Bush: Iraq violence part of al-Qaida plot

[dapper]

Looks like he is playing the blame game and looking for excuses.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061128/ap_on_re_eu/bush

President Bush said Tuesday that the sectarian violence rocking Iraq is part of an al-Qaida plot to goad Iraqi factions into repeated attacks and counterattacks.


"No question it's tough, no question about it," Bush said at a news conference with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. "There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented in my opinion because of the attacks by al-Qaida causing people to seek reprisal."

[acmavm]

1. 'fomented'? Was that the numbskull's word for the day?

And of course none of the madness of Shock and Awe has a damn thing to do with it.

[leftchick]

2. Hey! I Remember That Plot!

It worked like a charm too!

[The Count]

35. I was looking for that poster! Thanks for the memories!

Here's an article to go with it:

Al-Qaida 'planted information to encourage US invasion'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1949927,00.html
World news in brief

[bahrbearian]

53. You get useful information from water boarding

"The claim was made by Omar Nasiri, a pseudonym for a Moroccan who says he spent seven years working for European security and intelligence agencies, including MI5. He said Ibn Sheikh al-Libi, who ran training camps in Afghanistan, told his US interrogators that al-Qaida had been training Iraqis."

Or is it just information you want to hear.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Bush: Iraq violence part of al-Qaida plot

Nov 28, 2006

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) -- President Bush said Tuesday that the sectarian violence rocking Iraq is part of an al-Qaida plot to goad Iraqi factions into repeated attacks and counterattacks.

"No question it's tough, no question about it," Bush said at a news conference with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. "There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented in my opinion because of the attacks by al-Qaida causing people to seek reprisal."

Bush, who travels to Jordan later in the week for a summit with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said the latest cycle of violence does not represent a new era in Iraq. The country is reeling from the deadliest week of sectarian fighting since the war began in March 2003.

"We've been in this phase for a while," Bush said.

The president dated the current spike in violence to the Feb. 22 bombing of a sacred Shiite shrine in Samarra, which triggered reprisal attacks between Shiites and Sunnis and raised fears of civil war.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-11-28-04-56-46

Too bad Dimson let Osama escape from Tora Bora, but then he wouldn't have had an excuse to invade Iraq and then blame the mess on him now. Heck of a job Georgie, heck of a job.

[Skittles]

4. no, it is part of bush incompetence

gawd, they truly are desperate, huh

[Hepburn]

10. My thoughts exactly.

Geeeeez, either he is lying again or his is incompetent. Hmmmmmm.....mabye both!

[Lasher]

5. Bush: 2006 Midterm Outcome Part of al Qaida Plot

Bush: My 1976 DUI conviction was part of an al Qaida plot.

[mirandapriestly]

24. LOL.eom

[xchrom]

6. and who's fault is that?

:eyes:

[maddezmom]

7. Bush sidesteps talk of "civil war" in Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday the hand of al Qaeda lay behind the sectarian violence racking Iraq, and deflected talk of "civil war".

Bush, who made his remarks in Estonia on his way to a NATO summit, has avoided using the term civil war which could increase public pressure on him to pull troops out of Iraq.

In Baghdad, car bombs close to west Baghdad's main Yarmouk hospital killed four people and wounded 40 on Tuesday and in Kirkuk a suicide bomber attacked the governor's convoy. Reports of more bombings, shootings and torture came from across Iraq.


Ferocious sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim groups appears to have eclipsed the anti-U.S. insurgency as the main source of turmoil, and some commentators say it is best described by the term civil war.

more:http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-11-28T112521Z_01_L27854770_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ.xml

[rock]

8. Ah, if only we had a plot (strategy) that worked so well

[theHandpuppet]

9. Is he speaking of the same Al Qaida...

...which had no foothold in Iraq until Bush destroyed the country?

[rodeodance]

11. blame is the WHouse's favorite activity

[marmar]

12. He's spent his whole life evading reality.....

So he's not about to stop now. He's such a rhino's ass.

