Dean: Bush responsible for deaths in Spain

Union Leader ^ | 3/17/04 | NEDRA PICKLER

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean said Tuesday that President Bush's decision to send troops to Iraq appears to have contributed to the bombing deaths of 201 in Spain.

A growing international investigation is focusing on Islamic militants possibly linked to al-Qaida as the culprits in the Madrid train bombings last Thursday.

European intelligence agencies are trying to identify a purported al-Qaida operative who claimed in a videotape that the group carried out the bombings to punish Spain for backing of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The tape was discovered in a trash bin near Madrid's largest mosque on Saturday after a telephone tip to a Madrid TV station.

Dean referred to the videotape when asked whether he was linking U.S. troops in Iraq to the deaths in Spain.

"That was what they said in the tape," Dean said. "They made that connection, I'm simply repeating it."

Dean's comment came as he was defending former rival John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, from a Bush campaign ad accusing Kerry of turning his back on U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq.

Dean said it is the president who has not supported the troops. He said Bush sent soldiers to Iraq unequipped, misled the country on the reasons for war and made the United States less safe by focusing on a target that wasn't a threat. And, he said, "The president was the one who dragged our troops to Iraq, which apparently has been a factor in the death of 200 Spaniards over the weekend."

Dean issued a statement later to The Associated Press that said, "Let me be clear, there is no justification for terrorism. Today I was simply repeating what those who have claimed responsibility for the bombings in Spain said was the reason they carried out that despicable act."

Dean was speaking on a conference call arranged by Kerry's campaign. Campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said, "We aren't in a position to say that Spain's support for the war in Iraq made them a target."

"Governor Dean was simply repeating what's already been reported by news organizations about a group that claims responsibility for the enormous tragedy in Spain," she said. "It's clear that what happened in Spain is a painful reminder that the war on terror is far from over and the nation would be better off if this administration took the time to rebuild our alliances rather than engaging in political attacks."

[DeuceTraveler]

I knew someone would start accusing Bush of those 200+ deaths. Wait for the protestors to start carrying signs with pictures of dead Spaniards and yelling "Hey Bush, how many Europeans you want dead today."

[Judith Anne]

Dean has the right of free speech, which is a good thing in general, but I'm glad I'm not the Queen of the USA, because I'd put him in a cold dark dungeon for that comment and let the bleep starve.

[faithincowboys]

here's what else the left is saying. Posted by a DU'er named Nesco:

Debka, a supposed mouthpiece for the Mossad/Likud far right, is claiming, relative to the Spanish attacks, that: "Like the attacks in the United States, they were conceived, planned, orchestrated and directed by Osama bin Laden and his top lieutenant, Ayman Zuwahiri, in person, and aimed at a Western Achilles heel."

What is the reason for this claim? Does the Mossad really have this vital piece of information? Or is there a different reason for making this claim?

For those of you who aren't familiar with Debka, they publish a strange mix of good or seemingly good information, patently false claims and outright misinformation. They were among the first to point out and analyze evidence that Saddam was already a prisoner when he was "captured" by US forces. They also displayed pictures of the "Stryker" wearing its "cage" as a post production means of making up for inadequate as-built armor. (It looks silly and this "cage" must hurt combat effectiveness.) Neither is the sort of information that the US administration can be too happy about. At the same time, Debka makes any number of false claims --- claims that have a disturbing way of turning up in the US media or in (US) administration statements.

Is the Mossad/Likud puffing up Osama's involvement? If so, why? Does the Mossad know that Bin Ladin is already in custody or certain to be captured/killed soon? Are they looking to enhance the value of his "capture" as a favor to their neocon allies? Or is the Israeli far right fixated on a model of terrorism that requires it to be centralized in a few "bad actors" --- "bad actors" that when taken out will result in the collapse of the terrorist threat? (Which is not unlike the neocons' equally naive view.)

It would be very useful to know.

[rogueleader]

Someone needs to lock the devil doctor from Vermont back in his cage.

The stupid partisan mudfight continues.

[Serb5150]

"That was what they said in the tape," Dean said. "They made that connection, I'm simply repeating it."

Way to parrot, Dean. It's nice to see you finally thinking for yourself. Good job.

[MEG33]

I'd lose the key to the cell.

[pau1f0rd]

what did the world blame its problems on before Bush came along?

[BamaAndy]

Dean is an outrageous, sick, liberal who cannot see beyond his socialist comfort zone and who would have the women and children still bound in tyranny in Iraq. Presdident Bush is a man who stands for his beliefs and knows we are at war...and we must fight to win. Not fighting for our freedom and security would cause more 9-11's. But that matters not to the small minded liberal camp. They all speak as though we have no enemies, no one willing to fly airplanes into buildngs, no one willing to bomb innocents... silly, dangerous, minds at work.

