Posted on 09/22/2005 12:50:55 PM PDT by Uncle Joe Cannon
Bush: Weak terror response led to 9/11
Sep 22, 2005, 19:00 GMT
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (UPI) -- President Bush said withdrawing from Iraq would be a mistake that would embolden terrorists just as U.S. responses to other attacks led to 9/11 hijackings.
Speaking Thursday at the Pentagon after an update on the war on terror, Bush said a pullback would be seen as weakness and make the United States less safe.
'The terrorists saw our response to the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings in the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole,' Bush said. 'The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves and so they attacked us.'
It was the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, carried out by al-Qaida operatives, that led Bush to launch the war on terror with an attack on Afghanistan, where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden had been given sanctuary. Bush links the fighting in Iraq with the war on terror.
The president said the plan is to follow a strategy of making political gains in the affected counties, while training local personnel to assume security operations.
"The Beirut bombing (and failure to properly respond to it) happened on Reagan's watch. Admiration for his overall record shouldn't blind you to the fact that sometimes he blew it."
Oh that is true, a lot of fine Marines died that day, something like 200.
"but the damage has been done. I hope not for the upcomming elections."
A Dem is probably going to be the next POTUS. People do not forget being gouged by energy companies for two years. Remember the recession in 1991 and the election? We got Clinton.
Granted that the most important visible enemy at that time was communism and the Soviet Union and President Reagan greatest achievement was the destruction of the Soviet Union, but ignoring the threat of islamic terrorism then was a strategic mistake and the beast have grown so much from 1983 to 2001 and no one have seriously dealt with terrorism until we got hit on 9/11 and we went to war against islamic terrorism. A war that we are winning and we will eventually achieve the final victory thanks to the bravery of our military and the great leadership of President Bush."
Well put.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
"When did this happen."
It happened in 1983 in Beruit, Lebanon. 200+ Marines dies by a suicide truck bomber that rammed into the barracks and detonated. I am wondering if Reagan did not respond, because of a weaker military from the Carter days. As someone else pointed out, we did bomb the crap out of Libya in 1987. By then we had really beefed up the military with the biggest spending surge in history.
You don't listen to, or at least don't believe, Rush Limbaugh's dead-on point, that the Energy Companies don't run their own businesses...the Federal Government runs them more than they do. Tells them where they cannot drill, allows envirowackos to stop Oil Refineries, stop Nuclear Power Plants, tells them how many different fuel blends they have to make in order to satisfy EPA rules in different cities and regions...I think the number is up to 44 different blends now, and I could go on and on and on. Rush is right. Oh, and I forgot TAXES on the product. Did someone mention GOUGING? As in, by the Federal Government due more to Dems than anyone, although RINO Northeastern Republicans are also to blame?
Ref: <<""'The terrorists saw our response to the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings in the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole,' Bush said. 'The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves and so they attacked us.' >>
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.............................Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
RamS
AMEN! I hope this plays on the nightly news.
I wonder if the Clinton's will respond?
Also the fact that the Democrats for years have been pressing for high gas prices for years. I heard on Rush that Clinton was glad that the gas prices went through the roof.
Uncle Joe,
Our President is not only hitting back at Clintoon, but he is also making reference to Reagan's lack of balls in Lebanon. Sure the New Jersey lobbed a few 16 inchers into hills of Lebanon in "retaliation" for the bombing at the US Marine barracks; but anything previous to Bush's response to September 11, can be construed as ineffective - going back to Munich in 1972.
Didn't we essentially "cut and run" after the marine barracks attack in Lebanon? At least that is the way I remember it. Was President Bush just trying to stress the "stay the course" attitude?
'The terrorists saw our response to the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings in the Marine barracks in Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa and the attack on the USS Cole,' Bush said. 'The terrorists concluded that we lacked the courage and character to defend ourselves and so they attacked us.'
A well deserved SMACK DOWN to that wussy Clinton and the party he represents!
Also I think this was on CSPAN so we may be able to get the video
OK, W, so what exactly did you do to remedy the situation during the eight months you were in office prior to 9/11? I do seem to recall some pious talk of "humility" during the 2000 presidential debates coming from you. Oh, and then there was the kissing up to the ChiComs in April 2001 when they took down one of our military planes and got every last bit of intel they could out of it before shipping it back to us in boxes. I'm sure that struck fear and dread into the hearts of the terrorists.
Well I'll be. Way to swing back, Mr. President. Nothing wrong with stating the truth!
Oh that's right. I forgot that Bush was supposed to cure 8 years of problems in 8 months.
My question was rhetorical.
It was to point out Reagan was included in this assessment of what actions led to premise we would retreat when under attack by terrorists.
But I don't really hold Reagan to blame in the sense I do Clinton or Carter, though by rights it must be mentioned because the intent is to be honest not partisan.
The fact is that all President's that have served are simply men and our Government is not all powerful. With knowledge the world is not very helpful on par with dealing with threats, we're often alone in a greater sense then we like. The greater threat must be assessed. For Reagan, that threat was considered communism. Forty years before that it was fascism (nazi's). Today it is Islamic fanatics.
We can view the threats about us and make an educated guess as to what it will be next. I'm sure in future we'll look back and think, if we only had dealt with it now. But there is only so much as can do at one time.
The only way I would hold Reagan in disgust were if he a) was incompetant b) avoided threats. Carter and Clinton.
And I'll hold the same standard for G.W.B. If it should be determined 40 years from now a threat could have been stopped in its infancy now under his watch, he'll get the same pass I give Reagan because his hands are full with the greater threat of the day. I'll certainly acknowledge the facts, of course, but disgust is held in reserve for people unable or unwilling to deal with Threats.
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