[dapper]

13. I just think it's the blame game...

everyones fault but his.

Dapper

[screembloodymurder]

14. *

He's delusional and a danger to all mankind. I truly expect Daddy will have to remove him from office.

[Kagemusha]

15. What? A stopped clock is right twice a day.

Al Qaeda has been trying to instigate sectarian reprisals. And succeeding, I might add.

[oblivious]

21. I wonder if we'll ever see any proof of that.

[Ms. Clio]

29. The U.S. has been much more successful

note the date on this article:

U.S. Considers Elite Hit-Squads for Iraq -Report

Jan 8, 2005 09:10 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Pentagon is debating whether to set up elite hit-squads to target leaders of the Iraq insurgency in a new strategy based on tactics used against leftist guerrillas in Central America 20 years ago, Newsweek magazine reported on Saturday.

One proposal would send U.S. Special Forces teams to advise, support and possibly train Iraqi squads of hand-picked Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shiite militiamen to target Sunni insurgents and their sympathizers, Newsweek said, citing military insiders familiar with the discussions.

The squads may operate across the border in Syria, Newsweek said on its web site, but added it was unclear whether they would assassinate leaders or be involved in "snatch" operations.

The magazine said the plan is being called "the Salvador option" after strategy instigated during the Reagan administration's battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s.

Original link now dead: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...

But this MSNBC piece covers the same ground:

The Salvador Option'
The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

37. LOL

Yes. Al Qaeda tricked us into invading Iraq.

:eyes:

[Kagemusha]

38. I'd really love to know how you surmised that from what I said.

Because I have not one remote clue.

Nor, frankly, is it easy to care... Edit: Because the entire issue of Bush's comments is besides the point, that is.

[Felix Mala]

16. Yeah Georgie, February! Just because you can't remember more

than a few months back doesn't mean the rest of us a similarly disabled. This started the moment Saddam's army fell apart and the borders were left wide open... in 2003!!!

Does this guy have no shame? At long last, is there not a shred of decency left in him?

[IndyOp]

17. If by "al-Qaida" Bush means the U.S. CIA & Company, then he is correct...

See if this rings true:

"President Bush said Tuesday that the sectarian violence rocking Iraq is part of an , plot to goad Iraqi factions into repeated attacks and counterattacks."

See, one little change in the sentence and the pResident speaks the truth!

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. It was Bush's failure for not predicting well the consequences of his

actions. Though, seriously, I think a protracted war was part of the neo-con/Republican plan. There are military-defense workers who believe that perpetual war is good for America.

[Az_lefty]

19. it was an Al-Qaida plot to dupe our idiot President!

and he's still falling for it. :puke:

[Kagemusha]

20. Uh, seriously, no one's ever heard of the Golden Mosque bombing?

No one?...

And that's speaking as someone with no respect for Bush whatsoever.

[Ms. Clio]

30. Feb. 22, 2006

A year after THIS article appeared in the press:

note the date on this article:

U.S. Considers Elite Hit-Squads for Iraq -Report

Jan 8, 2005 09:10 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Pentagon is debating whether to set up elite hit-squads to target leaders of the Iraq insurgency in a new strategy based on tactics used against leftist guerrillas in Central America 20 years ago, Newsweek magazine reported on Saturday.

One proposal would send U.S. Special Forces teams to advise, support and possibly train Iraqi squads of hand-picked Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shiite militiamen to target Sunni insurgents and their sympathizers, Newsweek said, citing military insiders familiar with the discussions.

The squads may operate across the border in Syria, Newsweek said on its web site, but added it was unclear whether they would assassinate leaders or be involved in "snatch" operations.

The magazine said the plan is being called "the Salvador option" after strategy instigated during the Reagan administration's battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s.

Original link now dead: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...

But this MSNBC piece covers the same ground:

The Salvador Option'
The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629

[JoMama49]

22. So, Al-Qaida has been following us wherever we go? After

they attacked us on 911, they just waited for us to attack Iraq so they could do more damage? Is that it?

