Bush defends Iraq war; details al Qaeda threat

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

Looks like Bush is playing the fear card again to sell the war in Iraq. CNN said he mentioned al Qaeda over 90 times in his speech. Of course he threw 9-11 in there for extra measure.

Quote:

CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, South Carolina (CNN) -- President Bush insisted that al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq are part of the same terrorist network, during a speech Tuesday at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina.

President Bush said Tuesday that al Qaeda in Iraq is part of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

"Some say that Iraq is not a part of the broader war on terror," Bush said. "They claim that the organization called al Qaeda in Iraq is an Iraqi phenomenon -- that it's independent of Osama bin Laden and it's not interested in attacking America. That would be news to Osama bin Laden."

Bush made his case as a Democratically controlled Congress moves to set timetables for U.S. forces to pull out of the unpopular Iraq war and as the president's job-approval rating dips low in opinion polls.

"However difficult the fight is in Iraq, we must win it, and we can win it," Bush told members of the military who were clad in camouflage.

"Al Qaeda is in Iraq and they're there for a reason," Bush said. "Surrendering the future of Iraq for al Qaeda would be a disaster to our country." Watch Bush tie together al Qaeda and Iraq .

"I presented intelligence that clearly establishes this connection," said Bush. "The facts are that al Qaeda terrorists killed Americans on 9/11, they're fighting us in Iraq and across the world, and they're plotting to kill Americans here at home again."

Source

**Coyote** · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 11:52 pm Post subject:

First there's a connection, then he says "I never said there was a connection". Now there's a connection again. I believe there's a word for that kind of behavior. Hmm, what was that word again? Oh yeah-

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

Syria did it!

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

Is it my imaginbation or the closer we get to the report due in Sept the more terroist attack stories are put out by the government?

In a new intelligence bulletin obtained by NBC News, the Transportation Security Administration is warning law-enforcement and airport officials that terrorists "may be" conducting "preattack security probes" at U.S. airports.

The unclassified bulletin, dated July 20 and marked "For Official Use Only," is titled "Incidents at U.S. Airports May Suggest Possible Pre-Attack Probing.

Read It

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

,

Quote:

and they're plotting to kill Americans here at home again."

I don't know how to break this to Bush but they never stopped thinking of ways to attack us. To say they started again is BS.

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

Just helps illustrate just how far out of touch the pres and his boyz are, imo.

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

I guess Carl Rove is losing his touch. Laughing

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

OK, let us say that Al-Qaeda In Iraq is planning something special for the US, what would that be? Since there is but a handful of these guys in Iraq. Then of course it is all those damn foreign fighters that are in Iraq.

"I can count them [foreign fighters] as a total I have engaged, dead or alive, in the 10 months I've been here on one hand," says Col. David Sutherland, the U.S. commander of coalition forces in the hotly contested area of Diyala province, an insurgent stronghold region some 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. There, Sutherland says, those involved in al Qaeda are largely dispossessed locals, not jihadists who have come from elsewhere. "The recruiting program is [that] al Qaeda may send five or eight individuals into a village. They recruit from those who have no power base, no place in society," including, he adds, former male prostitutes and the mentally ill.

Read It

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

According to Bush they make up half the population of Iraq. Laughing

**CHUQ** · Agitator Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 3

Would that be misleading information or a lie?

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

I consider it political spin myself. He plays the fear card to make a case for staying in Iraq despite the fact we aren't making much progress.

**JasonP** · Associate Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 2

What a farce! This is nearly as bad as trying to pass pre-invasion Iraq off as a threat to US Nat'l Security. I can't believe I actually fell for it all! They really pulled a quick one on the US just after 9/11. Has anyone considered the sheer proportion of this major international f*** up? We've invaded a country on the premise they had WMD and were a threat to US national security. We've removed a leader and removed an entire government....and...ooops WMD were never found. Doesn't anyone else wonder where accountability starts to come in play? Here in the Marines we consider accountability an integral component of discipline and good order. I find myself wondering more and more why it is my brothers in arms are dying in Iraq. "War is a racket" folks. Sorry for not introducing myslelf from the start. This is my first post here in the forums. I'm a Marine currently stationed overseas and I look forward to some interesting discussions.

JSP

**Tumbleweed** · Admin Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts votes: 4

Hi Jason.Welcome.

Bush had the whole country so scared over WMD's they were willing to believe anything. He's a master of the fear card.