Guest Sid9 Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 July 18, 2007 Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda in Pakistan By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID E. SANGER WASHINGTON, July 17 - President Bush's top counterterrorism advisers acknowledged Tuesday that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden's leadership of Al Qaeda in Pakistan had failed, as the White House released a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the administration to consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan. The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. 11 attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, concludes that the United States is losing ground on a number of fronts in the fight against Al Qaeda, and describes the terrorist organization as having significantly strengthened over the past two years. In identifying the main reasons for Al Qaeda's resurgence, intelligence officials and White House aides pointed the finger squarely at a hands-off approach toward the tribal areas by Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who last year brokered a cease-fire with tribal leaders in an effort to drain support for Islamic extremism in the region. "It hasn't worked for Pakistan," said Frances Fragos Townsend, who heads the Homeland Security Council at the White House. "It hasn't worked for the United States." While Bush administration officials had reluctantly endorsed the cease-fire as part of their effort to prop up the Pakistani leader, they expressed relief on Tuesday that General Musharraf may have to abandon that approach, because the accord seems to have unraveled. But American officials make little secret of their skepticism that General Musharraf has the capability to be effective in the mountainous territory along the Afghan border, where his troops have been bloodied before by a mix of Qaeda leaders and tribes that view the territory as their own, not part of Pakistan. "We've seen in the past that he's sent people in and they get wiped out," said one senior official involved in the internal debate. "You can tell from the language today that we take the threat from the tribal areas incredibly seriously. It has to be dealt with. If he can deal with it, amen. But if he can't, he's got to build and borrow the capability." The bleak intelligence assessment was made public in the middle of a bitter Congressional debate about the future of American policy in Iraq. White House officials said it bolstered the Bush administration's argument that Iraq was the "central front" in the war on terror, because that was where Qaeda operatives were directly attacking American forces. The report nevertheless left the White House fending off accusations that it had been distracted by the war in Iraq and that the deals it had made with President Musharraf had resulted in lost time and lost ground. While the assessment described the Qaeda branch in Iraq as the "most visible and capable affiliate" of the terror organization, intelligence officials noted that the operatives in Iraq remained focused on attacking targets inside that country's borders, not those on American or European soil. In weighing how to deal with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, American officials have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss what some said was emerging as an aggressive new strategy, one that would include both public and covert elements. They said there was growing concern that pinprick attacks on Qaeda targets were not enough, but also said some new American measures might have to remain secret to avoid embarrassing General Musharraf. Ms. Townsend declined to describe what may be alternative strategies for dealing with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, but acknowledged frustration that Al Qaeda had succeeding in rebuilding its infrastructure and its links to affiliates, while keeping Mr. bin Laden and his top lieutenants alive for nearly six years since the Sept. 11 attacks. The intelligence report, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, represents the consensus view of all 16 agencies that make up the American intelligence community. The report concluded that the United States would face a "persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three years." That judgment was not based on any specific intelligence about an impending attack on American soil, government officials said. Only two pages of "key judgments" from the report were made public; the rest of the document remained classified. Besides the discussion of Al Qaeda, the report cited the possibility that the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Shiite organization, might be more inclined to strike at the United States should the group come to believe that the United States posed a direct threat either to the group or the government of Iran, its primary benefactor. At the White House, Ms. Townsend found herself in the uncomfortable position of explaining why American military action was focused in Iraq when the report concluded that main threat of terror attacks that could be carried out in the United States emanated from the tribal areas of Pakistan. She argued that it was Mr. bin Laden, as well as the White House, who regarded "Iraq as the central front in the war on terror." Richard A. Boucher, the assistant secretary of state, acknowledged that Al Qaeda had prospered during the cease-fire between the tribal leaders and General Musharraf last September, a period in which "they were able to operate, meet, plan, recruit, and obtain financing in more comfort in the tribal areas than previously." But Mr. Boucher also described General Musharraf as America's best bet, and several administration officials on Tuesday cited his recent aggressive actions against