Fictitious Bush Quote

vanity | 5/27/03 | lasereye

[lasereye]

These two quotes are being posted together all over the internet:

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our Number one priority and we will not rest until we find him!"

-- George W. Bush, September 13, 2001

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."

-- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002

I did a search of the NY Times, Washington Post and Boston Globe archives and can't find the second one. It obviously reeks of a fabrication. Anybody know the origin? This is the first I've seen it, and obviously we would have heard of it by now if he'd said it in March 2002.

[lasereye]

I wonder if this is connected to the lie that Michael Moore intends to put in his new "documentary" that Bush doesn't want to find Bin Laden because of the (supposed) Bush - Bin Laden families' financial links?

[netmilsmom]

Have you tried a LexusNexus search?

[dts32041]

Actually it sounds like the dowd rejected putting words in the mouth of the shrub.

[My2Cents]

I doubt very much Bush would say "...and I really don't care."

[GoLightly]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/03/13/bush.transcript/


QUESTION: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that?

Also, can you can tell the American people if you have any more information -- if you know if he is dead or alive. Deep in your heart, don't you truly believe that until you find out if he is dead or alive, you won't really want to make...

BUSH: Well, deep in my heart, I know the man's on the run if he's alive at all. And I -- you know, who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not? We hadn't heard from him in a long time.

And the idea of focusing on one person is really -- indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission. Terror's bigger than one person. And he's just -- he's a person who has now been marginalized. His network is -- his host government has been destroyed. He's the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match.

He is -- you know, as I mention in my speeches -- I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death. And he, himself, tries to hide, if, in fact, he's hiding at all.

So I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you. I'm more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well supplied, that the strategy is clear, that the coalition is strong, that when we find enemy bunched up, like we did in Shah-e-Kot mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did.

And there will be other battles in Afghanistan. There's going to be other struggles like Shah-e-Kot. And I'm just as confident about the outcome of those future battles as I was about Shah-e-kot, where our soldiers are performing brilliantly; we're tough, we're strong, they're well-equipped, we have a good strategy. We are showing the world we know how to fight a guerrilla war with conventional means.

[dufekin]

I found it!

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html

Q But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.

But once we set out the policy and started executing the plan, he became -- we shoved him out more and more on the margins. He has no place to train his al Qaeda killers anymore. And if we -- excuse me for a minute -- and if we find a training camp, we'll take care of it. Either we will or our friends will. That's one of the things -- part of the new phase that's becoming apparent to the American people is that we're working closely with other governments to deny sanctuary, or training, or a place to hide, or a place to raise money.

And we've got more work to do. See, that's the thing the American people have got to understand, that we've only been at this six months. This is going to be a long struggle. I keep saying that; I don't know whether you all believe me or not. But time will show you that it's going to take a long time to achieve this objective. And I can assure you, I am not going to blink. And I'm not going to get tired. Because I know what is at stake. And history has called us to action, and I am going to seize this moment for the good of the world, for peace in the world and for freedom.

Mike Allen. I'm working my way back, slowly but surely. Michael.

[gary2003]

from whitehouse.gov, Bush press conference 3-13-2003

Q Mr. President, in your speeches now you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that? Also, can you tell the American people if you have any more information, if you know if he is dead or alive? Final part -- deep in your heart, don't you truly believe that until you find out if he is dead or alive, you won't really eliminate the threat of --

THE PRESIDENT: Deep in my heart I know the man is on the run, if he's alive at all. Who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not; we haven't heard from him in a long time. And the idea of focusing on one person is -- really indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission.

Terror is bigger than one person. And he's just -- he's a person who's now been marginalized. His network, his host government has been destroyed. He's the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match. He is -- as I mentioned in my speech, I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death and he, himself, tries to hide -- if, in fact, he's hiding at all.

So I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you. I'm more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well-supplied; that the strategy is clear; that the coalition is strong; that when we find enemy bunched up like we did in Shahikot Mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did.

And there will be other battles in Afghanistan. There's going to be other struggles like Shahikot, and I'm just as confident about the outcome of those future battles as I was about Shahikot, where our soldiers are performing brilliantly. We're tough, we're strong, they're well-equipped. We have a good strategy. We are showing the world we know how to fight a guerrilla war with conventional means.

Q But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.

