Posted on 09/24/2005 1:15:07 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
The grief and outrage that Cindy Sheehan and the other dissenting military families have evoked this week in Washington, D.C., is palpable, as is the evidence they muster of just how careless this administration was in putting their loved ones at risk for the Iraq war. But in calling for an immediate withdrawal, the peace movement can't duck a central question: Just how do we leave
On Friday, Sheehan appeared on a Congressional Black Caucus breakfast panel with General Wesley Clark, the former NATO commander and presidential hopeful, who was there to address the issue of whether the U.S. can win the war in Iraq.
We're involved in a war that we didn't have to fight. That's the simple truth, Clark said. Now it's in trouble, deep trouble. I wish it was just as simple as saying, Mr. President, you made a mistake, get those troops out now."
The trouble is, he continued, that the Islamic extremists really do want to attack us. Getting out of Iraq will be a great defeat for us unless we do it in the right way.
Clark said the anti-war movement should demand that Bush establish a regional dialogue with other Arab states, including people we don?t like, like Syria and Iran, and focus on ?changing the minds and cutting off the recruiting of those now blowing up tanks and buses in Iraq.
We need to turn off the flow of weapons and fighters going into Iraq and turn off the invective and fears and create a climate where the Iraqis don?t need to fight each other, he said. And then we can come home.
Speaking of the expected 100,000 strong anti-war march on Saturday, Clark told Sheehan and the other military families arrayed in the audience that they should march with the flag, because this is about the future of America.
It was all too much for Carlos Arredondo of Roslindale, Massachusetts, who lost his 20-year-old son in Iraq. He ran up to the podium holding a hand-lettered IMPEACH sign.
Clark smiled and shook his head. This should not be a partisan issue, he said. America is only strong when we come together. This is really about changing the direction this country is heading in. We have to bring people together from all walks of life.?
At this, Charles Rangel, the moderator, stepped in: I've been here 35 years, and I know impeachment when I see it, said the New York congressman. If the president knew there were no weapons of mass destruction and knew there was no connection between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and if the president knew the Iraqis were not involved in the attack on the twin towers and still allowed our nation to believe that we had to invade Iraq for it, then I'm a lawyer and a former federal prosecutor, and these are impeachable offenses, he said, to a burst of applause from the audience.
When it was her turn to speak, Sheehan stuck to her demand that we get out now. Yes, there are people who want to kill us. But they want to kill us because we?re killing innocent Arabs and Muslims," she said. "I'm afraid we're creating enemies that are going to endanger my grandchildren. That?s why I do what I do.
"Right now they're spending billions of dollars building military bases in Iraq the size of Sacramento," Sheehan continued. "If there?s one thing we as a peace movment have to agree on, it's that we have to get out of Iraq now, as soon as possible, because these maniacs plan on our children never coming home."
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Wesley Clark is a disgusting puke!
He is. But he didn't buy into most of Sheehan's idiocies. I have to give him credit for that.
his soldiers despised him
OBL was right about people like Sheehan, Kerry, Kennedy et al
he is an informative officer but his brain has got severe problems since he declared his candidacy for the party of treason and cowardice
Does anyone really expect this number or is just wishful thinking?
liked it!
hehehehe
It could be that number but a great many will be professional protesters and paid actors. It is an old tactic with these groups.
Clark was on O'Reilly last night. He came across as a mealy mouthed moron. He said that Sheehan is just a grieving mother, she has no agenda. Sheesh!
On Friday, Sheehan appeared on a Congressional Black Caucus breakfast panel with General Wesley Clark, the former Army commander and presidential hopeful, who was there to address the issue of whether the U.S. can win the war in Germany.
We're involved in a war that we didn't have to fight. That's the simple truth, Clark said. Now it's in trouble, deep trouble. I wish it was just as simple as saying, Mr. President, you made a mistake, get those troops out now."
The trouble is, he continued, that the Nazi extremists really do want to attack us. Getting out of Germany Clark said the anti-war movement should demand that Roosevelt establish a regional dialog with other Nazi states, including people we don't like, like Italy and Japan, and focus on changing the minds and cutting off the recruiting of those now blowing up tanks and buses in France.
We need to turn off the flow of weapons and fighters going into France and turn off the invective and fears and create a climate where the Europeans don't need to fight each other, he said. And then we can come home.
[Snip]
It was all too much for Carlos Arredondo of Roslindale, Massachusetts, who lost his 20-year-old son in France. He ran up to the podium holding a hand-lettered IMPEACH sign.
[Snip]
At this, Charles Rangel, the moderator, stepped in: I've been here 35 years, and I know impeachment when I see it, said the New York congressman. If the president knew there were no Nazi nuclear bomb and knew there was no connection between Tojo and Adolph Hitler, and if the president knew the Germans were not involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor and still allowed our nation to believe that we had to invade Germany for it, then I'm a lawyer and a former federal prosecutor, and these are impeachable offenses, he said, to a burst of applause from the audience.
When it was her turn to speak, Sheehan stuck to her demand that we get out now. Yes, there are people who want to kill us. But they want to kill us because we're killing innocent Germans and Italians," she said. "I'm afraid we're creating enemies that are going to endanger my grandchildren. That's why I do what I do.
"Right now they're spending billions of dollars building military bases in Germany the size of Sacramento," Sheehan continued. "If there?s one thing we as a peace movement have to agree on, it's that we have to get out of Germany now, as soon as possible, because these maniacs plan on our children never coming home."
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