"Ha, Ha, Ha ... What a Maroon."
Posted on 09/27/2001 6:04:40 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON (AP) - Jesse Jackson said Thursday he is reluctant to accept an invitation from the ruling militia in Afghanistan to take a ``peace delegation'' to neighboring Pakistan. But he indicated he is considering it in an effort to win freedom for two U.S. relief workers.
Jackson said he had talked Thursday to the parents of Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry, who are being held by the ruling Taliban in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
``There is nothing to be gained by holding them as trophies of this war,'' Jackson said on CBS' ``The Early Show.''
The minister and former presidential candidate said he received an invitation Wednesday from a Taliban spokesman and immediately notified Secretary of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser.
Powell's deputy, Richard Armitage, was asked on NBC's ``Today'' whether he would encourage Jackson to make the trip. ``I personally wouldn't,'' Armitage replied. ``It seems to me they (the militia) are trying to delay making a decision on their own. Secretary Powell informed the Rev. Jackson that the demands laid on the Taliban by our president are not negotiable.''
Bush has demanded that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden, who is the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the United States, and other terrorists.
Jackson said Wednesday: ``We must weigh what this invitation means. We're not going to be precipitous. If we can do something to encourage them to dismantle those terrorist bases, to choose to hand over the suspects and release the Christians rather than engage in a long bloody war, we'll encourage them to do so.''
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer repeated that there will be no negotiations or discussions with the Taliban.
``Either the Taliban government is going to stand alone and take on this world pressure, or they are going to look for some graceful way out,'' Jackson said. ``I hope that appealing to a peace delegation could be a bridge.''
``We would like to see this situation resolved in a way that preserves the dignity and integrity of all sides ... in the interest of avoiding the humanitarian catastrophe that would befall the people of Afghanistan as a result of military strikes,'' Jackson quoted the Taliban invitation as saying.
Jackson has undertaken several missions to win the release of American hostages overseas. In 1999 he secured the release of three American soldiers captured by Serbs in Yugoslavia.
Pray for GW and the troops!
God Bless America
sw
BTW, If you're the Taliban and you happended to read #39 then PLEASE disregard everything I said. I was just kidding.
Sorry Jesse, I think I accidentally blew your cover
The crusade war campaign coalition against terrorism discriminating against Moslems will not target other states, nor seek to remove the Taliban from power, and must build a coalition of all the nations that hate us and desire our destruction so that we are not isolated with a lot of nations hating us and not liking us.
Colin Powell, the great warrior against Iraq ?
I think not.
We don't have the leadership necessary to defend America and that makes me very sad, scared, and angry.
If this doofus goes over there, and the Taliban does this with him, it should not affect our strategy or tactics at all. Our forces would have a chance to complete the mission and solve a serious domestic problem as well.
It doesn't get any better than this.
"Ha, Ha, Ha ... What a Maroon."
Not my day...
Maybe we can get Jesse to do a "Slim Pickens" ala Dr. Strangelove - even if we miss OBL we'll still be ahead!
Let's hope he stays there.
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