Sen. Maria Cantwell gave a 15-minute address on the floor of the US Senate yesterday, which the Seattle P-I describes as “largely a restatement of her earlier positions.” That’s mostly true, though I’m guessing most of her critics on the angry left would prefer a pithy statement of values, rather than the wordy policy speech she gave.
I urge you to read the full text of Sen. Cantwell’s speech for yourself, but the P-I article did include some very savvy expert analysis:
Much of the critical conversation about Cantwell’s Iraq stance has been conducted on the Internet. The creator of a prominent political blog in Washington state, David Goldstein, said he doubts Cantwell’s comments Wednesday would change many minds.
“Many on the left in Washington state have latched on to Senator Cantwell as the local symbol of this war, and I’m not sure if anything could dissuade them of that notion,” Goldstein, who runs the blog HorsesAss.org (www.horsesass.org), said in an e-mail.
“Instead, what we get are reasonable speeches like this in which she lays out a very pragmatic, if emotionally unsatisfying, approach,” Goldstein wrote. “While she does not explicitly say so, I read this speech as setting a goal of being ready to substantially withdraw within 18 months, and considering the security concerns, again, that seems rather pragmatic and even optimistic. But again, that won’t come anywhere near satisfying those who are demanding an immediate withdrawal.”
Man… that Goldstein guy really knows what he’s talking about.
Now before anybody jumps down my throat I want to reiterate that I do not believe we should have invaded Iraq, and I do not mean to be dismissive towards those who call for an “immediate” withdrawal. There is a legitimate debate to be had as to whether our military presence in Iraq causes more problems than it solves, and whether our objectives (assuming we have any) are desirable or achievable.
But to those who attack Sen. Cantwell for being pro-war or for having no plan to withdraw, I have to say that this simply is not true. Sen. Cantwell is clearly not for immediate withdrawal; she’s for making the best of a very bad situation by attempting to stabilize the Iraqi government, build its security forces, and internationalize the intervention so as to permit the US to largely reduce its military presence over the course of the next year and a half or so.
Whether this is possible or not, I do not know, but it is grounds for a reasonable debate. Unfortunately, the sense that I get from some people in my own party — people I largely agree with on many issues — is that they do not want a debate. They want Sen. Cantwell to apologize for her vote, to aggressively criticize the Bush administration, and to call for an immediate withdrawal. I understand this, but well… life is full of disappointments.
Anyway, I urge Sen. Cantwell’s critics to hold their fire for a moment, read her speech, and then come back and tell me what exactly is so unreasonable or immoral about her approach to what is a very difficult problem. (I mean, apart from her failure to criticize the Bush administration for its stunning dishonesty and incompetence, which would have been satisfying, but not particularly productive.)
GOLDY, YOU URGE ME TO READ THE FULL TEXT OF CANTWELL’S SPEECH? DO YOU WANT ME TO GO BLIND, OR WHAT?
It would be much easier to read, if the text you linked didn’t have 956 CHARACTERS PER LINE! Here is one of the longer lines in Cantwell’s speech (all 956 characters on the same line!):
“Mr. President, I call on President Bush to name a special envoy to Iraq to promote regional diplomacy and to make sure the United Nations and the World Bank are fully engaged. The president could name someone with the stature and leverage of former President Bill Clinton or former president George H.W. Bush, who was so instrumental in building an international coalition before the first Gulf War. I believe that again today diplomatic collaboration is vital. A special envoy could help garner the international support for both Iraqi reconstruction and security. As I said, regardless of what foreign governments thought about the administration’s decision to go to war, everyone should share the same desire to help Iraq succeed as a sovereign nation. The international donor community has pledged approximately $13.5 billion for Iraq and for reconstruction efforts, but has only delivered about $3.5 billion of that total. That must change. If nothing else, a U.S. envoy could make its primary mission the financial contribution by these countries to help shoulder the burden of stabilizing this very important region of the world.”
http://www.horsesass.org/wp-co.....Speech.txt
Who is the angry left if not most of the people on this board. I “discovered” your site by accident and read it over the past few days. Now if you guys are not the angry left, I wonder who/what is.
Can you pls elaborate what/who is the angry left ?
Thanks
I would love to have her apologize for her vote
The flaming of Bush Handlers, Inc. is, I think, being handled quite well by those posting on various blogs etc.
Time to move on (so to speak)
“Eventually, the truth will emerge. And when it does, this house of cards, built of deceit, will fall.” – Robert C. Byrd
justwondering >”…Can you pls elaborate what/who is the angry left ?”
Nope but you seem, according to your post, to have found the angry right
“Against stupidity, the very gods themselves must contend in vain.” – Friedrich von Shille
So what is new ?? Are we leaving soon ?? NO . So Cantwell swallows the BUSHco bait and claims to have been tricked by the lies and deceit . and after 3 years , trillions of dollars , 2500 dead U S soldiers , 100,000 dead Iraqi’s , not too mention the wounded that are bound to a lifetime of disability . Now , in an election year our Maria has a plan ?? Where has this AWOL Senator been during this war anyway ? Of course the Republican leadership has made an absolute mess of things , with the willing allegiance of supple democrats . And now Maria has a plan ? A plan for a long war , permanent middle east bases just over the border ?
