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Thread 4. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1084291/posts |
Posted on 02/05/2004 8:31:17 PM PST by Mossad1967
Edited on 02/09/2004 3:20:18 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
SANAA, Yemen, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A purported statement by al-Qaida in Yemen warned Saturday of a "major strike" soon in the United States.
The statement, distributed by the Yemeni Tagamoo Party for Reforms, said: "A major strike, a big event will take place in America soon," reminiscent of the Sept. 11 attacks.
&^#^&*(___()(&&&%#$@%()*&^%$# !!!!!!!
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Governors just back from a trip to Iraq stressed the need to "stay the course" after meeting with President Bush at the White House Friday.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, said the issue came up in conversations with Iraqis as the six governors traveled the country.
"We had a number of people ask us, 'Will you continue to stand with us as we go to this transition to freedom and democracy?' " Pawlenty told reporters. "It's very important that the United States send a signal that we're going to stay the course and finish the job."
New York Gov. George Pataki, also a Republican, agreed. "If we win in Iraq, then we will have broken the back of terrorism," Pataki said.
The trip was organized by the White House, and the governors said they were selected to get a bipartisan group and for regional balance.
Terrorism is "alive and well" in Iraq, said Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, one of two Democrats on the trip. "They (terrorists) are operating in what is essentially a free country, so they have the freedom to move."
At one point, tracer fire was spotted near the governors' plane during a takeoff, causing the plane to change direction, but there was no indication that it was targeted.
Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, a Republican, deflected questions about whether the failure to find weapons of mass destruction undermined the justification for the war.
"One of the Iraqis that I spoke to made this point: In person, Saddam Hussein is a weapon of mass destruction," Kempthorne said. "As we have looked for the weapons of mass destruction, what we have particularly found are mass graves," he said, referring to the discovery of remains of Saddam's political enemies.
Pawlenty said Bush asked the governors to describe the daily life of Baghdad.
"He wanted to know, what's the feel? Are people shopping? Are they in the streets? What's the attitude of the Iraqis? How are they feeling about our efforts here?" Pawlenty said.
"It's remarkable to see the activity in the streets of Baghdad, the commerce, the increase in traffic, people who are returning to engage in employment or economic activities," he said.
The visit to Iraq, which also included Republican Linda Lingle of Hawaii and Democrat Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, marked the first time governors had visited the country since the United States toppled Saddam Hussein. Members of Congress visit Baghdad regularly.
Bush was joined by Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and White House chief of staff Andy Card.
By PAMELA SAMPSON, Associated Press Writer
TUNIS, Tunisia - The fight to defeat terrorism is only in its early stages, and nations must step up cooperation if they expect success, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali said Friday ahead of an official visit to Washington.
Ben Ali also told The Associated Press that he hopes to share more of his experience in fighting terrorism when he meets with President Bush on Wednesday.
Cooperation among nations "needs to be deeper," he said. "This is not only a matter for the United States. They can't do it alone."
Tunisia, a moderate Muslim nation, has become a key U.S. ally in the global campaign against terrorism. It also suffered an attack blamed on al-Qaida that killed 21 people in 2002.
"In all modesty, I have a lot of experience with this," Ben Ali told the AP in an interview at the presidential palace in Carthage. He also responded in writing to questions submitted before the interview.
"I gave the first-ever report on the dangers of fundamentalism to the Tunisian government. I have been following this ever since then," he said during the interview.
On April 11, 2002, an attacker rammed a truck filled with natural gas tanks into the historic Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian resort island of Djerba, killing five Tunisians and 16 tourists — 14 Germans and two French. Authorities suspect al-Qaida.
Ben Ali served as head of Tunisian security in the late 1970s before taking power from Tunisia's first president, Habib Bourguiba, in a bloodless palace coup in 1987. The change of power was mounted on the grounds that Bourguiba, then 84, was growing senile.
Ben Ali said he was saddened but not surprised by the Sept. 11 terror attacks against the United States.
"It really was foreseeable," he said. "I knew the force, the danger" of al-Qaida. "But America had neglected them."
Ben Ali said he hopes his meeting with Bush on Tuesday will confirm "our common desire to promote and elevate these ties to the level of strategic partnership" and reinforce "the perfect bonds of friendship" between the two nations.
A small country wedged between Algeria and Libya, Tunisia is one of the most liberal in the Muslim world and the one most often associated with women's rights. Rates of illiteracy and poverty are among the lowest in the region.
But the nation is routinely criticized by human rights groups for its lack of freedom of expression and stern handling of political opponents.
Ben Ali said he is ushering in democratic reforms — but in a measured way so that extremists cannot take advantage of new freedoms.
"We have adopted a gradual approach ... to protect against any setbacks," he said. "We have taken into consideration the failure of other countries' experiences and the dangers posed by religion-masked trends."
He said that democratic reforms were first instituted 15 years ago and the country is making progress "slowly but surely ... America-style democracy will happen."
The United States sees the nations of North Africa — Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco — as partners in the fight against terrorism. During a visit to Tunis in December 2003, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) called Tunisia "a strong friend."
But Powell also stressed the United States wants to see Tunisia lift restrictions on press freedom and accelerate economic and political reforms.
Ben Ali said he and Bush would discuss the stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, an issue expected to be tackled at a March 29-30 Arab League summit in Tunis. With its moderate outlook, Tunisia — home to a tiny but protected Jewish community — has played a mediating role.
"We are not at war with Israel," Ben Ali said. "The two sides are condemned to live together — I've told them both that. So we have to help them live together."
Ben Ali also downplayed the active role Tunisia was said to have played behind the scenes in persuading Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to renounce the development of weapons of mass destruction.
"This audacious and brave decision is indeed a sovereign decision taken by our Libyan brothers of their own free will, a decision which we fully support," he said.
Daleel:And to any Muslim reading this: All it will take is one more time...just one more attack on us...and "checkmate." You lose. All of you will lose.You claim to represent Allah and the highest struggle, but in fact you murder and kill muslims as well as others to advance a political agenda that would eventually place you so-called muhjadeen in the ruling class.
You scapegoat Israelis and Americans to collate your support, which is a primary form of totalitarian resistance-forming a common enemy. Your tactics are transparent and as complex as a childs toy.
You claim you advance justice, but instead you advance injustice, inequality, slavery, and dhimmitude. You enslave, you murder, you humiliate, and you plunder. You adhere to no rules of a civilized society, and no rules of warfare. You are barbarians, of the truest kind. You deserve to be put down with no mercy, and have the heart burned out of your murderous movement so thoroughly that it will never rise again. God willing, I hope I see it.
You claim you will win this war, but your leader is crying out to get people to join him, and Muslims are dying from your hands. You claim you are killing more of your troops than you are, just to break our will, but you are not even close to breaking American will, and you will not be any time soon. You lie and attempt to create panic, but instead you unite us.
You are a propagandist, and your aim is totalitarian, make no mistake about it. You are a modern Goebbels. You cloak your claims differently by claiming to advance Islam, when in fact you are simpky advancing Khomeinis agenda in another form.
You fool no one.
Spare me the rudimentary remarks about soft Americans, lack of morals, and all that, too. I have my faith, my beliefs, and I would fight and die for them as well. Make no mistake. I am NOT soft, I have fought for my country, and I will again if necessary. I am not in fear of you either. You simply disgust me, like a fly crawling on animal droppings.
Other peoples have underestimated Americans out of arrogance and lost. You have lost the battle before you have even entered it, because you have violated the most primary rule of war- never underestimate your enemy.
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