Howard Dean: ‘We’ve not paid attention to al-Qaida’

AP / Portsmouth Herald ^ | 1/2/2004 | Holly Ramer

[rs79bm]

NASHUA, N.H. -- Democrat Howard Dean said that the events of the last few weeks have shown he was right to conclude that Saddam Hussein’s capture didn’t make America safer.

Dean, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, faced criticism from his party’s rivals for his comments following the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam. Since then, the national terrorism alert has been raised to orange and more troops have been killed in Iraq, he said at a town hall meeting in Nashua.

"They got all excited, but here we are," the former Vermont governor said. "We’ve lost 10 more troops and F-16s are escorting foreign passenger jets into our air space because we’re now more worried than we were before.

"I can assure you it’s not Saddam who’s threatening to bomb airplanes," Dean said. "It’s al-Qaida. We’ve not paid attention to al-Qaida. We’ve spent $160 billion, lost over 400 servicemen, and wounded and permanently maimed over 2,000 people because we picked the wrong target."

Dean said even though he opposed the war, his greatest fear now is that "this administration will pull out of Iraq too early for political reasons," Dean said.

If that happens, al-Qaida will move into Iraq and become more powerful than ever.

"My fear is that the (Karl) Rove polls will tell him (Bush), ‘You’ve gotta get out, you’ve gotta get out,’ and he’ll start doing that, " Dean said, referring to Bush’s chief political adviser.

[Erik Latranyi]

That to me, or Dean?

That was for Dr. Deanmento.

[Darksheare]

Had me kinda worried there.

*chuckle*

[Xphantasos]

I pay attention to the Green Party & I will get all their votes!

[Helms]

Lookie Down Here Howie!

[jagrmeister]

Dean is either oblivious of the measures we've taken to attack Al Queda cells, trap their communication, and interefere with their plans or is he is lying. The truth is that we've captured or killed a large number of Al Queda terrorists. The further truth is that Dean is an inveterate liar.

[lainde]

So he's not board certified? Passing internal medicine boards in those days was hard...Almost 50% fail rate. Where's the data on THAT? Hmmmm?

[lainde]

I checked the American Board of Internal Medicine site. Howard Brush Dean III passed his boards in 1981.

[Rome2000]

"I can assure you it’s not Saddam who’s threatening to bomb airplanes," Dean said. "It’s al-Qaida. We’ve not paid attention to al-Qaida. We’ve spent $160 billion, lost over 400 servicemen, and wounded and permanently maimed over 2,000 people because we picked the wrong target."

Dean is a LUNATIC

Too bad we can't lock him up in Cuba