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Bush Let Zarqawi Escape 3 Times Before Invading Iraq
Did you know Bush was given three plans to kill Zarqawi before the Iraq war and refused to kill him? I'm sure you didn't - because this devastating NBC story was published once and then never cited again. Bush needed to keep Zarqawi alive to "sell" his illegal and insane invasion. As a result of Bush's insanity, hundreds needlessly were murdered by Zarqawi. Impeach Bush Now!
Avoiding attacking suspected terrorist mastermind
Abu Musab Zarqawi blamed for more than 700 killings in IraqBy Jim Miklaszewski
Pentagon Correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 7:14 p.m. CT March 2, 2004With Tuesday’s attacks, Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant with ties to al-Qaida, is now blamed for more than 700 terrorist killings in Iraq.
But NBC News has learned that long before the war the Bush administration had several chances to wipe out his terrorist operation and perhaps kill Zarqawi himself — but never pulled the trigger.
In June 2002, U.S. officials say intelligence had revealed that Zarqawi and members of al-Qaida had set up a weapons lab at Kirma, in northern Iraq, producing deadly ricin and cyanide.
The Pentagon quickly drafted plans to attack the camp with cruise missiles and airstrikes and sent it to the White House, where, according to U.S. government sources, the plan was debated to death in the National Security Council.
“Here we had targets, we had opportunities, we had a country willing to support casualties, or risk casualties after 9/11 and we still didn’t do it,” said Michael O’Hanlon, military analyst with the Brookings Institution.
Four months later, intelligence showed Zarqawi was planning to use ricin in terrorist attacks in Europe.
The Pentagon drew up a second strike plan, and the White House again killed it. By then the administration had set its course for war with Iraq.
“People were more obsessed with developing the coalition to overthrow Saddam than to execute the president’s policy of preemption against terrorists,” according to terrorism expert and former National Security Council member Roger Cressey.
In January 2003, the threat turned real. Police in London arrested six terror suspects and discovered a ricin lab connected to the camp in Iraq.
The Pentagon drew up still another attack plan, and for the third time, the National Security Council killed it.
Military officials insist their case for attacking Zarqawi’s operation was airtight, but the administration feared destroying the terrorist camp in Iraq could undercut its case for war against Saddam.
The United States did attack the camp at Kirma at the beginning of the war, but it was too late — Zarqawi and many of his followers were gone. “Here’s a case where they waited, they waited too long and now we’re suffering as a result inside Iraq,” Cressey added.
And despite the Bush administration’s tough talk about hitting the terrorists before they strike, Zarqawi’s killing streak continues today.
Update 1: The ever-vigilant Steve Benen adds this:
This NBC report was later confirmed by the Wall Street Journal and Australian journalists who got on-the-record comments from the former head of the CIA's Osama bin Laden unit.
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Cowboy Bush and the Bogeyman
If anything ever pointed up the litany of things wrong with the current regime and its media cohorts, the "Death of Al Zarqawi" drama is it!
Cowboy Bush and the Death of A-Zarqawi: Serendipity....or Set Up?
“ If indeed Al-Zarqawi has been killed (and with this Pentagon, you never know what to believe), then it does strike a blow against terrorism - in the same way that taking out a prominent mobster strikes a blow against organized crime. But taking out one man, especially at this point in the war, will not, as Bush simplistically boasts, "turn the tide in Iraq." What is happening in Iraq today IS, regardless of how it is spun, a civil war. It goes far beyond one man, and even far beyond one country. This is, in a microcosm, a Middle East-wide war, with rage against the US so high that foreign fighters have indeed poured into the country from all points of the region.
“Despite the bigger picture, Al Zaraqawi's death could have been a significant victory in other ways and helped set things onto a straighter road in Iraq. Instead, "Cowboy Bush" has basically repeated every single mistake he made in the past:”
READ THE FIVE MISTAKES BUSH MADE - and keeps making!!
http://cherylsealreports.com/bushandzarqawi.html
al Zarqawi is dead again?
Looks like al Zarqawi may be like a cat with nine lives.
There are two stories circulating since early Friday morning...
I shall leave it up to the readers to pick the one they feel is the truth:
1. Mr Zarqawi was discovered in the wreckage of a house following the dropping of two 500 pound bombs by our troops on the place. He was immediately placed upon a stretcher and taken to a medical facility where it was discovered he was dead. Tablescraps have been sent to the CIA lab here in the US for DNA testing.
2. Mr Aarqawi's wooden leg survived the bomb blast. The rest of his remains turned into a new form of jello from the explosion. The leg, however, has been carefully packed for shipment to a CIA/FBI lab in the continental US for DNA testing.