Of course this is the ” fault of the angry left fringe” as good Democratic partisans disassemble their left brain from the body politic in order to compartmentalize those that disagree with Senator Cantwell . This is a new era for Northwest Progressives as they become pro-war advocates in order to keep Cantwell seated , caught up in the minutia of strategy , supposedly because of her strong enviromental stand . How’s the enviroment in Iraq ? , Does war contribute to global warming ? , Depleted uranium shells dusting up the sands of Iraq ? Meanwhile good Washington Democrats are lulled into lockstep because Maria supports earth friendly values , give me a break Goldy , this is all about winning her seat back and has nothing to do with the pertinent issues of the day . Good Democrats that believe that Maria is going to stop the war in Iraq get on your knees and bray , she’s setting us up for years of misery in those deserts , more election year hokum .
@2, “Can you pls elaborate what/who is the angry left ?”
The counterpoint to the angry right, plenty of members of which are – or were – actually in Congress. Did you _read_ Tom DeLay’s departure speech? Scary stuff.
I wish people would recognize all of the good Cantwell’s done for our state before they hang her out to dry in the election. She’s probably the only senator with the cajones to stand up to Sen. Stevens. I have friends willing to vote for the Green Lib (sorry, those two don’t exactly work together?) because they hate her stance on the war. You know, if you want to shoot yourself in the foot, go ahead. I’m with you, Goldy. I think Cantwell deserves to stay, and I’m disappointed in other hardcore liberals who are willing to throw away a good thing over a single, overblown issue.
I’m no Cantwell fan but I will vote for her no questions asked. I don’t think her policy on Iraq is THAT far off. I wish she were tougher on the Pretend President but overall, there’s no way I want a republican in that seat. We’d be worse off than we ever were with Cantwell.
Thank goodness, Alaska’s Senatorial canididate Mikey McGavick isn’t much of a threat.
I just don’t think any policy short of immediate withdrawal is realistic. We keep going in circles about it, stuck by the unwillingness to admit that we really should leave. If we did admit that, the next question would be “so why not leave now?”
But I believe it’s even really about the war. Most of us who are upset with Cantwell are angry because she’s not a strong enough opponent of Bushism. We see the war and other such problems as not strictly Bush’s fault but as also the fault of those who, like Cantwell, collaborated with him on his war and continue to provide him cover by refusing to denounce the error of the war. Talk of phased withdrawals obscures the central fact of the war’s failure and lets Bush off the hook for that failure. Nothing is gained by waiting any longer to begin withdrawal, and much is lost.
Criticize or belittle that stance all you folks want to, I don’t care, but that’s the truth as we see it.
RichardPoop@1 I’m going to have to change my thinnking about you Richard:
“GOLDY, YOU URGE ME TO READ THE FULL TEXT OF CANTWELL’S SPEECH? DO YOU WANT ME TO GO BLIND, OR WHAT?”
From most of your postings, I had assumed You were already BLIND .
Newby to the board here. Be nice to me, please.
From what I’ve read (military blogs) and a little of what I’ve watched on CNN, FOX, Larry King, etc. (all sides) is that withdrawal from Iraq is a lot more difficult than we think — due to the fact that the troops there now are fighting the Iraqi insurgents who are great in number and who will turn even more strongly on our troops once the numbers begin to dwindle as withdrawing begins and continues. So, as much as people want the troops out of there, bloodshed will increase. It seems like our troops are stuck between a rock and a hardplace.
Anyone have anything to add to this?
Angry Liberals:
Have you all taken the time from your angry rants to read the New York Times, Time, and Newsweek in their coverage of the death of Zarqawi. Remember how you democrats yelled and screamed “no link between al Qaeda and Saddam, no WMDs” — are also becoming largely irrelevant or proving untrue. It must have been difficult for those three fish rags above to admit that Zarqawi had been active in Iraq well before the end of Saddam Hussein (early 2002), along with these old killers (democrats call them wonderful gentlement) from Abu Nidal to Abdul Rahman Yasin (in the 90’s), the Iraqi American who helped plan the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. Or how about Zarqawi’s communique about how America is winning in Iraq?
You are called moonbats for a reason. Keep up the great work!!!
Puddy, I surely noticed the racist democrats stripped Rep. Jefferson of his Ways and Means seat eventhough he is not indicted yet. Why didn’t Maria Cantwellvoteatall not speak out against this “crime” against humanity. Surely blacks in Seattle and New Orleans must be up in arms over the procedural move. I think the whole House should vote to keep him in his Ways and Means seat to demonstrate the meanness of people like Pelosi and what kind of person she would be if she becomes speaker of the house.
You are right. Democrats are a racist bunch. They didn’t do that to Dan Rostenkowski until after he was Tree Frog Marched to jail!
You democrats are amazing. I hope the Congressional Black Caucus runs a black person against Pelosi. She’ll need her comeuppance!
