What are we waiting for?
Posted on 07/20/2005 4:03:58 PM PDT by neverdem
Turk: Tancredo just "a fanatic"
Washington - Turkey's foreign minister Tuesday condemned Rep. Tom Tancredo as a "fanatic" as the Colorado Republican's comments about bombing Muslim holy sites in retaliation for a terrorist nuclear strike echoed around the world.
"This was nothing but a fanatic speaking completely personally, irresponsibly and without thought of how far his statements would reach or what kind of problems they would create," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, according to Turkey's Anatolia news agency.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department labeled Tancredo's remarks Friday on a radio talk show "insulting to Islam," and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean joined the chorus of those calling on the Littleton Republican to apologize.
Tancredo's 6th District constituents interviewed Tuesday mostly criticized their congressman's comments.
"Tancredo's stirring up a lot of trouble that doesn't need to be stirred," said Melinda Pride, 39, a Douglas County resident who said she is a Bush supporter. "Just to say we'll attack one group of people if we're attacked is dumb."
But another Douglas County Republican - Curt Clint, 37 - sided with Tancredo. "I think he said what a lot of people are thinking, and I think that a lot of the things he said need to be discussed and looked at."
"I'm fanatically devoted to the security of America," Tancredo said Tuesday in an interview, responding to the Turkish official's comments. "If that qualifies me (as a fanatic), then so I am."
He also said he couldn't care less what Republican or Democratic party officials think, dismissed the State Department as "tepid," and said that if a Muslim group wants to try to unseat him the next election, "that's the American way. ... Wouldn't it be nice if it were that way around the entire Middle East?"
Discussing on a Florida radio show Friday how the United States might respond to a nuclear strike inside the country by Islamic extremists, Tancredo suggested, "You could take out their holy sites."
The host said, "You're talking about bombing Mecca," and Tancredo replied, "Yeah."
Walid Phares, professor of Middle East studies at Florida Atlantic University, said Tancredo's remarks are starting to reach the Arab world. Articles about the comments ran on the Arabic-language television network al-Jazeera and in the Turkish Daily News.
"It has begun," said Phares, also a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington. "It hasn't reached the level of Koran abuse at Guantanamo, but that will depend on the American media."
In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli stressed in the department's daily briefing that Tancredo's comments were not representative of the U.S. government.
"We periodically see, you know, remarks or comments that are insulting to Islam," Ereli said in response to a question about the comments. "Speaking on behalf of the United States government, let me say that we respect Islam as a religion, we respect its holy sites."
But Michael Rubin, who follows the Middle East for the American Enterprise Institute, said many Arabs will view Tancredo's comments as official government policy because he's a congressman. "At the very least, they will consider it a trial balloon," Rubin said.
Rafaat Ludin, president of the Colorado Muslim Society, said Tuesday that if Tancredo doesn't apologize, his group will join with "interfaith partners" to try to block Tancredo's re-election in his heavily Republican district, where Tancredo has been elected four times by lopsided margins.
The Muslim council and others are still seeking a meeting with Tancredo.
Tancredo didn't get much support from his fellow Colorado Republicans.
GOP Sen. Wayne Allard "does not believe we should bomb Mecca," said spokeswoman Angela de Rocha.
Several other party leaders declined to comment.
But Republican Rep. Joel Hefley of Colorado Springs came to Tancredo's defense, saying his colleague's remarks might help some in the Middle East understand how seriously the United States views terrorism.
"He doesn't, of course, advocate bombing Mecca," said Hefley spokeswoman Kim Sears, but "he thinks Tancredo's remarks might even help. Perhaps it will emphasize the seriousness of this kind of attack before it gets out of hand."
"The man is crazy," said the Rev. Brian McCaffrey, 53, a Lutheran pastor from Highlands Ranch who said he voted Democratic in the last election.
"What seems crazy to me is there's no way this country is going to get people to like us if we're talking about blowing up holy sites," McCaffrey said. "We just get angry and stupid and begin acting like a schoolyard bully when what we need to do is talk to each other and try to settle our differences."
Staff writer Mike Soraghan can be reached at 202-662-8730 or msoraghan@denverpost.com.
I don't like the Religion Of Pieces any more than the rest of you do, but Tom Tancredo's remark was just plain stupid. The interviewee was right when he said Tancredo was stirring up trouble that he didn't need to.
Sometimes, a person needs to show discretion and level-headedness when he speaks publicly.
You do not understand the Oriental mind. When you say something stupid and detrimental to your own side, the Arabs will not protest. If you say something that is wise and makes sense when it comes to dealing with the Arab attacks, they will bluster and protest because they are truly afraid someone in the infidel community gets it. I predict before the end of this war on terrorism or the war on the Arab civilization, we will see the usage of nuclear weapons on them in order to save our forces from countless casualties like what we finally had to do when confronted with a fanatical Japan. Mark my words.
You may be right, though I hope it doesn't come to that. If there's no other way, then we'll do what we have to do. But to publicly say that we should single out religious sites for bombings shows a lack of good judgement.
Beat me to it.
*yawn* Exactly what is it that we do doesn't stir them up?
I'm sorry, but after a second London bombing I am at the point I don't think he was fanatical enough. Actually, he was quite mild. So that we go with something that the Muslims understand, I say we go with "an eye for an eye".
What are we waiting for?
We have a winner! The only thing they understand is brute force.
this all boils down to those who really do believe we have something in the USA that is worth fighting for and those who deep down just want to surrender!
If TROP-members nuke a US city, I reckon about 80% of the US population will be calling for the "Tancredo-option."
"If truly moderate Muslims exist they need to get a grip and exercise some self control over their co-religionists so we don't have to do so, but I seriously doubt they will."
I'm with Robert Spencer on this kalee. "Moderate" Muslims have a real tough job on their hands. There's too much in the Koran that does not fit what you'd like to see.
In Iraq, "Moderate" Muslims are literally throwing their copies of the Koran in the Tigris and converting to Christianity. Others also are dumping the Koran, but without affiliating with another creed.
This war has been going on since A.D. 732 in the West, http://militaryhistory.about.com/cs/battlesandwars/p/battletours732.htm I do not look for it to end very soon or even, as Rumsfeld predicts, in 12 years.
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