Posted on 08/12/2006 12:07:22 AM PDT by FairOpinion
US President George W Bush has cautioned the threat from a plot to detonate liquid explosives on commercial flights may not have passed and denied Democratic charges he was trying to use the crisis for political gains in an election year.
"We believe that this week's arrests have significantly disrupted the threat," Bush said in his weekly radio address.
"Yet we cannot be sure that the threat has been eliminated."
British authorities arrested two dozen suspects for allegedly plotting to use liquid explosives to blow up airliners flying from Britain to the United States.
The arrests prompted the United States to raise its terror alert to the highest level ever and prompted airports to ban passengers from taking liquids, gels and creams on planes.
Bush, who returns to Washington after a 10-day working vacation at his ranch, urged air travelers to be patient with the stricter security measures.
"The inconveniences you will face are for your protection and they will give us time to adjust our screening procedures to meet the current threat," he said.
Democrats accused Vice President Dick Cheney of trying to use this week's arrests in Britain to Republican advantage in November congressional elections, which will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the US Congress.
Cheney said on Wednesday the Democrats' defeat of Connecticut Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman in the state's primary because of his support of the Iraq war could embolden "al-Qaeda types."
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a statement: "Once again, GOP (Republican) leaders are using terrorism and our national security as a political wedge issue. It is disgusting - but not surprising."
Bush said the suspected plot in Britain "reminds us of a hard fact: The terrorists have to succeed only once to achieve their goal of mass murder, while we have to succeed every time to stop them."
"Unfortunately, some have suggested recently that the terrorist threat is being used for partisan political advantage. We can have legitimate disagreements about the best way to fight the terrorists, yet there should be no disagreement about the dangers we face," he said.
Democrats in their weekly radio address charged Bush has shortchanged domestic security needs and the war on terror, and they blamed him for bungling the Iraq war.
Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas said the administration's "poor management" in Iraq "has created a rallying cry for international terrorists" and "diverted our focus, our military and more than $US300 billion ($A391.41 billion) from the war on terrorism."
Pryor said US ports, borders and chemical plants remain unsecured, emergency personnel lack critical resources and the military, including the National Guard, was stretched.
"It's time for Washington to be tough and smart about the threats we face," he said. "Americans deserve real security, not just leaders who talk tough but fail to deliver."
And as usual "they" will find a way to use this against him. They being the democrats, the media and the fringe right.
Of course he's right and "disrupted" is the proper word.
GOOD post.
Bush responded perfectly to the Dem attacks:
"Bush said the suspected plot in Britain "reminds us of a hard fact: The terrorists have to succeed only once to achieve their goal of mass murder, while we have to succeed every time to stop them."
"Unfortunately, some have suggested recently that the terrorist threat is being used for partisan political advantage. We can have legitimate disagreements about the best way to fight the terrorists, yet there should be no disagreement about the dangers we face," he said. "
I think Bush should be quiet and let the NY Times handle this
Surrender is Patriotic Too
you forgot your /s
GOOD! Give 'em hell Mr. President!
That's when Bush is at his best, not when he tries to be PC.
BTW -- I like your tag line -- you should join some of the CA threads and explain that to some posters. ;)
"Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas said the administration's "poor management" in Iraq "has created a rallying cry for international terrorists" and "diverted our focus, our military and more than $US300 billion ($A391.41 billion) from the war on terrorism." "
Just maybe Sen Pryor need to be reminded that this started long ago and needs to be stopped NOW!!!!!!! As far as starting in Iraq and Afghanistan, tell us where you would have started.