Democrats: irrelevant yesterday, still irrelevant today, and who cares what they think tomorrow!
Richard @1…
You could have pasted into a text editor to get your line breaks (or viewed it with a different browser) but just for you I’ve converted the file to HTML. Happy reading.
JustWondering @2…
Are you referring to me or the folks in my comment threads? There are a lot of angry folks in my comment threads, from both sides of the spectrum. It’s an extraordinarily angry place. But as for me, my invective is generally calculated and measured.
Erratum: Why didn’t Maria Cantwellvoteatall not speak out against this “crime” against humanity.
Correction: Why didn’t Maria Cantwellvoteatall speak out against this “crime” against humanity?
Wow, those Rabbit Pellets meds from Dr. Jack Kervorkian mess with you when taken on a empty stomach!
Eugene @9 vs. GreenLiving @11…
See… this is my main point. There are reasonable arguments to be made on both sides of the debate on immediate vs phased withdrawal. The question comes down to: is our military presence creating more problems than it solves, and can we ever actually achieve our objective via military force? This is entirely separate from the debate over whether we should have gone into Iraq in the first place (most Dems would say “no”) and whether we should withdraw at all (most Dems say “yes”, whereas the Bush administration is busy building permanent bases.)
As to the point about Cantwell’s refusal to use strong, anti-Bush rhetoric, well… it might make us feel better if she did, but I’m not sure it would make her any more effective on this issue. In any case, that’s not her schtick.
I love how lefties leike Eugene talk about the “War’s Failure” when Zarqawi wrote the opposite in his “last” communique.
Eugene: do you read anything other than Daily Kos or Think Progress? Have you been in the Roger Rabbit Pellet burrow for a while? Has he been feeding you the “carrots” from Stefan Sharkansky’s “garden”? Did you read it?
Here it is from a European paper:
TEXT FROM ABU MUS’AB AL-ZARQAWI LETTER
1. THE FOREIGN MUJAHIDIN:
THEIR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO BE SMALL, COMPARED TO THE LARGE NATURE
OF THE EXPECTED BATTLE. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH GOOD GROUPS
AND JIHAD IS CONTINUING, DESPITE THE NEGATIVE RUMORS. WHAT IS
PREVENTING US FROM MAKING A GENERAL CALL TO ARMS IS THE FACT THAT
THE COUNTRY OF IRAQ HAS NO MOUNTAINS IN WHICH TO SEEK REFUGE, OR
FOREST IN WHICH TO HIDE. OUR PRESENCE IS APPARENT AND OUR
MOVEMENT IS OUT IN THE OPEN. EYES ARE EVERYWHERE. THE ENEMY IS
BEFORE US AND THE SEA IS BEHIND US. MANY IRAQIS WOULD HONOR YOU
AS A GUEST AND GIVE YOU REFUGE, FOR YOU ARE A MUSLIM BROTHER;
HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO MAKE THEIR HOMES A BASE FOR
OPERATIONS OR A SAFE HOUSE. PEOPLE WHO WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO SUCH
THINGS ARE VERY RARE, RARER THAN RED SULFUR. THEREFORE, IT HAS
BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO LODGE AND KEEP SAFE A NUMBER OF
BROTHERS, AND ALSO TRAIN NEW RECRUITS. PRAISED BE TO ALLAH,
HOWEVER, WITH RELENTLESS EFFORT AND SEARCHING WE HAVE ACQUIRED
SOME PLACES AND THEIR NUMBERS ARE INCREASING, TO BECOME BASE
POINTS FOR THE BROTHERS WHO WILL SPARK WAR AND BRING THE PEOPLE OF
THIS COUNTRY INTO A REAL BATTLE WITH GOD’S WILL.
2. THE PRESENT AND FUTURE:
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AMERICAN LOSSES WERE SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE
THEY ARE SPREAD THIN AMONGST THE PEOPLE AND BECAUSE IT IS EASY TO
GET WEAPONS. THIS IS A FACT THAT MAKES THEM EASY TARGETS,
ATTRACTIVE FOR THE BELIEVERS. AMERICA, HOWEVER, HAS NO INTENTION
OF LEAVING, NO MATTER HOW MANY WOUNDED NOR HOW BLOODY IT BECOMES.
IT IS LOOKING TO A NEAR FUTURE, WHEN IT WILL REMAIN SAFE IN ITS
BASES, WHILE HANDING OVER CONTROL OF IRAQ TO A BASTARD GOVERNMENT
WITH AN ARMY AND POLICE FORCE THAT WILL BRING BACK THE TIME OF
((SADDAM)) HUSAYN AND HIS COHORTS. (HEADQUARTERS COMMENT: IT IS
NOT CLEAR TO WHOM “IT” IS REFERRING, BUT IT APPEARS TO MEAN THE
UNITED STATES.) THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT OUR FIELD OF MOVEMENT IS
SHRINKING AND THE GRIP AROUND THE THROAT OF THE MUJAHIDIN HAS
BEGUN TO TIGHTEN. WITH THE SPREAD OF THE ARMY AND POLICE, OUR
FUTURE IS BECOMING FRIGHTENING.