[goldstategop]

Actually, I think he should continuing ranting. We want people to see who liberals really are, free of that phony mask they wear to trick people into thinking they're moderates. Let's get Howie out in public as much as possible.

[CyberAnt]

Rush was commenting on this today - the left has been saying all along THERE IS NO LINK BETWEEN SADDAM AND AL QUEDA - right!

Then how can going into Iraq have anything to do with the deaths in Spain ..??

[goldstategop]

Exactly. These people have absolutely no principle and no shame about bringing up an irrelevant tangent just to gain political advantage.

[ThirstyMan]

I like your words walford. And think of Dean's suggestion that we, "rebuild our alliances." Oh God this is a painful year! These unrelenting attacks on the administration come from the politically motivated. There is plainly no sense in what they say:

"It's clear that what happened in Spain is a painful reminder that the war on terror is far from over and the nation would be better off if this administration took the time to rebuild our alliances rather than engaging in political attacks."

[marsh2]

Rudy Giuliani dismissed similar comments made by a Saudi prince after 9/11

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/11/rec.giuliani.prince/
Giuliani rejects $10 million from Saudi prince

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday the city would not accept a $10 million donation for disaster relief from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal after the prince suggested U.S. policies in the Middle East contributed to the September 11 attacks.

"I entirely reject that statement," Giuliani said. "There is no moral equivalent for this [terrorist] act. There is no justification for it. The people who did it lost any right to ask for justification for it when they slaughtered 4,000 or 5,000 innocent people."

Prince Alwaleed gave the mayor a check after a Thursday morning memorial service at Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center towers destroyed in the attacks.

The prince offered his condolences to the people of New York, but after the ceremony he released a statement suggesting the United States "must address some of the issues that led to such a criminal attack."

"The check has not been deposited. The Twin Towers Fund has not accepted it," Giuliani said in a statement late Thursday.

The prince's statement said the United States "should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stand toward the Palestinian cause.

"While the U.N. passed clear resolutions numbered 242 and 338 calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip decades ago, our Palestinian brethren continue to be slaughtered at the hands of Israelis while the world turns the other cheek," the statement said.

Giuliani flatly rejected the prince's position. "To suggest that there's a justification for [the terrorist attacks] only invites this happening in the future," he said. "It is highly irresponsible and very, very dangerous.

"And one of the reasons I think this happened is because people were engaged in moral equivalency in not understanding the difference between liberal democracies like the United States, like Israel, and terrorist states and those who condone terrorism.

"So I think not only are those statements wrong, they're part of the problem," Giuliani said.

[atomic conspiracy]

Once a scapegoat has been nominated, no real effort is required to blame him for literally anything. A few weeks ago, an Al Guardian columnist stupidly lost some money in a Nigerian e-mail scam and seriously blamed Bush for it.

It's ridiculously easy to blame Bush for nearly anything. I'll demonstrate:

A couple of weeks ago, there was a bizarre accident at my home. My overweight neighbor was trimming a tree in his backyard. The ladder fell, depositing the neighbor against the fence, which collapsed. The ladder itself continued onto my side, and knocked down my electric powerline, leaving me in the dark for 3 hours. Remarkably enough, the neighbor was not seriously injured.

This was obviously Bush's fault. How, skeptical freepers might ask? Simple, my neighbor is a car dealer, he makes a killing from SUVs (when these aren't roaming about killing and plundering on their own). If it weren't for Bush limiting our freedom by failing to ban these diabolical machines, this guy wouldn't be rich enough to live in my neighborhood. I would have a fit, athletic vegan commissar or such for a neighbor, and the accident would not have happened.

Last year, I was returning to my car from a night class. I slipped in the darkness, hit my noggin on the curb and required several stitches to fix it. Again, Bush's fault; no doubt about it. You see, if Bush allowed the government to provide a guaranteed minimum income of $26,500 a year(as the Green Party advocates) nobody would have to work, there would be no night classes and clumsy middle-aged professors like myself would not be wandering around in dark parking lots.

[kattracks]

Thanks for the article.

Just a reminder that the Dims and the terrorists have much in common.

[rbmillerjr]

We need the obligatory Dean strangling the cat photo lol.

ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!1

[A CA Guy]

There are no words of contempt powerful enough to express my resentment of Dean and this comment in these times.

[goldstategop]

I love it every time he shows that face of his on TV. He makes the case for conservatism better than many conservatives do.

[A CA Guy]

My problem is the effect this stupidity has on the younger ones coming up who already are under the tutelage of indoctrination of liberalism through their teachers.

These ignorant kids suffer this kind of idiocy and mirror much of it because they are so misguided and so undereducated.

This display of horrible taste by Dean does nothing to serve this nation.

[goldstategop]

It shows people what's its like to have these certifiable loons in charge of our country.