Only socks, RIP, knows for sure.
Posted on 08/07/2008 5:53:32 PM PDT by SJackson
Ten years ago today, U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed, causing a devastating loss of life and signaling that the United States faced new and more serious terrorist threats abroad and potentially at home.
That potential became a reality on Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked, causing an even more devastating loss of life and sending an even clearer signal regarding the necessity of a smart and focused response to a challenge that could no longer be ignored.
Unfortunately, President Bush did not get the message.
He and his neoconservative advisers decided to launch an unnecessary pre-emptive war with Iraq that has cost 4,000 American lives and roughly 100,000 Iraqi lives, displaced millions, destabilized the Middle East, undermined international relationships and alliances, and left the United States and its allies more vulnerable to new attacks.
Even now, the president who prattles on about his "war on terror" is still missing the point -- and in so doing, he endangers the United States and the world.
As U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., one of the few leaders in either political party who has read the circumstance correctly from the start, says, "The president (continues) to ignore the devastating impact our massive presence in Iraq has on that country, the region, our counterterrorism efforts, and our economy. Our open-ended presence in Iraq continues to undermine our ability to meet more important national security challenges such as al-Qaida reconstituting itself in Pakistan, the Taliban regaining a foothold in Afghanistan, and other terrorist safe havens in countries like Yemen and Somalia. As we prepare to mark the 10th anniversary of the bombings of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, we must keep our eye on the ball: the fight against al-Qaida and its affiliates."
Only socks, RIP, knows for sure.
Wonder if this writer realizes how terribly antisemitic he sounds.
In other news, al-Qaeda in Iraq has admitted defeat.
Multiple times.
Next?
John says: "Let's see...
-No terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11/01.
-Multiple plots disrupted well in advance
-No US embassies destroyed in the past ten years
-Al Qaeda in Iraq near complete collapse and in retreat
-Al Qaeda leadership being picked off one by one by Predator drones with the rest of their leadership holed up in caves and huts, afraid to move for fear of being turned into dust.
You're right, this isn't working. Let's try something else."
What a bunch of loons....Afghanistan and Pakistan are Al Queda’s last refuge since Iraq didn’t work out very well.
Think of all those much vaunted, but now dead, european Al Queda recruits the libs were screaming about in 2004. Iraq is a huge victory in the WOT, period!
Uh, no. Feingold has been totally WRONG from the start. What planet is this writer from?
They’re all nuts at The Capital.
Yup. On to Pakistan!
Al Qaeda sings "There's a place for uuuuuuuuuuus".
Let me see if I got this right.
GWB, elected in 2000, didn't react properly to something that happened 2 years before he was elected?
I need a drink...
“What planet is this writer from?”
While I don’t know what planet he’s from, I can certainly determine the party’s ass he’s up. Is this guy kidding or what? Not one mention for the preceeding fumble by Bubba on this entire terrorism situation. Clinton stuck his head as far under his desk as did “that woman, Ms Lewinsky”.
This writer is a clear example of no one being held to moral standards of honesty and integrity. It is this that will cause the next civil war in this country. People will not accept a “freedom of speech” mantra from a biased and corrupt media.
Crap, but these moonbats have no sense of history. Not only was Clinton in the White House, but the intelligence agencies were completely hobbled by the Gorelick Memo...
Whose fault was that, now?
By 1998, clinton had already been ignoring terrorism since the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
Had that bombing gone according to plan, one tower would have toppled into the other, bringing them both down almost instantly. Without any time for an evacuation, tens of thousands of lives would have been lost.
No, he doesn't.
Not true, they simply rewrite it. Assuming the rest of us have no sense of history, which many don't.
I concede the point. True enough. Americans are being groomed to forget anything of substance, if they ever learn it.
Whoa, pass the bong, please. Who was President in 1998?
If something bad happened it was Bush or Reagan, maybe Nixon.
I just posted what you did on another forum. Here’s the first reply I got. How would you (or any FReeper) reply to this?
____________________________________________________________
Terrorist attacks on US soil were not in huge abundance before 9/11.
This administration has lied to us so many times about this war, I don’t particularly trust what they are telling us regarding disrupted plots, retreats, etc. Fox news cannot be trusted as a balanced source of information. George Bush’s lies have been well documented.
There has still been no established connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq, though I won’t say members didn’t flee there.
