Bush legacy is less US Security

Dear Editor,
President Bush’s greatest legacy certainly won’t be as Donald Lambro suggests, “that ‘he kept us safe’ in the age of Terror” (Legacy of Protecting Us, 12-8-08 Washington Times). I’m betting it will be his “offensive against AIDS and Malaria in Africa” that will be his greatest legacy…and, if he had spend at least half as much as he spend on his Global War Against Terrorism protecting the world against the worst aspects of poverty he may have had a legacy of keeping American’s safe from all global threats including terrorism.
But, unfortunately, more American’s have died during his administration from terrorism than from all other Presidential administrations combined. And, his pre-emptive doctrine has only sourced more anti American hate that will likely be the source of more mass murdered Americans in the future.
The fact is the Bush Administration was not free from fault prior to 9-11. His administration largely ignored the dire warnings of the Hart-Rudman Commission six months prior to 9-11 This bipartisan Presidential Commission on National Security in the 21st Century stated early on that terrorism was our nation’s greatest threat and that ‘Americans should prepare to die in large numbers on American soil’. Bush ignored this warming and gave far higher priority to missile defense and tax cuts. Even after the 9-11 attacks Bush rejected one of the Commission’s primary proposals calling for the creation of a department of homeland defense.
Bush’s ‘offensive’ war reaction to 9-11 (and the Anthrax attack that followed a few weeks later) has been even more harmful to American lives, our prestige in the world, our economy and our constitution. His “war on terrorism” and invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq resulted in more American deaths (and nearly thirty times the number of injured) than the attack on 9-11 itself. His preemptive military incursions actually increased the ranks of wannabe terrorists and propelled them angrily into a future increasingly filled with newer, more powerful, and more affordable means of mass destruction.
The newest report by the congressionally mandated “Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism” released just last week (and briefly mentioned in the Washington Times) warns us of the high likelihood future biological WMDs attacks and correctly faults the Bush administration for failing to devote the same degree of high-level attention and resources to the threat of bioterrorism as it has to nuclear threats.
Our own government’s findings show that the number of terrorist attacks around the world have nearly quadrupled during Bush’s terms in office. And, this new Commission report stresses that “our margin of safety is shrinking, not growing”.
Finally, President Bush has done more to damage our nation’s relations with the United Nations, our closest allies, less friendly nations, and other people’s around the world than any other Administration. And, according to the recommendations of this recent WMD prevention commission these are the very relationships we need to effectively prevent future terrorist attacks against us. In this sense, President Bush’s ‘offensive against AIDS and Malaria in Africa” will be his greatest legacy. AIDS has killed nearly 30,000 Americans (three times more than terrorists) and stopping it and other pandemic diseases ‘over there’ means we won’t have American’s dying from them here. US policy that makes lives better over there will be our best means of preventing future bioterrorist attacks here – that could kill millions instead of thousands. If President Bush had committed even a tenth of his war budget to a more friendly foreign policy…then his final legacy may have been more protective. As it is…we are in more danger today than ever. And when we get hit again, it won’t be Obama’s fault, as much as it is his.