God told me to invade Iraq, Bush tells Palestinian ministers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/10_october/06/bush.shtml ^ | 10/06/05 | BBC

[Blogger]

This press release is embargoed until 2230 hours on Thursday 6 October. Before that time it is only available through the link which you have been sent.

President George W. Bush told Palestinian ministers that God had told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq - and create a Palestinian State, a new BBC series reveals.

In Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, a major three-part series on BBC TWO (at 9.00pm on Monday 10, Monday 17 and Monday 24 October), Abu Mazen, Palestinian Prime Minister, and Nabil Shaath, his Foreign Minister, describe their first meeting with President Bush in June 2003.

Nabil Shaath says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"

[defenderSD]

What are you talking about? Are you at work doing something else at the same time? Your last post doesn't make sense. I'm saying that reporting someone's recollection of what Bush said in a meeting is not the same as printing an exact quote that was recorded on tape, film, or by a reporter writing down a first-hand statement while listening to Bush. That is true. A person's recollection of what someone said in a meeting is often different from what was actually said.

[cricket]

[President George W. Bush told Palestinian ministers that God had told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq - and create a Palestinian State, a new BBC series reveals." ]

What Bush said is NOT revealed; what is revealed is whatt the following Arabs claim he said. . .

" Abu Mazen, Palestinian Prime Minister, and Nabil Shaath, his Foreign Minister, describe their first meeting with President Bush in June 2003. "

Give me a break. . .

'Hello? I need to speak to Algore. . .

[defenderSD]

I see that you're British. Well no wonder you're trying to defend the BBC....lol.

[SE Mom]

This is hilarious- I was sure it was a Scrappleface piece- but I see the BBC is actually believing this nonsense.

[DustyMoment]

More BBC belching.

[cooper72]

I see that you're British. Well no wonder you're trying to defend the BBC....lol.

Even among the most anti-BBC people in the world, Freerepublic still uses a BBC story every minute of the day. Funny that! :)

[BJClinton]

Nice. So NR and BBC are more-or-less sourcing each other?

[ArcadeQuarters]

And on the other shoulder sat a little Eleanor Roosevelt.

[blogblogginaway]

Good links. Old news.

"According to Abbas, Bush said: 'God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East. If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them.'"

Before you jump to any conclusions, remember that you are reading a translation of a translation of a translation. Mahmoud Abas does not speak English. Bush does not speak Arabic. If Bush said these words, or something like them, Abas heard them from a translator. Then Abas repeated them, as he remembered them a couple of weeks later, in Arabic. Some unknown person wrote down what he thought he heard Abas say. Then Regular, or someone at Ha'aretz, translated them back into English-or perhaps first into Hebrew and then into English.

[xJones]

And I'm going to believe the BBC and a bunch of Palestinians....

[Convert from ECUSA]

Somebody over in the Hamastinian Authority has been smoking too much of the cheap stuff in their hookah.

[Slings and Arrows]

If Bush said nothing of the kind, how will he react to the "Palestinian" leaders making him out to be insane and dangerous in office?

The same way every other Paleostinian offense is dealt with:

[Blogger]

Invasion of Iraq and getting the Palestinians a state are two different things. God doesn't do U turns.

[Mister Baredog]

If Bush said that, which I don't believe he did, but if he did then I believe he is using God for political purposes and is not genuine. That is a very scary proposition.

Why guess, just log on to Move-on.org or any number of websites, they'll verify it for you, they thrive on scary propositions.

[Blogger]

Yeah, but they are a bunch of cranks. So is the BBC, but most of the world doesn't think they are.

[cricket]

This is hilarious- I was sure it was a Scrappleface piece- but I see the BBC is actually believing this nonsense.

Don't think they believe it. . .the dialogue that is; but they know they can get some mileage on their 'truth-short', creative headline.

[cricket]

before you jump to any conclusions, remember that you are reading a translation of a translation of a translation. Mahmoud Abas does not speak English. Bush does not speak Arabic. If Bush said these words, or something like them, Abas heard them from a translator. Then Abas repeated them, as he remembered them a couple of weeks later, in Arabic. Some unknown person wrote down what he thought he heard Abas say. Then Regular, or someone at Ha'aretz, translated them back into English-or perhaps first into Hebrew and then into English.

Makes sense to me. . .

. . .and like the 'Left' here; truth is not their first consideration. . .or second. . .or. . .

[Reborn]

What do you mean you don't believe this? What's wrong with you? We have the word of the BBC, and even better than that, the word of Abu Mazen, and his buddies. What's not to trust?

[/sarcasm]

[Leonine]

Bibliomancy? Where's Danny Boy?