I’ve been thinking about Bush’s listening in on our phone conversations and wondering just how stupid he thinks Al Queda operatives are. As has been reported, the NSA intercepted phone conversations on September 10, 2001 that, in hindsight, clearly said something was going to happen the next day. Unfortunately, they weren’t translated until September 12.
But since Bush also had a memo and briefing in August 2001 which said Al Queda planned to attack within the United States, I guess you might infer that we can gather all the intelligence we like, but if we’re not bright enough to know what it means, what’s the point?
What’s really funny though is the theory put forth by some in the Bush administration that the NY Times’ revelation of the wiretapping helped the enemy. First, does Bush think Al Queda really talks openly on cell phones about imminent plans? They think we’re listening, even if we aren’t really paying attention.
But what’s even funnier than threatening the NY Times with prosecution for its story is not carrying out his threat to dismiss the people really responsible for revealing a national secret: the identity of a covert CIA operative.
Rove and Cheney still work there, right?
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