But once we set out the policy and started executing the plan, he became -- we shoved him out more and more on the margins. He has no place to train his al Qaeda killers anymore. And if we -- excuse me for a minute -- and if we find a training camp, we'll take care of it. Either we will or our friends will. That's one of the things -- part of the new phase that's becoming apparent to the American people is that we're working closely with other governments to deny sanctuary, or training, or a place to hide, or a place to raise money.

And we've got more work to do. See, that's the thing the American people have got to understand, that we've only been at this six months. This is going to be a long struggle. I keep saying that; I don't know whether you all believe me or not. But time will show you that it's going to take a long time to achieve this objective. And I can assure you, I am not going to blink. And I'm not going to get tired. Because I know what is at stake. And history has called us to action, and I am going to seize this moment for the good of the world, for peace in the world and for freedom.

[over3Owithabrain]

Obviously the quote is fabricated then. But I gotta be honest, Bush did give a definite impression right after 9/11 that Bin Laden would be hunted down and caught ASAP. Since that has yet to happen, he is now downplaying Osama's importance. And if we can't find Saddam either, well, that's just going to look even worse.

[rwfromkansas]

I read and did a word search. The quote is not in there.

[rwfromkansas]

quote is not in there either via reading and word search.

Quit posting these when there is no such quote in there.

[Registered]

Bush should pull out two glass slides, one marked Osama the other Saddam and throw them into the press gallery. Here they are boys! Have at 'em!

[lasereye]

I don't see "I really don't care" in there, nor "It's not our priority".

[over3Owithabrain]

I got to add too, after reading the second actual quote posted, how the hell is Bin Laden "marginalized"? He killed thousands of Americans, but it's ok if we don't find him, so long as we got the Taliban? I for one will not rest until that bastard is found and either already dead or then killed.

[lasereye]

"It's not that important" isn't in there either.

[lasereye]

he is now downplaying Osama's importance.

How do reach that conclusion?

[mass55th]

Ask Jayson Blair or Maureen Dowd.

[alnick]

H'e marginalized because he's got to hide, a number of his top men have been captured or killed, and a good number of his operatives have been captured or killed. Any move that he makes is incredibly risky for him because there's a price on his head and he never knows what our intelligence will pick up or who to trust.

[My2Cents]

Clearly, as the war on terror has developed, apprehending Osama has been less of a priority. Why? Because 1) he's slippery and we may never catch him, and 2) he might be dead, buried in rubble of some cave in Tora Bora. Bush isn's saying he "doesn't care" whether we catch Bin Laden, only that it may not matter if we are successful in taking out his organization, which we are doing.

[Wolverine]

Sounds like you believe in impressions....Why not just the facts President Bush has produced for the American people.

[lowbridge]

bump

[Howlin]

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our Number one priority and we will not rest until we find him!" -- George W. Bush, September 13, 2001

What is that quote from, do you know?

September 13th would have been two days after 9-11; did we know that soon? He spoke at to the nation o 9-15, but I don't rememeber any specific speeches or interviews where he might have said that before that address.

As for this quote:

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." -- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002

I never heard or read he said that.

[WOSG]

Bin laden is "marginalized" with hundreds of Al Qeada and talibn in camp x-ray, thousands more 6 feet under.
What's left of the network has been heavily compromised.
hundreds of arrests in europe, etc.


Is bin laden even alive???!?? Someone show me where and what proof!

[lasereye]

Actually I didn't look for the first quote. I was focusing on the second one since it would have been front page news if he had said that and I had no recollection of it. The first is probably fictitious too.

[lasereye]

I think it's even a stretch to say we've "gotten" the Taliban, or even to say the Taliban is "marginalized" at this point. They are still quite powerful in Afghanistan.

Provide some evidence for that.

[GoLightly]

I'm sure they are still looking for him, per the first quote. The fact that it's no longer the top priority due to changes in his circumstances are reflected by what he said more recently. It's not that Bush's position has changed, so much as Bin Laden's has. If you expend all of your energy to persue the irrelevant, you don't have the energy to persue what is important. Which is more important, form or function?

[Miss Marple]

I think the first quote was debinked in a thread earlier this year. It seems like this comes up every so often.

There was nothing said about OBL in public until after the National Cathedral service. The only public comment he made on September 13 was the press opportunity from the Oval Office, in which he famously teared up and said he didn't think about himself, but thought about the moms and dads, the children..."I'm a loving guy, but I've got a job to do."

[Howlin]

I knew you'd remember.

