It’s almost been 8years since the plot to sink either the USS Sullivans or the USS Cole was set in motion. For many time doesn’t matter. Families for the USS Cole victims have tried to meet with President Bush to get him to take action, but after 8 years President Bush refuses to take action against the plotters or to even meet with the families of the USS Cole or its survivors. One would think that if nothing else the photo opportunity would be worthy, but not President Bush.
The Cole is a sad story of American leaders’ incredible reluctance to even be seen recognizing the hardest of decisions unless compelled by outside forces. Remember, within days of the attack, CNN reported that the Clinton Administration was almost certain it was an Al Queda attack. Within 2 weeks of the attack, this was confirmed. Rather than start a war on the eve of an election, and rather than toss Al Gore’s campaign to the trash heap, President Clinton chose to push off reaction to the Cole attack for the next President to deal with. President Bush failed to take action. Now, almost all of the Cole plotters are free (except for the two bombers and a handful of those in US custody). While several investigations into who to blame for not preventing the attack were conducted, the 8year old investigation into the attack is collapsing.
This is disgraceful. Apparently he tired of dealing with the Cole before he even started. He faltered in pursuing the attackers, and he failed to even complete the investigation.
(footnote: While the FBI had bomb residue analysis test done on the USS Cole within 100hrs of the attack they continue to refuse to reveal where the massive amounts of Russian RDX came from, or how the bombmakers could manage to build a sophisticated “wafer’/shaped charge but couldn’t manage to build a boat to carry it to the target.)
Author of “Reparations and America’s 2nd Civil War
Reparations and America’s 2nd Civil War: Malensek, Scott: 9798864028674: Amazon.com: Books
Bush was an isolationist until 9-11-2001. How far up did the attack on the Cole go? This says that members of the Yemen army were involved. It would also make sense in this is how some members in Yemen were able to escape.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/May/middleeast_May109.xml§ion=middleeast&col=
This might have required an invasion of Yemen, much like the U.S. had to go into Afganistan. This still might not have led to the capture of those involved (much like the invasion of Afganistan didn’t capture some those involved with the air hijackings of 9-11) and nation building of Yemen (something the U.S. government insiders didn’t want to do let alone knew how to do it). Nation building might even be much harder still in Yemen since winning the hearts and minds might be impossible if the people back Al Qaeda. The financial cost would be at least that of Iraq, yet the payout would be less.
Not only did Bush refuse to meet with the Cole families, but he to me in a letter that everything was cool. Not in those words of course. He replied to my letter as to why Clinton and or himself had not taken out Bin Laden. I had wrote to express my concerns and those in the military that Bin laden was going to attack America very soon. Bin ladens attacks were following “warfare 101”. Any idiot who studies military stratgey could see where BL was heading and his target.
But he told me, and I do have the letter that I was over reacting, and not to worry. That there was noway that Bl could get us. And that our sons killers would be caught. Wrong! Three months latter Ka-Boom on the WTC! And the Cole killers are still free. But now three Texas senators have told me that they are going to begin to address the issues surrounding the forgotten Cole attack. I will believe them when I see it. But at least some politicians care enough to help. By the way, Ron Paul did not agree to help them as far as I know. As allways thank you so much for keeping people up to date on the Forgotten Cole.
Gary, you should take that letter to Walmart or someplace and have them scan it to a computer image for posting on the web. Then you could email it around. I’m one of the first to point out when Bush Derangement Syndrome is in play and the President is being blamed unfairly or disproportionately, but this is not one of those instances-as your letter and his refusal to meet with you (or to even conclude the investigation) shows clearly. Having said all that, anything critical of President Bush gets great play in the media and by political opponents (gosh it’s strange Sen. Clinton doesn’t say more about this-not). I think if the image were scanned and put online it’d get a lot more publicity. Up to you of course.
UPDATE/CORRECTION to original post: it’s been NINE YEARS since the plot was set in motion.
circa 6/1/99 Jamal Al-Badawi, an Al Queda member since 1997, finally gets his orders to begin preparations that eventually lead to the USS Cole bombing. Two other plot members travel to his house and give him orders to go to Saudi and get a boat.
Mr. Swenchonis,
Not all of us have forgotten.
I give thanks for the service and ultimate sacrifice that all of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines including your son.
They willingly gave of themselves and ultimately laid their lives down so that the rest of us can remain free.
Thank you sir.
Okay, I’m confused here. It’s my understand that some of the suspected scumbags were transferred to Gitmo sometime back. Which, of course, means that the ACLU is there protecting their sorry arses. If they have a beef about the lack of justice, should they not be attacking the ACLU lawyers who are holding up the works on the Cole and other events?
