Bush Says Guerrillas Want Taliban Rule in Iraq

[Barad Simith]

Tuesday, November 11, 2003 4:19 p.m. ET
By Steve Holland

http://news.lycos.com/news/story.asp?section=MyLycos&storyId=798017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush, warning the United States must stay the course in Iraq despite rising casualties, said on Tuesday that some of the guerrillas that U.S. forces are facing there are fighting to establish a Taliban-like government in Iraq.

In a Veterans Day speech at the Heritage Foundation, Bush said Saddam Hussein loyalists and "foreign jihadists" are working together to launch attacks against Americans and Iraqis in a 200-square-mile area he called the "Baathist triangle" and including Saddam's home region.

"Foreign jihadists have arrived across Iraq's borders in small groups with a goal of installing a Taliban-like regime," Bush said, referring to the Islamic hard-liners in Afghanistan who harbored Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network before they were thrown from power by U.S. forces after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

...

Critics say the U.S. war has attracted Islamic militants to Iraq to attack U.S. forces despite their hostility to Saddam's former secular regime. They say this has essentially made Bush's oft-spoken claim that Iraq was a part of the war on terrorism a self-fulfilling prophecy.

...

[WindRavenX]

1. Funny he should mention that

The Taliban is regrouping in Afghanistan (remember that place?).
We've bitten off more than we can handle, methinks.

[BlackFrancis]

4. it's not just "the taliban"

It's nearly the entire Pashtun population who are pissed that they are being cut out of the power sharing process and coalesing around former remnants of the Taliban.

There is a real clusterfuck brewing down there and no one is noticing.

[WindRavenX]

5. It isn't, but remember

...we harped for so long that we "destroyed" the Taliban and "liberated" and gave democracy to the Afghanis...The Taliban certinly wasn't the only problem, but it's the one that we bragged about most.
Where's Osama W? Where's Saddam?
We have failed miserably on this "war" on "terror". How anyone thinks we're making progress is beyond me...

[leesa]

24. You can't possibly succeed in a War on Terror. It is ridiculous to

think you can militarily defeat terrorism. That is how terrorists are made, not defeated. It was a juvenile, idiotic plan whipped up by juvenile idiotic people. I would guesstimate we have expanded the pool of potential terrorists by a hundred thousand fold. It's the same scam as the war on drugs, the war on crime, the war on communism...all scams to sell arms, steal resources and topple non-accomodating governments.

[Scott Lee]

27. Especially not when your policy makes more terrorists

This point sails right over W's vacuuous noggin.

[number6]

33. speaking of war on drugs....

opium cultivation in Afghanistan at record levels ....

[SammyWinstonJack]

31. Surely you jest?

"Where's Osama W? Where's Saddam?" LOL Good one! Like Chimpy McFlightsuit cares about either! Oh and where are the WoMD W? Another good one!

[newyawker99]

37. Hi BlackFrancis!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[BlackFrancis]

2. interesting

Sanchez just pegged the number of foreign militants at somewhere around one hundred.

That must be one hell of a motivated little crew over there to be causing so much mischief.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

3. did he mention

that if Iraq is Talibanized it will be his fault? Didn't think so.

[wegottem]

11. total nonsence

When we were fighting for freedom from England, did we not shoot the English from the bushes.(oops) Did not some countries help us when we were invaded by English ? For Christ sakes can,t these people be fighting for something that they beleive in?? Why can,t we take our war machine and go home, this is not going to stop till the last one of these people are dead. What ever name you choose to give them. They are fighting for what they think is right. We have to get our ass out of there. What is the use to make big speeches about the US dead, when we are sending more targets, playing army MR>BUSH is over or should be now.

[Don_G]

6. Dimbo Won't Care

As long as he and his buddies get to sell off all Iraqi assets first.

[Flying_Pig]

7. Who writes this bullcrap for The Moron? What card will the pull out

next? "The Bogeyman" is going to get us all while we sleep? I am so sick of this bullshit propaganda, and getting angrier by the day that the media continues to publish this crap. More and more, I am wanting to see the media kingpins in chains, right along with the Bushies, and thrown into a dank prison, or better yet, given the ultimate punishment for treason, because that's what it is.

[lostnfound]

16. My guess is that he got his cue cards mixed up..

you know,
1. Guerrillas in Iraq want SADDAM back.
2. We are working with the TALIBAN in Afghanistan.

That perhaps was the sum total of his presidential briefing for the day. An hour or two of practice and he can stumble through.

[chromotone]

23. This reminds me of the old SNL "Landshark" skit...

The Landshark comes to the door of an apartment and in an attempt to persuade the person inside to open the door, says something like "pizza" or "candygram" delivery... When the first I.D. doesn't work, then another, often unrelated, one is uttered to get the gullible person to open the door.

Bush is like the Landshark. He is unable to persuade Americans, or at least to keep them persuaded, about the "necessity" for his invasion and continued occupation of Iraq. So he blurts out something he thinks will persuade Americans. When that doesn't work, he blurts out something else, He does this over and over, making a bigger ass of himself each time.

Just don't open the door!

[madrchsod]

8. isn`t it amazing

that he is given statements that have no basis in reality? and he is given lies for the truth? i wonder how long before the american people finally admitt that bush is a fraud.