3. SO WHERE ARE WE?
DESPITE FEW SUPPORTERS, LACK OF FRIENDS, AND TOUGH TIMES, GOD HAS
BLESSED US WITH VICTORIES AGAINST THE ENEMY. WE WERE INVOLVED IN
ALL THE MARTYRDOM OPERATIONS–IN TERMS OF OVERSEEING, PREPARING,
AND PLANNING–THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY EXCEPT FOR THE
OPERATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE NORTH. PRAISED BE TO ALLAH, I
HAVE COMPLETED 25 OF THESE OPERATIONS, SOME OF THEM AGAINST THE
SHI’A AND THEIR LEADERS, THE AMERICANS AND THEIR MILITARY, THE
POLICE, THE MILITARY, AND THE COALITION FORCES. THERE WILL BE
MORE IN THE FUTURE, GOD WILLING. WE DID NOT WANT TO PUBLICLY
CLAIM THESE OPERATIONS UNTIL WE BECOME MORE POWERFUL AND WERE
READY FOR THE CONSEQUENCES. WE NEED TO SHOW UP STRONG AND AVOID
GETTING HURT, NOW THAT WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES AND TAKEN
IMPORTANT STEPS FORWARD. AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE DECISIVE MOMENT,
WE FEEL THAT OUR ENTITY IS SPREADING WITHIN THE SECURITY VOID
EXISTING IN IRAQ, SOMETHING THAT WILL ALLOW US TO SECURE BASES ON
THE GROUND, THESE BASES THAT WILL BE THE JUMP START OF A SERIOUS
REVIVAL, GOD WILLING.
4. PLAN OF ACTION:
AFTER MUCH INQUIRY AND DISCUSSION, WE HAVE NARROWED OUR ENEMY TO
FOUR GROUPS:
A. AMERICANS
AS YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE BIGGEST COWARDS THAT GOD HAS CREATED
AND THE EASIEST TARGET. AND WE ASK GOD TO ALLOW US TO KILL, AND
DETAIN THEM, SO THAT WE CAN EXCHANGE THEM WITH OUR ARRESTED
SHAYKHS AND BROTHERS.
B. KURDS
THESE ARE A PAIN AND A THORN, AND IT IS NOT TIME YET TO DEAL WITH
THEM. THEY ARE LAST ON OUR LIST, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE TRYING TO GET
TO SOME OF THEIR LEADERS. GOD WILLING.
C. THE IRAQI TROOPS, POLICE, AND AGENTS
THESE ARE THE EYES, EARS, AND HAND OF THE OCCUPIER. WITH GOD’S
PERMISSION, WE ARE DETERMINED TO TARGET THEM WITH FORCE IN THE
NEAR FUTURE, BEFORE THEIR POWER STRENGTHENS.
D. THE SHI’A
IN OUR OPINION, THESE ARE THE KEY TO CHANGE. TARGETING AND
STRIKING THEIR RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, AND MILITARY SYMBOLS, WILL
MAKE THEM SHOW THEIR RAGE AGAINST THE SUNNIS AND BEAR THEIR INNER
VENGEANCE. IF WE SUCCEED IN DRAGGING THEM INTO A SECTARIAN WAR,
THIS WILL AWAKEN THE SLEEPY SUNNIS WHO ARE FEARFUL OF DESTRUCTION
AND DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THESE SABEANS, I.E., THE SHI’A. DESPITE
THEIR WEAKNESS, THE SUNNIS ARE STRONG-WILLED AND HONEST AND
DIFFERENT FROM THE COWARD AND DECEITFUL SHI’A, WHO ONLY ATTACK THE
WEAK. MOST OF THE SUNNIS ARE AWARE OF THE DANGER OF THESE PEOPLE
AND THEY FEAR THEM. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THOSE DISAPPOINTING
SHAYKHS, SUFIS, AND MUSLIM BROTHERS, SUNNIS WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT
ATTITUDE.
5. WAY OF ACTION
AS WE HAVE MENTIONED TO YOU, OUR SITUATION DEMANDS THAT WE TREAT
THE ISSUE WITH COURAGE AND CLARITY. SO THE SOLUTION, AND GOD ONLY
KNOWS, IS THAT WE NEED TO BRING THE SHI’A INTO THE BATTLE BECAUSE
IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO PROLONG THE DURATION OF THE FIGHT BETWEEN
THE INFIDELS AND US. WE NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE:
A. THE SHI’A HAVE DECLARED A SUBTLE WAR AGAINST ISLAM. THEY
ARE THE CLOSE, DANGEROUS ENEMY OF THE SUNNIS. EVEN IF THE
AMERICANS ARE ALSO AN ARCHENEMY, THE SHI’A ARE A GREATER DANGER
AND THEIR HARM MORE DESTRUCTIVE TO THE NATION THAN THAT OF THE
AMERICANS WHO ARE ANYWAY THE ORIGINAL ENEMY BY CONSENSUS.