Islamic militants at a mosque in Islamabad. The growing Qaeda threat in Pakistan has prompted repeated trips to Islamabad by senior administration officials to lean on officials there and calls by lawmakers to make American aid to Pakistan contingent on a sustained counterterrorism effort by General Musharraf's government. Some members of Congress argue that concern for the stability of General Musharraf's government had for too long dominated the White House strategy for dealing with Pakistan, thwarting American counterterrorism efforts. "We have to change policy," said Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, a Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee who has long advocated a more aggressive American intelligence campaign in Pakistan. In an interview on Tuesday, the New York Police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, called the report a "realistic and sobering assessment," but said it had not caused officials in New York to take any specific steps to tighten security in the city. "There is no surprise here for us," he said. "Would we rather it be another way? Yes. But this is the world, as it is, and this is what we are guarding against." Quote
Guest Go Mavz Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 Got to fly fighter jets, own a baseball team and sell it for a profit, get higher grades than John Kerry did at Yale, graduating from Harvard, becoming govorner twice, becoming president twice, and smirking at liberals as they melt with contention? does that equal being a contagious failure? If so, I want to be a failure... "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:4Qnni.338$yW2.263@bignews3.bellsouth.net... > July 18, 2007 > Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda in Pakistan > By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID E. SANGER > WASHINGTON, July 17 - President Bush's top counterterrorism advisers > acknowledged Tuesday that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden's > leadership of Al Qaeda in Pakistan had failed, as the White House released > a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the administration to > consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan. > > The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. 11 > attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, concludes > that the United States is losing ground on a number of fronts in the fight > against Al Qaeda, and describes the terrorist organization as having > significantly strengthened over the past two years. > > In identifying the main reasons for Al Qaeda's resurgence, intelligence > officials and White House aides pointed the finger squarely at a hands-off > approach toward the tribal areas by Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez > Musharraf, who last year brokered a cease-fire with tribal leaders in an > effort to drain support for Islamic extremism in the region. > > "It hasn't worked for Pakistan," said Frances Fragos Townsend, who heads > the Homeland Security Council at the White House. "It hasn't worked for > the United States." > > While Bush administration officials had reluctantly endorsed the > cease-fire as part of their effort to prop up the Pakistani leader, they > expressed relief on Tuesday that General Musharraf may have to abandon > that approach, because the accord seems to have unraveled. > > But American officials make little secret of their skepticism that General > Musharraf has the capability to be effective in the mountainous territory > along the Afghan border, where his troops have been bloodied before by a > mix of Qaeda leaders and tribes that view the territory as their own, not > part of Pakistan. > > "We've seen in the past that he's sent people in and they get wiped out," > said one senior official involved in the internal debate. "You can tell > from the language today that we take the threat from the tribal areas > incredibly seriously. It has to be dealt with. If he can deal with it, > amen. But if he can't, he's got to build and borrow the capability." > > The bleak intelligence assessment was made public in the middle of a > bitter Congressional debate about the future of American policy in Iraq. > White House officials said it bolstered the Bush administration's argument > that Iraq was the "central front" in the war on terror, because that was > where Qaeda operatives were directly attacking American forces. > > The report nevertheless left the White House fending off accusations that > it had been distracted by the war in Iraq and that the deals it had made > with President Musharraf had resulted in lost time and lost ground. > > While the assessment described the Qaeda branch in Iraq as the "most > visible and capable affiliate" of the terror organization, intelligence > officials noted that the operatives in Iraq remained focused on attacking > targets inside that country's borders, not those on American or European > soil. > > In weighing how to deal with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, American > officials have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss what some said was > emerging as an aggressive new strategy, one that would include both public > and covert elements. They said there was growing concern that pinprick > attacks on Qaeda targets were not enough, but also said some new American > measures might have to remain secret to avoid embarrassing General > Musharraf. > > Ms. Townsend declined to describe what may be alternative strategies for > dealing with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, but acknowledged frustration > that Al Qaeda had succeeding in rebuilding its infrastructure and its > links to affiliates, while keeping Mr. bin Laden and his top lieutenants > alive for nearly six years since the Sept. 11 attacks. > > The intelligence report, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, > represents the consensus view of all 16 agencies that make up the American > intelligence community. The report concluded that the United States would > face a "persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three > years." > > That judgment was not based on any specific intelligence about an > impending attack on American soil, government officials said. Only two > pages of "key judgments" from the report were made public; the rest of the > document remained classified. > > Besides the discussion of Al Qaeda, the report cited the possibility that > the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Shiite organization, might be > more inclined to strike at the United States should the group come to > believe that the United States posed a direct threat either to the group > or the government of Iran, its primary benefactor. > > At the White House, Ms. Townsend found herself in the uncomfortable > position of explaining why American military action was focused in Iraq > when the report concluded that main threat of terror attacks that could be > carried out in the United States emanated from the tribal areas of > Pakistan. > > She argued that it was Mr. bin Laden, as well as the White House, who > regarded "Iraq as the central front in the war on terror." > > Richard A. Boucher, the assistant secretary of state, acknowledged that Al > Qaeda had prospered during the cease-fire between the tribal leaders and > General Musharraf last September, a period in which "they were able to > operate, meet, plan, recruit, and obtain financing in more comfort in the > tribal areas than previously." > > But Mr. Boucher also described General Musharraf as America's best bet, > and several administration officials on Tuesday cited his recent > aggressive actions against Islamic militants at a mosque in Islamabad. > > The growing Qaeda threat in Pakistan has prompted repeated trips to > Islamabad by senior administration officials to lean on officials there > and calls by lawmakers to make American aid to Pakistan contingent on a > sustained counterterrorism effort by General Musharraf's government. > > Some members of Congress argue that concern for the stability of General > Musharraf's government had for too long dominated the White House strategy > for dealing with Pakistan, thwarting American counterterrorism efforts. > > "We have to change policy," said Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, a > Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee who has long > advocated a more aggressive American intelligence campaign in Pakistan. > > In an interview on Tuesday, the New York Police commissioner, Raymond W. > Kelly, called the report a "realistic and sobering assessment," but said > it had not caused officials in New York to take any specific steps to > tighten security in the city. > > "There is no surprise here for us," he said. "Would we rather it be > another way? Yes. But this is the world, as it is, and this is what we are > guarding against." > > Quote
Guest Sid9 Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 Go Mavz wrote: > Got to fly fighter jets, own a baseball team and sell it for a > profit, get higher grades than John Kerry did at Yale, graduating > from Harvard, becoming govorner twice, becoming president twice, and > smirking at liberals as they melt with contention? > > does that equal being a contagious failure? If so, I want to be a > failure... Everything bush,jr "accomplished" was handed to him ready made. "The Fortunate Son" can't assemble an English language sentence yet claims degrees from Harvard and Yale. > > > > "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message > news:4Qnni.338$yW2.263@bignews3.bellsouth.net... >> July 18, 2007 >> Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda in Pakistan >> By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID E. SANGER >> WASHINGTON, July 17 - President Bush's top counterterrorism advisers >> acknowledged Tuesday that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden's >> leadership of Al Qaeda in Pakistan had failed, as the White House >> released a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the >> administration to consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan. >> >> The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. >> 11 attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, >> concludes that the United States is losing ground on a number of >> fronts in the fight against Al Qaeda, and describes the terrorist >> organization as having significantly strengthened over the past two >> years. In identifying the main reasons for Al Qaeda's resurgence, >> intelligence officials and White House aides pointed the finger >> squarely at a hands-off approach toward the tribal areas by >> Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who last year brokered >> a cease-fire with tribal leaders in an effort to drain support for >> Islamic extremism in the region. "It hasn't worked for Pakistan," said >> Frances Fragos Townsend, who >> heads the Homeland Security Council at the White House. "It hasn't >> worked for the United States." >> >> While Bush administration officials had reluctantly endorsed the >> cease-fire as part of their effort to prop up the Pakistani leader, >> they expressed relief on Tuesday that General Musharraf may have to >> abandon that approach, because the accord seems to have unraveled. >> >> But American officials make little secret of their skepticism that >> General Musharraf has the capability to be effective in the >> mountainous territory along the Afghan border, where his troops have >> been bloodied before by a mix of Qaeda leaders and tribes that view >> the territory as their own, not part of Pakistan. >> >> "We've seen in the past