1968 Robert Kennedy assassinated
1972 Munich Olympics Sep-5,1972 (Black September)
1976 Entebbe Hostage Crisis, June 27, 1976
1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Nov. 4, 1979 444 days
1979 Grand Mosque Seizure, Nov 20,1979
1981 Assassination of Egyptian President, Oct 6,1981
1982 Assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister, Sept 14, 1982
1983 Bombing of US Embassy in Beirut6, April 18,1983
1983 Bombing of Maring Barricks, Beruit, Oct 23,1983
1984 Hizballah Restaurant Bombing, April 12,1984
1985 Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, Nov 23,1985
1985 Rome Airport murders
1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacked, U.S. Navy diver murdered
1985 Achille Lauro hijacking, Homacidal maniac lived in saddams Iraq
1986 Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986
1988 Pan Am 747 Flight 103 Bombing, Lockerbie, 100's murdered
1988 Berlin Discoteque Bombing, Dec 21,1988
1992 Bombing in Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17,1992
1993 Attempted Assassination of Pres. Bush Sr., April 14,1993
1993 First World Trade Center bombing, February 26th, 7 Killed, Hundreds injured, Billions
1994 Air France Hijacking, Dec 24,1994
1995 Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan, Mar 8,1995
1995 Military Installation Attack, Nov 13, 1995
1995 Kashmiri Hostage taking, July 4,1995
1996 Khobar Towers attack
1996 Sudanese Missionarys Kidnapping, Aug 17,1996
1996 Paris Subway Explosion, Dec 3,1996
1997 Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, Sept 4, 1997
1997 Yemeni Kidnappings, Oct 30,1997
1998 Somali Hostage taking crisis, April 15,1998
1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing in Peru, Jan 15, 1998
1998 U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1998 U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1999 Plot to blow up Space Needle (thwarted)
2000 USS Cole attacked, many U.S. Navy sailors murdered
2000-2003 Intifada against Israel - 100's dead and injured
2000 Manila Bombing, Dec 30,2000
2001 4 Commercial airliners hijacked, 250+ murdered
2001 World Trade Center attacked, 2800+ murdered
2001 Flight 93 murders
2001 Pentagon attacked, 180+ murdered
2002 Reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped and murdered
2002 Philippines American missionary, Filipino nurse killed
2002 July 4, El Al attack Los Angeles LAX, several murdered
2002 Bali bombing - 200 dead, 300 injured
2002 Yemen, French Oil Tanker attacked
2002 Marines attacked / murdered in Kuwait
2002 Washington D.C. sniper
2002 Russian Theater attacked, 100+ dead
2002 Nigerian riots against Miss World Pageant, 200 dead, dozens injured
2002 Mombasa Hotel Attacked, 12 dead, dozens injured
2002 Israeli Boeing 757 attacked by missiles, fortunately no one injured
2002 August Hotel bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. 12 dead, dozens injured.
2003 Rusian concert bombing
2003 Phillipines airport and market bombing
2003 Foiled SAM plot in the USA
2003 UN Baghdad HQ Bombing
2003 Ticrit Mosque Bombing
2003 Neveh Shalom Synagogue Bombing in Istanbul, Turkey
on and on and on and on their terrorism has gone .........
credit for putting this togheter goes to
Diogenesis and
Doug From Upland
if there are mistakes --- they belong to me - and I apologize - just let me know ... malia
Who's Who on the 9/11 "Independent" Commission
"According to a 1998 Senate testimony of former CIA director James
Woolsey, powerful financier Khalid bin Mahfouz' younger sister is
married to Osama bin Laden,. (US Senate, Senate Judiciary
Committee, Federal News Service, 3 Sept. 1998, See also Wayne
Madsen, Questionable Ties, In These Times,12 Nov. 2001 )
Bin Mahfouz is suspected to have funneled millions of dollars to the Al
Qaeda network.(See Tom Flocco, Scoop.co.nz 28 Aug. 2002)
Now, "by sheer coincidence", former New Jersey governor Thomas
[snip]
"Unfortunately, some have suggested recently that the terrorist threat is being used for partisan political advantage. We can have legitimate disagreements about the best way to fight the terrorists, yet there should be no disagreement about the dangers we face," he said.
Maybe His Bushness should tell Cheney to pipe down about election returns?
?
If anyone even stubs their toe on a plane this month, I can hear the cries of "Bush Knew" cranking up already.
As someone previously stated, just because the Democrats are tired of fighting terrorism, does not mean that the terrorists are tired of trying to kill western civilization. Reid's statement says all a person needs to know in regards to the Democrats ability and willingness to provide national security.
This would not be a wedge issue if the Democrats were serious about national security. Its time for the American public to wake up and see reality. We have forgotten what "Never Again!" means and entails.
Funny words coming from a man who immediately politicized the arrests....
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): The Iraq war has diverted our focus
from the war on terrorism and has created a rallying cry for international terrorists. (Sen. Harry Reid, Reid Statement On British Terror Plot, Press Release, 8/10/06)
I don't remember contributing to this, but it's possible. Anyway, this is something the left wants us to ignore.
Ping to post #12
His Bushness?? What kind of disrespectful comment is that?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.