Those Cole suspects involved that remained in Yemeni prisons have either escaped, or been released. Which means they’ve joined the ranks of the many that were captured, and let go. Only this time, the Yemenis did it. So we must again track them down… when again the same thing can happen because of the PC way we treat the enemy combatants.
So just what is it that the families wish Bush to do? The articlel doesn’t really get into that… just does alot of whining about the lack of justice and action. So what am I missing here? It’s the same ongoing battle between the Bush admin and the PC nation’s attitudes about Gitmo.
Also, the families had a class action lawsuit against Sudan that they want to reopen after Bush signed the Justice for Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Act. However Bush can not advise them if that can or cannot be opened. He is the CIC/POTUS… not the judicial system.
Mata, I think the Sudan thing was re 911 or the African Embassy bombings. My understanding is that most of the Cole plotters are on the loose save 2 in Gitmo, and that the families are asking for President Bush to take action against Yemen for refusing to hand over other suspects as well as to put pressure on Yemen to turn over anyone in the Yemeni govt that was involved as it seems it apparently was.
Here’s an old Free Internet Press article I dug up on the Cole families’ lawsuit against the Sudan. They couldn’t do it against Yemen as they aren’t listed as a state sponsor of terror.
Yes, two in Gitmo, and the rest were in Yemen’s custody… and now loose. As I said, when has Yemen listened to the US? Maybe if President Obama has ’em over for a WH dinner, they’ll recapture them as a favorite to His Messiahship, eh?
YUMPIN YEMENIS!
In the first article, they dismiss the Cole attack as some accident unrelated to terrorism.
In the second, we see the quality of the denizens of Yemen:
“In March 2002, President Bush said his administration was cooperating with Yemen to prevent it from becoming “a haven for terrorists.” He added: “Every terrorist must be made to live as an international fugitive with no place to settle or organize, no place to hide, no governments to hide behind and not even a safe place to sleep.”
Nope. No place for them to hide, …except maybe Yemen or the Paleostinian terror-central Bush supports forming from land stolen from Israel.
And why Bush won’t meet with the families of Cole victims, I don’t know. But it’s sort of consistent with his other odd behavior.
New York: 3 Yemeni Muslims charged with money-laundering to aid Hizballah
Yeah, good thing they are on OUR side.
Gary G. Swenchonis,
Thank you and your son for your sacrifice. My sympathies with your loss.
yonason – (USN ’70-’74)
Yonason, my GUESS is that if he did meet with the families, his admin believes he’d get more attention for his lack of attention than for meeting with them as well as his poor handling of the entire affair. It’s a political weight he can either pickup and try to carry or he can try to ignore.
I believe it’s more than a political weight.
I believe it’s even more than justice for the crew (survivors and casualties alike).
I believe the entire incident is a benchmark for a struggle where BILLIONS of people are involved and at risk; entire nations, civilizations, histories, and human history.
Just as the USS Maine signaled an end to European colonialism and dominance in the world, and as the sinking of the USS Arizona signaled the eruption of American dominance of the world, so too does the USS Cole signal a tipping over point where militant Islamists become convinced to take on the civilized world; where mankind can either deny and seek to appease the tens of millions of people who sympathize and believe the death cult of martyrdom or mankind can see a threat, accept it as a threat, and confront it even if it means sacrificing one’s life or their partisan political pride (of which the latter seems too difficult for so many-see also giving Pres Clinton or Bush any blame at all and the amount either takes).
A bit of perspective. (All this information is open source.)
Yemen’s geography is much like Afghanistan. To the south lies desert plains, northward is mountainous terrain which is very unforgiving. People wise, those in the south are generally more receptive to outsiders. In the north, very tribal … much like the tribal areas of NW Pakistan. It’s in the tribal north is where the bin Laden ancestral roots are located (SA was where they made their money). Regardless, westerners do stand out in that country and looked at with suspicion. Forcing the Yemeni government to do more is much like forcing Musharaff in Pakistan to do more. There are limits in which friendly government is jeopardized and can be toppled. That’s why GWOT has to be fought differently and on many different levels.
Also, in those tribal regions in north Yemen where the AQ influence is very significant … more so than tribal NW Pakistan or eastern Afghanistan. We’ve killed our share of AQ targets there as well.
To say we aren’t doing anything is stretching it a bit. The best guess of the situation in Yemen is that much of it covert action, stuff that you, I and every other reader and contributor here does not need to know.
