GIULIANI: Bush not at fault for failure to secure the weapons dump in Iraq - blame the troops! VIDEO

[helderheid]

From the October 28 edition of NBC's Today:

GIULIANI: The president was cautious. The president was prudent. The president did what a commander in chief should do. And no matter how much you try to blame it on the president, the actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?

VIDEO:
http://mediamatters.org//static/video/soldier-attack-200410280003.mov

[walldude]

1. But John Kerry hates the troops

:eyes:

[helderheid]

2. We need to shove this quote down Rudy's throat every time he mentions running in 08

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. That was the al Qa Qaa weapons facility story

you need some context. Rudy was talking about Bush's failure to secure the weapons dump which was looted and undoubtedly supplied material for countless terrorist weapons used across Iraq after 2003.
Of course, as Rudy puts it, it wasn't Bush's fault- it was those damned troops!

[helderheid]

6. thanks - I edited the OP - you rock!

:yourock:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. You're quite welcome- and the last time

Bush was ever cautious and prudent, was when he decided how he would fight in the Vietnam War.
And one must admit, he chose quite a cautious and prudent path- for himself.

[helderheid]

10. VERY well put!

[smoogatz]

7. They were undermanned--not enough bodies to do everything

that needed to be done. Bush's fault--he approved Rumsfeld's ridiculous "war plan."

[Sydnie]

26. It not just that but that they were sent to guard the OIL instead

Remember, their objective was to guard the oil fields and the Ministry of Oil (I think that is what the building was called), where the records concerning oil production were kept. They were ordered to leave those dumps and go to the oil rich areas instead.

[smoogatz]

41. Good point.

Not enough people, so then you have to triage: where the priorities lie says a lot about the competence of the people running the operation.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. It was Bush who gave the order to sweep towards Bagdad at a

ludicrous speed which seperated the fighting units from the support teams. That's why Private Lynch and her group went in the wrong direction and into harm's way. Hell, ya, it's Bush's fault. He should allowed the military men to make the decisions so they would have taken the necessary precautions as they went in pursuit.

[wishlist]

4. Thanks for refreshing our memories about his blaming the troops gaffe n/t

[blm]

43. Sad thing is NO bigname Dems would oppose Giuliani on camera when he was campaigning

for Bush in 2004.

Bush had Giuliani, McCain and Dole on camera every day lying for him, while Kerry had two relatively unknown Dems that he could depend on to be there to counter the lies against him - Cleland and Clark.

The bigname Dems made their oval office agreement with Bush and promised to "not politicize" the war in Iraq until AFTER the 2004 election.

Thanks alot Biden and Clinton.

[Chimichurri]

5. He's done.

[mikehiggins]

8. Two points

One--clearly, from that "discussion" on Faux, the rightwing is ready to come out swinging. They aren't beaten yet, and compromise from the Democratic Congress (isn't it fantastic to be able to type that? Outstanding!) will do nothing but enable them, not mollify them.

Two--every Dem with a brain should be archiving that bit with Rudy. I'd say he just put an end to any hopes of a Presidential run, for which the rest of the nation should be grateful. Anytime anyone knocks Kerry about support for the troops, this clip should be rolled out and played over and over until the other guy just quits and goes home.

[txindy]

35. I'll second those two points.

Why does Rudy hate our troops? That's the question every American should be asking from now until 11/08.

[The Count]

11. Save this baby - although Rudy can't get elected even in NYC by now...

[helderheid]

14. Please help get this on the greatest page :)

[The Count]

18. I did! Most satisfying memory!

[chat_noir]

12. Is there a Giulani thread in the DU Research Forum yet?

Looks like we're going to need it for 2008.

[Cha]

13. "The president" is a fucking idiot and no

matter how you try to cover that up, it ain't gonna happen, ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuudy.

[MiniMe]

15. They were too busy securing the oil fields

[tk2kewl]

16. I remember that...

he sort of disappeared from the war debate for a while after that.

[Clarkie1]

17. With stuff like this to use against him he doesn't have a chance...same with McCain.

All of these pro-Bush statements about Iraq will come back to haunt Republican 08' presidential candidates.

