Posted on 06/10/2002 7:33:20 PM PDT by Pharmboy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Citing a growing danger of terrorist groups acquiring weapons of mass destruction, President Bush warned on Monday they would use this "catastrophic power" to attack freedom-loving nations.
His prediction came on the same day that authorities captured an al Qaeda operative planning to attack the United States with a "dirty bomb," a conventional bomb packed with radioactive material that can kill people nearby as well as scatter toxic material, causing mass death and injury.
"The free societies we love face unprecedented threats," Bush told the International Democrat Union, a worldwide association of moderate to conservative politicians. "We face cold-blooded killers that hate the freedoms we cherish."
"And with the spread of chemical and biological and nuclear weapons along with ballistic missile technology, freedom's enemies could obtain catastrophic power," he said. "And there's no doubt that they would use that power to attack us and to attack the values we uphold."
Although he did not mention any country by name at the dinner, Bush has labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea an "axis of evil" bent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction that could be transferred to networks like al Qaeda. The United States blames al Qaeda, led by Saudi-born exile Osama bin laden ( news - web sites), for the Sept. 11 attacks.
On Monday, U.S. officials said they had captured a suspected American al Qaeda operative planning to attack the United States with a dirty bomb.
Abdullah al Muhajir, a U.S. citizen also known as Jose Padilla, was detained on May 8 after flying to Chicago from Pakistan and was being held without charge in a naval brig in South Carolina after Bush declared him an "enemy combatant."
'PRE-EMPTIVE ACTION'
Vice President Dick Cheney ( news - web sites) has singled out Iraq in calling for a decisive response to counter the possibility of terrorist groups acquiring weapons of mass destruction from sympathetic states. Bush has declared that Americans must be ready for "pre-emptive action" against threats to the United States.
"We will oppose the new totalitarians with all of our power," Bush said on Monday. "We will hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice. We believe we fight an enemy that is barbaric and evil."
Cheney told the IDU earlier on Monday that the United States was prepared to strike first against terrorist groups because deterrence would not work against shadowy groups like al Qaeda.
"Grave threats are accumulating against us, and inaction will only bring them closer," Cheney said. "We will not wait until it is too late."
The IDU was founded in 1983 as a forum for like-minded politicians focused on free markets and democratic capitalism. Among its founding members were the current U.S. leader's father, then-Vice President George Bush, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
Before the dinner with Bush at the White House, the group issued a statement supporting his war on terrorism and its expansion to denying dangerous weapons to "terrorists and hostile states."
well i sure am not pregnant so maybe it's old age and i'm only 46....sheesh.
The Mayor
Viscerally, this sounds very satisfying, but I wonder if 'peace' is in their culture? Like our sanctity-of-life, have they ever even considered it?
Are we ascribing way more humanity, and human values, to them than they deserve?
They behave as rabid animals, and Americans have never had a problem putting down rabid animals. Until now, for some reason.
Of course we declared the Native Americans savage animals, but that was a different war theatre entirely.
But when government enters the picture and commands, or conducts any such search minus probable cause and a warrant describing the time, manner and objects to be searched for, then my 4th Amendment rights most certainly have been violated.
It was militiamen in Tarrytown, NY who caught Major Andre coming back from a meeting with Benedict Arnold--checking papers. Things were clamped down pretty tight in the north and south during that time.
And where the Brits controlled territories, it was worse.
Airport security is NOT private enterprise, it never has been. The Airports provide the security, the Airports are governmental entities and the security is a governmental function.
The Declaration of Independence was an official declaration of war against the King. All those assumed war powers were ended at the end of the war. That's not going to happen here. We've already established that.
And where the Brits controlled territories, it was worse.
The Brits general warrants were part of the reason for the war. And they were the direct inspiration for the 4th Amendment. That wasn't ever supposed to happen again, and good men died to ensure that. We're blowing their sacrifice.
Then 4th Amendment rights have been violated that much longer, and that much worse now that it's been federalized.
The 4th Amendment is crysal clear: Where government is concerned, no probable cause, no warrant, no search.
I don't care if that's been ignored since the day air travel was invented, or what any court has to say about it. It's an unalienable right endowed by our Creator, period.
Kinda worriesome when the goverment of the most powerful country is "jumpy"
I hope they have a plan to go into effect after we're hit. Its gonna take alot more than a bunch of senators singing patriotic songs on the capitols steps to calm the nation next time.
Geeze Louise. The search is completely voluntary. The only downside is that you are denied the privilege of flying if you do so. You can make a case that there is a right of travel but you have absolutely NO right to method.
. . . war was never officially declared
Two assertions here that aren't at all what I have picked up. First, the war on terrorists of global reach has an estimated duration of 2-3 years. Second, the terrorists declared war, it's official.
They are barbaric and evil. They believe that allah smiles on them when they murder innocent people and kill themselves in the process. They are among the worst evil that has walked the planet and must be eradicated ASAP.
Your're 100% correct and it will happen again after any major attack. I say start it now so they don't overreact. If they start knocking down doors of too many innocent Americans congress can change the laws if they have to but until then I say round em up and ship em out !
Exerpt from the article;"Grave threats are accumulating against us, and inaction will only bring them closer," Cheney said. "We will not wait until it is too late." ,/b>
In this house.. we are thanking GOD every day for this administration. We shudder to think what would be happening.. how many MORE Lives would be lost, if we didn't have this experienced and moral leadership. It took 8 years of inactivity and ignoring the needs of this country to get us where we are today. Anyone who thinks we can wave a magic wand to undo the damage is more delusional than I had previously thought.
Your arguements are great Pharmboy.. they are just falling on paranoid, deaf ears.
FRegards!!
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