Bush, Bin Laden and Iraq

Tech Central Station ^ | Published 01/10/2005 | By Terry Barnich

[Jim Robinson]

"Bin Laden has now aligned with President Bush on the strategic importance of Iraq"

[NormsRevenge]

In effect he (Bin Laden) has confirmed that what is really going on is an Islamic civil war.

Better that we fight the terrorists on their soil than ours.

[Texasforever]

"Bin Laden has now aligned with President Bush on the strategic importance of Iraq"

Bin Laden has "mis-underestimated" both GW and the American people once again. He must be getting advice from Kerry's campaign staffers.

[StarCMC]

Interesting way to look at things...thanks!

[Enterprise]

I fearless predict that if Allawi wins, the other side will form a new obstructionist party and call themselves Democrats.

[Enterprise]

should read - fearlessly

[nightdriver]

"Those who maintain that the invasion of Iraq was a diversion from the war on terror and that Bush was dead wrong to assert that Iraq was the frontline in the war at least deserve a nod to the respectability of their case."

But maybe these need to re-assess their understanding of just what is going on. With the conversion of Iraq to a semblance of a democracy, Bush has, in essence, broken up the entire islamic middle east. Pakistan is now isolated from Iran by Afghanista, Iran is isolated from Saudi Arabia by Iraq.

Now, if Syria was given the Iraqi treatment, the breakup would be unmistakenly complete.

It's an ambitious vision, I'll agree, but not impossible. It's amazing the ease of bringing about the fall of the government of Afghanistan when Russia couldn't do it, so we've already accomplished way more than history might have predicted.

[tallhappy]

Baghdad was (is to bin Laden) the seat of the Caliphate and as such Iraq has always been very key to these islamofascists and their world view.

[Barlowmaker]

Baghdad was (is to bin Laden) the seat of the Caliphate and as such Iraq has always been very key to these islamofascists and their world view.

This is about fascism and despotism. Bin Laden and the rest of the murderous terrorists couldn't give a flying freep about the Caliphate.

[wvobiwan]

The Soviets brought down Afghanistan's government almost as quickly as we did. What the Sovs didn't have that we do is an indiginous population sympathetic to their form of government. The Afghans tried the fundamentalist way for 20 years after the Soviets withdrew, that's why they were primed for democracy.

Ditto Iraq, except they had fascism of a secular nature. Iraqis want American-style freedom and liberty, watch and see.

[wvobiwan]

Also, like you I have to disagree with the 'nod to the respectability of their case' BS.

Those wussies need to grow a pair - the innocent cannot wait for the world to finally get tough with terrorists.

[Greenpees]

No matter the reason we are in Iraq, whether it was strategically important or just because Saddam kept jumping up and down screaming "shoot me" the results are the same.

If we leave Iraq to terrorists we will have to go back there to clean up the eventual mess. Iraq cannot fall to the Mujahadeen or we'll be getting air mail once a week from them.

Bush is right. It may not be the smoothest approach, but we must fight this to the end.

[nightdriver]

"Iraqis want American-style freedom and liberty, watch and see."

We certainly hope so. From what I hear, something like 15 of the 18 Iraqi provinces are pretty content with the state of things.

[tallhappy]

Bin Laden's vision of a restored caliphate and a resurrection of Saddam's fascistic absolutism are at war with acceptance of the need to reconcile Islam to modernity.

So you disagree with the above in this article?

[4woodenboats]

International terror networks and Saddam's dead-ender Ba'athists are in an embrace that may prove to be a suicide pact. If the Iraqi elections come off at the end of January, as they already have in Afghanistan, then millions of Muslims will have rejected absolutism and fear and bin Laden' s game plan. And George Bush will have delivered the best sucker punch since Cassius Clay decked Sonny Liston.

Talk about having a grudging respect!!

[Soul Seeker]

Those who maintain that the invasion of Iraq was a diversion from the war on terror and that Bush was dead wrong to assert that Iraq was the frontline in the war at least deserve a nod to the respectability of their case.

I should give a nod to Michale Moore?

As for those who claim Bush is wrongheaded to push democracy on the Middle East, some weight of history seems on their side.

Freedom isn't for everyone, right?

And, to those who label advocates of the Bush Doctrine ignorant of the complexities inherent in the Islamic world, I plead nolo contendere.

Islamofascists believe the world should be ruled by Islamic law. If we deny them this goal, they will kill us.

