Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis

This chapter focuses on what Clarke's Counterterrorism Security Group (CSG) knew and did not know in the early years of the Clinton administration. Clarke had read numerous raw CIA intelligence reports mentioning a "terrorist financier" named "bin Laden." Clinton increased spending. Senior military leaders, however, resisted. Clarke observes that both Clinton and Gore approved all the "snatches"--violating international law to nab presumed terrorists--Clarke presented them. The CIA thought, perhaps, that this bin Laden had been involved in a 1992 incident in Yemen, and, perhaps, that he was related to Yousef. Clarke and his CSG pressed the CIA for more information about bin Laden.

Bin Laden found that the struggle in Afghanistan was between Muslims and so not a favorable place for a jihad. Two other countries were more suitable: the Philippines, where Muslims and Catholics had fought for centuries, was one...