Over 4000 dead American soldiers, over 1,000,000 dead Iraqis (not all soldiers), record high gas prices, national debt skyrocketing to pay for this war, massive debt to China, our government telling us we may be in a state of war for the rest of our lifetime.
This country now tortures people.
That doesn’t seem to be working.
Bush’s fault.
We did not get attacked on 9-11-2001 for fighting in wars we shouldn’t have, we were attacked because we were not engaged in a war that we SHOULD have been fighting.
Don’t be so hard on him, he probably wasn’t even in high school yet in 1998, you can’t expect him to know such things...
He thinks someone gets to be President for "eight or ten years."
Where do the children who write this blather come from?
What does the writer think would have happened in Iraq if we hadn’t invaded?
Tell that to Bobby Kennedy, Leon Klinghoffer, Robert Stetham and the victims of the 1993 WTC bombing. Just because we didn't put it together before, modern Muslim terrorism has been happening to us since 1968.
This administration has lied to us so many times about this war, I don’t particularly trust what they are telling us regarding disrupted plots, retreats, etc. Fox news cannot be trusted as a balanced source of information. George Bush’s lies have been well documented.
If they have been so well documented then you should have no problem quoting the documentation. Do so.
There has still been no established connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq, though I won’t say members didn’t flee there.
Read up on Salman Pak and respond to what you find.
Over 4000 dead American soldiers, over 1,000,000 dead Iraqis (not all soldiers), record high gas prices, national debt skyrocketing to pay for this war, massive debt to China, our government telling us we may be in a state of war for the rest of our lifetime.
All thanks to previous administrations (notably Carter and Clinton) who kowtowed to terrorists instead of following Thomas Jefferson's example when dealing with the Muslim Barbary Pirates: A million for defense, not a penny in tribute!
This country now tortures people.
If putting panties on your head and being waterboarded is your definition of torture, you are in for a very big surprise if a Muslim country decides to torture you.
That doesn’t seem to be working.
And that is why we won, right?
This number has been made up out of whole cloth.
You need a new tin foil hat for all of these claims.
Thanks for that. I always thought Clinton was President in 1998 too.
Very nice. May I borrow some of your replies with my modifications added?
ABC News report in 2000.
NYT Editorial, l998
“Unfortunately it seems increasingly clear that what Saddam Hussein really wants is not relief, but an operational germ warfare program.
Washington is rightly determined to thwart that ambition, even if it comes to military force.”
NYT from l991.....eliminate any capacity to make WMD, and to export the blessings of democracy”.
Senator Bob Graham (D), Chairman of the Sen Intel Committee said in Time mags 9/11 special edition, “there is some evidence”, that Saddam was involved, evidence that is “credible enough that you cannot take Iraq off that list”. page 43, Sept 24, 2001
For liberals, history begins when they wake up in the morning.
Thank you.
It’s been so long since I took on these kinds of people that I have no more links and such to use against them. FR is always the best, though.
liberals have mastered the art of telling tall tales on tv until the sheeple buy it hook, line and sinker..... ie: tell a lie often enough and people will believe it....or so they think.
If you can convince the masses of absurdities, you can get them to commit atrocities. (Voltaire)
Let's examine these point by point.
war with Iraq that has cost 4,000 American lives
The war has cost 4,000 American lives but no lives have been lost at home since 2001. On September 12th no one thought we'd be saying that 7 years later.
roughly 100,000 Iraqi lives,
Let's assume that this figure of 100,000 Iraqi deaths is in fact correct. This is a drop in the bucket compared to what Saddam did to the Iraqis just in the 1990s. The UN estimated that 1 million died under embargo in just the first 9 years of the embargo. Remember that European elites were getting rich of the oil for food scheme at that time. They, along with Saddam, stole the money intended to feed these dead Iraqis. The US war put an end to this.
displaced millions,
Some Iraqis have been displaced but millions have returned home from elsewhere in the middle east and even from Europe and the US.
destabilized the Middle East,
Really? The middle east is more unstable now? Lebanon kicked Syria out and fought the Sunni terrorists within their borders. They are trying to form a representative democracy albeit with Hezbollah included. Egypt is working towards more democracy despite excluding some groups. Israel's anti-terrorist wall has made terrorist bombings an ugly memory. If not for the crazy decision to give Gaza back they would be very safe now. Libya abandoned its WMD programs. Algeria completely defeated one terrorist group and is pounding hard on the remaining group. We have closer ties than ever to the gulf states. Iran is a basket case but that has little to do with US actions.
undermined international relationships and alliances,
In some ways this is true. The oil for food scheme was the deal of a lifetime and many of our "allies" were angry that we disrupted their scam. Other allies revealed their craven cowardice and refused to fight or fled after fighting briefly. Neither reflects well on our "allies" but one can bet that when they are in need they will seek to shore up their relationships with the US.
left the United States and its allies more vulnerable to new attacks.