Agreed David. So many opponents of the President see the only way to fight the GWOT is by:
-“talking” to America’s enemies
-invasion
-law enforcement (which has utterly failed in terms of the Cole attack specifically)
The unmentioned and unmentionable efforts of covert operations are a very real element that only occasionally comes to light (such as the US Special Foces in Georgia, Somalia, Philippines, Djibouti, Pakistan, and so many others). I am not so certain that the effort in Yemen has been successful, however, given the continuing successful flight and operation of Al Queda there-including the Cole bombers.
Scott,
I’m not sure I follow what you are saying, but I have a feeling you have the essence of the problem, always hard to pin down in words, up a tree. If I do understand, and we are both correct, I believe that there is nowhere to run or hide, and at some point our leaders will have no choice but to confront the monster they flee, and defeat it. It will happen, I just hope that it’s sooner rather than later. But they will have to confront it in themselves first, and that is what is taking so long.
Yeah, we definitely agree. I just think the attack on the Cole is an event that is of massive importance to history. It’s a benchmark on the timeline just as attacks on other US ships have been in the past, and the importance of this benchmark/attack is the subsequent actions, choices, non-choices, and consequential events.
yeah, too much coffee today I guess
😀
I have recieved some comments from my post on this news article, and my first comment.
We the families are not whinning and complaining. if there is one thing that most politicians and political analysts can agree on, and historians by the way is that the USS Cole attack wwas forgotten on purpose by many in our government. it raises to many mistakes that both the dmocrats and the republicans wish to forget. Its also a one of the most awkward, and controverial attacks in our history. Awkward for the government and their support for the Yemeni regime, and how they keep funneling money and arms to them when it is now pbivious and has been that the dictator Saleh has been caught lying to Clinton and Bush numerous times.
Yet our government made a decision to forget the murders of the 17 sailors, and their subsequent failures to investagate the Cole attack to all its conclusion. Now we all know if they had done the right thing the WTC would still be standing. We want our government to stop supporting a know dictator who supports terrorism, and aids, and abet terrorists. He has been caught red handed over and over. Cut off the money to him and his family. Re-open the Cole investigation and tell the truth now that it is slowly leaking out. And Bush was given the chance to state which side he supported, the victims or the terrorist in the law suit. the judge made it clear to him. The judge wanted to see if Bush would put his money where his mouth is. He chose not to comment. What a sad statement for the president of america. The judge was not a liberal either. he even condemed our government for deserting victims of terrorists attacks. Its all politics. Not for the Greater good, and all that other feel good crap. I keep records of everything to pass to our lawyers. So i know what Bush has done or not done in this regards. I follow Yemen everyday, and how they release terrorists to travel to Iraq to fight our soldiers. that is wrong. Period. I want that stopped. So cut off their gravy train.
Gary G. Swenchonis,
Best wishes for success. I’m not optimistic, for reasons I’ve given above, but your case is clearly justified.
If nothing else, it reveals something deeply troubling in the behavior of Reps as well as the Dems. From the Dems we expect it, but not the Conservatives, which some Republicans may still be. Of course you want and deserve more than that, so I hope and pray you receive it.
As to Yemen, we may need the port facilities there, and may be afraid to antagonize our not-so-concealed enemy. Still, Bush should at least show you a lot more consideration for the sacrifice you have made.
regards
Yason, and Scott,
I hope I did this right. The reply. First thank you Yason for your words of encouragement, and success.
I did not know that this kinda site existed. I just started reading it from the responses.
Scott I read your theories as to why Bush or Clinton did nothing about the Cole. I agree with your historical perspective very much so.
And your other points. But with a major exception. The Cole was as other socciologists, and historians agree a psychological turning point in this nations values. Some people reading this will think that I must be stoned. Politicians are a reflection of the people, right?
It used to be that way. Not 100% granted. I saw it happening in the 90’s as director in criminal justice. Political correctness raised its ugly head. When leaders at local government level and in Washington became more interested in the few groups of voters than the majority of voters.
It got to the point where I saw criminals get more services than the victims. I also was a director for Federal. It was even worse. The mindset. Thats what I mean by the “value change”.
In government. Thats why I told everyone that Clinton would do nothing. And when elected Bush would ignore it. Future behavior is always predictable by past behavior.