that he's sent people in and they get wiped >> out," said one senior official involved in the internal debate. "You >> can tell from the language today that we take the threat from the >> tribal areas incredibly seriously. It has to be dealt with. If he >> can deal with it, amen. But if he can't, he's got to build and >> borrow the capability." The bleak intelligence assessment was made public >> in the middle of a >> bitter Congressional debate about the future of American policy in >> Iraq. White House officials said it bolstered the Bush >> administration's argument that Iraq was the "central front" in the >> war on terror, because that was where Qaeda operatives were directly >> attacking American forces. The report nevertheless left the White House >> fending off accusations >> that it had been distracted by the war in Iraq and that the deals it >> had made with President Musharraf had resulted in lost time and lost >> ground. While the assessment described the Qaeda branch in Iraq as the >> "most >> visible and capable affiliate" of the terror organization, >> intelligence officials noted that the operatives in Iraq remained >> focused on attacking targets inside that country's borders, not >> those on American or European soil. >> >> In weighing how to deal with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, American >> officials have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss what some >> said was emerging as an aggressive new strategy, one that would >> include both public and covert elements. They said there was growing >> concern that pinprick attacks on Qaeda targets were not enough, but >> also said some new American measures might have to remain secret to >> avoid embarrassing General Musharraf. >> >> Ms. Townsend declined to describe what may be alternative strategies >> for dealing with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, but acknowledged >> frustration that Al Qaeda had succeeding in rebuilding its >> infrastructure and its links to affiliates, while keeping Mr. bin >> Laden and his top lieutenants alive for nearly six years since the >> Sept. 11 attacks. The intelligence report, known as a National >> Intelligence Estimate, >> represents the consensus view of all 16 agencies that make up the >> American intelligence community. The report concluded that the >> United States would face a "persistent and evolving terrorist threat >> over the next three years." >> >> That judgment was not based on any specific intelligence about an >> impending attack on American soil, government officials said. Only >> two pages of "key judgments" from the report were made public; the >> rest of the document remained classified. >> >> Besides the discussion of Al Qaeda, the report cited the possibility >> that the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Shiite organization, >> might be more inclined to strike at the United States should the >> group come to believe that the United States posed a direct threat >> either to the group or the government of Iran, its primary >> benefactor. At the White House, Ms. Townsend found herself in the >> uncomfortable >> position of explaining why American military action was focused in >> Iraq when the report concluded that main threat of terror attacks >> that could be carried out in the United States emanated from the >> tribal areas of Pakistan. >> >> She argued that it was Mr. bin Laden, as well as the White House, who >> regarded "Iraq as the central front in the war on terror." >> >> Richard A. Boucher, the assistant secretary of state, acknowledged >> that Al Qaeda had prospered during the cease-fire between the tribal >> leaders and General Musharraf last September, a period in which >> "they were able to operate, meet, plan, recruit, and obtain >> financing in more comfort in the tribal areas than previously." >> >> But Mr. Boucher also described General Musharraf as America's best >> bet, and several administration officials on Tuesday cited his recent >> aggressive actions against Islamic militants at a mosque in >> Islamabad. The growing Qaeda threat in Pakistan has prompted repeated >> trips to >> Islamabad by senior administration officials to lean on officials >> there and calls by lawmakers to make American aid to Pakistan >> contingent on a sustained counterterrorism effort by General >> Musharraf's government. Some members of Congress argue that concern for >> the stability of >> General Musharraf's government had for too long dominated the White >> House strategy for dealing with Pakistan, thwarting American >> counterterrorism efforts. "We have to change policy," said Representative >> Mike Rogers of >> Michigan, a Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee >> who has long advocated a more aggressive American intelligence >> campaign in Pakistan. In an interview on Tuesday, the New York Police >> commissioner, >> Raymond W. Kelly, called the report a "realistic and sobering >> assessment," but said it had not caused officials in New York to >> take any specific steps to tighten security in the city. >> >> "There is no surprise here for us," he said. "Would we rather it be >> another way? Yes. But this is the world, as it is, and this is what >> we are guarding against." Quote
Guest Joe Steel Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 "Go Mavz" <GoMavz@GoMavz.com> wrote in news:P2oni.1088$I76.121@trnddc05: > Got to fly fighter jets, own a baseball team and sell it for a profit, > get higher grades than John Kerry did at Yale, graduating from > Harvard, becoming govorner twice, becoming president twice, and > smirking at liberals as they melt with contention? > > does that equal being a contagious failure? If so, I want to be a > failure... > It equals nothing. Anyone with good hand-eye coordination can fly an airplane. It's nothing special. He was picked to be an owner of the baseball team for his connections and family name not for his skills. His grades were "gentlemen's Cs." In other words, they were gifts because of his connections and family name. His Harvard degree was a gift because of his connections and family name. See the trend here? All Bush has is connections and a family name. Quote