[yellerpup]

19. Rudy's already done.

He'll never make it as a presidential candidate. He torpedoed his own political career in NY before 9/11 by announcing (on live TV) that he was leaving his very nice, high-profile wife and family for his mistress. He is waspish, nasty, and vindictive with anyone who disagrees with him. He comported himself well on 9/11 and in the immediate aftermath (I'm talking days, not weeks) so he gets hero props from me ONE TIME. The quote re: did they search carefully enough? (!!#%&@##!!) is typical.

[radfringe]

20. GIULIANI macaca moment?

two things:

1. where's the apology?

2. this just put presidential aspirations on it's ass

[peace13]

21. This needs a warning

Don't watch without a bucket. Those people make me ill! Peace,Kim

[wicket]

22. Here's the thread from the DU video forum last week:

LINK

:kick:

[helderheid]

23. thanks wicket!

[wicket]

24. No problem!

The more who see this the better! Rudy is such a GHOUL :grr:

[wicket]

31. Is the video from mediamatters the same as the one on youtube?

I can't seem to get the mediamatters video to load, but I was going to say that if it is the longer version, it should definitely go up on youtube :D

[helderheid]

33. It's longer - in includes some other quotes:

Conservatives launch baseless verbal attacks on U.S. troops

In falsely accusing Senator John Kerry of denigrating American troops, it is in fact conservatives themselves -- including one of Bush-Cheney '04's most vocal campaigners -- who are suggesting that soldiers on the ground are responsible for explosives going missing in Iraq. On FOX News Channel, both Weekly Standard editor William Kristol and conservative radio host Laura Ingraham claimed that it was the soldiers -- not President George W. Bush -- who decided not to search for the explosives. And on NBC's Today, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, an active Bush campaigner, placed the "actual responsibility" squarely on the troops.

On October 27, Bush accused Kerry of "denigrating the actions of our troops and commanders in the field without knowing the facts." But in defending the president, Giuliani, Kristol, and Ingraham engaged in precisely the kind of finger-pointing at the troops of which Bush falsely accused Kerry.

From the October 28 edition of NBC's Today:

GIULIANI: The president was cautious. The president was prudent. The president did what a commander in chief should do. And no matter how much you try to blame it on the president, the actual responsibility for it really would be for the troops that were there. Did they search carefully enough? Didn't they search carefully enough?

From the October 28 edition of FOX News Channel's FOX News Live:

KRISTOL: The Bush campaign was actually slow to respond, I think, but finally yesterday pointed out that Kerry was launching very serious charges against the president of the United States, based on a thinly sourced New York Times article, charges that really impugn the competence of the U.S. military. George Bush didn't decide, you know, "skip that dump" . That was 101st or the 3rd ID , "skip that arms dump." That's not a decision made by the president, that's made on the ground. Even if there were some weapons there, this is what happens in war. You know you have to make tough decisions, leave some stuff to take care of later.

From the October 27 edition of FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes:

STEVE MURPHY (FORMER MANAGER OF REP. DICK GEPHARDT'S (D-MO) PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN): Laura, Laura, John Kerry did not question the troops. John Kerry questioned the leadership of --

INGRAHAM: Oh, really? Who was looking for those weapons, Steve?

MURPHY: He questioned the leadership of George Bush. George Bush did not send enough soldiers.



INGRAHAM: Was George Bush on the ground there? The military commanders were on the ground there, Steve.

MURPHY: He didn't send enough soldiers to Iraq. He didn't secure the borders.

INGRAHAM: That's not how the soldiers see it, Steve.

MURPHY: He didn't secure the weapons.

INGRAHAM: Why don't you talk to the soldiers for a change?

In fact, the troops who stopped at the Al Qaqaa facility on their way to Baghdad on April 10, 2003, did not have orders to search it; nor were they even informed that the site was sensitive. According to an October 27 New York Times article, Col. Joseph Anderson, the commander of those troops -- the 2nd Brigade of the Army's 101st Airborne Division -- "said he did not learn until this week that the site, Al Qaqaa, was considered sensitive, or that international inspectors had visited it before the war began in 2003 to inspect explosives that they had tagged during a decade of monitoring." The Associated Press reported on October 28, "The first team with orders to search the facility for dangerous weapons arrived on May 8 to inspect the Latifiyah Phosgene Facility, which was part of the al-Qaqaa complex, Pentagon officials said. Another team inspected a missile and rocket facility also located at al-Qaqaa on May 11."