Most Americans will believe anything that their party leader tells them. A sad statement, but true in most cases. Or they will defend their man or womans wrong behavior to the end, or minimize the behavior. Both Clinton and Bush knew exactly what they were doing, and that the Cole would be forgotten. What they failed to see and recognize was the fact that radical islam was dead serious. Even though a few people in high places were screaming their heads off for us to wake up. That the Cole was the turning point. Thats why i wrote Bush the letter. I agreed with those who believed that Bin laden would attack America if not dealt with. His behavior which I had been following for years demonstrated it. A few Generals, and politicians said the same thing, bbut were ocstrizcied, and ridiculed.
I really doubt that Bush and party will do anything about the Cole. That will only bring attention to their failures and neglect to protect America. The same with Clinton. Look at how Sandy got off for stealing government documents. Everyone knows why he was there. yet the politicians know its for all their own good to let him go.
Americans should in my opinion march on Washington and throw the whole lot out. Dumbocrat and ratocrats. We are governed now by politicians who listen to the few, not the majority.
This thread has all the free association that usually accompanies UFO sighting blogs.
How else does one link the ACLU, Guantanamo prison Camp and “high level” plots regarding the bombing of the Cole?
I do not fault President Bush for not injecting himself into what is a very public, emotional and, apparently, controversial issue.
And there were attacks on American symbols long before the Cole attack. Recalling the first World Trade Center attack, Bombings at night clubs in Germany frequented by American GI’s and hijacking of American airlines going back to the 1960’s.
All by militant Islamic extremists.
Greg G. Swenchonis
“What they failed to see and recognize was the fact that radical islam was dead serious.”
From what I see of their behavior they still haven’t a clue what we are up against.
They are not much different from other leaders in the West who all seem to be suffering from the same dysfunctionality. What it’s source is, I’m not sure, but the damage it’s causing is serious.
Your other first hand observations are much appreciated, as is Scott’s analysis.
All the best.
I really think our leaders are so concerned with polls that they cannot stay on course for any lenght of time. They will measure the size of the threat, and then slide the other way. Its always the softer and more secured road. I do admire Bush for sticking to his guns with him down in the polls. But I cannot over look how he swept the Cole attack under the carpet. Nor how Clinton refused to confront Bin Laden after all the attacks.
With all the evidence out there now. Government records, even Cohen making the statement on the Clintons last day in office how they had made serious mistakes before and after the Cole attack, yet most americans refuse to demand that they all be held accountable for 9/11.
Will the senators that wrote me last week really get us a congressional hearing? i don’t know.
They give congressional hearings on how video games are driving our kids to murder, how grown men who play ball for a living take “juice”, and how can openers need to have safety warnings on them etc… Yet real issues that that involve politicians always seem to get passed over.
We have these tapes the day after 9/11. A few, a very few politicians came out and spoke how they had all fialed us, the american people. That the Cole attack should have been handled differently. That the leads should have been followed up. Ah! Yeah! But with-in two days they closed ranks. And then the same old mantra’We will have plenty of time in the future to find those in our government responsible for the mistakes that led to this horrible day in our history’
But as with politicians that day never came. And Bush has refused two judges request that he comment on if victims of terrorism should be awarded this much, or that much. he has declined each time. Sooner of later, I think sooner a president is going to have to take a side with his people, or the enemy. 9/11 would have been a legal mess if the government had not stepped in and picked up the bill. They knew it too. More terror acts will happen here in America. That is a given. The government will not always be able to pay the lump sums of millions of dollars to the victims. So far the government has been able to keep small groups victims that pay for their own lawyers to fight our government, and the country that helped in the attack isolated from each other. But our groups are growing. And unfortunately will continue to grow as more dead americans are killed by radical islamics.
Two face countries like Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iran, etcc.. use our own government against us. Not to mention all the people murdered by the PA in Israel.
Scott. I did post Bush’s letter on my site. I got the scanner working! I use voice activated machine because of my hands. Thank God it cannot understand cussing.
Incredible…
http://terrorismpolitician.blogspot.com/2008/05/president-bushs-letter.html
This is what I meant when I said Bush was being “consistent” in his behavior (last sentence in my #8, above) by promising not to forget the USS Cole, but appearing to do just that.
I just looked up M.Rubin’s email, and sent him that link from Mr. Swenchonis’ blog so he can add it to his database of Mr. Bush’s broken promises.
Yonason,
Who is Mr. Rubin. If you do not mind answering. I forgot to mention this. I think its extremely important too.
When i wrote congress last month the first time. I also asked as to why they had not stop the contracts for the Port in Aden, Yemen. Approximately two weeks later Sen. Kenndy asked at a hearing “why are we still using the Port in Aden, Yemen.” The reporter was baffled because Kenndy just brought the statement up out of the blue.