[Brotherjohn]

9. OF COURSE they do, you dumb $^@*%*&$&^$!!!

That's one of several reasons people opposed the war. A contained Saddam is much better than a new Taliban controlling a resource-rich country like Iraq. You've given them an "in", and thanks to your policies, the latter may just happen.

[maddezmom]

13. couldn't agree more Brotherjohn

The Taliban went from poppies to OIL. Something they can sell legally.

[Brotherjohn]

15. Welcome to DU, maddezmom!

[lostnfound]

18. And back to poppies again. (in 90-95% of the provinces). n/t

[0007]

10. Ah, some new spin! Yawn, I was kinda getta tired of the other stuff!

A new inspiration. Gotta free those burka wearing ladies from those nasty Taliban.

By the way where did junior learn these Arabs top secrets? Oh, ay' see god talks to da war hero of yesteryears.

[lefty_mcduff]

12. Never mind the fact that Iraq was one of the most

secular countries in the ME *before* Asshat invaded.
Unlike those -ahem- bastions of democracy - Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

[Malva Zebrina]

14. Sure Georgie

stay the course--at the pig farm or at little Campy David -- you have not got one bit of sense what it means to "stay the course" --but you did declare combat operations over when you strutted about with a load in your pants and in appropriate costume aboard the USS Lincoln. Remember that? If not, take a look at your photo ops for the day, which Laura probably has all pasted up neatly in your photo album of death.

Now, as casualties escalate,and as our boys and girls are being killed daily, you are saying like a tough guy Texas cowboy "stay the course' well that about puts it in the same catagory as "we gonna smoke em out" "We gonna git em dead or alive" "bring em on" or any one of the numerous tough guy, laughable, platitudes you so tritely spew from your slurping, thin little chimp lips. Does it every occur to you, dear scared little boy, that you yourself went AWOL during war time, and that your title of commander in chief is indeed a joke? Hope so--or sooner or later you are going to be forced in some way to humble your elevated estimation of your own self. And that may be a very painful experience for a Bush. LOL. You are a nothing, from a family filled with criminals, you are puny and you are a bloviating juvenal----you are incompetent--get out and take the upholstered, fat assed, addicted to reading to kids who already know how to read, first , dull, fatassed, gravity challenged breasted, frump with you.

[tabasco]

26. Why hold back, Marianne?

Tell us how you really feel!

[MsLeopard]

32. You go girl!

Wow -- that was even cathartic for me! Great rant.

[Jacobin]

17. What's AWOL complaining about

Saddam and Osama fucking hated each other.

Now that AWOL has Saddam hiding, Osama is free to come in with his folks and gather support to oust the infidel occupiers.

AWOL CAUSED the goddamned problem.

[Zero Gravitas]

19. Well, Duh, George

Remember all those people who didn't want your war? That was one of the reasons we didn't want it. Oh you don't remember? Of course you don't/can't read the newspapers and Condi forgot to tell you that it all might go wrong.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

20. What happened to that "dead-ender" phrase the Bushies were using...

...earlier in reference to the Iraqi resistance? Did it prove to be too inflammatory?

As long as the Bushies are in charge we will be trapped in this never-ending war.

[Hubert Flottz]

21. Bush should know what the Taliban wants they were bidness .....

partners once! Prolly still are!

[PurityOfEssence]

22. Ever notice how "jihad" sounds like "Yee-hah!"?

It's a crusade, dammit, get used to it.

We don't know where to find them, but we know who they are.

Weren't they just saying that it was Saddam's old supporters?

Hmmm...selfish fundamenalist crazies; takes one to know one, huh Junior?

[info being]

25. Check out the reaction on Yahoo

http://post.news.messages.yahoo.com/bbs?.mm=NEWS&action=l&ft=1&board=37138469&sid=37138469&title=Bush%2C%20Lawmakers%20to%20Discuss%20Iraq%20Resolution&tid=nmiraqbushdc&date=09-26-2002&url=story.news.yahoo.com%2Fnews%3Ftmpl%3Dstory%26u%3D%2Fnm%2F20020926%2Fpl_nm%2Firaq_bush_dc_1&.sig=HfU7Y_F0kMI7J3TsnVB7ag--

They aren't fooling anyone.

[Scott Lee]

28. Here we go with another hate term - "Jihadist"

Who writes this crap for the fake president?

"Jihaad" is a sacred duty to Muslims only under one circumstance - when their homes and religion are under attack. I'd say in Iraq, that criterion has been met, wouldn't you?

"Jihadist" sounds like someone who's sole occupation is to make Jihaad no matter what the circumstance. Completely untrue, completely misleading and completely hateful.

[54anickel]

29. He was speaking at the Heritage Foundation....

Jihadist is his code word for Islamic Fundementalists. The fundies got all upset when he started saying that Islam is a peaceful religion, he avoids the words Muslim/Islam as much as possible these days in his ill attempt at being polically correct (safe). Jihad is the word that fires the fundies up, as the only meaning they understand for jihad is holy-war.

[gulliver]

30. Iraq expert George W. Bush speaks!

How can anyone give any credibility to anything Dubya says about Iraq now?

[dusty64]

34. And our regime wants

American Taliban rule here, whats the difference.

[NNN0LHI]

35. Bush is right here. That is why Saddam had to be such a SOB to prevent it!

Now we have to be the SOB's to stop it.

Don

[leesa]

36. He's just so jealous that he can't have his own Christian Taliban

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

38. They are?

Hmmmh. By when should they expect the $43,000,000 and a visit from Unical?