Inaction

I was just curious, so I searched the White House Web site for instances of "bin Laden" occurring before 9/11. There are 5 matches. One is a notice extending sanctions on the Taliban. The other four are questions from the press about what the White House was doing about bin Laden.

#1. (5/31/2001)

The trial in New York, the bombing trial of the U.S. embassies, now Osama bin Laden has been warning to the U.S., he is condemning the bombing trials. And also, what we are doing really, this administration or President Bush, to bring now the main, Osama bin Laden, maybe this opens the way for him -- for the U.S. to bring him to justice in America?

MR. FLEISCHER: That's a question I think you want to talk to the Department of Justice about. In regard to the verdict in New York, the State Department has already addressed that question.

#2 (2/27/2001)

Ari, according to India Globe, the Taliban in Afghanistan, they have offered that they are ready to hand over Osama bin Laden to Saudi Arabia if the United States would drop its sanctions, and they have a kind of deal that they want to make with the United States. Do you have any comments?

MR. FLEISCHER: Let me take that and get back to you on that.

#3 (2/5/2001)

Ari, the embassy bombing trial just got started in New York today. I wonder what the President's expectations are for the trial's outcome, and also, since two of the suspects are charged with worldwide conspiracy associated with Osama bin Laden to kill Americans and to destroy American property; so I wonder what steps President Bush is going to take to counter terrorism?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm going to, for the moment, refer that question to Mary Ellen, to the Department of Defense.

#4 (7/2/2001)

The murderous Osama bin Laden has threatened Israel and the United States in the next two weeks to, in his words, hit them where it hurts the most. Since President Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to attack the Barbary pirates and President Wilson sent the U.S. Army under General Pershing into Mexico in pursuit of a mass murderer of Americans, named Pancho Villa, the President realizes that these are two legitimate presidential precedents for his taking military action, doesn't he, Ari? Or does he think that Jefferson and Wilson were wrong? (Laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: I can't speak to the history, Les --

REPORTER: You know the history, you went Middlebury College, they have a good history Department. You know the history. Now, was that, in the President's view, wrong what they did?

MR. FLEISCHER: They also teach foreign languages there. Les, I don't discuss military options.

REPORTER: No, no, no, I just want to know, does he think that these are not good presidential precedents?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President will take action that he deems appropriate in national security interests.

The rest is, as they say, history.