B. THEY HAVE SUPPORTED THE AMERICANS, HELPED THEM, AND STAND
WITH THEM AGAINST THE MUJAHIDIN. THEY WORK AND CONTINUE TO WORK
TOWARDS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MUJAHIDIN.
C. FIGHTING THE SHI’A IS THE WAY TO TAKE THE NATION TO
BATTLE. THE SHI’A HAVE TAKEN ON THE DRESS OF THE ARMY, POLICE,
AND THE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES, AND HAVE RAISED THE BANNER OF
PROTECTING THE NATION, AND THE CITIZENS. UNDER THIS BANNER, THEY
HAVE BEGUN TO ASSASSINATE THE SUNNIS UNDER THE PRETENSE THAT THEY
ARE SABOTEURS, VESTIGES OF THE BA’TH, OR TERRORISTS WHO SPREAD
PERVERSION IN THE COUNTRY. THIS IS BEING DONE WITH STRONG MEDIA
SUPPORT DIRECTED BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL AND THE AMERICANS, AND
THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN SPLITTING THE REGULAR SUNNI FROM THE
MUJAHIDIN. FOR EXAMPLE, IN WHAT THEY CALL THE SUNNI TRIANGLE, THE
ARMY AND POLICE ARE SPREADING OUT IN THESE REGIONS, PUTTING IN
CHARGE SUNNIS FROM THE SAME REGION. THEREFORE, THE PROBLEM IS YOU
END UP HAVING AN ARMY AND POLICE CONNECTED BY LINEAGE, BLOOD, AND
APPEARANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION. THIS REGION IS OUR BASE
OF OPERATIONS FROM WHERE WE DEPART AND TO WHERE WE RETURN. WHEN
THE AMERICANS WITHDRAW, AND THEY HAVE ALREADY STARTED DOING THAT,
THEY GET REPLACED BY THESE AGENTS WHO ARE INTIMATELY LINKED TO THE
PEOPLE OF THIS REGION. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US, IF WE FIGHT THEM,
AND WE HAVE TO FIGHT THEM, IS ONE OF ONLY TWO CHOICES:
1) IF WE FIGHT THEM, THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE
WILL BE A SCHISM BETWEEN US AND THE PEOPLE OF THE REGION. HOW CAN
WE KILL THEIR COUSINS AND SONS AND UNDER WHAT PRETEXT, AFTER THE
AMERICANS START WITHDRAWING? THE AMERICANS WILL CONTINUE TO
CONTROL FROM THEIR BASES, BUT THE SONS OF THIS LAND WILL BE THE
AUTHORITY. THIS IS THE DEMOCRACY, WE WILL HAVE NO PRETEXT.
2) WE CAN PACK UP AND LEAVE AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER LAND,
JUST LIKE IT HAS HAPPENED IN SO MANY LANDS OF JIHAD. OUR ENEMY IS
GROWING STRONGER DAY AFTER DAY, AND ITS INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION
INCREASES. BY GOD, THIS IS SUFFOCATION! WE WILL BE ON THE ROADS
AGAIN. PEOPLE FOLLOW THEIR LEADERS, THEIR HEARTS MAY BE WITH YOU,
BUT THEIR SWORDS ARE WITH THEIR KINGS. SO I SAY AGAIN, THE ONLY
SOLUTION IS TO STRIKE THE RELIGIOUS, MILITARY, AND OTHER CADRES OF
THE SHI’A SO THAT THEY REVOLT AGAINST THE SUNNIS. SOME PEOPLE
WILL SAY, THAT THIS WILL BE A RECKLESS AND IRRESPONSIBLE ACTION
THAT WILL BRING THE ISLAMIC NATION TO A BATTLE FOR WHICH THE
ISLAMIC NATION IS UNPREPARED. SOULS WILL PERISH AND BLOOD WILL BE
SPILLED. THIS IS, HOWEVER, EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT, AS THERE IS
NOTHING TO WIN OR LOSE IN OUR SITUATION. THE SHI’A DESTROYED THE
BALANCE, AND THE RELIGION OF GOD IS WORTH MORE THAN LIVES. UNTIL
THE MAJORITY STANDS UP FOR THE TRUTH, WE HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES
FOR THIS RELIGION, AND BLOOD HAS TO BE SPILLED. FOR THOSE WHO ARE
GOOD, WE WILL SPEED UP THEIR TRIP TO PARADISE, AND THE OTHERS, WE
WILL GET RID OF THEM. BY GOD, THE RELIGION OF GOD IS MORE
PRECIOUS THAN ANYTHING ELSE. WE HAVE MANY ROUNDS, ATTACKS, AND
BLACK NIGHTS WITH THE SHI’A, AND WE CANNOT DELAY THIS. THEIR
MENACE IS LOOMING AND THIS IS A FACT THAT WE SHOULD NOT FEAR,
BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MOST COWARDLY PEOPLE GOD HAS CREATED.