A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.
Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
Louis Pasteur
CIA
Submarine USS Wahoo ss238
But the Bush administration has told us that the CIA
gives bad intelligence.....
So how come they can 'find' this Zarqawi guy and know it is him
with fingerprints (suspicious) and DNA, where did they get
his DNA in the first place, and how or why do they have
his fingerprints on file?
So they cant find this supposed 'Osama Bin Laden'
they cant find WMD, and the intelligence leading up to the
illegal invasion as told to us was faulty.
Hmmm makes you wonder
No wooden leg?
Isn't/wasn't Zarqawi supposed to have a wooden leg? They are saying that the recognized him by his face and his finger prints. No telling how they know for sure that they had his finger prints on record, but no mention of a wooden leg, or do I have him mixed up with another of bin Laden's number 2zzzz ?
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
Geez, all this doubt about
Geez, all this doubt about our governments ability to kill Zarqawi. I would think after $330+ billion, after gunning down large parts of the population, invading 2 countries we MIGHT be able to catch at least someone in Al Qaeda. If Zarqawi is really dead, this would mark the 2nd Al-Qaeda bad guy "brought to justice" but let's remember that neither one was a member until the USA started looking for them.
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security
like it's some kind of federal program."
- George W. Bush in a debate in St. Charles, Mo., Nov. 2, 2000
Zarqawi not really dead?
The "official" story states that F-16's dropped 500 pound bombs on his safe house and that we was killed in this bombing attack.
Now, maybe I am just "spitballing" here, but if he had 500 pound bombs dropped on his head, so to speak, then why are the pictures that the Pentagon released of Zarqawi's body only slightly bloodied and with minor abrasions?
One would think that a 500 pound bomb would blow the man to tiny little pieces....I doubt the authenticity of this report and its a smoke and mirrors trick to bolster Bush and the GOP's sorely sagging ratings.
I think that after the GOP saw how close the race was in Duke Cunningham's former neocon stronghold- they decided the House truly was in jeopardy and they needed a "pick me up" to restore some faith in Bush's bogus war on terror.
My opinion: Zarqawi is not dead. Nice acting job and photo-op, though.
Wonder what he was paid??
"Its time to replace fear with hope. This is the crucial message that America must begin to hear and believe in again. For hope is the mortal enemy of fear; and fear cannot succeed in the solidarity of inspired hope."
Yeah right
Kinda like when dumb ass Bill Clinton had Bin Laden's head handed to him twice and he refused to take it. Maybe 911 would have never happen if Neo-Marxist Clinton would have taken Bin Laden when it was offer to him.
In what sense are you not a
In what sense are YOU not a Commie?
Mavrick: another slow Conservative who f@@@ed us all over with $4 a gallon gas because he was told that to be a man is to be a Commie.
So Mavrick fights Commies and Dinasaurs on his 5000 year old Earth. Thanks Mav, I'll call you the next time I see a Commie or a Dinosaur. You’ll be a big help then.
Of course right now America faces Aristocrats and Monarchs so you are useless.
Seriously, why don’t you
Seriously, why don’t you pay your share of income tax?
Why do you suck down the
Why do you suck down the welfare afforded to you by the troops who you left to hang in perpetual Stop Loss?
Give them a raise. Kay?
I see you can’t type
I see you can’t type either.
Come on welfare whore. How
Come on welfare boy. How you manage to screw America from both the far Left and far Right always amazes me.
Okay silent one. You have
Okay silent one. You have already broken the rules of this private site and seem incapable of thinking on your feet.
If you hate America so much LEAVE.
-The largest Surplus in
-The largest Surplus in History turned into the largest deficit in History.
-Thousands of soldiers dead while Bush supporters sit on their asses typing while leaving the troops to hang in perpetual Stop Loss.
-The rejection of science by lazy brain dead conservatives.
-etc.
All this from wusses like maverick with his head planted firmly up his bosses ass so he can get a pat on the back instead of a raise while his boss laughs merrily to the bank.
Scabs like maverick would not be so bad if they only screwed over themselves and their families, but the fact that they suppress everybody else’s wages to boot is quite unbearable these days.
Thanks for the $4/gallon gas prices (compared to Clinton’s $1.15). And don’t whine that your Republican friends have a plan. You spent the last decade bitching that businesses can do whatever the hell they want.
Stay in school kids. Don’t become a Conservative. Do as your boss does not as he says.
STOP LIVING OFF OTHERS AND BENDING OVER!!!
-50% Raise to all the troops.
-Zero Income Tax on the first $60,000 made by every American.
