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Daschle Doubts Terror War's Progress (You gotta be friggin' kidddin' me alert)
AP ^ | 11/14/02 | JOHN J. LUMPKIN

Posted on 11/14/2002 8:46:03 AM PST by finnman69

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate's top Democrat said Thursday that the failure of U.S. authorities to capture Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) raises questions about "whether or not we are winning the war on terror."

Sen. Tom Daschle's remarks came as intelligence analysts concluded that a new audiotape almost certainly contained bin Laden's voice and is proof that he is alive.

"We can't find bin Laden, we haven't made real progress" in finding key elements of al-Qaida," the South Dakotan said. "They continue to be as great a threat today as they were one and a half years ago. So by what measure can we claim to be successful so far?"

President Bush (news - web sites) bristled Wednesday when asked if bin Laden, blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks, should have been captured sooner by U.S. and coalition forces. "We're making great progress in the war on terror. Slowly, but surely, we are dismantling the terrorist network," he said.

Daschle, meeting with reporters, said authorities should do a better job of finding where bin Laden's message came from.

"It seems he has the ability to move at will," Daschle said. "It's been a long time. 9-11 was more than year ago, and we have yet to find him."

A technical analysis of the tape was still under way Thursday, and officials said they still think that it was bin Laden's voice but they have not confirmed that.

Lawmakers and the Bush administration are worried that the new tape is a signal that more terror strikes are imminent.

"He's alive. We have to work on that assumption, and we are," said a senior law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity Wednesday.

Other U.S. officials were more conservative, saying they believe it probably came from bin Laden. They left open the possibility, however slight, that it is a hoax.

But all said they were treating the tape as a real message from al-Qaida's missing leader, even as the CIA (news - web sites) and National Security Agency conducted a technical analysis of the tape aimed at further authenticating it.

"They can't get to 100 percent certainty, but they're sure," the official said. The official, who participated in a high-level briefing by CIA and NSA officials, said analysts were trying to determine whether bin Laden placed cryptic messages in the recording to order followers into action.

Homeland security director Tom Ridge, during an appearance before a State Department gathering Thursday, referred to "bin Laden's remarks over the past 24 to 48 hours." It was an offhanded remark, and it was not clear whether he was speaking on the basis of information not yet made public.

Bush said he was taking the taped message "very seriously."

"Whoever put the tape out has put the world on notice yet again that we're at war," the president said Wednesday after a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

The tape appears to be the first confirmation in a year that bin Laden is alive.

The speaker on the tape sounds undeterred by the loss of bin Laden's home in what was Taliban-ruled Afghanistan (news - web sites) or by the death and capture of several of his closest lieutenants.

Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) said special attention is being paid to "what might be signaled" on the tape, while FBI (news - web sites) Director Robert Mueller said the existence of the tape "does and should put us on greater alert."

"There may be individuals in the United States we do not know about who could commit attacks," Mueller said.

Counterterrorism officials have said that if bin Laden is alive, they believe he is probably in a remote, mountainous area of Pakistan along the country's border with Afghanistan. American officials have never confirmed rumors that bin Laden was wounded or suffering some kind of kidney ailment.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: binladen; daschle; democrats; obstruction; terrorism; waronterror
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To: Quilla
"Does the AP recycle news?"

No, but it appears Daschle does, and since he has an overabundance of disappointment these days, he's eager to spread some more of it around.

The man's political stature is beginning to match his physical stature, and little Tommy has become as irrelevant as old Billy Jeff himself.
21 posted on 11/14/2002 9:02:02 AM PST by spoiler2
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To: finnman69
I heard this on the radio earlier. I'm glad he's saying it. I hope he keeps on talking because it makes the Demoncats look even more foolish in the eyes of the average American.
22 posted on 11/14/2002 9:03:40 AM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace
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To: finnman69
Great move by Tommy Da$$hole, the best buddy/pal/traitor the Islamofascists have in DC and in our senate!

I can't wait for you to continue to destroy your rat party with b$tch rat Pelosi by your side.

Rat arrogance will continue to destroy the Rat elites as they will drive more voters away from their anti America political cess pool.
23 posted on 11/14/2002 9:04:09 AM PST by Grampa Dave
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To: finnman69
As Hugh Hewitt says, every time you think the Democrats have gone as low as they can go, they dig another basement.
24 posted on 11/14/2002 9:07:06 AM PST by colorado tanker
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To: finnman69

THE LITTLE PLICK, THE DA$$HOLE, CONTINUES TO INFLICT DAMAGE ON HIMSELF AND HIS ANTI AMERICAN RAT PARTY! KEEP IT UP FOR TWO MORE YEARS YOU ARROGANT DA$$HOLE!

