vice-President wants to know how Democrats could be so irresponsible as to
question the Bush Administration. Rice pointed out that they did not receive
"specific information" about terrorists using the airplanes to strike
us and said Bush would have acted had they gotten it.
A government only works for those governed when they give their consent.
Sometimes knowing whether to consent involves asking some questions. The Bush
Administration must stop attacking those of us who do not understand if we are
as safe as we can be.
More recently, the Administration has warned the public that more terrorist
attacks are on the way. Their message appears to be "Trust us to protect
you." The responsible public reply should be "We need more specific
information from you to do that."