Posted on 03/23/2006 2:05:26 PM PST by the anti-liberal
Following in Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's footsteps, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice phoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai seeking a "favorable resolution" of the Abdul Rahman case. Not sure why President Bush wasn't on the line. But at least someone called.
Fox News has the story.
More details from the NYT:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke this morning with President Hamid Karzai and discussed the affair "in the strongest possible terms," said the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack.
"She called specifically on this topic," Mr. McCormack said. "And she urged President Karzai's government to seek a favorable resolution to this case the earliest possible moment." Mr. McCormack said Ms. Rice also told Afghanistan's Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah, in a 15-minute meeting in Washington today that she was deeply troubled by the case, and that the prosecution was "contrary to universal democratic values," which include freedom of religion. Ms. Rice said that the United States fought for those values in Afghanistan, and that the case was contrary to the Afghan constitution, Mr. McCormack said.
The same message came today from the White House, where President Bush's chief spokesman, Scott McClellan, said the Afghan case "clearly violates the universal freedoms that democracies around the world hold dear. And we are watching it very closely."
On Wednesday, President Bush issued a statement that the United States expected Afghan officials to "honor the universal principle of freedom" in the case. Germany, Italy and other countries that have deployed troops in Afghanistan have also issued statements of concern.
Maybe if the president ran around the stage in WV, flailing his arms and screaming that the perpetrators will be hunted down and brought to justice, you'd be happy? Our president is not Chicken Little, nor is he Bill Clinton, who makes idle threats. There are diplomatic channels to work this out and he put his top diplomat in charge of fixing it. After five years I'd think you all would know that screaming and flailing is not the president's style.
Perhaps he knows what he's doing and being deliberate, but all I can know is what I've seen.
We shall see.
If we permit his execution, I want BUSH withdrawn from the Oval Office.
Freed? You must be joking. We traded Taliban Extra Strength for Taliban Lite. Douglas MacArthur is spinning in his grave at how we permitted medieval Sharia "law" to continue in a land we "liberated". What a bunch of pansies we have running this war. "Held to account" my ass...I cannot believe Bush is using the same expression he reserves for terrorists. Disgusting.
I blame the Afghani constitution on our illustrious [sic] State Department, led by Colin Powell. These idiots don't give a damn about liberty - just making nice-nice with demagogues.
Thanks, this is exactly what I wanted to say earlier, but I couldn't find the sources to draw from.
I remember reading the actual name of the Taliban leader responsible for this act of medieval act of barbarism.
I'm getting more than a little sick of everyone suggesting they know what Bush should do, when he should do ... let THEM run for office.
He could spend his whole presidency like his predecessor and fell everyone's pain, leaving the door wide open for another 9-11, but, ah, the intervening PR and polls would be great !
Like I mentioned earlier:
Perhaps he knows what he's doing and being deliberate, but all I can know is what I've seen.
Would you have said the same thing with Jimma Carter?
IMO it's better to say something than say nothing... but in the end I just hope he does the right thing, whatever it happens to be.
She's a heroine.
What's disgusting is people who expect the President of the United States to go on a flaming, spleen venting rant as if he was posting messages to some stupid web site.
You said -- "As he's (Bush) is a Christian himself I'd expect a somewhat stronger statement from him."
Maybe he should have resorted to his Texas cowboy talk -- like "If you don't let that guy go, we're going to open up a Texas-sized can of whoop-ass on y'all."
I think that might work. :-)
Regards,
Star Traveler
I think most people here are smart enough not to want or expect such behavior from a sitting President (at least, from a US sitting President).
I suspect most individual would be happy to see Pres. Bush take a firmer stand on this, without seeming to give lip service to 'tolerance' of Taliban or islamic Sharia law in the process.
That kind of 'tolerance' I'll leave to the liberal socialists.
..things seen and said in public are often very different from what goes on in back-channel conversation--I'm sure GWB is leaning VERY hard on Karzai...
I certainly hope so!
When this is all over, I would like to see the Taliban completely removed from Afghanistan and Sharia law stricken from, well, from existence.
Don't withdraw the troops. To do so plays into the hands of the bad guys. Have you forgotten why we conquered that country? Wont bin Laden be back there the day after we leave?
Roll a heavily armed US convoy down main street, Kabul, right to the jail where Abdul Rahman is being held & take him to safety, OUT of Afghanistan. In addition, tell Karzai the money is TOTALLY cut off til the constitution is changed, & OBTW, here is the list of changes.
If the Afghanis don't like it, declare martial law, throw out the current government & constitution, & tell them we will occupy their country until they learn to respect human rights - 100 years if necessary.
IMO, the US is the military occupier of a conquered country & the current gov't serves at the pleasure of the US, & if the US is displeased, out it goes.
Bush says he wants to instill democracy in these countries. Well, respect & protection of basic human rights is fundamental to democracy, & MUST be instilled in the people PRIOR to the formation of a democracy. I hope the US learns from this when installing the new gov'ts of Syria & Iran in the near future. Otherwise, why bother?
Speak softly and carry a big stick. The stick has been used a few times already.
When someone elects Michelle president, she can make all the phone calls, from ordering presidential staplers to threatening thermonuclear war. President Bush can delegate as he chooses.
Or perhap she says, "I'll get the Internet after you."
Does anyone have President Karzai's cell phone number?
...and place him into a prestigious university where he and America can tell Yale where to shove it.
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