So then kenndy was informed that the US had not used the Port in Aden since the attack. Now that is pure BS. I have written for close to seven years now about that port, and for our government to stop giving Saleh money for it. i even got a response that the Port was deemed vital.
But the Cole Case is now heating up and attrating attention. I sent the washington post a bunch of stuff. They ran a big article not long after that. I am not saying my stuff was why they did that. But regardless that article has gotten the politicians to sit up and take notice.
Back to the Port. I then sent the government all my research from the Port, including our governments contracts with the Yemenis on the port. The company in question is ran by arabs of course. but it appears that Salehs familiy members have their fingers in the business as well.
And I could not access what the monies were for. Only the amounts. A good size chunk of change.
Something is not quite right big time. For kennedy to just all of a sudden after seven long years to get interested in the port. And then to just tell the reporter that it was an “off the cuff remark”. Who was the remark for?
I have given all my stuff to some international lawyers. i want to know about the port. And there were two articles from the New York Times that stated back after the initial attack that the Company that ran the port was partially responsible for security of the Cole when she docked at the port. that the FBI was extremely interested in the company. But then it went cold. End of story. Nothing else ever written about it. Jane spent some time researching the Company too. She found where they have even more contracts with our government.
I just know that since I have sent all that stuff that things are starting to happen. I think that maybe they are trying to do some preventive PR damage control.
Here are the links I have for Michael Rubin. You can see from what he writes where he stands.
I don’t know if he is interested specifically in the Cole incident, but I thought to send him the info because it was consistent with the article by him that I referenced where he talks of Bush’s broken promises. The email I used was from the first link, but the others have a different one. Maybe he can provide some additional info. I don’t know. I don’t know him except to read his articles, but he is the only one I know of who had written about the problem.
http://www.meib.org/rubin.htm
http://www.meforum.org/meq/editors.php
http://www.aei.org/scholars/filter.all,scholarID.83/scholar.asp
If you can say the name or names of the company/companies running the port, I would be interested for reference. If you go to the Yemen Times article I referred to in my #8, above (first one in title) you will see that they tried to dismiss the attack as an accident of some kind. They must have known it wasn’t (otherwise they aren’t very competent at what they do) or they are lying.
CORRECTION TO MY #26
The Yemen times article on the ship accident is to a tanker explosion. It’s not the ref I thought it was. Posted it without reading it, just relying on memory. Coming back to me now that there was that other incident and for quite a while they claimed that it wasn’t a terror attack, but this isn’t the article I was thinking of about the Cole. Sorry for the error.
Had no time to blog this last night, but here’s a cut-and-paste of recent news:
On 6/20 I got a note from the FBI saying that they were re-looking into the evidence. That’s all I can say for now. To be clear, yes, there is other evidence besides his waterboarding comments. Additionally, his testimony at Gitmo is a clear confession, in the presence of council, and done without the threat of waterboarding.
I really do not think that they were going to charge anyone with the Cole attack originally. Thats what I was told on the phone with the New York Office of the Prosecuting Attorney Office this past spring, and the DoD this past May. Its only been because of all the heat that has recently been focused on Yemen. Jane Novak has done an excellent job in that area. And with the imprisonment of journalist, and the new Al-Qaeda Chief not playing by Saleh’s rules anymore, the four year old civil war, the water shortage, the families request for a congressional hearing, and why no one was charged with the attack,etc… The Yemen Regime is falling apart. I have speaking with lawyers who are working on the lawsuits against the Saudis by 9/11 families, and the American Families who are trying to finish the collection of monies from Libyia, and other cases. They are all watching Yemen and Bush real close now for various reason. One is because he is no friend of American Victims of Terrorism. They all agree on one thing, Bushs steadfast protection of Yemen is starting to break. They are hoping that this will help them to obtain information that they need. I doubt that seriously though. Its not in Bush’s interest and or Clinton’s either. Nor any of our politicians interest for the Yemen Case to be blown wide open for obivious reasons.
Bush has to take some damage control before Yemen sinks. Good PR. Nothing more. How far will it go? I know the sleazebag will not get the Death Penalty, or it will never be carried out. Not in this Brave New America at least. As for his waterboarding. Big deal. There is a ton of evidence to hang him on.
The Cole Attack and all the questions about our governments cover up, and the Yemeni cover will remain secret until all the American players(politicians) are gone from the stage so as to protect them as usual. How many times have we not see this over and over in our history? Not enough I suppose. Because there are still Americans out there who really believe that our politicians and presidents would never ever contemplate such a thing, let alone do it.