Guest Al E. Gator Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 "Go Mavz" <GoMavz@GoMavz.com> wrote in message news:P2oni.1088$I76.121@trnddc05... > Got to fly fighter jets, own a baseball team and sell it for a profit, get > higher grades than John Kerry did at Yale, graduating from Harvard, > becoming govorner twice, becoming president twice, and smirking at > liberals as they melt with contention? > > does that equal being a contagious failure? If so, I want to be a > failure... you are, in addition to being a loser and typical hillbilly fuckup, we can tell how wasted a college education was on that cocksucking ignorant hillbilly : "t's a myth to think I don't know what's going on. It's a myth to think that I'm not aware that there's opinions that don't agree with mine, because I'm fully aware of that." --George W. Bush, Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 12, 2005 "I mean, there was a serious international effort to say to Saddam Hussein, you're a threat. And the 9/11 attacks extenuated that threat, as far as I-concerned." --George W. Bush, Philadelphia, Dec. 12, 2005 "I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome." --George W. Bush, defending Vice President Dick Cheney's pre-war assertion that the United States would be welcomed in Iraq as liberators, NBC Nightly News interview, Dec. 12, 2005 "Those who enter the country illegally violate the law." --George W. Bush, Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 28, 2005 "As a matter of fact, I know relations between our governments is good." --George W. Bush, on U.S.-South Korean relations, Washington D.C., Nov. 8, 2005 "Wow! Brazil is big." --George W. Bush, after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005 "Bin Laden says his own role is to tell Muslims, quote, 'what is good for them and what is not.'" --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., Oct. 6, 2005 "I think it's important to bring somebody from outside the system, the judicial system, somebody that hasn't been on the bench and, therefore, there's not a lot of opinions for people to look at." --George W. Bush, on the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, Washington, D.C., October 4, 2005 "We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job. That's what I'm telling you." --George W. Bush, Gulfport, Miss., Sept. 20, 2005 "If it were to rain a lot, there is concern from the Army Corps of Engineers that the levees might break. And so, therefore, we're cautious about encouraging people to return at this moment of history." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2005 "Listen, I want to thank leaders of the -- in the faith -- faith-based and community-based community for being here." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 6, 2005 "So please give cash money to organizations that are directly involved in helping save lives -- save the life who had been affected by Hurricane Katrina." --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., Sept. 6, 2005 "I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs." --George W. Bush, Poplarville, Miss., Sept. 5, 2005 "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." --George W. Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned 10 days later amid criticism over his job performance, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 (Listen to audio; read more stupid quotes about Hurricane Katrina) "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we're going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we're going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) --George W. Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 "My thoughts are, we're going to get somebody who knows what they're talking about when it comes to rebuilding cities." --George W. Bush, on rebuilding New Orleans, Biloxi, Miss., Sept. 2, 2005 "Americans should be prudent in their use of energy during the course of the next few weeks. Don't buy gas if you don't need it." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 1, 2005 "It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground." --George W. Bush, turning to his aides while surveying Hurricane Katrina flood damage from Air Force One , Aug. 31, 2005 "The best place for the facts to be done is by somebody who's spending time investigating it." --George W. Bush, on the probe into how CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity was leaked, Washington D.C., July 18, 2005 "I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend." --George W. Bush, on visiting Denmark, Washington D.C., June 29, 2005 "I was going to say he's a piece of work, but that might not translate too well. Is that all right, if I call you a 'piece of work'?" --George W. Bush to Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister of Luxembourg, Washington, D.C., June 20, 2005 Got a Bushism? Send it to politicalhumor.guide@about.com Email This Page to a Friend "The relations with, uhh -- Europe are important relations, and they've, uhh -- because, we do share values. And, they're universal values, they're not American values or, you know -- European values, they're universal values. And those values -- uhh -- being universal, ought to be applied everywhere." --George W. Bush, at a press conference with European Union dignitaries, Washington, D.C., June 20, 2005 "You see, not only did the attacks help accelerate a recession, the attacks reminded us that we are at war." --George W. Bush, on the Sept. 11 attacks, Washington, D.C., June 8, 2005 "And the second way to defeat the terrorists is to spread freedom. You see, the best way to defeat a society that is -- doesn't have hope, a society where people become so angry they're willing to become suiciders, is to spread freedom, is to spread democracy." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 8, 2005 "It seemed like to me they based some of their decisions on the word of -- and the allegations -- by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble -- that means not tell the truth." --George W. Bush, on an Amnesty International report on prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, Washington, D.C., May 31, 2005 (Listen to audio) "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 (Listen to audio) "We discussed the way forward in Iraq, discussed the importance of a democracy in the greater Middle East in order to leave behind a peaceful tomorrow." --George W. Bush, Tbilisi, Georgia, May 10, 2005 "I think younger workers -- first of all, younger workers have been promised benefits the government -- promises that have been promised, benefits that we can't keep. That's just the way it is." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 4, 2005 "It means your own money would grow better than that which the government can make it grow. And that's important." --George W. Bush, on what private accounts could do for Social Security funds, Falls Church, Va., April 29, 2005 "I can only speak to myself." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 "It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 "We expect the states to show us whether or not we're achieving simple objectives -- like literacy, literacy in math, the ability to read and write." --George W. Bush, on federal education requirements, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 "He understands the need for a timely write of the constitution." --George W. Bush, on Prime Minister Iyad Allawi of Iraq, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 "Well, we've made the decision to defeat the terrorists abroad so we don't have to face them here at home. And when you engage the terrorists abroad, it causes activity and action." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 "But Iraq has -- have got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers. And we will work with the Iraqis to secure their future." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005 "I appreciate my love for Laura." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 20, 2005 "We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 20, 2005 "Part of the facts is understanding we have a problem, and part of the facts is what you're going to do about it." --George W. Bush, Kirtland, Ohio, April 15, 2005 "I'm going to spend a lot of time on Social Security. I enjoy it. I enjoy taking on the issue. I guess, it's the Mother in me." --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., April 14, 2005 "We look forward to analyzing and working with legislation that will make -- it would hope -- put a free press's mind at ease that you're not being denied information you shouldn't see." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 14, 2005 "I want to thank you for the importance that you've shown for education and literacy." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 13, 2005 "I understand there's a suspicion that we--we're too security-conscience." --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., April 14, 2005 "If they pre-decease or die early, there's an asset base to be able to pass on to a loved one." --George W. Bush, on Social Security money held in private accounts, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 30, 2005 [i'm] occasionally reading, I want you to know, in the second term." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005 "In this job you've got a lot on your plate on a regular basis; you don't have much time to sit around and wander, lonely, in the Oval Office, kind of asking different portraits, 'How do you think my standing will be?'" --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005 "In terms of timetables, as quickly as possible -- whatever that means." --George W. Bush, on his time frame for shoring up Social Security, Washington D.C., March 16, 2005 "I like the idea of people running for office. There's a positive effect when you run for office. Maybe some will run for office and say, vote for me, I look forward to blowing up America. I don't know, I don't know if that will be their platform or not. But it's -- I don't think so. I think people who generally run for office say, vote for me, I'm looking forward to fixing your potholes, or making sure you got bread on the table." --George W. Bush, on elections in the Middle East, Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005 "I repeat, personal accounts do not permanently fix the solution." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005 "This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table." --George W. Bush, Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 22, 2005 "If you're a younger person, you ought to be asking members of Congress and the United States Senate and the president what you intend to do about it. If you see a train wreck coming, you ought to be saying, what are you going to do about it, Mr. Congressman, or Madam Congressman?" --George W. Bush, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 8, 2005 "Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the -- like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate -- the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those -- if that growth is affected, it will help on the red." --George W. Bush, explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005 "You work three jobs? Quote