25 posted on 11/14/2002 9:08:47 AM PST by Grampa Dave
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To: finnman69
If Daschle had his druthers, can you imagine the sort of strategy he'd be employing to fight this war? ....Taking away the right of law abiding citizens to own firearms ....Cutting the defense budget by 75%. Making mandatory our schoolkids' observance of Ramadan.
26 posted on 11/14/2002 9:13:36 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: finnman69
"We can't find bin Laden, we haven't made real progress"

Sen. Daschle, time to do some thinking for yourself. OBL has been gone for 11 months.

27 posted on 11/14/2002 9:13:52 AM PST by RightWhale
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To: finnman69
Dash-hole is an @ss-hole!

'Nuff said.

28 posted on 11/14/2002 9:15:00 AM PST by ex-Texan
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Comment #29 Removed by Moderator

I know I shouldn't let D@sshole make me mad, and I usually just laugh at him most of the time. Well, time to call his office again, as well as my own senators.

BTW, Freepers, it wouldn't hurt to pick up the phone and call your Senators and the White House to express your support for President Bush--also tell them what a Major League Clymer D@sshole is.

30 posted on 11/14/2002 9:16:09 AM PST by RooRoobird14
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To: finnman69
In a recent poll, GW would kick the A$$es of any rat running against him.

Only 11% of the rat voters polled wanted Da$$hole to be their next presidental candidate.

That has to make little Tommy Da$$hole even feel smaller and unwanted by his own perverts, the rat voters. (link)

Gore was the top choice for the Democratic nominee, Democrats who were polled said. About 32 percent favored Gore, followed by 22 percent for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, 11 percent for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and 8 percent each for Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt.

31 posted on 11/14/2002 9:16:22 AM PST by Grampa Dave
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To: All
AP's title sucks. It isn't a Terror War, that's what Osama's gang is engaged in. The US is engaging in a War on Terror not a Terror War. I hate to be so pedantic, but if we don't pay attention the Rats will alter the language and perception of the people right under our noses.
32 posted on 11/14/2002 9:18:50 AM PST by proust
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To: RooRoobird14
BTW, Freepers, it wouldn't hurt to pick up the phone and call your Senators and the White House to express your support for President Bush--also tell them what a Major League Clymer D@sshole is.

I think the elections did that for us already!

33 posted on 11/14/2002 9:19:01 AM PST by Bommer
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To: finnman69
Below is a photo of Mullah Shorty Da$$hole while he was trying to slime President Bush re the phoney tape re Benny Larden being alive:


34 posted on 11/14/2002 9:21:35 AM PST by Grampa Dave
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To: finnman69
Looks like the Clinton DemocRAT Party strategy is to move LEFT! I say they should keep right on going as far left as they can go.

Next we will have daschle out demonstrating against the war leading their followers in the liberal left!

Just think -- daschle is doing this, the Clinton DemocRATs are electing a SF socialist, liberal DemocRAT as their Minority Leader, the Clinton DemocRAT convention is in Boston, and John Kerry wants to be President. All that points as a left turn on the part of the Clinton "Centrists" DemocRATs. Looks like Mrs. Clinton now is putting her mark on the DemocRATs with this lunge left!

Pelosi was just elected!
35 posted on 11/14/2002 9:22:43 AM PST by PhiKapMom
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To: proust
Title correction noted and seconded!
36 posted on 11/14/2002 9:24:14 AM PST by spoiler2
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To: finnman69
Why doesn't Daschle offer to go fetch bin Laden if he knows where he is?
37 posted on 11/14/2002 9:24:15 AM PST by Man of the Right
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To: finnman69
Osama's voice (in a spliced together bogus tape) prompts Tom Daschle to once again trash America and side with the dead Osama's pals. This is not surprising. The Democrats have become the PRO-TERRORIST PARTY. And, once again, the single most dangerous terrorist in this country speaks through her chief Lieutenant mouthpiece!
38 posted on 11/14/2002 9:29:41 AM PST by Freedom'sWorthIt
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To: finnman69
Guess little Tommy missed this piece of info.......

FOX NEWS - audio tape created in "pieces"

39 posted on 11/14/2002 9:31:16 AM PST by b4its2late
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To: finnman69
Prissy little Daschole has spoken.
40 posted on 11/14/2002 9:33:25 AM PST by dalebert
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