Condi Rice was going to give a speech on 9-11-01, but for obvious reasons did not. What was the topic of this speech? Based on excerpts, she was to contrast money spent on counterterrorism (on Clinton's watch) versus that spent on the "Star Wars" missile defense system, making the tired and dumb-on-arrival point that more should be allocated to the latter. She eventually gave the speech about a year later, but the text was radically revised.
Here's an excerpt of the original text:
"And yes these new threats also require us to pay attention to other means of delivery besides missiles. We need to worry about the suitcase bomb, the car bomb and the vial of sarin released in the subway. That is why last year the federal government spent about $11 billion on counter-terrorism efforts, about twice as much as we did on missile defense. That is why we're working closely with friends, allies, and the broader international community on counterterrorism initiatives.
"And that is why in May the president appointed Vice President Cheney to oversee a coordinated national effort to better protect the U.S. homeland against a terror attack using WMD. But why not missile defenses as well?
"Why put deadbolt locks on your doors and stock up on cans of mace and then decide to leave your windows open? At the end of the day, do we really want to choose a course of action that gambles with America's security by choosing not to explore the additional measure of security that limited missile defenses could provide?"
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