On December 29, 2000, “The CIA had put together what it called a ‘Blue Sky’ plan for additional authorities to go after Osama bin Laden and his cohorts more aggressively, and [counterterrorism czar Richard] Clarke wanted the new president [Bush] to sign off on aid to the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban rebel group in Afghanistan, and to neighboring Uzbekistan. [Incoming National Security Advisor Condoleezza] Rice authorized him to develop a strategy, but no such meeting would be held for months. And the new administration did no more than its predecessor to retaliate for al-Qaeda’s bombing of the USS Cole the previous fall, deciding it would wait for its review rather than lob more cruise missiles ineffectively as Clinton had done during his presidency.”
– Peter Baker, Days of Fire, Page 90