Seven years and no attacks in the US. This speaks volumes about the good work our guys have done at home. In addition, despite what CNN thinks, there are only so many people that want to wage jihad. Iraq has not been the recruiting coup that al-Qaeda (and CNN) hoped it would be. In fact it has been a disaster. Most AQ members are now dead, jailed, tired of war and gone home or hiding in the mountains of Pakistan hoping they wont freeze their asses off all winter.
BUMP!
In in 1998, an Arab intelligence officer, who knows Saddam personally, predicted in Newsweek: "Very soon you will be witnessing large-scale terrorist activity run by the Iraqis." The Arab official said these terror operations would be run under "false flags" --spook-speak for front groups--including bin Laden's organization.
Then there were the predictions by an Iraqi with ties to Iraqi intelligence, Naeem Abd Mulhalhal, in Qusay's own newspaper several weeks before the attacks that stated bin Laden would “demolish the Pentagon after he destroys the White House and ”bin Laden would strike America “on the arm that is already hurting.” (referencing a second IRAQI sponsored attack on the World Trade Center). Another reference to New York was “[bin Laden] will curse the memory of Frank Sinatra everytime he hears his songs.” (e.g., “New York, New York”) which identified New York, New York as a target. Mulhalhal also stated, “The wings of a dove and the bullet are all but one and the same in the heart of a believer." which references an airplane attack.
The Arabic language daily newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabic also cited the cooperation between Iraq, bin Laden and Al December 1998 editorial, which predicted that “President Saddam Hussein, whose country was subjected to a four day air strike, will look for support in taking revenge on the United States and Britain by cooperating with Saudi oppositionist Osama Bin-Laden, whom the United States considers to be the most wanted person in the world.” This info is in the link provided below. How could these people have had foreknowledge without Iraq being involved?
Warning...slow loading .pdf file. This was from a lawsuit filed against Iraq after 9/11...the court ruled against Iraq.
There was also another lawsuit filed by the family of John O’Neill (a former FBI agent who captured Ramzi Yousef after the 1993 WTC bombings) after he died in the WTC on 9/11. His personal files from his years of traveling around the world investigating al-Qaeda are were used as evidence in the lawsuit. The evidence includes documents unearthed in the headquarters of the Mukhabarat (Iraq's intelligence service) and information gleaned from the interrogation of both al-Qaeda and Iraqi prisoners. (Link below). It also quotes Vincent Cannistraro, the former CIA counter-terrorism chief, who stated in October 2000 that Iraq had been wanting to carry out terrorist attacks, and that the Iraqi military had been in contact with Osama bin Laden.
We know from these IIS documents that beginning in 1992 the former Iraqi regime regarded bin Laden as an Iraqi Intelligence asset. We know from IIS documents that the former Iraqi regime provided safe haven and financial support to an Iraqi who has admitted to mixing the chemicals for the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. We know from IIS documents that Saddam Hussein agreed to Osama bin Laden's request to broadcast anti-Saudi propaganda on Iraqi state-run television. We know from IIS documents that a "trusted confidante" of bin Laden stayed for more than two weeks at a posh Baghdad hotel as the guest of the Iraqi Intelligence Service.
Abu Nidal, September 11 and Saddam The terrorist network may be closer knit than we think.
Weekly Standard: The Mother of All Connections
The Saddam-Al Qaeda Links: In Photos and Video (MUST SEE)
List of newspaper article in the 90's which mention the world's concern regarding the growing relationship between OBL and Saddam:
Son of Saddam coordinates OBL activities:
The AQ connection (excellent):
Western Nightmare:
Saddam's link to OBL:
NYT: Iraq and AQ agree to cooperate:
Document linking them:
Iraq and terrorism - no doubt about it:
A federal judge rules there are links:
Wall Street Journal on Iraq and AQ:
Iraq and Iran contact OBL:
More evidence:
Saddam's AQ connection:
Further connections:
What a court of law said about the connections:
Some miscellaneous stuff on connections:
Saddam's Ambassador to Al Qaeda: (February 2004, Weekly Standard)
Yes - it's NewsMax but loaded with interesting bullet points.
