(/sarcasm)
Posted on 10/21/2004 3:01:56 PM PDT by Salty Cobra
President Bush and Sen. John Kerry have very different views of the war on terrorism, and those differences ought to be debated in this presidential campaign. But the debate should focus on facts, not distortions of history.
On more than one occasion, Kerry has referred to the fight at Tora Bora in Afghanistan during late 2001 as a missed opportunity for America. He claims that our forces had Osama bin Laden cornered and al lowed him to escape. How did it happen? According to Kerry, we “outsourced” the job to Afghan warlords. As commander of the allied forces in the Middle East, I was responsible for the operation at Tora Bora, and I can tell you that the senator’s understanding of events doesn’t square with reality.
First, take Kerry’s contention that we “had an, opportunity to capture or kill Osama bin Laden” and that “we had him surrounded “We don’t know to this day whether bin Laden was at Tora Bora in December 2001. Some intelligence sources said he was; others indicated he was in Pakistan at the time; still others suggested he was in Kashmir. Tora Bora was teeming with Taliban and Qaida operatives, many of whom were killed or captured, but bin Laden was never within our grasp.
Second, we did not “outsource” military action. We did rely heavily on Afghans because they knew Torn Bora, a mountainous, geographically difficult region on the border of Afghani and Pakistan. It is where Afghan mujahedeen holed up for years, keeping alive their resistance to the Soviet Union. Killing and capturing Taliban and Qaida fighters was best done by the Afghan fighters who already knew the caves and tunnels.
Third, the Afghans weren’t left to do the job alone. Special forces from the United States and several other countries were there, providing tactical leadership. and calling in air strikes. Pakistani troops also provided significant help— as many as 100,000 sealed the border and rounded up hundreds of Qaida and Taliban fighters. . Contrary to Kerry, Bush never “took his eye off the ball” when it came to Osama bin Laden. The war on terrorism has a global focus. It cannot be divided into separate and unrelated wars, one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq. Both are part of the same effort to capture and kill terrorists before they are able to strike America again, potentially with weapons of mass destruction. Terrorist cells are operating in some 60 countries, and the United States, in coordination with dozens of allies, is waging this war on many fronts.
As we planned for potential military action in Iraq and conducted counterterrorist operations in several other countries in the region, Afghanistan remained a center of focus. Neither attention nor manpower was diverted from Afghanistan to Iraq. When we started Operation Iraqi Freedom we had about 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, and by the time we finished major combat operations in Iraq last May we had more than 10,000 troops in Afghanistan. We are committed to winning this war on all fronts, and we are making impressive gains. Afghanistan has held the first free elections in its history. Iraq is led by a free government made up of its own citizens. By the end of this year. NATO and American forces will have trained 125,OOO Iraq to enforce the law, fight insurgents and secure the borders.
Many hurdles remain, of course. But the gravest danger would result from the withdrawal of American troops before we finish our work. Today we arc asking our servicemen and women to do more, in more p!aces than we have in decades.. They deserve honest consistent. no-spin leadership that respects them, their families, and their sacrifices. The war against terrorism is the right war at the right time for the right reasons. And Iraq is one of the places that war must be fought and won,. George W.. Bush has his eye on that ball and Sen. John Kerry does not.
(/sarcasm)
The President has certainly burned his bridges when it comes to terrorists like Arafat thinking he's going to get away with it and be invited to the White House. A bunch of others are pretty much shaking in their shoes. I think you are A TROLL.
Am I to understand from this headline that Kerry Lacks Understanding of War on Terrorism?
You mean he won't be able to issue warrants for the terrorists and have the cops pick them up after all? That's disappointing.
Bump!
Ever the diplomat. I'd have said that Kerry was full of..........well, spit.
BTTT for General Franks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.