Richard Clarke, 2004 News

counterterrorism expert under four presidents—three of them Republican—created a furor in Washington with his unflinching criticism of the Bush administration's handling of the war on terror. On 60 Minutes Clarke said Bush did a “terrible job on the war against terrorism.” In his book, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, released in March, Clarke said President Bush demanded Clarke find a link between the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and Saddam Hussein—a link Clarke insists never existed. In addition, Clarke said that throughout 2001, Bush's inner circle failed to heed his warnings of an imminent terrorist attack. Instead, Clarke said, all eyes were focused on Iraq. After the book's release, Bush's team quickly shifted into damage-control mode, attempting to discredit Clarke. In his testimony before the commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Clarke apologized to victims' families, saying, “Your government failed you. Those you entrusted with protecting you failed you. And I failed you.”