KILLING THEIR LEADERS WILL WEAKEN THEM AND WITH THE DEATH OF THE
HEAD, THE WHOLE GROUP DIES. THEY ARE NOT LIKE THE SUNNIS. IF YOU
KNEW THE FEAR IN THE SOULS OF THE SUNNIS AND THEIR PEOPLE, YOU
WOULD WEEP IN SADNESS. HOW MANY OF THE MOSQUES HAVE THEY HAVE
TURNED IN TO SHI’A MOSQUES (“HUSAYNIYAS”)? HOW MANY HOUSES THEY
HAVE DESTROYED WITH THEIR OWNERS INSIDE? HOW MANY BROTHERS HAVE
THEY KILLED? HOW MANY SISTERS HAVE BEEN RAPED AT THE HANDS OF
THOSE VILE INFIDELS? IF WE ARE ABLE TO DEAL THEM BLOW AFTER
PAINFUL BLOW SO THAT THEY ENGAGE IN A BATTLE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO
RESHUFFLE THE CARDS SO THERE WILL REMAIN NO VALUE OR INFLUENCE FOR
THE RULING COUNCIL, OR EVEN FOR THE AMERICANS WHO WILL ENTER INTO
A SECOND BATTLE WITH THE SHI’A. THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. THEN, THE
SUNNI WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SUPPORT US IN MANY OF THE SUNNI
REGIONS. WHEN THE MUJAHIDIN WOULD HAVE SECURED A LAND THEY CAN
USE AS A BASE TO HIT THE SHI’A INSIDE THEIR OWN LANDS, WITH A
DIRECTED MEDIA AND A STRATEGIC ACTION, THERE WILL BE A
CONTINUATION BETWEEN THE MUJAHIDIN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF IRAQ.
WE ARE RACING AGAINST TIME, IN ORDER TO CREATE SQUADS OF MUJAHIDIN
WHO SEEK REFUGE IN SECURE PLACES, SPY ON NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WORK
ON HUNTING DOWN THE ENEMIES. THE ENEMIES ARE THE AMERICANS,
POLICE, AND ARMY. WE HAVE BEEN TRAINING THESE PEOPLE AND
AUGMENTING THEIR NUMBERS. AS FAR AS THE SHI’A, WE WILL UNDERTAKE
SUICIDE OPERATIONS AND USE CAR BOMBS TO HARM THEM. WE HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON MONITORING THE AREA AND CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEOPLE,
LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE ON THE STRAIGHT PATH, SO WE CAN
COOPERATE WITH THEM. WE HOPE THAT WE HAVE MADE PROGRESS, AND
PERHAPS WE WILL SOON DECIDE TO GO PUBLIC–EVEN IF GRADUALLY–TO
DISPLAY OURSELVES IN FULL VIEW. WE HAVE BEEN HIDING FOR A LONG
TIME, AND NOW WE ARE SERIOUSLY WORKING ON PREPARING A MEDIA OUTLET
TO REVEAL THE TRUTH, ENFLAME ZEAL, AND BECOME AN OUTLET FOR JIHAD
IN WHICH THE SWORD AND THE PEN CAN TURN INTO ONE. ALONG WITH
THIS, WE STRIVE TO ILLUMINATE THE HINDERING ERRORS OF ISLAMIC LAW
AND THE CLARIFICATIONS OF ISLAMIC LEGAL PRECEPTS BY WAY OF TAPES,
LESSONS, AND COURSES WHICH PEOPLE WILL COME TO UNDERSTAND.
THE SUGGESTED TIME FOR EXECUTION: WE ARE HOPING THAT WE WILL SOON
START WORKING ON CREATING SQUADS AND BRIGADES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAVE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE. WE HAVE TO GET TO THE ZERO-HOUR IN
ORDER TO OPENLY BEGIN CONTROLLING THE LAND BY NIGHT AND AFTER THAT
BY DAY, GOD WILLING. THE ZERO-HOUR NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST FOUR
MONTHS BEFORE THE NEW GOVERNMENT GETS IN PLACE. AS WE SEE WE ARE
RACING TIME, AND IF WE SUCCEED, WHICH WE ARE HOPING, WE WILL TURN
THE TABLES ON THEM AND THWART THEIR PLAN. IF, GOD FORBID, THE
GOVERNMENT IS SUCCESSFUL AND TAKES CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY, WE JUST
HAVE TO PACK UP AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AGAIN, WHERE WE CAN RAISE
THE FLAG AGAIN OR DIE, IF GOD CHOOSES US.
6. WHAT ABOUT YOU?
YOU, NOBLE BROTHERS, LEADERS OF JIHAD, WE DO NOT CONSIDER
OURSELVES THOSE WHO WOULD COMPETE AGAINST YOU, NOR WOULD WE EVER
AIM TO ACHIEVE GLORY FOR OURSELVES LIKE YOU DID. THE ONLY THING
WE WANT IS TO BE THE HEAD OF THE SPEAR, ASSISTING AND PROVIDING A
BRIDGE OVER WHICH THE MUSLIM NATION CAN CROSS TO PROMISED VICTORY
AND A BETTER TOMORROW.
