Rating: 
Summary: It's more than Bush-bashing
Review: ---------------------------------------------------------
Read this book.The media is focusing on Clarke's criticism of President Bush and missing the rest of the story. Clarke has done a great job of answering many questions about how we arrived at this place in history, drawing on his ringside seat in the Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II administrations. He outlines the thinking that led to policies that no doubt seemed like a good idea at the time and have in retrospect gone badly awry. He goes back to the Cold War issues that drew U.S. attention to the Middle East and South Asia in the first place (particularly the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979). He takes us through the Reagan policies that gave us a foothold in the region, crippled the Soviet Union, and led to its fall; to Gulf War decisions in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia that angered Osama bin Laden; the Clinton administration's actions and failures to act... And finally the Bush II administration's pre-9/11 shortcomings (for example, after a January 2001 meeting with National Security Adviser Condi Rice at which he enumerated the danger al-Qaida posed to the U.S., he couldn't get a meeting with the "Deputies Committee" to discuss terrorism until APRIL). This was on the heels of the al-Qaida bombing of the World Trade Center (1993), horrific bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the attack on the USS Cole. Clarke also writes at length about al-Qaida and bin Laden's stated (and chilling) plans, examines the Bush administration's drive toward war in Iraq, and what it all means for us. Clarke's writing is straightforward and credible. He uses specifics (no fudging and no personal attacks) to make his case. If you're interested in what happened in the two decades leading up to Sept. 11, 2001, add "Against All Enemies" to your "must read" list. It's a great source.
Rating:
Summary: The truth hurts idologues
Review: I'm glad a whistleblower has the courage to step forward and speak the obvious truth, regardless of the attack/smear/lie machine the evildoers are throwing at him. The one thing these crooks can't stand is the truth - it's like sunlight on a vampire. Right wing crazies; read it and weep.
Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading for every voter in the US!
Review: I am relieved to read that Somebody in the Government knew of al Qaeda before 9-11, and thought they should be eradicated. The historical perspective is helpful, to see the gradual buildup to 9-11 and all that is yet to occur because of this branch of religious fanaticism in the world. It's embarrassing to read that the FBI and CIA were so entrenched they couldn't communicate with one another, and so at odds they couldn't act. Richard Clarke doesn't tell us what to think, and that is good. His words let us see that the Right Wing Conspiracy really did hamper the Clinton government from ridding the world of al Qaeda when it was appropriate to do so.
Rating: 
Summary: Shame on you for Buying this book Don't make him rich
Review: I think Clarke should go to jail for lying under oath. I hope
you people think twice before you pay good money for this book of lies. Don't make him rich if you have to read it go to your library.
Rating:
Summary: Good idea: read the book before you write a criticism of it
Review: ...This won't convince any Bushie, but then nothing would. But for anyone in the middle, it will leave your jaw hanging open. Clarke traces the roots of terrorism and US responses from the brilliant ploy that Reagan did (Arms for Hostages! what a great lesson for terrorists), to the non-response of Bush Sr., to Clinton taking it as a top priority, and then to Bush Jr. When they got in, Rumsfeld was pushing Star Wars; Ashcroft wanted the main emphasis on drugs, violent crimes and child porn and not terrorism; Rice had a cold war mentality. But the most important charge, I think, is not so much the Bush Administration's failure to give al Qaeda the emphasis it had in Clinton's admin but rather their enduring, [...] to get Iraq. Clarke explains and gets CIA confirmation in meetings that Iraq has no connection with al Qaeda and still they press for Iraq as a link. But read it and make up your own mind. He's got a lot of information. Clarke sounds reasonable and credible to me. The scene in Chapter 1 where Bush pulled Clarke aside on Sept 12 and wanted him to look at Iraq for a connection was denied by the Administration during the books first week. Later in the week they reversed themselves and said it probably had taken place (someone else came forward and repeated what Clarke wrote).
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Summary: Republican stooges posting one-star reviews
Review: Look at "Helen Lamar" and "Sara Loren" below. Gee, could they be the same person? Republicans are selling out their country for the benefit of their party.
Rating: 
Summary: Bloody liars
Review: A reader from arvada, writes "Richard Clarke has absolutely no credibility" Helen Lamar from Altamonte Springs writes "In anycase at least we know that Clarke is a unqualified liar!" A few points come to my head when reading the Amazon reviews.
1. republicans are qualified to lie.
2. WMDs exist in Iraq
3. Iraq was a haven for al-Quaeda
4. Richard Clark, a former counter-terrorist czar has no credibility If you believe any of the above are true, you must be as thick as a brick because Iraq was not an imminent threat. The Bush administration has always had a beat against Iraq and all they needed was a pretence to attack. Sadly, September 11 was that pretence. If I was a victum of 911, I would be outraged that my grief was cynically used by my government to pursue an agenda that would not only have nothing to do with preventing another 911, but could actually increase the risk of another 911 style attack on home soil. Richard Clark was right to apologise to the victums, the war on terrorism has been highjacked by a bunch of political radicals who cared more about Saddam Hussein than the safety of the American People. And yes, I read the book and it was worth $25 I paid for it.
Rating:
Summary: Against All Enemies
Review: I just finished the Richard Clarke book. It is an extordinary book. It takes us on an historical journey which demonstrates the contradictions of our foreign policy, some brilliant, and some inane. (...)They seem to attack the messenger, not the substance. The book starts at 9/11, and works through the historical foundations of al queada. (...)The FBI destroyed this man who worked with Clarke, and was extremely close to discovering the 9/11 plot when the FBI fired him. For six years John O'Neill was the FBI's leading expert on al qaeda. He warned of its reach, but to people at the FBI he was too much of a maverick, and they stopped listening to him. He left the FBI in the summer of 2001, and took a new job as head of security at the world trade center, where he died on 9/11. This should be required reading for all students.
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Summary: DICK, FIND ME A WAY TO DO THIS...
Review: Clarke's book detailing the one-track mind of the Bush administration vis a vis Iraq is frightening. Indeed this book along with Paul O'Neill's recent effort may prove devastating to President Bush's reelection plans. The White House seems to be on the defensive (rather than offensive) concerning these revelations, preferring to attack Clarke on a personal level rather than deal directly with his accusations. Clarke has the documents to back up his claims and appears to be extremely credible under questioning. Meanwhile back at the ranch...Condi Rice refuses to testify under oath and Sen. Bill Frist unleashes stinging rhetoric against Clarke on the Senate floor. Clarke has requested that all documents pertaining to his stint as terrorist czar be declassified for examination. He also requests the same be done for Condi Rice and others on the president's team. This book combined with O'Neill's paints the president with a broad Nixonian brush. Bush's preoccupation with finishing off Saddam via broad scale military action is presented as incompetent at best and megalomaniacal at worst. This scenario has all the makings of another "All The President's Men" - only with much more serious ramifications for our physical and economic well-being and our status as a trusted world leader.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo
Review: Well anything that gets those right-wing loonies foaming at the mouth must be good. After those three "liar, liar" (hair on fire ;-) reviews, I'm definitely buying his book.
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