-Eliminate Old Money. Level the playing field rather than nuture the rich man's Socialism: Aristocracy.
-etc.
Democrats stand for more direct cash for the vast majority: 90% of all Americans (those making $100,000 and less) and more indirect cash for almost everyone (99% of all Americans: those making $300,000 a year and less). One way is via the Progressive Income Tax (which actually helps ~95% of all Americans.)
If you disagree then pay your “equal” portion as defined by Republican “logic” or shut your pansy mouth up.
And blaming Clinton AGAIN, makes you brain dead, and uninteresting.
Deep breaths, serene
Deep breaths, serene thoughts, go to your special place and contemplate string theory...
LOL!
;) I'm heading off to dream land......
Jim
Submarine USS Wahoo ss238
Scientist Jim, looks like you havn't had your morning
cup of Caffeine/Coffee yet?!!!! haha
Hey I was just going down
Hey I was just going down for a Cat Nap.
Ummmm...Mavrick, with all your disinformation...are you...
aware of our rules that unaccompanied Repugnants are required to either be on a leash or accompanied by an other-tahn-brain-dead adult.
Remember all the 'wag the dog' stories your gang of cutthroat liars came up with when Clinton went after Bin Laden? How quickly you numbnuts forget. With the first WTC attack, the Clinton crew quickly identified the perp and the guy is presently rotting in one of our prisons. The question we all have is: Where is Bin Laden? Hmmm, no answers to this one is there.
Bush had three shots at the guy we just managed to kill...but Bush could have gotten him at least 3 times prior to his illegal war. He failed to act then.
Next time you step into a group of intelligent people's living room, you had best be sure of your facts--Rush's lies will just not do.
A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.
Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
Louis Pasteur
Neo-Marxist Clinton? LOL!
Clinton is way right of center, by global standards. Did you know that Switzerland, one of the most prosperous and peaceful countries in the world, is mostly Socialist? Methinks you don't know your left hand from your right hand, let alone left and right in politics.
EVERYBODY is a Commie to
EVERYBODY is a Commie to these Right Wing dullards, including themselves.
BS with Bush
Blah, blah, blah, blah, Bush, blah. Bush, blah-blah, blah, blah, blah...
Blah, Bush, blah, Bush, Bush, Bush, blah.
Note: Translated into language understood by trolls and Republicans. Sorry if the rest of you can't understand, but it basically says, "Bush, blah, blah, blah." That should be plain enough for those with inquiring minds...
We found the camp in 2002?
We found the camp in 2002? Why didn't Bush eliminate it? The US and Britain controlled the North and South of Iraq with demilitarized zones so that Saddam couldn't attack the Shia and the Kurds. You mean even after 9/11, Bush continued to let a known Al-Qaeda camp operate in a section of Iraq we basically controlled? Does that tell you something? The Bush family is totally connected to Al-Qaeda. This "training camp" was one of the reasons we invaded BUT we could have easily taken it out before spending $330 BILLION in Iraqi clusterfuck. Why not drop one bomb secretly instead of announcing a date to start invasion. Do you really think Al-Qaeda stuck around for the US to find them? Bush can give all sorts of deadlines EXCEPT one to get us out of Iraq - at least Bush had an exit plan for Vietnam.
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security
like it's some kind of federal program."
- George W. Bush in a debate in St. Charles, Mo., Nov. 2, 2000
Glad you have the energy Gloria.
Americans did not sign up for this nonsense.
Not one damned person on the planet disagrees that:
IF
you get enough USA Soldiers Killed
AND
expend enough USA treasure
THEN
You have a chance of making Iraq nicer.
SO THE F WHAT? This was the kind of nonsense that Conservatives use to rail against and Liberal folks agreed with. Now the no nothing superstitious modern Republican Movement is all for Far Left/Far Right nonsense.
All this while making everything else worse AND with far higher probability of making Iraq worse. Tony does not care to think yet because he is hiding behind his age.
Hasn't Bush spent enough
Hasn't Bush spent enough money to at least make America "nicer"? Hasn't Bush/FEMA killed enough people in the Gulf Coast region for people to say "enough"? Guess those 28% are still holding out because when there is absolutley nothing else to hold on to, you can cling to "faith.".
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security
like it's some kind of federal program."
- George W. Bush in a debate in St. Charles, Mo., Nov. 2, 2000
Republicans have bankrupted the majority.
They just don't know it yet because Republicans are waiting for them to forget the National Treasury was brimming with ten thousand dollar rebate checks for EACH AND EVER AMERICAN (at least that’s what is was IF you borrowed like this Republican Government has.)