AS WE HAVE EXPLAINED, THIS IS OUR BELIEF. SO IF YOU AGREE WITH IT
AND ARE CONVINCED OF THE IDEA OF KILLING THE PERVERSE SECTS, WE
STAND READY AS AN ARMY FOR YOU, TO WORK UNDER YOUR GUIDANCE AND
YIELD TO YOUR COMMAND. INDEED, WE OPENLY AND PUBLICLY SWEAR
ALLEGIANCE TO YOU BY USING THE MEDIA, IN ORDER TO EXASPERATE THE
INFIDELS AND CONFIRM TO THE ADHERENTS OF FAITH THAT ONE DAY, THE
BELIEVERS WILL REVEL IN GOD’S VICTORY. IF YOU THINK OTHERWISE, WE
WILL REMAIN BROTHERS, AND DISAGREEMENT WILL NOT DESTROY OUR
COOPERATION AND UNDERMINE OUR WORKING TOGETHER FOR WHAT IS BEST.
WE SUPPORT JIHAD AND WAIT FOR YOUR RESPONSE. MAY GOD KEEP FOR YOU
THE KEYS OF GOODNESS AND PRESERVE ISLAM AND HIS PEOPLE. AMEN,
AMEN.
As you see liberals, your Bible wrote this in 2004:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02.....9INTE.html
According to the American officials here, the Arabic-language document was discovered in mid-January when a Qaeda suspect was arrested in Iraq. Under interrogation, the Americans said, the suspect identified Mr. Zarqawi as the author of the document. The man arrested was carrying it on a CD to Afghanistan, the Americans said, and intended to deliver it to people they described as the “inner circle” of Al Qaeda’s leadership. That presumably refers to Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The Americans declined to identify the suspect. But the discovery of the disc coincides with the arrest of Hassan Ghul, a Pakistani described by American officials at the time as a courier for the Qaeda network. Mr. Ghul is believed to be the first significant member of that network to have been captured inside Iraq.
Since the above document was written in 2004. let’s see what is wrote before his death.
Another Net ‘Tard @17. Dumkopf cut’n’paster!
correction: @18
Typical of the political left not to refute Zarqawi but to impugn me over delivering his words to you from the NY Times, the “bible” of the left.
re 10: “… but only ’til I need glasses!!!” ba-dump-bump
Source: http://www.punchlinesrus.com
“… but I never had five dollars before!!!”
“… go see a play!!”
“… why do I need a punchline for that? How could I make a monkey stirring a daquiri with his member any funnier?”
I still got it!!!
Richard, Goldy — Why cut and paste, when the full text is here?
http://cantwell.senate.gov/new.....?id=256996
Goldy: “As to the point about Cantwell’s refusal to use strong, anti-Bush rhetoric, well… it might make us feel better if she did, but I’m not sure it would make her any more effective on this issue.”
Never mind Cantwell, that statement should apply to any Democrat. Effectiveness is the issue…otherwise you’re just another McDermott.
Goldy,
Well Said……
(Gosh, I am agreeing with Goldy !!!) BRB gotta take my temp.
But all teasing aside, good post, it makes sense…I wish all Democrats, as Kyle posts above would do the same.
It looks to me as though you’ve taken a stance in favor of Cantwell in the absence of a straight-up examination of her opposition. There are a couple other contenders for U.S. Senate who deserve discussion. They have names and websites with position statements. I’d suggest it’s worth giving them some consideration.
Yes, Cantwell’s speech is reasonable. It was designed to be. However, it omits some critical discussion. The assumption is that Iraq will suffer because of our withdrawal. The question that is not asked is the extent of damage that will continue to be done by our presence, and that’s a worthwhile question.
During recent interviews with Cantwell with anti-war individuals, Senator Cantwell disclosed that her principal source for information on Iraq has been the military briefings she receives. Not international press sources, but military briefers. Don’t you find something disturbing about that?
When you are fighting a war, it never makes sense from a tactical standpoint to tell the enemy your plans, nor lock yourself into timetables or other rigid planning. Flexibility is essential to military strategy.
On the other hand, when political considerations interfere with the military tactician’s freedom of action, finding a way to reconcile military needs with political goals can be exceedingly difficult. And few things are more difficult than extricating oneself from a lost war.
Iraq was merely the first step of a very ambitious plan to gain U.S. control of Middle East oil for the next 50 to 100 years. That plan is dead; never realistic, it foundered in the first of the many battles that would have had to be fought to implement it.
Iraq merely reiterates what the U.S. learned in Vietnam and the U.S.S.R. learned in Afghanistan: A superpower army cannot win a guerrilla war against a determined indigenous resistance fighting in its own country.
Now, how do we unwind this mess? Iraq is turning into a replay of the late-stage Vietnam War political battles: Right-wingers still want to reach for military victory, and the peace faction of society is out of power and unable to politically impose a withdrawal. The result is stalemate: We continue fighting an unwinnable war, and soldiers continue dying and the economy continues to stagger under the burden of war spending, yet it does not end.
