Reply #14: Clinton Tripled the anti-terrorism budget [View All]

What did Clinton do?
1) tripled the FBI counterterrorism budget
2) pushed antiterrorism legislation, including an attempt to increase wiretapping authority for the FBI (the Republicans soundly defeated this effort)
3) authorized the assissination of Osama bin Laden (you may have heard of this guy)
4) appointed the first national anti-terrorism coordinator, Richard Clarke, who came up with a brilliant strategy for destroying alQaeda (including operations in Afghanistan). Unfortunately, it was completed shortly before Bush took office. Clarke briefed Rice and continued pushing for the plan. Bush had other priorities.

By the way- the plan Bush ended up adopting after 9-11 was
the plan initiated by Clinton.

http://denver.craigslist.org/pol/16751427.html
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(snip from Clinton speech)
"The United States has mounted an aggressive response to terrorism -- tightening security for our diplomats, our troops, our air travelers, improving our ability to track terrorist activity, enhancing cooperation with other countries, strengthening sanctions on nations that support terrorists.

Since 1993, we have tripled funding for FBI anti-terrorist efforts. Our agents and prosecutors, with excellent support from our intelligence agencies, have done extraordinary work in tracking down perpetrators of terrorist acts and bringing them to justice. And as our air strikes against Afghanistan -- or against the terrorist camps in Afghanistan -- last summer showed, we are prepared to use military force against terrorists who harm our citizens. But all of you know the fight against terrorism is far from over. And now, terrorists seek new tools of destruction"

http://cns.miis.edu/research/cbw/nas.htm