Questioning the intentions of the counterterrorism policies [View All]

Much of the debate about the torture and spying program seems to be centered on the illegal nature of the policies. Why should we assume the Bush administration has acted in good faith at any step of the way? By this I mean the counterterrorism policies may have been a front for implementing a fascist agenda.

Did the lack of police state tactics explain 9/11? No. We had a President (and NSA Rice) do nothing despite urgent warnings from other states and the CIA. We had obstructed FBI investigations (Moussaoui, Cole bombing, search for al-Hazmi and al-Mihdhar). We had CIA giving the President warnings yet failing to share actionable intel with FBI (the agency that had the responsibility to thwart terrorist attacks in the US).

Two points that back my suspicions:

1. Torture isn't a reliable method for attaining intel.

2. Some sort of domestic spying program was started in early 2001.