Posted on 02/04/2005 7:46:22 AM PST by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Edward M. Kennedy criticized President Bush Friday for not mentioning Osama bin Laden in his State of the Union speech, and said Sunday's historic election in Iraq could escalate the violence there.
``Sunday's election is not a cure for the violence and instability,'' said Kennedy, D-Mass., in remarks prepared for delivery at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. ``Unless the Sunni and all the other communities in Iraq believe they have a stake in the outcome and a genuine role in drafting the new Iraqi constitution, the election could lead to greater alienation, greater escalation, and greater death for us and for the Iraqis.''
And he complained that although Bush mentioned terror 27 times in his State of the Union address, he never mentioned the man who launched the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
``What world is he living in?'' Kennedy said. ``He started a war we never should have fought. He stopped fighting a war we hadn't won, and left our greatest enemy in the world still at large, planning his next 9/11.''
Kennedy, who has kept up a constant barrage of criticism against the war, also talked about how it has touched his own family.
He said soldiers, such as wife Victoria Reggie Kennedy's 23-year-old nephew who is getting ready to do another tour in Iraq receive just 13 weeks of training before heading to war, while military police receive 21 weeks.
``If America can train the best military in the world in 13 weeks, why can't we train the Iraqis in eight or 12 or 15 months to fight and die for their country?'' said Kennedy. He said his wife's nephew, who is from Shreveport, La., was supposed to get more training in Kuwait, but instead was sent straight to Mosul to serve as a gunner in a Stryker brigade.
Kennedy's speech was the second in eight days in which he called for America's withdrawal from Iraq over the next year to 18 months, and said at least 12,000 troops should be brought home immediately since at least that many were there primarily to guarantee security for the election.
Kennedy also paid tribute to the 32 Massachusetts soldiers who have been killed in Iraq, and 122 who have been wounded including 1983 UMass graduate Kyran Kennedy, a chief warrant officer who was killed in Tikrit in November.
The first senator to call for a withdrawal plan, Kennedy has received both praise and criticism for his latest assault on Bush.
Republicans have blasted him for his pessimism and partisan tone. While others, including former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, praised his courage and predictions on the state of the war.
The Bush administration has rejected calls for a timetable for troop withdrawal, saying the goal is to ensure the Iraqis are capable of maintaining their own security before military forces are scaled back.
Why does God continue to let this asshole live?
"Kennedy steps up criticism against Bush..."
I seriously doubt that. That lard barge is probably already wheeling about Washington in one of those three-wheeled obese people go-carts. I can hardly believe he could step up anything without the assist of an elevator. Now, I could believe a headline that read: 'Kennedy crawls up criticism against Bush...'
Well God tried to get rid of him once but the eel is slippery!
thanks everybody i got the email for him and sent him this little note :-)
I know you probably missed this story seeing as how it is getting no press in the us television and newspapers plus you spent most of the day yesterday attacking president bush in between chugs of whatever liquid you drink as lunch on a daily basis so I thought I would send it to you.It looks like the Iraqis are doing some of the killing and dying for their country now. I will be waiting with bated breath for your retraction on the senate floor. I would hold my breathe until it happens but I am afraid I would suffer permanent brain damage due to oxygen depravation and would have no choice but to vote straight democrat ticket every election until I die after that .anyway here's the story.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200502/s1295847.htm
Iraqi villagers kill 5 insurgents
The residents of a small Iraqi village have killed five insurgents who had attacked them for voting in last weekend's national elections.
Several other insurgents were also wounded.
The insurgents raided the village of al-Mudhiryah south of Baghdad after warning its inhabitants not to vote in the election.
The villagers fought back, killing five of the insurgents and wounding eight others.
The insurgents' cars were then set alight.
Al-Mudhiryah's tribal sheikh says his people are sick of being threatened by Islamic extremists.
I couldn't have done a better job, way to go!
While he was accurate about the amount of time required to train a soldier or an m.p., what he did not touch on was how long we train the people that LEAD those boot campers.
Training 100,000 soldiers is easy compared to educating a competent field commander.
What a big fat cootie that guy is.
He's a raving loonie.
Yes....I believe Syphillis (sp) causes brain "rot."
Provided there's a brain to start with...
He likes the sound of his own voice.
I think we should all send him the "Crazy, strait jacket wearing" Vermont Teddy Bears!
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