Iraq: Bush Vows to Punish Iraqi Insurgents (says, "Bring them on!")

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | 07/02/03 | SCOTT LINDLAW

[TigerLikesRooster]

White House - AP

Bush Vows to Punish Iraqi Insurgents

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By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) pledged Wednesday that the United States will deal harshly with those who attack American troops in Iraq (news - web sites), and said such violence will not undercut his resolve to keep Americans there until stability is restored.

"Anybody who wants to harm American troops will be found and brought to justice," Bush said at an impromptu news conference at the White House. "There are some who feel like if they attack us, we may decide to leave prematurely. They don't understand what they're talking about if that's the case."

Increasing attacks have killed more than 23 U.S. soldiers and wounded dozens more since Bush declared major combat over on May 1. On Tuesday, assailants traveling in a vehicle in central Baghdad fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a U.S. military vehicle, wounding three soldiers. Another grenade slammed into a U.S. truck on a road south of Baghdad, injuring three soldiers, one of whom died at a field hospital overnight.

"There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is bring them on," Bush said. "We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."

[OREALLY]

My husband said check your history...We lost the war....
We lost the war we did not win the Vietnam War...because of weak miserable democrat policians...Unlike Bush who will see that our troops win this war...
Sorry for the 3 party talk but I wanted someone who knew what they were talking about...I am done !

[tripod]

Being there entails these types of attacks. It's a given! But, the President's "Bring them on" statement is just plain stupid. It accomplishes nothing. It reinforces stupid world opinion that he is little more than Rambo. It doesn't buck up troops under fire and families who grieve when their sons and daughters pay the ultimate sacrifice certainly won’t appreciate it.

[Southack]

Bush rocks!

[tripod]

I feel like I'm talking to a wall. Of course we lost that war. Dems and Republicans (Ie Nixon) alike walked away from our boys! Do you think a "Bring them on" statement by Bush is going to win this war? We can lose this war too by the way. And if we do it will be because of a growing disconnect by out leadership with the realities of what we are up against and their possible failure to demand the sacrifice of more than our troops to accomplish the goal. Bush has correctly deployed our forces and given them most all of what they need. But he has never asked "the public" to sacrifice for the effort. For the public it is "go about your business as usual." Well he is going to have to do a lot more in pulling the public into supporting a 5, 10, 15 or 20 year war before this is all said and done.

[John_11_25]

I agree totally and now take off the shackles of the military and let them do what needs to be done.

There has been a few comparisons in the press with Vietnam, but if US / UK military are allowed to do what needs to be done without having to apologise every time an innocent gets killed, there will be no comparison.

War is ruthless and people get killed and the sooner it is over the better for all involved.

[ohioman]

Good Lord; can you picture Carter's response to 9/11? Open a HforH branch in Kabul?

LMAO.

[rwfromkansas]

Forgive me, but I don't know if it is very wise to be egging the terrorists on.......

[rwfromkansas]

But, if it causes the troops to have morale kicked up and ready to kick some behind, it was a good thing to say.

[RobertTX]

I agree... I'm a big fan of Bush's, but this quote will be red meat for his enemies. When you're not on the front lines, saying "bring em on" sounds chicken-hawkish.

[RinaseaofDs]

My take: "This isn't going to be Vietnam. We are going to find you and we are going to kill you, and then we are going to install rule of law, so that innocent people can raise their families there. Your culture isn't so hallowed or esoteric or such that the appeal to common people to live and work and raise families isn't absent, but strong in a way that you are going to find out about. We are going to make sure that you find out about that."

[Mixer]

I don't think you understand the respect and admiration this Commander in Chief engenders. From Clinton - you would have been right.

BINGO!!!

[GeorgiaDawg]

I don't agree..."bring them on" doesn't exactly fire up troops. Sounds like he's picking a fight. Just handle it and let's move on...I love Bush, but his words like this make me cringe.

[MaxPlus305]

Being no Rhodes scholar myself, I have nothing against plain talk--and you're right, it's a little unfair to expect Bush to be Winston Churchill. But my point is--and tripod and others have said this well enough--is that "Bring It On" doesn't become a leader who is not on the battlefield. Only soldiers who are in the line of fire have the right to taunt their enemies in that kind of fashion (again, I speak as a non-combatant, so flame at will if this is a poor assumption). What happens if a Mogadishu-type disaster happens on our troops? It is the soldiers who suffer the casualties. Bush and the other bureaucrats will just suffer political fallout and foot-in-mouth disease.

[MaxPlus305]

YOu have obviously never served in the military. This nation is at war and the President is rallying the troops to fight the enemy, and liberal home-scum are not going to distract Him!

Oh, so serving in the military, at any time, automatically makes you a spokesperson and an insider for the entire military today, huh? By that logic, if John Kerry says that he thinks Bush's words were careless, you should STFU no matter what unless you have a Silver Star or higher, because his military record, being better than yours or Bush's, gives him even better insight, right?

I hope you don't think that. Unless you're voting for Kerry in '04.

[finnman69]

http://www.pattonhq.com/unknown/chap13.html

Don't be a fool and die for your country. Let the other sonofabitch die for his.
George S. Patton (attributed)

The pacifist actually refuses to defend what defends him; his country. In the final analysis this is the most basic immoral position.
-Patton

It seems to me a certainty that the fatalistic teachings of Mohammed and the utter degradation of the Arab women are the outstanding causes for the arrested development of the Arab. He is exactly as he was around the year 700, while we have been developing.
-Patton

In any war, a commander, no matter what his rank, has to send to certain death, nearly every day, by his own orders, a certain number of men. Some are his personal friends. All are his personal responsibility; to them as his troops and to their families. Any man with a heart would like to sit down and bawl like a baby, but he can't. So, he sticks out his jaw, and swaggers and swears. I wish some of those pious sob sisters at home could understand something as basic as that.-Patton

Politicians are the lowest form of life on the earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politician.
-Patton

http://www.rightwingnews.com/quotes/patton.php

"We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have; or ever will have. We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-b*tches, we're going to rip out their living Godd*mned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun c*cksuckers by the bushel-f*cking-basket. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, you'll know what to do!" -- George S. Patton

"Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the b*stards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-b*tch Hitler just like I'd shoot a snake". -- George S. Patton

All warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when capable of attacking, feign incapacity; when active in moving troops, feign inactivity. When near the enemy, make it seem that you are far away; when far away, make it seem that you are near. Hold out baits to lure the enemy. Strike the enemy when he is in disorder. Prepare against the enemy when he is secure at all points. Avoid the enemy for the time being when he is stronger. If your opponent is of choleric temper, try to irritate him. If he is arrogant, try to encourage his egotism. If the enemy troops are well prepared after reorganization, try to wear them down. If they are united, try to sow dissension among them. Attack the enemy where he is unprepared, and appear where you are not expected. These are the keys to victory for a strategist. It is not possible to formulate them in detail beforehand. - Sun Tzu

[BullDog108]

Bush and the other bureaucrats will just suffer political fallout and foot-in-mouth disease. Since you are newbie, I won't bother responding except to say: Mr. Pot, meet Mr Kettle.