They removed cause from effect so most people do not realize what has happened. If Conservatives remain in power they will have to get the money somewhere and I assume they will not tax the rich so a huge Republican Debt Tax is about to befall us down the road. (Gotta wait till people forget then they'll tell us this is America and we have to tighten our belts.)
(Just an aside: A lot of people use 500 gallons of gas a year. That means they lost an additional $1000 per year due to Republican greed and inaction. Add your high energy bills to that as well, AND food price increases AND the debt tax to come, AND no raise for the majority, AND...)
We narrowly avoided Republicans putting an additional debt of $3500 per PERSON by retaining the Estate Tax. Think about that: a family of 5 was about to have to pay $17,500 just so the very top would no longer have to pay Estate Tax.
When he suggested that we go
When he suggested that we go to Rush's site for truth he was toast in my book hahahahaha. If we wanted to hear from Rush we could turn the radio on, but a Rush groupy come on.
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
CIA met with Osama Bin Laden
CIA met with Osama Bin Laden in July 2002 too - doesn't that mean our own government negotiated to bring us 9/11? No you won't hear this in American because of the nice media filters out there but here it is from the English press -http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,584444,00.html. Now why was our government secretly meeting with "terrorists"?
"They want the federal government controlling Social Security
like it's some kind of federal program."
- George W. Bush in a debate in St. Charles, Mo., Nov. 2, 2000
Nah, he's not a HS Grad.
I'd place him in fifth grade.
Darn, I keep missing these guys!
Rush
Ditto, blah, blah, blah. Rush, blah, ditto head, blah, blah. I am 18 and still in blah, blah, blah. I listen to ditto-blah, and blah, blah to you.
Note: Translated from the original Limbonian.
Why would I follow a High
Why would I follow a High School Grad's advice about another High School Grad who follows other do nothing idiots?
You have watched every
You have watched every damned Conservative "theory" exposed for the nonsense they are: in REAL LIFE!
Yet you pause not.
You are listening to morons who are bankrupting the USA population, getting everyone killed, and doing nothing to kill our enemies.
There is no need for any
There is no need for any speculation. Everything Bush did was moronic or focused on draining the pocket books of the vast majority (bottom 90% of profession –those that pay ~$100,000 and less)
Here is how I know. Because it happened in front of all of our eyes.
Tony, why is your wussy ass
Tony, why is your wussy ass not in Iraq?
Leaving the troops to hang in perpetual Stop Loss while you sponge off the Welfare they provide you by paying them below market wages is going to get the snot beaten out of you when they get home en mass.
Okay you've bored me with
Okay you've bored me with your pansy hit and run posts.
Bye bye.
By the way Tony: How old is
By the way Tony: How old is the Earth and why do the vast majority of Conservatives pay only a Commie portion of their Income Tax?
NOTE TO "TROLLS":
The rules of Democrats.com are stated here:
http://www.democrats.com/rules
If you are a descent human being with manners and live a reality based life (following science not superstition) yet presently have a Non Democratic leaning, I will happily debate or chat.
Non responsiveness is not endured on this blog as many others.
Thanks.
Jim
May the Great Gargoyle of
May the Great Gargoyle of Limbonia curse you and your lies about the earth being more than two-weeks old. It is you Liberal scientists who will be washed away by Nimbop, the Rain God.
Sun God pretty pissed too...
;)
It would be kind of funny to watch the “Two Week Earthers” trash the “Five Thousand Year Earthers”
That does it. Now you have
That does it. Now you have earned the wrath of Atozee, the Spelling God.
I have no idea what you mean:
Anyway, I’m so weak from working that I could sleep for a week!
Be back later.
Ah Grasshopper, you have
Ah Grasshopper, you have learned to control your inner powers...;-)
Sleep tight Mr. Science ,
Sleep tight Mr. Science , you done good.
In a time of deception telling the truth is a revolutionary act. ~ George Orwell
Bill, Since you translated
Bill, Since you translated the kid is making a hell of a lot more sense!!!
Summary
The Nation magazine has a summary of the media's treatment of Zarqawi that play(s)(ed) into Bush's hands.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060710/alterman
Zarqawi's prime focus was his own country, Jordan, before the US invasion of Iraq. He declined an offer from Osama bin Laden to join al Qeada because of this.
When he went to Iraq, it was Kurdistan that was completely outside the control of Saddam. It was in the US no fly zone. Zarqawi joined al Qaeda after the US invasion because Osama's blessing conferred some religious significance that helped in his recruiting. Al Qaeda supposedly told Zarqawi to quit killing and beheading Irais because it hurt the cause. When Zarqawi failed to change his tactics, some believe that it was al Qaeda that dropped the dime on him for the US airstrike.