Posted on 11/16/2001 1:10:45 PM PST by america-rules
By Charles Aldinger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) fired a broadside at critics of the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan (news - web sites) on Wednesday, saying they had been ``dead wrong'' in sniping at the pace of a 39-day bombing against the Taliban.
Boasting that the Taliban were in flight ``virtually all over the country,'' he chided analysts who accused the Pentagon (news - web sites) of not dropping more bombs or putting more troops into Afghanistan.
``It's nice, at a moment like this, to be able to remind them (critics) that a lot of what they put out over the course of the last few weeks was just dead wrong,'' Cheney told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (news - web sites) in a speech.
He was not specific about the critics but said it included military pundits, the Washington press and ``talking heads'' on television.
Praising Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff, the vice president said that ''we've got some great people running the operation. And the results are there for all to see.''
Cheney cautioned that the war was far from over in Afghanistan despite the collapse in many areas of military forces of the fundamentalist Muslim Taliban, who have ruled the country for five years.
``This is a very good beginning to what's likely to be a long struggle,'' he said.
``They (the Taliban) have lost their control over a major part of Afghanistan. They've lost control of most of the cities. Many of their forces have been killed, captured or fled to the hills,'' he said.
But in another apparent jab at critics, he noted that President Bush (news - web sites) had vowed to end support by the Taliban and other countries worldwide for ``terrorist'' networks such as al Qaeda guerrillas of fugitive Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), accused of masterminding Sept. 11 attacks on America.
``I think this morning, in the fate that has befallen the Taliban, there is proof positive,'' the vice president said.
``If anybody has any questions about whether or not we're determined to carry through on that threat, all they have to do is go visit Afghanistan today and interview members of the Taliban -- if they can find any.''
Amen Grandpa.
And I am getting damn sick of those who continue to claim that their governement (under W) is lying to them about flight 587, about Osama's supposed nukes, about anthrax and on and on.
It's B.S. and these people should grow up. They get mad when the government doesn't jump to the immediate conclusions they have jumped at. They assume that everything coming out of Osama's mouth is truth ("the planes will fall from the sky all over America"), yet they won't believe their own President, whom our own people elected.
Well, Osama doesn't look so damn big right now does he? Where the hell are those nukes he stashed in this country, just waiting for the right moment? Well, hell, he'd sure better hurry 'cause he's going to be awful dead awful soon.
With 5 years to plan, unfettered by a sleeping nation at peace, he could pull off the horror of 9/11. But he sure as hell doesn't seem to able to do squat against a ready foe.
I could rant a whole lot more about those supposed conservatives who think this government (under W) is lying to them all the time, or wrong about everything, or stupid or whatever...but they sure kicked the dreaded Afghan fighter's butts (the "conquerors of the Red Army") pretty fast didn't they? They ran like Iraqis.
/rant
I just LOVE these GUYS!!!!!!!
Cheney then, and now, delivered a healthy serving of red meat! :-)
I love that "if you can find any" line.
Did not call the Buchanan's unpatriotic. Read again, for I said the Left Wing Libertarians had joined up with the AntiWAR unamericans. My problem with the Buchanan camp is that they constantly debase President Bush. You all don't understand...this country needs 50% vote to win an election. Now which philosophy do you espouse that can garner 50% vote so we don't have another leftist Clintonista as a president. Get REALISTIC!!!!
Thanks for the memory shaker. Didn't know he was Denver Mayor at one time. What happened to that airport?
If my memory is correct, I believe Mineta is the token Democrat!!! Again, it's time for him to GO!!!
Since VP Cheney is just too cool to say it, allow me to join the chorus singing to leftist journalists everywhere: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you know nothing, you freaking bunch of losers!
Though I do note that the Secretary of State has been kind of quiet lately...It may have been, all along, a good cop/bad cop routine to keep support internationally up for us while we got everything in place.
WOW!! hehehe!
I love it!!!!!!!!
I thought their crime was harboring OBL, and not handing him over. If we caught OBL today would we need to continue to bomb the Taliban?No, their crime was harboring terrorISTS. We want them all.
And since their government decided to harbor the terrorists even after our deadline for doing so, they themselves can pretty much be considered terrorists now.
The Taliban messed up, big time.
Remember, this isn't as much about vengeance as it is about instilling fear in nations who may eventually face the same choice the Taliban faced- give them up and destroy their camps and seize their money, or share their fate. Go ask the Taliban how they liked it, if you can find anyone.
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