[Kagemusha]

23. Pretty much, yeah. This is controversial?

It's not that Bush isn't factually correct on this issue - it's that it is completely besides the point. But just because Bush is a lousy strategist doesn't mean that for that reason alone, Al Qaeda doesn't want to hurt the US. Iraq just gives it a useful and successful means to do so.

[Magleetis]

25. Still spewing

the same old tired BS.

[Jacobin]

26. No one listens to that babbling idiot anymore. No one at all

[Catfight]

27. That's why Osma Bin Forgotten continues to enjoy living, compliments

of the Bush mis-administration. They sure are good at 'strategery.'

[Ms. Clio]

28. The plot for sectarian violence was "fomented" by the United States

U.S. Considers Elite Hit-Squads for Iraq -Report

Jan 8, 2005 09:10 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Pentagon is debating whether to set up elite hit-squads to target leaders of the Iraq insurgency in a new strategy based on tactics used against leftist guerrillas in Central America 20 years ago, Newsweek magazine reported on Saturday.

One proposal would send U.S. Special Forces teams to advise, support and possibly train Iraqi squads of hand-picked Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shiite militiamen to target Sunni insurgents and their sympathizers, Newsweek said, citing military insiders familiar with the discussions.

The squads may operate across the border in Syria, Newsweek said on its web site, but added it was unclear whether they would assassinate leaders or be involved in "snatch" operations.

The magazine said the plan is being called "the Salvador option" after strategy instigated during the Reagan administration's battle against the leftist guerrilla insurgency in El Salvador in the early 1980s.

Original link now dead: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...

But this MSNBC piece covers the same ground:

The Salvador Option'
The Pentagon may put Special-Forces-led assassination or kidnapping teams in Iraq
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629/site/n...

[dapper]

31. We trained them to kill each other?

Someone needs to take Bush's car keys away. Hopefully the Dem's we voted for can do the job.

No more BS in Iraq!

Dapper

[Ms. Clio]

34. divide and conquer n/t

[yurbud]

32. We believe that our boogeyman Zarqawi was declared dead prematurely....

[yurbud]

33. they use al Qaida a lot like they do Bill Clinton--both are real, but haven't done nearly much as

GOP likes to blame them for.

[gulliver]

36. The key words that would destroy Bush's credibility.

"in my opinion"

He didn't say "according to intelligence" or "from what we know." He said "in my opinion."

Now we need to ask what he based "his opinion" on. And that's it. He's cooked. He's got nothing, and he is a president basing his opinion on nothing. That undermines his "opinion" on everything.

[oblivious]

39. 2004: "Foreign detainees are few in Iraq"

Updated 7/6/2004
Suspected foreign fighters account for less than 2% of the 5,700 captives being held as security threats in Iraq, a strong indication that Iraqis are largely responsible for the stubborn insurgency.

Since last August, coalition forces have detained 17,700 people in Iraq who were considered to be enemy fighters or security risks, and about 400 were foreign nationals, according to figures supplied last week by the U.S. military command handling detention operations in Iraq. Most of those detainees were freed after a review board found they didn't pose significant threats. About 5,700 remain in custody, 90 of them non-Iraqis.

The numbers represent one of the most precise measurements to date of the composition of the insurgency and suggest that some Bush administration officials have overstated the role of foreign holy warriors, or jihadists, from other Arab states. The figures also suggest that Iraq isn't as big a magnet for foreign terrorists as some administration critics have asserted.

