Posted on 10/25/2005 10:55:07 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2005 – The U.S. is determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes like Syria and Iran, President Bush said here today.
Speaking to the Joint Armed Forces Officers' Wives Luncheon at Bolling Air Force Base, Bush said that these governments have a long history of collaboration with terrorists and deserve no patience from the victims of terror.
"Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has chosen to be an enemy of civilization," Bush said. "The civilized world must hold those regimes to account."
The U.N. Security Council will hear a new report this week from an independent commission that points to Syrian involvement in the terrorist bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and 22 others in February, Bush said.
"Syria is destabilizing Lebanon, permitting terrorists to use its territory to reach Iraq, and giving safe harbor to Palestinian terrorist groups," he said. "Now the United Nations must act, and Syria and its leaders must be held accountable for their continuing support for terrorism, including any involvement in the murder of Prime Minister Hariri."
The U.S. is also working to deny the terrorists control of any nation for use as a home base or launching pad, Bush said. Troops are working to defeat the Taliban and remnants of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and to isolate terrorists in Pakistan, he said. The terrorists' ultimate goal is to destabilize the Middle East and attack America and other free nations with increasing violence, but the U.S. has a clear strategy to prevent that from happening, he said.
"Our goal is to defeat the terrorists and their allies at the heart of their power," he said. "And so, we will defeat the enemy in Iraq."
American and Iraqi troops have conducted several major assaults in recent weeks to rid western Iraq of enemy fighters and to shut down terrorist entry routes from Syria, Bush said. The Iraqi troops have been using their local expertise to ensure the success of these operations and are often staying behind to maintain security after U.S. forces move on, he said.
The Iraqi military has been gaining new capabilities and the country has made steady progress toward democracy, Bush said. "Progress isn't easy, but it is steady," he said. "No fair-minded person should ignore, deny or dismiss the achievements of the Iraqi people."
Bush dismissed recent speculation that arguments among the different religious factions point to an unstable democracy in Iraq, saying that debate is the essence of democracy. A democratic government is, in fact, the best solution for Iraq, because it will respect the rights and beliefs of all religious groups and give all citizens a stake in their country's future, he said.
"As Americans, we believe that people everywhere prefer freedom to slavery and that liberty, once chosen, improves the lives of all," he said. "And so we're confident, as our coalition and the Iraqi people each do their part, Iraqi democracy will succeed."
Iraq is NOT becoming Viet Nam or like Viet Nam in any way, shape or form.
As far as calling Bush "Chicken George", he's done more than you and your DU friends.
You are just another justification for a 90 day waiting period for newbies posting.
AMEN BUMP! Where's the beef George?
Not everyone who questions the President's remarks are DU Dummies. We simply look at the world and know that we really haven't cracked down on Sponsor States for terrorists. Iran, N. Korea, the PA, Syria and Saudi Arabia are all doing what they were doing 4 years ago. Russia and China are supplying some of these states with technology that will be used to hurt us or our allies. And he's still calling for UN action when we all know how corrupt the organization is. If we wait on the UN on the Syrian question, we will be waiting until Hell freezes over. Russia will come to Syria's rescue, and nothing will come from all this bluster.
This is exactly what we are discussing. How does this fir into the President's remarks?
Israel worried about possible new Russia-Syria arms deals
haaretz.com ^ | Last update - 02:43 26/10/2005 | By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel has expressed concern over Russia's intention to sign new arms deals with Syria, following the already completed deal to provide Syria with SA-18 anti-aircraft missiles. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, will tell him of Israel's objection to the sale of more weapons to Syria, a political source in Jerusalem said Tuesday.
The source said Syria was undermining the stability in the area. "Any cooperation with [Syria], especially when it comes to sensitive issues such as the supply of weapons, will cause more instability," the source added.
The source said Syria was still providing arms to Hezbollah and Ahmed Jibril's Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine organization in Lebanon.
"Weapons sold to the Syrians could reach the terror organizations in Lebanon," the source said.
The Israeli cabinet has yet to discuss the report released by UN investigator Detlef Mehlis about the assassination of Lebanese leader Rafik Hariri and the debate in the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon advocates keeping a low profile and not intervening in the crisis. The source said Israel supports imposing sanctions on Syria and Iran.