The Middle East is an oppressed region where dissenting thought is not allowed, nor are other opportunities to make a decent living. Family members will often volunteer for suicide missions just because they have been promised their family will be fed if they do.

State sponsered propaganda controlled by the Islamofascists makes it nearly impossible for the Truth about our actions in the Middle east to be heard. Instead prejudices have been instilled we wish to convert and rule them. When you consider what proponents of Islam have done in that religion's name, along with memories of Europe's abuse of the Church centuries ago, it is not difficult to understand why they are susceptible to the belief this is the goal of all nation states.

Still, word of the freedoms now being experienced in Afganistan is spreading. The freedoms Iraq will soon have will spread. This is causing a rumbling we cannot see, especially in Iran. The hope is a domino spread of Liberty without the necessity of military force in every nation. Should this occur our nation will ultimately be safer as they will not be as likely to place their lives in danger when they themselves are a free people able to practice religion in peace and provide for their families. They may take pot shots at the U.S. as other nations do, but do not anticipate jets flying into our buildings.

Syria and Iran have sent people to Iraq to stop democracy because they understand the stakes. The U.S. knew this would happen. They made Iraq the battlefield in a carefully laid strategy to keep them occupied away from our land, and to lure terrorists to one spot to wipe out. Iraq is a strategic place in the M.E., as is Afganistan. they border a majority of Islamic states. It was by no accident these two were chosen to spearhead the war on terror.

This is the reality.

It is also reality that "nuance" failed to reform the M.E. for decades. G.W. has a strong vision that may or may not succeed. i tend to believe it will if we remain steady. At least he has acknowledged the previous strategy of ignoring the threat, bribes and conference table discussions has failed. Until they can come up with a better approach to protect this nation and spread freedom to this region, I will embrace the straightforward no nonsense approach that has born fruit already in Afganistan and some sense of cooperation in Pakistan, saudi Arabia and the like.

[wvobiwan]

Probably the provinces without the terrorists.

[wvobiwan]

Excellent post, my thought exactly.

[advance_copy]

Saddam Hussein's regime was in cahoots with Al Qaida terrorists all along. Now Zarqawi's killers are merceneries in the Baathist terror campaign against legitimate government of Iraq. The relationship between bin Laden and Zarqawi is NOT new. Abu Musab Al Zarqawi was trained in bin Laden's Afghanistan camps and was fighting as an Al Qaida militant against the Northern Alliance and the United States to preserve the Taliban. Zarqawi was severly injured in the leg during the fighting and he went to Iraq. Saddam Hussein's regime provided treatment and refuge for Zarqawi, as they had done for many other terrorists. And we have the following inventory of 1999 reports from Front Page Magazine:

United Press International. November 3, 1999, Wednesday, BC cycle.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government has tried to prevent accused terror suspect Osama bin Laden from fleeing Afghanistan to either Iraq or Chechnya, Michael Sheehan, head of counter-terrorism at the State Department, told a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee ...

The Kansas City Star. March 2, 1999, Tuesday. International terrorism, a conflict without boundaries By Rich Hood

... He (bin Laden) has a private fortune ranging from $250 million to $500 million and is said to be cultivating a new alliance with Iraq's Saddam Hussein, who has biological and chemical weapons bin Laden would not hesitate to use. An alliance between bin Laden and Saddam Hussein could be deadly. Both men are united in their hatred for the United States and any country friendly to the United States....

Agence France Presse. February 17, 1999. Saddam plans to use bin Laden against Kuwait, Saudi: opposition

Iraq's President Saddam Hussein plans to use alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden's network to carry out his threats against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, an Iraqi opposition figure charged on Wednesday.

"If the ... Jaber, a member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), said Iraq had "offered to shelter bin Laden under the precondition that he carry out strikes on targets in neighbouring countries."

... Islamic fundamentalist bin Laden, who has gone missing from his base in Afghanistan, would never seek refuge in secular Iraq on ideological grounds. "I think bin Laden would keep quiet or fight to the death rather than seek asylum in Iraq," the London-based dissident, who asked not to be named, told AFP last week.....

Associated Press Worldstream. February 14, 1999.

Taliban leader says whereabouts of bin Laden unknown

... Analysts say bin Laden's options for asylum are limited.

Iraq was considered a possible destination because bin Laden had received an invitation from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last month.



And what about the man behind the first WTC bombing, who fled to Hussein's Iraq where he had refuge like so many other terrorists. Don't tell me Iraq is not part of the WOT.