In Ramadi, where Marines have fended off coordinated attacks by hundreds of insurgents, the fighters "are all locals," says Lt. Col. Paul Kennedy, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment. "There are very few foreign fighters."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-07-05-detainees-usat_x.htm?POE=click-refer

[BeyondGeography]

40. Bush Blames Al Qaeda for Wave of Iraq Violence

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and JOHN O’NEIL
NEW YORK TIMES
Published: November 28, 2006
RIGA, Latvia, Nov. 28 — Dismissing suggestions that Iraq has deteriorated into a civil war, President Bush on Tuesday blamed Al Qaeda for the rising tide of sectarian violence there and said he would press the Iraqi prime minister to lay out a strategy for stopping the killings when the two meet in Jordan this week.

“My questions to him will be: ‘What do we need to do to succeed? What is your strategy in dealing with the sectarian violence?” the president said, referring to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. “I will assure him that we will continue to pursue Al Qaeda to make sure that they do not establish a safe haven in Iraq.”

Mr. Bush made his remarks during a morning stopover in Tallinn, Estonia, before flying to Riga to attend a NATO summit. The comments were the president’s first on the situation in Iraq since a series of bombs killed more than 200 people in a Shiite district of Baghdad last Thursday, the deadliest attack since the American invasion.

Later, in a speech at Latvia University in Riga, Mr. Bush vowed he would not withdraw troops from Iraq until a stable democracy takes root there.

“We’ll continue to be flexible and we will make the changes necessary to succeed,” Mr. Bush said. “But there’s one thing I’m not going to do: I’m not going pull the troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/28/world/middleeast/28cnd-prexy.html?hp&ex=1164776400&en=b1465d36fd484434&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[MidwestTransplant]

41. Does he honestly believe anybody finds him credible anymore?

[bahrbearian]

42. he would press the Iraqi prime minister to lay out a strategy

“My questions to him will be: ‘What do we need to do to succeed? What is your strategy in dealing with the sectarian violence?” the president said, referring to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "

Hey Chimpy he is your puppet why ya asking him?

[tularetom]

43. Is he fuckin kidding?

Let me get this straight. We came to their country, fucked up the whole place and now the entire world has caught on to our fuckup, we're gonna demand that they fix the clusterfuck WE created? If I were Mr Maliki, my suggestion to * would be get all your forces out of here right fucking now.

[eleny]

44. On MSNBC earlier it was reported that AQ is protecting the Sunni

That was on Scarborough about an hour ago.

And just now, someone else reported on MSNBC that one of the ideas being seriously considered by the DOD is that we declare that Iraq has been won by the Shiites and let them have it.

[Norquist Nemesis]

51. That was Ricks, the author of 'Fiasco'

He has a lot of credibility in his reporting. They were talking about it with David Schuster, too.

[uppityperson]

45. wtf is "the mission"?

[truthisfreedom]

46. Tell us what the mission is, sir. It seems the "mission" so far has been to create anarchy

in a country that was pretty much contained before we invaded.

[Gregorian]

47. Osama isn't in Iraq.

It's all too hard to believe. Why are we in Iraq? Helen Thomas still hasn't received an answer.

Every time we justify Bush by even talking about the details of Iraq, we are giving him a pass. He should be in jail, and we should be out of Iraq and paying to rebuild the damage we did.

[krispos42]

48. Time to change how "mission is complete" is defined

Simply define it as "removal of Saddam Hussein from power". Bush, declare victory, go home, and stick fingers in your ears and sing "God Bless America" at full volume for the next 40 years while history laughs at you.

[DuaneBidoux]

49. The problem isn't that he says it...it's that he BELIEVES it.

Has all that has happened in the last year not brought one single trace of reality to his view of the world?

Al Qaeda may well (and most certainly is) there but they weren't there before we went. And, what is really going on now is the Sunni struggling for political advantage over Shia who make up the majority. Al Qaeda is a peripheral issue to the civil war (but then of course everyone on DU, being well educated and informed, knew that).

[caledesi]

50. Sure, right....is this guy that much out of touch? Never mind.

2% are Al Qaeda! Read a paper and STOP lying. Ain't gonna work anymore...the American people are on to you.

[anotherdrew]

52. is there even a group calling itself "Al Qaeda" anymore? my sense is NO n/t