US will not back Jesse Jackson peace mission to Afghanistan [but to go anyway]

AFP via Drudge ^ | Thursday, September 27 10:49 PM SGT

[flamefront]

US will not back Jesse Jackson peace mission to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (AFP) -

The United States has no interest in backing a proposed mission to Afghanistan by civil rights leader Jesse Jackson who said Thursday he had been invited to the country by the Taliban to mediate peace with the regime accused of harboring suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden.

"We're not interested in a dialogue," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said. "We're interested in action and no negotiation. The demands are not subject to dialogue."

Armitage, speaking on NBC television, said the Taliban appeared to be stalling on turning over bin Laden who the United States has said is the prime suspect in the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

"It seems to me they're trying to delay making a decision on their own," he said, adding that Jackson had spoken with Secretary of State Colin Powell about the Taliban suggestion.

Powell, Armitage said, told Jackson that the demands laid on the Taliban by President George W. Bush were "not negotiable" and that if the militia wanted to avoid possible retaliatory strikes it must hand over bin Laden and eliminate his al-Qaeda network.

Armitage said that while Washington would not stop Jackson from making the trip to Afghanistan, he would not have any support from the US government.

"I personally wouldn't, but I don't think it's my decision," Armitage said when asked whether US officials would encourage Jackson to go. "I think he'll make his own decision."

Jackson said earlier that Mohammed Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban at their embassy in Pakistan, had asked him to lead a peace delegation to Afghanistan.

"I was surprised that I heard from them," Jackson said.

"I really don't want to go," he said of the mission, emphasizing that if and when he went, the trip would not be "a personal issue" and should be carried out by "a very credible delegation with sufficient intelligence."

The Taliban, however, said the mediation offer had come from Jackson and had been accepted.

In Islamabad, Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, denied the mediation request had come from Afghanistan's rulers.

"We have not invited him, but he offered to mediate, and our leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has accepted this offer," Zaeef told the Afghan Islamic Press, a Pakistan-based private news agency.

"He has ordered the authorities to extend cooperation if Jesse Jackson visits Afghanistan. We will have no objection."

[flamefront]

But, they CANNOT, by law, forbid him to go. He is an American; he has the right to leave the country; and when he does, he can pretty much go whereever they'll take him including Afghanistan.

Beware, your RINO sympathies are showing.

The administration should at least
threaten Jackson with the Logan Act!

But instead, like you, they cave to give Jackson one more chance, well what can we lose they might be saying. Just maybe he can pull it off and save us the costs about to be incurred. Wouldn't that be nice.

Not really.

[Rustynailww]

powell is a clinton spy out to destroy the president.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"The Taliban, however, said the mediation offer had come from Jackson and had been accepted."

Ok. So who is lying? Considering the two parties involved, it's impossible to determine the truth.

[OldFriend]

The liar seeking publicity........UGH

[rockfish59]

YOO HOOooooo....oh JESSEeeeeeee...you're needed in cincinNATiiiiiiii!!

jackson's message to the taliban:

HERE COME DA' BUSHES!

what a major, commie @$$HOLE!

[StriperSniper]

I wonder why he wants intelligence information.

I don't.

;-)

[caddie]

Arrest Jackson, and hold him without bail, on charges of treason.

[ninachka]

I wish...they're all a bunch of traitors!

[Search4Truth]

Where in the world is Stormin Norman? We need him now!

[Liz]

Have someone put a beeper on his ass and then when he is in the meeting, time for an air strike
as we will know where everyone is and Jessie can go as a hero giving his life and glory for his country.

Damn. Best idea I've heard all day.....but one condition....he takes Al Sharpton with him.
BTW, do they have beepers big enough for Sharpton's a**?

[ninachka]

The administration wants nothing to do with this buffoon. They told him: "Our terms are NOT subject to negotiation." But, they CANNOT, by law, forbid him to go. He is an American; he has the right to leave the country; and when he does, he can pretty much go whereever they'll take him including Afghanistan.

But they can arrest him for violating the Logan Act when he returns!

[Trident/Delta]

Relish the thought. JJ is on the ground with the diaperhead coalition and whammo... Tommahawk strike... Hmmmm.... What odds would you give JJ's chances of departure???

Semper Fi

[LastDayz]

 

It's all about Jesse - nothing more, nothing less. He has no moral nor legal authority to be sticking his nose into any international affairs of this calibre. He's just another infidel or kafir to to the Taliban types - a useful idiot to get some mileage out of if they can. I think what the rat really wants to do is try (yet again...) to conjure up a "good" moral image as Mr. Peacemaker Ambassador-To-The-World (or something like that) in order to try and breathe some positive life back into his personal image for domestic political reasons. The first time the media runs some stories/video of alleged civilians/kids alleged to have been killed during some mission of the War On Terrorism, you can bet Jesse is going to have his mug on every news show going "I tried to stop all the horror, but that mean ole' George Bush just wouldn't let me......he just wanted to bomb and shoot......shoot and bomb.......blah...blah....bleh....bleh..." Standard modus operandi for Jesse, particularly disgusting in this respect in his using the deaths and misfortunes of others as stepping stones for his personal ambitions.

 

[JusticeLives]

Heh heh heh
Two birds with one stone??

[lodwick]

The only thing better would be if jj could get the x'toons to join him! lol bttt

[zeugma]

My guess is he'll try to get the rescued missionaries out. He'll probably fail. But he and the Taliban have a lot in common. Who knows, maybe Jesse will stay on as Mullah Omar's spokesman. They both adopt the same level of anti-Bush rhetoric.

You're probably wrong that he'd fail on this. What do a few Christian aid workers mean to the Taliban? Nothing. They'll let them go so as to win some 'brownie points'. One would hope this would not deceive anyone. Libya played him like a finely tuned violin years ago. Same will happen here I suspect.

Ever since the attack on NY & DC, I've suspected that those aid workers were bargaining chips all along. If true, then it would be likely the Taliban had foreknowledge of the attack. This would be bad for them if it was generally known as President Bush would have to respond. It might be useful to debrief the aid workers when they come back.

[eastforker]

I hate to break it to ya kiddo but I don't think they are coming back.The two young girls from, where was it, Baylor are probably history by now.I hate to think of what they went through.Regardless,it's gonna be a real mess when we get done.