[Howlin]

I actually believe I have heard him say something close to that, but not in a speech; for some reason, I'm thinking it was in one of those "what Bush did on 9-11" shows, like on CBS, you know?

[Miss Marple]

Not only do I remember, but to make sure I went and looked at the Woodward book and also my magazine "George W. Bush..The Making of a Wartime President".

I have lots of newspapers as well. I bet I have as big a box of Bush stuff as your mother!!

[Petronski]

A certain ass-freak from 'the other site' who shall remain nameless has been circulating these quotes around the internet for a year or more now.

It is a fraud...a fraud worthy of Michael Moore or Jayson Blair.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Bush did give a definite impression right after 9/11 that Bin Laden would be hunted down and caught ASAP. Since that has yet to happen,

You mean, "Since that has never been announced as having happened...."

It is my opinion that the administration has made a conscious decision not to reveal the status/fate of these big Enemies even if they are caught or killed, whether Osama, Taliban's Mullah Omar, or Saddam. That's just my opinion, though.

[7thson]

Did we ever find Martin Bormann? Adolf Eichmann was missing for 15 years. Joseph Mengela(sp) was in hiding for decades. It would be nice to find these people. But the Saddam government is no more. What are the chances of him popping up in Iraq some years from now and retaking control?

[Hatteras]

I do remember W saying on a TV interview when asked if Osama's dead or alive, "Well, I don't see him leading any parades."

I think that the President and others within the intelligence community believe OBL is still dead. The continuing "search" is just to make sure all bases are covered.

[GraniteStateConservative]

OBL didn't even come up with the idea for 9/11. He's an important figure, yes, but he should not be the focus.

[MJY1288]

Every word uttered in public by the president is published on the White House website, you can check for them HERE, I already did and they dont exist

[Howlin]

I agree with you; after all, if we had killed him the first night, think of all the liberals/anti-Americans screaming "We got him; stop it now!"

[CJ Wolf]

The first quote must be suspect as well. Sept 13th...

JIM LEHRER: In general, Mr. Secretary, how close are we to knowing who was responsible and how they did it?

COLIN POWELL: I think the evidence is building rapidly now, and the FBI, and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies have done a terrific job in just a short period of time, and I think in the not-too-distant future we will have enough confidence in what we have gathered, the information and evidence we have gathered to make a definitive judgment and then a definitive statement as to who we believe is responsible.

[The Old Hoosier]

Just did a Nexis search, and both quotes are certainly false. The second one did have some slight resemblance to what he said in reality on March 13--note one of the above-posted press conferences--but it is exaggerated and falsified and taken totally out of context.

The first quote, on the other hand, is definitely fabricated out of whole cloth. Only two gullible journalists have written about these quotes, and then three letter-to-the-editor writers.

[William McKinley]

The first quotation is completely fabricated.

[George W. Bush]

A good thread. I did find another reference that was a little interesting.

snopes.com: Report: Osama bin Laden captured between Afghanistan and Pakistan

I was interested in the guy who said:

"The oldest mention on the web of the phrase "The most important thing is for us to find" is a Planet Waves Daily, May 15-31, 2002. See for yourself: search for pages with the phrase "The most important thing is for us to find" that were last modified between 9 September 2001 and 9 June 2002. The first hit is a mirror of a webpage that is written by "BartCop".

This is the second time I've traced a Bush quote that only goes back to him."

I thought it was worth noting if we see more quotes that are distorted or suspicious. If they trace back to BartCop again, it starts to look even more suspicious.

[TChris]

Bin Laden is either dead or at death's door, unable to speak. The jihadis would not waste the propaganda value of rubbing our faces in Bin Laden videos every week if they could.

[Kleon]

The second quote is fictitious, but is normally replaced by this real quote:

"So I don't know where he [Osama bin Laden] is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html

[Lazamataz]

"I eat children. Send me your children, so I can drink their blood. I want to turn America into an Islamic state and kill all the children. Then I want to drink their blood." Hillary Clinton, Oct 16, 2006

Two can play this game.

[CounterCounterCulture]

That sounds like the Hillary Clinton we all know and love.

[lowbridge]

"This is the second time I've traced a Bush quote that only goes back to him.

Wishful thinking from the left. That guy, on the snopes message board, didnt trace this comment back to Bush. He traced it to a reader back to Buzzflash (as well as an astrological site). Who in turn does not provide any evidence that Bush said it.