Should the American people have took notice of bin Laden's declaration of war in 1998 and accept the threat?

Question

Since the government continued and didn't take the terrorist threat seriously, shouldn't the American people have, and talked to their government about the need to prevent terrorism?

Answer 1

Army Engineers could have done a demolition job on all major airports to end oil use in jet fuel. Citizens or former car thieves could have done the same with cars with instruction. They still could after an evacuation of major airports of course. Speaking of which more attacks are said to be imminent by AL-Qaeda.  

Answer 2

yeah, just let me get out the Way-Back Machine and correct that oversight

Answer 3

Unfortunately most Americans believe that only Congress can make a Declaration of War. Since Congress did not make that declaration, Usama Bin Laden did it is not a valid declaration of war. Note that Japan did deliver a Declaration of War on Dec 7 1941; however due to the difficulty of the code the Imperial Japanese government used it was delivered after the attack on Pearl Harbor.    

US Historians gloss over that little fact when the say that the US declared war on Japan. Japan had already Declared the War.

Answer 4

I always said hind-sight was wonderful......

Answer 5

Yes James, we should have, but hindsight is always better.  Please remember that President Clinton took a lot of criticism in the press when he went after bin Laden on credible information about his location.  No one wanted to believe anyone would attack this country.  We were all foolish.