Bill Clinton fought terrorism, to the extent he fought it at all, as a crime problem. He promised to prosecute the perpetrators when they were caught. Well, the bombing of the USS Cole occurred on his watch and his methods were used. The result ? Not very satisfactory.
When the Khobar Towers barracks was blown up by al Qeada in Saudi Arabia, President Clinton promised FBI Director Louis Freeh that he would ask the Saudis to allow FBI agents to witness interrogation of suspects. He didn’t make an effort. Freeh finally got the former President Bush, who had lost the 1992 election to Clinton, for help and he interceded with the Saudis.
John Kerry has said he wants to go back to the criminal model of anti-terrorism action. Presumably, Obama, who wants to meet with every anti-American dictator he can find, has the same opinion. It doesn’t work as even the Washington Post acknowledges.