Cantwell is right about one thing: Calling for immediate withdrawal or a timetable is unworkable, both as a military strategy and as a political strategy. It would be a mistake to think the two-thirds of the voters who now think the war was a mistake and are dissatisfied with the administration will vote for pacifists or a knee-jerk withdrawal. If you listen to these people, what many of them are saying is they think the people who created this mess should clean it up. Re-electing them is these voters’ way of punishing them for their mistakes. That’s exactly what they did in 2004, and is what they’re likely to do again in 2006 and 2008, unless —
Unless Democrats like Cantwell offer them a better plan. When the CEO fucks up, the shareholders don’t hire the secretary to run the corporation. They want a better CEO, and until they see one, they’ll keep the old one in his job. Unless we as a party, and our individual candidates, convince the voters we have a workable solution to the Iraq quagmire, the voters won’t hire us.
That’s the way it is.
At least there are two decent Democrats in the Washington Congressional delegation — Adam Smith and Rick Larsen. Both of them voted YES to H Res 861 (Declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary)
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll288.xml
29.
Both voted yes to an idiotic and useless, except for political commercials (or their avoidance,) bit of flag waving and self-congratultaory speechifying.
Can’t wind a war, why, go pass a resolution declaring you will.
What nonsense.
Cantwell is just another cog in the BushCo war machine. If we are ever to stop this war, we must also be willing to remove Democrats who collaborate with the warmongers to send our boys off to die.
If we go along with rethuglicans then we are just a guilty as them. As much as I hate McGavick, if we allow a Democrat who goes along with Rethugs then we are no different and just as guilty.
And when you get down to it, both Cantwell and the Rethg as just warmed over corporate cronies. Why in the hell couldn’t Democrats put someone else up other than a corporate crook like Cantwell (mind you the republican is probably a much bigger crook).
As progressives, we need to stick to our principles. Voting for a corporate crook just because she is “one of our own” is just as bad as voting for a rethug. Actually it is worse, because it means we abandonded our principles for a power grab.
In Viet Nam we fought against two subtextual forces, and had covert reasons for doing so. We were “defending democracy” by supporting the corrupt and moribund Diem regime. . .no really that’s what was said. This sort of pablum is akin to bringing christianity and small-pox laden blankets to the amerindians. We also had the covert motivation to co-opt the supposed oil that Standard Oil was convince was in the Gulf of Tonkin.
We were opposed by the centuries old Chinese foreign policy to exclude strong foreign interventionist powers from its borders and maintain weak vassal states under their hegemony on that perimeter. To this end the Chinese were willing to commit tens of millions of their population to support, and even fight in this war if need be. We also were opposed by a Viet-Namese foe who was , and had been already for forty years, fighting a ‘War of National Liberation. The Viet-Namese provided the emotional ‘juice’ to fight and die for Patria and the Chi-coms provided the munitions, material and cadres of trained soldiers and advisors.
We were motivated by greed and arrogance . Somehow we had a Godgiven right to steal these people’s natural resources and quash a natively born aspiration for self-determination.
Here we are in Iraq, peddling the same guff about democracy in a geographic locality simply drawn on a map for the convenience
of some of the most rapacious colonial powers the world has ever known at the Balfour Conference. Never mind all the dynamics of conflicting interest. There are conflicts that go all the way back to fighting between the northern tribes and southern tribes in Ashurbanipal’s time and before, let alone all the simmering hatred from the assassination of Imam Ali and the entire Shia and Sunni stew. And again our motivation is greed, covered by a thin veneer of bs. chauvinistic patriotism.
However, instead of the might of Communist China, we have a world full of Muslim’s convinced that we are bringing decadent western values to one of the hearts of their religion. This more than provides the ‘juice’ to fight and die against America. Meanwhile, the native Shia and Sunni just want us out. . .we have managed the nearly impossible: We have made their ordinary day to day lives worse than under Saddam .
Sure we should be robots and support Cantwell because she has a D by her name. Where was she on Iraq and estate tax? In the Bushes. Remember NAFTA? Corporate Democrats only give cover to the further destruction of the working class. Wake up!
You guys must be REALLY mad at Cantwell for voting down a specific w/drawal date for Iraq today.
The speech SUCKED.
It highlighted the same “achievements” Bush is higlighting. Relative to his actual performance, this was a love letter to George Bush.
What are Democrats like Clinton and Cantwell thinking? Do they think the U.S. is going to start winning this war by November? By Novermber?
They are on the wrong, unpopular side of the Iraq war. They’re being total assholes.
I would love to see her apologize for her vote too, but it won’t happen.
It’s okay, though. Patty Murray already took her over her knee and spanked her for it.
Goldy wrote:
“as to whether our military presence in Iraq causes more problems than it solves…”
I;’ve never seen one sensible explanation from the left how this is possible. How pray tell does our military cause more problems than it solves – How?
The left’s hatred for America, its willingness to louse up America’s leaders at every turn, its disdain for our past, its hatred for our common citizens and material prosperity…I think all these things contribute to the creation of terrorists.