"We believe sanctions should be imposed on any state that supports terror," he said.
Israel welcomes pressure on Syria, which may change its conduct and even lead to the closure of Hamas and Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus.
However, Israel's leadership is at odds over whether Syrian President Bashar Assad's continued rule would serve Israel's interest or whether Israel should strive to topple his regime.
Sharon is expected to tell the Russian foreign minister on Thursday that Israel also supports imposing sanctions on Iran due to its nuclear plan. He will warn Lavrov of the grave threat that an Iranian nuclear bomb would pose.
Russia objects to sanctions on Syria and Iran, fear that such a move will disrupt regional stability.
Please explain this in regards to the President's statements, and please remember that these devices are killing Americans.
Bigger, Stronger Homemade Bombs Now to Blame for Half of US Deaths (Iran aids Zarqawi)
WP ^ | October 26 2005 | John Ward Anderson
BAGHDAD, Oct. 25 -- After 31 months of fighting in Iraq, more than half of all American fatalities are now being caused by powerful roadside bombs that blast fiery, lethal shrapnel into the cabins of armored vehicles, confronting every patrol with an unseen, menacing adversary that is accelerating the U.S. death toll.
It took about 18 months from the start of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq to reach 1,000 U.S. deaths; it took less than 13 months to reach 1,000 more. A major reason for the surge, statistics show, is the insurgency's embrace of IEDs, together with the military's inability to detect them.
"It's the dreaded IED that's killing our soldiers," said Michael White, the creator of http://icasualties.org , a Web site that tracks U.S. military casualties. "I read in the paper that we have some new device to detect them, or we're taking extra care to make sure we don't get hit, and death after death keeps coming in, and it's IEDs."
According to a former Iraqi army officer who lives in the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi and is now a member of al Qaeda in Iraq, the group headed by Abu Musab Zarqawi, insurgents have advanced beyond the crude bombs they once used, such as dynamite or gunpowder mixed with nails and buried beside a road. Now, he said in an interview, militants have access to TNT from Iran that he said was about seven times stronger than the TNT available in Iraq. He said they were also using old Austrian missiles from the former Iraqi army and detonating them with electric wires, cell phones and other remote-control devices.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Did you ever learn to read with comprehension?
Do you expect me to believe that 'real' C/conservatives call the president "Chicken George"? Why are you sticking up for someone using that name? Is that YOUR feelings as well.
It isn't a matter of questioning the President's remarks, heck, I didn't even vote for him the first time around so if you are questioning him you're just another johnny-come-lately.
And just because there are terrorists coming from Iran and Syria (and I'll bet you a dollar to a donut that I have more firsthand info on that than you do) does not allow a valid comparison to Viet Nam.
So, are you a knee jerk or just a jerk?
You have to be a moron of the nth degree to feel the need to explain that to me.
"Is Bush really going to prosecute the radical liberals in the US?! The DUmmies must be shaking in their boots."
I'll join his posse. Give me a badge,gun and a big stick.
You decided to simply not answer my questions. I'm not talking about Vietnam, and if you read my posts, you would know this. Your last statement was insulting, but we'll let that pass. Some decorum and a back and forth concerning each of our thoughts would be nice.
Thanks for the ping!
We would ALL be currently living in a police state with UN enforcement.
Groups of us would be hiding in the Colorado Mountains with limited supplies and arms.
>>>Pakistan must be shaking in its boots
Could this be why Pakistan issued that press release about Osama being killed 4 months ago?
>>>>Who should be afraid? I can walk back and forth between Mexico and the U.S.
It would be awesome if you would bring a Camcorder and demonstrate this for us.
Statics show he's right. We capture them, deport them and then they are back again. If the borders weren't so porous, this would never happen. Also, on our border to the north, we have marijuana smuggling like you can't believe. What's to stop a terrorist from using the same practices as the illegals/smugglers to get into this country? It's a fair question that deserves an answer.
Statics = statistics. Sorry for the sloppy spelling.
>>>>Statics show he's right.
Meaning what?
I corrected my self prior to your post. Go back One (1) post, and you will see it. Further clarification if ya need it. Do you?
I can care less about typos. I'm queen of all typos.
The question was WHAT did you mean by your statement that I clipped?
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