Comment by essayist

Here's an example of Bill Clinton, as President, calling bullshit in 1995. A while back, Pakistan had paid a lot of money to buy 28 F-16 fighters, but that sale was voided by the US Government because of Pakistan's efforts to develop nuclear weapons. However, since the planes had been built, and the money spent, the Pakistanis couldn't have their money back, either.

The State Dept. bureaucracy had already been mobilized to defend this decision and had so indicated at various levels to their Pakistani counterparts. Clinton, of course, was briefed on this decision and expected to go along. This was US policy, after all.

Instead, Clinton told the Pakistani prime minister that it was wrong for the US to keep the money and that he would find a way to resolve it.

http://auphr.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=artic...

I note this because, according to the author of the piece linked, it almost never happens, even when, as in this case, the information involved is largely unclassified. So when decisions rely on classified information, percolated through the policy apparatus, it's surely much worse.