Bush's Backing of Rumsfeld Shocks and Angers Arabs

Reuters ^ | 5.10.04

[ambrose]

Bush's Backing of Rumsfeld Shocks and Angers Arabs

Mon May 10, 4:52 PM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!

By Firouz Sedarat

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arab commentators reacted with shock and disbelief on Monday over President Bush (news - web sites)'s robust backing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld against calls for his resignation.

Critics had called for him to quit after the furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners but analysts, editors and ordinary Arabs were united in their condemnation of Bush who said the United States owed Rumsfeld a "debt of gratitude."

"After the torture and vile acts by the American army, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock," said Omar Belhouchet, editor of the influential Algerian national daily El Watan.

"Bush's praise for Rumsfeld will discredit the United States...and further damage its reputation, which is already at a historic low in the Arab world," he added.

[gilliam]

hehe, they'll get over it

[gilliam]

Need to remember, the Arabs expect us to put our tail between our legs and run away. That is what we did throughout the 80s and 90s.

[yooper]

"Arab commentators reacted with shock and disbelief on Monday over President Bush (news - web sites)'s robust backing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld against calls for his resignation."

All the more reason for Rumsfeld to stay put. If the Slimes are pissed, it is because they are afraid. Now I hope that Bush puts all of this apology BS behind him and digs his heels in.

Let's not forget post-Tet Viet Nam; General Giap has stated that the North Vietnamese were ready to sue for peace until Walter Cronkite pronounced the war "un-winable" after the Tet offensive ended. Cronkite's misguided and foolish editorial statement ginned up US anti-war seditionists such as John Kerry, to the point where Giap decided to keep pressing on. Without Kerry and Cronkite South Viet Nam would likely be free today.

Let's don't forget that........

[McGavin999]

LOL! Do they expect us to take them seriously?

[Morgan's Raider]

Funny I can actually remember when I respected members of the press.

Damn, you must be a really old fart!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"Bush's Backing of Rumsfeld Shocks and Angers Arabs"

"Dog Bites Man"

[Republic]

The arabs, especially bin laden and his pig pen, no longer enjoy the 'clinton' way of doing business and THEY DON't LIKE IT!!

Many around the world are used to AMERICA feeling ashamed of being such a magnificent power house of good, good people. But when dems are in power-the world gets a great big taste of an America that feels ashamed of being a world power and does everything to win popularity points....ala the klinton mirror of 'YOU LIKE ME, YOU REALLY LIKE ME! < whew! >

We have a leader now who means business, but NOT business ala klintonian 'looking the other way while over 2,000,000 people in Africa are slaughtered' ( or even slaughtering his own, ala WACO and then blaming someone else - Reno-the ol' lack of accountability routine ).

Rumsfeld is a great man. History will record this. And we get to live it! HURRAH!

The democrats may be able to bully Newt into resigning, or Trent Lott into resigning....but those days are done, I hope. I don't think anyone bullies President Bush.

[The_Media_never_lie]

"Bush's praise for Rumsfeld will discredit the United States...and further damage its reputation, which is already at a historic low in the Arab world,"

Every day a new historic low, wow!

[TexasCowboy]

"I am in total shock," said Omar Belhouchet, editor of the influential Algerian national daily El Watan."

Well, we can certainly furnish you a little "AWE" to go along with your "SHOCK".

[Born Conservative]

[ladyinred]

Oh BS!!!!

[Gracey]

Where's the Arabs apology for the last 40 years of abusing us.

"I cannot help but say ... that those who were responsible for killing 3,000 Americans on September 11th, 2001, never apologized. Those who have killed hundreds of Americans in uniform in Iraq, working to liberate Iraq and protect our security, have never apologized. And those who murdered and burned and humiliated four Americans in Fallujah a while ago, never (gave) an apology (to) anybody."

- Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Ct.) on the absence of apologies from Arab leaders when Muslims commit far greater atrocities against Americans and our allies

[BriarBey]

OH NO...now they will kill innocent Americans and drag their bodies thru the streets and hang them from bridges.
By the way...what the hell did Rumsfeld do?!! This is turning into such a dog and pony show...no wait..I think a dog and pony show would be better and make a whole lot more sense!!

[af_vet_1981]

alQaeda leaders reacted with shock and disbelief on Monday over President Bush (news - web sites)'s robust backing of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld against calls for his resignation.

Critics had called for him to quit after the furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners but analysts, editors and ordinary Arabs were united in their condemnation of Bush who said the United States owed Rumsfeld a "debt of gratitude."

"After the victories in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world by the American army and their allies, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock," said Ayman azZawahiri, editor of the influential alQaeda daily alMujahada Tastamer.

"Bush's praise for Rumsfeld will discredit the United States...and further damage its reputation, which is already at a historic low in alQaeda," he added.

[JasonC]

Xactly. Well put.

[Morgan's Raider]

"I am in total shock," said Omar Belhouchet, editor of the influential Algerian national daily El Watan."

Oh goody. A French camel jockey editing some North African propaganda rag. Influential? Has El Watan ever influenced anybody in the free world?

[Gracey]

Where was the Arab outrage when Saddam Hussein killed thousands of Moslems?

What a pile of garbage all this outrage/lack of outrage. Bah humbug.

[joesnuffy]

The arabs love watching our leaders run and let their troopies take the fall....
this is what gives them strength....not the act of humilating their shock troops...

Remember these are the same folks that strap bombs on their kids....that during the Iran-Iraq war marched children ahead of tanks through mine fields in hopes of detonating the mines and saving the tanks...the holy fountain of the martrys ran red with the blood of their children...

What do they care if some of their hard core secret police assasins are humilated by some
infidels....it will only serve to strengthen them....later...when they are released to strike again
this time with much more fury...and gratefull for the chance to self detonate or make many babies to be human bombs for Allah...(and the Mullahs)

The best thing is the propaganda mileage they will get out the leaders running for cover...and the American people turning on each other....

Anyone who blames those lower ranking enlisted personnel for what is coming should be ashamed...Its our collective unwillingness to "whatever is necessary" to defeat these terrorists
that will cause our downfall...

Its obvious now we should have never humilated these poor terrorists...who wouldnt be terrorists if we treated them nicer...we should have simply not bothered to try to pry the intel we need to defeat them from them...and let more of our troops get killed trying to figure out where our enemies next move is...eh?

We should have gotten the intel out of them the old fashioned way...the way our ancestors used to use...of course back in the good old days... more Americans were actually on our side...

imo

[Paulus Invictus]

The cowardly Arab attack on the two towers on 9/11 shocks and angers me! The rag heads danced in the streets to show their solidarity with us... NOT!).

[rbmillerjr]

The Arab world is outraged.

Get used to it.

Hmmm, let me poll the American Street.
Nobody seems to care.