So I usually leave this to others but I'm reading the 9/11 Commission Report, and I had to quote.

Richard Clarke, speaking about the CIA, NSC, and the new Presidential Security Directive on September 4th, said, "You are [without addressing the al Qaeda problem with action] left with a modest effort to swat flies (quoting President Bush there), to try to prevent specific al Qida [sic] attacks by using [intelligence] to detect them and friendly governments' police and intelligence officers to stop them. You are left waiting for the big attack, with lots of casulties, after which some major US retalition will be in order[.]"

Direct Quote.

Added by me.

Hmm Dick, it seems you were right after all.

I recommend this as reading for every American. Its a bit dry- why I didn't make it all the way through the first time- but at some points, like above, very interesting and enlightening.