Posted on 07/20/2005 11:43:32 AM PDT by Graybeard58
WASHINGTON - From Turkey, from Russia and from the desk of Howard Dean - angry reaction to Rep. Tom Tancredo's threat against Muslim holy sites came from around the world Tuesday.
In Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul blasted Tancredo's comments suggesting the United States could "take out" holy sites, including Mecca, if Islamic terrorists detonated nuclear bombs in U.S. cities.
"This was nothing but a fanatic speaking completely personally, irresponsibly and without thought of how far his statements would reach or what kind of problems they would create," Gul said, according to an Anatolia news agency report quoted by The Associated Press.
Despite an international outcry, the Colorado Republican continued to stand by his comments Tuesday, saying he did not intend to offend moderate Muslims during last week's interview with Florida radio talk show host Pat Campbell.
During the WFLA broadcast, Campbell referred to a report that Islamic terrorists hoped to strike several U.S. cities with nuclear weapons and he asked Tancredo how the United States could respond.
"Well, what if you said something like - if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites," Tancredo answered.
"You're talking about bombing Mecca," Campbell said.
"Yeah," Tancredo responded.
He went on to say that he was "just throwing out some ideas" but that an "ultimate threat" might have to be met with an "ultimate response."
In Moscow, Russian parliament member Konstantin Kosachev denounced the remarks during a news conference.
"It's quite obvious that statements like the one just made by the U.S. lawmaker play into the terrorists' hands as they stir international strife and may lead to the emergence of new . . . suicide bombers," Kosachev said, according to the Russian news and information agency, Novosti.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called Tancredo's remarks "insulting to Islam" and said they do not represent the U.S. government position to "respect the dignity and sanctity of other religions."
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Interfaith Alliance added their own denunciations.
Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, issued a statement calling Tancredo "utterly careless."
"Remarks threatening the destruction of holy sites akin to the Vatican or Jerusalem do nothing to win the hearts and minds of Muslims in the United States and abroad," Dean said.
Several groups have demanded that Tancredo apologize, but he rejected that call again Tuesday.
"One of the things I rail about quite often . . . is this sort of slavish adherence to political correctness that prevents us from talking about the world in which we live in real terms," Tancredo said.
On a day when he had hoped to be spreading the word about his new immigration reform legislation, he hunkered in his Capitol Hill office writing a lengthy talking-points memo explaining his Mecca comments.
"Call me a cockeyed optimist, but I believe something good can happen" as a result of the dialogue, Tancredo said. "As we begin to discuss this issue forthrightly and realize the horrendous consequences of continuing on the confrontational path we are on, perhaps we can use this to begin steps in a different direction."
He hopes his remarks spur moderate Muslims to identify and stop radicals before they get involved in terrorism.
Ironically, on the day Turkey's foreign minister was blasting Tancredo in Ankara, his country's U.S. ambassador, Osman Faruk Logoglu, had a prearranged meeting to talk to Tancredo about legislation pending in the International Relations Committee.
They touched on the Mecca comments only briefly, Tancredo said.
"The guy said, 'You know how these things get spun in the press,' " Tancredo said. "He was being very diplomatic."
The ambassador's office did not return phone messages seeking comment.
By the time the day was over, Tancredo had done numerous radio and cable television interviews. While he defended his comments on Fox News, black and white pictures of atomic blasts were shown on the screen.
Tancredo spokesman Will Adams celebrated his birthday Tuesday while fielding dozens of phone calls from reporters as far away at the United Arab Emirates.
Again, his boss was unapologetic.
"He signed up," Tancredo said. "He's in for the duration."
Tancredo's critics
Others who have criticized Rep. Tom Tancredo's remarks about Muslim holy sites:
• Mohammad Noorzai, coordinator of the Colorado Muslim Council
• The Council on American-Islamic Relations
• U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli
• The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
• The Interfaith Alliance
• Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean
• Online extra: To read a transcript of Tancredo's comments and to listen to the audio, click on Today's links at RockyMountainNews.com.
The left would let the US get nuked by terrorists and do nothing in return? Taking out Mecca should only be the start.
The smear tactics don't seem to be working.
Apparently there's a new party of appeasement in town.
Bingo.
Sometime you can know someone by the enemies he has. Jihadists? FM!
Bulletin: The U.S. reacted angrily to the savage, unprovoked 9/11 attacks.
There is a Constitutional question here. The FedGov shall not regulate free practice of religion. While Mecca is not inside the physical boundary of the United States, any action to interfere with that idol would be an interference with the practice of a religion.
And where were all these pious voices when a Moslem terrorist cell got caught plotting to blow up Notre Dame Cathedral?
The world reacted angrily when Reagan called the Soviet Union an evil empire.
Islamakazis always squeal loudest when they are hurt. If we had a formalized MAD policy that any terrorist nuke in any American city would result in an immediate nuking of Mecca and Medina, the vast majority of Muslims would turn on their Islamakazi brethren.
http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/state/article/0,1299,DRMN_21_3939704,00.html
cheers for Tancredo. Good job ! Enough of the Politically Correct BS. Until Islam reformes itself, it should be viewed not as a religion but a totalitarian agressive ideology and treated accordingly.
P.S. If Tancredo runs for president in 2008, I'd be glad to vote for him.
A whole lot of Freepers agree with the scum of the world's governments.
Not me, I think Tancredo's on to a solid idea.
Furthermore, the 'hearts and minds' of the muslims can never be won. They are set on seeing that islam is dominant, even if it means that their nice, soft lives in the West are forever changed.
It was god's will---sarcasm.
Step 1...Get their attention.
Seems to have made some impact.
If we don't make it more painful for them to continue than it is for them to stop, what does everybody think we will continue to get? I agree with Tancredo - make it painful if they continue. We've got to stop appeasing the terrorists and the left if we're to survive.
The constitution says "congress shall make no law....". This wouldn't be a law - don't see an issue there.
Gul, son, if your scared, just say you're scared lol.
Jeff
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