Saddam's Fingerprints on NY Bombing (Wall Street Journal, June 1993)
Colin Powell: Iraq and AQ Partners for Years (CNN, February 2003)
The Iraq-Al Qaeda Connections (September 2003, Richard Miniter)
Oil for Food Scandal Ties Iraq and Al Qaeda (June 2003)
Saddam and OBL Make a Pact (The New Yorker, February 2003):
Al Qaeda's Poison Gas (Wall Street Journal, April 2004):
Wolfowitz Says Saddam behind 9/11 Attacks:
Saddam behind first WTC attack - PBS, Laurie Mylroie:
Growing Evidence of Saddam and Al Qaeda Link, The Weekly Standard, July 2003:
Qusay Hussein Coordinated Iraq special operations with Bin Laden Terrorist Activities, Yossef Bodansky, National Press Club
The Western Nightmare: Saddam and Bin Laden vs. the Rest of the World, The Guardian Unlimited:
Saddam Link to Bin Laden, Julian Borger, The Guardian, February 1999
The Al Qaeda Connection, The Weekly Standard, July 2003
Cheney lectures Russert on Iraq/911 Link, September 2003:
No Question About It, National Review, September 2003
Iraq: A Federal Judges Point of View
Mohammed's Account links Iraq to 9/11 and OKC:
Free Republic Thread that mentions some books Freepers might be interested in on this topic:
The Proof that Saddam Worked with AQ, The Telegraph, April 2003:
Saddam's AQ Connection, The Weekly Standard, September 2003
September 11 Victims Sue Iraq:
Osama's Best Friend: The Further Connections Between Al Qaeda and Saddam, The Weekly Standard, November 2003
Terrorist Behind 9/11 Attacks Trained by Saddam, The Telegraph, December 2003
James Woolsey Links Iraq and AQ, CNN Interview, March 2004, Also see Posts #34 and #35
A Geocities Interesting Web Site with maps and connections:
Bin Laden indicted in federal court, read down to find information that Bin Laden agreed to not attack Iraq and to work cooperatively with Iraq:
Case Closed, The Weekly Standard, November 03
CBS - Lawsuit: Iraq involved in 9/11:
Exploring Iraq's Involvement in pre-9/11 Acts, The Indianapolis Star:
The Iraq/AQ Connection: Richard Minister again
Militia Defector says Baghdad trained Al Qaeda fighters in chemical weapons, July 2002
The Clinton View of Iraq/AQ Ties, The Weekly Standard, December 2003
Saddam Controlled the Camps (Iraq/AQ Ties): The London Observer, November 01
Saddam's Terror Ties that Critics Ignore, National Review, October 2003:
Tape Shows General Wesley Clark linking Iraq and AQ:
The Missing Link (What the Senate Ingelligence Report Said about Iraq/AQ Connections)
Credit to Peach for the above info.
Credit to joesbucks for the following links:
Dozens of links here:
Just a few of those links include:
The Clinton Justice Department's indictment against OBL in federal court which mentions the terrorist's connections to Iraq. November 4, 1998. The federal indictment:
Iraq and AQ agree to cooperate. The federal indictment against OBL working in concert with Iraq and Iran is mentioned. November 1998. The New York Times
Saddam reaching out to OBL January 1, 1999. Newsweek
ABC news reports on the Osama/Saddam connections January 14, 1999. ABC News
Western Nightmare: Saddam and OBL versus the World. Iraq recruited OBL. February 6, 1999. The Guardian
Saddam's Link to OBL February 6, 1999. The Guardian
Saddam offered asylum to bin Laden February 13, 1999. AP
Video coverage from drzz:
Saddam- Al Qaeda VIDEOS library (MUST SEE)
And kabar submitted these two little gems showing Bin Laden supported Iraq and its struggle against the US and the West.
1996 Fatwa: "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places."
Bill Ayers' bombing of the Pentagon must not have been a terrorist act in his eyes.
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