[wicket]

36. EXCELLENT!

Thank-you! If it's not already on youtube, I'll see about uploading there tonight after work :evilgrin:

[helderheid]

38. I just uploaded it - it's being processed

[wicket]

39. Sweet!

Send me the link when it's all processed and I'll rate it up :D

[helderheid]

44. here's the link :)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=r6LZh7dcB2Q

[wicket]

45. I rated it up

Thanks! :hi:

[helderheid]

48. thank YOU wicket!

[wicket]

54. thank YOU!

:hi:

[LilyLibber]

25. Thanks for reminding me...

I remember this, too. It's reprehensible!

[Oleladylib]

27. Guiliani is more ill qualified to be president than bush. n/t

[yodermon]

28. WOW.

I really hope he's the GOP nominee in 08 so that we can throw this back into his fucking pie-hole.

[autorank]

29. Very thorough opposition researchl That should do it for Rudy;)

:hi:

[FreeStateDemocrat]

32. What combat experience does he have? Military experience?

[wicket]

42. None - he's a CHICKENHAWK

n/t

[tabasco]

34. Tommy Franks knew about the ammo dump before the invasion.

The UN had searched and documented that site. UN seals were present on the bunker doors before being opened by US forces.

TOMMY FRANKS WAS THE COMMANDER AND TOMMY FRANKS IS RESPONSIBLE.

The Centcom commander lacked the foresight to give orders to secure those facilities, knowing full well they were a danger. Franks violated the principal of war of force protection. He should have made clear in his operations order that those facilities would be SECURED. Franks FAILED MISERABLY. He was in such a hurry to grab the Baghdad Airport and get the hell out of there, what with victory parades to attend and all. Bailed out on his command at the most dangerous time.

ONE SQUAD could have secured Al Qaa Qaa !!

Tommy Franks - republican ass-kisser, coward, miserable failure, awarded Freedom Medal by Bush.

[magellan]

37. BushCo had maps of the al Qa'qaa weapons facility

And they knew what was stored there. Everything in it was accounted for and under IAEA seal until Bush** chased the weapons inspectors out in advance of the invasion, leaving it unprotected.

US troops stopped at al Qa'qaa twice, the last time on April 11, 2003, finding it still secured, the seals unbroken. If it had been in their orders to stay and protect the site, they would have. Instead it was sacked by May, including 250 tons of explosives, some of which has undoubtedly been used to injure and kill our own soldiers.

Bush** had no plan for the weapons depots. And Repugs like Giuliani still haven't learned the value of the truth.

[Nikki Stone1]

40. Blaming the troops ain't gonna fly, Rudy

Try putting the blame where it belongs.

[SouthernBelle82]

46. If he wants to run for president

this would be a good campaign ad against him. Whatever happened to the party of responsibility?

[robinlynne]

47. beautiful. one more republican about to go down.

[Nothing Without Hope]

49. Poor Rudy doesn't have Poppy Bush and his fixers to sanitize his

history. Having gotten away with his ridiculous act in New York and observed Bush Junior having a lifetime of similar free rides, I suppose he thought he was eternally teflon.

Wrong. Amazing to me that he has gotten along so well with his past. He really is a repellant hypocrite, and yes, his hubris is going to be his downfall. About damn time.

Be sure to read this other thread too:
(11-14-06) St. Rudy's Mistake
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2712735

[elehhhhna]

50. Uh Oh Rudy. Your pooch is screwn! Here's a nice photo for the base, btw:

Bonus: Smooching Donald Trump:

[helderheid]

51. Holy moly, is that a photoshop or the real deal??

[elehhhhna]

52. GO HERE FOR VIDEO! Real deal, he's, how you say,

Hij is een gekke dame !


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2714629

[helderheid]

53. k

[helderheid]

55. .

[wicket]

56. kick

:kick: