Posted on 09/12/2002 7:02:45 AM PDT by Howlin
Live discussion and comments about Bush's speech to the U.N. today, and the reaction to it.
Ashley Banfield is interviewing Scott Ritter. He spends the bulk of the segment loudly demanding notice of his great patriotism, and largely debunking the notion of some imminent threat to America and the world from Iraqi WMDs. Scott informed us that Iran is the real miscreant, they have nukes. LMAO!!! We have no honest or legitimate basis to depose the regime of Saddam Hussein, according to Mr. Ritter.
At the end of the interview, he says "why should we put the lives of hundreds of thousands of American military personnel on the line to pursue this wrongful course of action in Iraq.
This raises a sitting duck, cherry pick, follow up opportunity for those who are not mesmerized by their next scripted question, but who are analyzing and measuring the answer to the last question.
Arne Fufkin's follow up: If Saddam Huessein does not have weapons of mass destruction, as you say; if he is as compliant to international mandates as you maintain; why would hundreds of thousands of American soldiers be "at risk" by confronting the Iraqi regime? Certainly not from their conventional threat, you surely aren't saying? What is the source of that Iraqi capability to kill so many of the soldiers in most powerful military in human history, if not some biological, chemical or nuclear weapon?
Ashley Banfield: Duh. Well, thank you for being here Mr. Ritter.
Really? Give me a date when Saddam will be gone.
Pretty good wad. Have you checked the New York skyline lately? Saddam hit us hard, and we are powerless to take him out ("WE HAVE THIS ANTHRAX YOU CAN NOT STOP US"). Get used to it.
People who pay more attention to speeches than actions are of great value to bad leaders.
I don't give a rat's ass about his language. I want to know why this administration considers Saudi Arabia a "close ally" after 9/11 and the news that they've been supporting terrorism all over the globe.
I also want to know why every single American isn't furious with Saudi Arabia.
POTUS seems to have no problem ripping Iraq. But after all, they're the ones that didn't kill thousands of Americans.
Only losers, who lose, who can't compromise and take little victories, don't get it. Bush takes every offer of support knowing the extent and openess with which they can give. Which is very little at this point.
This is geopolitics. The world wants to pretend the Middle East is loving and warm. Schroeder needs to be re-elected. Chirac is fighting for his life. Blair is the big swinging d**k, he knows that success is the cure all to political annoyances. Putin does too, but he can't openly compromise the economic investments his industry has in Iraq. We'll make them good ex post facto. Musharraf can't step up. Mubarak is shackled. The Turks have a Kurd issue, they're fired up. We have significantly more World support in this endeavor than meets the eye. Nobody wants to step up to stand by us but the Brits. Blair is hell bent that he, and Great Britain, will be alpha male force in the EU. He's not going to let the Continental twits steamroll his mates. Really though, we don't need anyone but the Brits, Qatarzans (and their Jungle Band) and the Turks. The Germans, French, Dutch, Saudis, Jordanians, Russians, Egyptians, Chinese and Canadians are pitching in or minding their business, don't you doubt it.
Bush operates on a plane that seems to elude many here.
If any of these countries' overt support of us would compromise their efforts to sniff out and destroy the terrorist cells in their nations, I'll take the latter objective thank you very much. We'll go it alone, you guys roust and neutralizle the dirtbag badguys.
This is a Kabuki Dance on the world stage. Nothing is real but the stone cold truth that Saddam is dead meat if he doesn't leave town wit a quickness.
You are a dolt.
You and "The Great Satan" need to have a Point-Counterpoint scrum.
Saddam has conquered us, didn't you hear?
OK.
Pay attention to President Bush's speeches and his actions, and you, sakic, will learn something about character, commitment, morality, honor, strength and leadership such as this country (or world) has rarely seen.
When I see George Bush strongly state that the "Saudis are our close allies", I think it's real. It is similar to his statements that "The Attorney General, John Ashcroft, is doing a remarkable job." He means it.
I don't think all these Al Qaida cockroaches are being discovered and arrested in Spain, Indonesia, Italy and Canada through Elliot Ness-like police work from those committed police agencies! Somebody is giving them up.
Who do you think that might be?
George W. Bush took a public browbeating during a visit from Saudi statesmen this last spring. Bush has the confidence and commitment to give that win to the Saudi rulers ... it was a huge deal back in Arabia. That's what he will do to support those who need political bolstering. Even if it requires slapping the big kid. He did it with Vincente Fox too. Bush knows that a strong leader is integral to building a stable and economically healthy Mexico. Fox is the best bet. Fox needed a platform to demonstrate his independence, Mexico's strength and build his foundation of political support. Bush gave him a huge win. No immigration solution is possible without Mexican involvement. A Mexico that is fractured and chaotic is a national security risk.
Bush has the confidence to take a step back, to take a punch, in order to move three steps forward. The goofballs here nit-pick every move, but they are like chimpanzees watching Gerry Kasparov play chess.
They should be our first and only targets at the moment.
I've been paying very close attention. Saudis killed 3000 of my fellow New Yorkers and W hailed Saudi Arabia as a close ally.
North Korea, a country that poses no threat and that has never done anything to us is an "evildoer".
All logic has been tossed out the window in order to forward an agenda.
Iraq is a momentum objective.
You are clueless. So am I. But, I trust Bush, Rummy and the gang. You don't.
I'll win that test. America wins. You just hang around and stew.
What agenda?
It was a direct, forceful laundry list of Iraqi snubbing U.N. mandates, and compelling evidence of their ongoing mission to develop weapons of mass destruction. Chemical, biological and as Bush says ... "nucular".
It was a clear case for military action.
Oh, and Bush didn't mention this, but Freeper sakic is planning a Chuck Norris like "Force of One" assault on Riyadh. That'll be fun to watch too.
I'll win that test. America wins. You just hang around and stew.
This is the proverbial bottom line, Arne..........trust.
In the time that I have been observing George W. Bush, I have seen nothing that lessens my trust in his judgement about Iraq. There is nothing that supports sakic's view that he is a liar, or that Rumsfeld, Cheney, Powell, General Myers........those who aren't 'clueless' as we are....... are deceiving us because of some imaginary 'agenda.'
But even to those of us who are not privy to inside information, the threat that a maniacal, murdering tyrant like Saddam is within a year of developing nuclear weapons that he wouldn't hesitate for a moment to use on us, is more than obvious.
The Saudi situation is entirely different, and though their record on terrorism is not good, the threat they pose as a nation to us, or to the world is not remotely as grave as that of Iraq.
A Saudi contingent was invited to, and accepted, a meeting with President Bush at his ranch in Texas. Only Blair and Putin have been extended that courtesy.
The Saudis CANNOT openly support us. But, they have always been masters of intrigue and survival. They have their hooks everywhere in that region. We need that.
I saw Bush's countenance when he stated that the "Saudis are close allies". He doesn't say that about the French or Germans or Egyptians or Japanese. He meant it. They are. Appearances are deceiving especially with that despotic crew.
I think they are our allies. They may pay the families of suicide bombers, but who knows how many attacks on Israel they have thwarted in comparison? It's about image in that world.
How do we know their agents are not actively recruiting vital Iraqi civilian and military agents to provide intelligence for our upcoming attack? They can get to the people who know where the bunkers and labs are. We need that info.
How do we know how many attacks on the U.S.A. they have directly or indirectly intercepted? How many bad guys they made "go away"?
The World political scene is complex, and the Saudis are the most complex players of all. Balancing alliances, performing political theatre and keeping a vice like grip on everything that transpires within and out of their borders has kept that Royal family alive and well in a region of violence and disorder.
They need us more than we need them. They don't want to be isolated economically in the post Hussein world. They have no interest in that guy's ongoing life. They don't want to be shut out of the oil biz after the smoke clears.
I hope sakic doesn't conquer their kingdom before they finish helping us vaporize the Saddam regime.
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