Guest GW Chimpzilla's Eye-Rack Neocon Ut Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 Go Mavz wrote: > Got to fly fighter jets, own a baseball team and sell it for a profit, get > higher grades than John Kerry did at Yale, graduating from Harvard, becoming > govorner twice, becoming president twice, and smirking at liberals as they > melt with contention? > > does that equal being a contagious failure? If so, I want to be a failure... > AWOL Bush is the world's most successful slacker. > > > "Sid9" <sid9@bellsouth.net> wrote in message > news:4Qnni.338$yW2.263@bignews3.bellsouth.net... >> July 18, 2007 >> Bush Aides See Failure in Fight With Al Qaeda in Pakistan >> By MARK MAZZETTI and DAVID E. SANGER >> WASHINGTON, July 17 - President Bush's top counterterrorism advisers >> acknowledged Tuesday that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden's >> leadership of Al Qaeda in Pakistan had failed, as the White House released >> a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the administration to >> consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan. >> >> The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. 11 >> attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, concludes >> that the United States is losing ground on a number of fronts in the fight >> against Al Qaeda, and describes the terrorist organization as having >> significantly strengthened over the past two years. >> >> In identifying the main reasons for Al Qaeda's resurgence, intelligence >> officials and White House aides pointed the finger squarely at a hands-off >> approach toward the tribal areas by Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez >> Musharraf, who last year brokered a cease-fire with tribal leaders in an >> effort to drain support for Islamic extremism in the region. >> >> "It hasn't worked for Pakistan," said Frances Fragos Townsend, who heads >> the Homeland Security Council at the White House. "It hasn't worked for >> the United States." >> >> While Bush administration officials had reluctantly endorsed the >> cease-fire as part of their effort to prop up the Pakistani leader, they >> expressed relief on Tuesday that General Musharraf may have to abandon >> that approach, because the accord seems to have unraveled. >> >> But American officials make little secret of their skepticism that General >> Musharraf has the capability to be effective in the mountainous territory >> along the Afghan border, where his troops have been bloodied before by a >> mix of Qaeda leaders and tribes that view the territory as their own, not >> part of Pakistan. >> >> "We've seen in the past that he's sent people in and they get wiped out," >> said one senior official involved in the internal debate. "You can tell >> from the language today that we take the threat from the tribal areas >> incredibly seriously. It has to be dealt with. If he can deal with it, >> amen. But if he can't, he's got to build and borrow the capability." >> >> The bleak intelligence assessment was made public in the middle of a >> bitter Congressional debate about the future of American policy in Iraq. >> White House officials said it bolstered the Bush administration's argument >> that Iraq was the "central front" in the war on terror, because that was >> where Qaeda operatives were directly attacking American forces. >> >> The report nevertheless left the White House fending off accusations that >> it had been distracted by the war in Iraq and that the deals it had made >> with President Musharraf had resulted in lost time and lost ground. >> >> While the assessment described the Qaeda branch in Iraq as the "most >> visible and capable affiliate" of the terror organization, intelligence >> officials noted that the operatives in Iraq remained focused on attacking >> targets inside that country's borders, not those on American or European >> soil. >> >> In weighing how to deal with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, American >> officials have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss what some said was >> emerging as an aggressive new strategy, one that would include both public >> and covert elements. They said there was growing concern that pinprick >> attacks on Qaeda targets were not enough, but also said some new American >> measures might have to remain secret to avoid embarrassing General >> Musharraf. >> >> Ms. Townsend declined to describe what may be alternative strategies for >> dealing with the Qaeda threat in Pakistan, but acknowledged frustration >> that Al Qaeda had succeeding in rebuilding its infrastructure and its >> links to affiliates, while keeping Mr. bin Laden and his top lieutenants >> alive for nearly six years since the Sept. 11 attacks. >> >> The intelligence report, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, >> represents the consensus view of all 16 agencies that make up the American >> intelligence community. The report concluded that the United States would >> face a "persistent and evolving terrorist threat over the next three >> years." >> >> That judgment was not based on any specific intelligence about an >> impending attack on American soil, government officials said. Only two >> pages of "key judgments" from the report were made public; the rest of the >> document remained classified. >> >> Besides the discussion of Al Qaeda, the report cited the possibility that >> the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah, a Shiite organization, might be >> more inclined to strike at the United States should the group come to >> believe that the United States posed a direct threat either to the group >> or the government of Iran, its primary benefactor. >> >> At the White House, Ms. Townsend found herself in the uncomfortable >> position of explaining why American military action was focused in Iraq >> when the report concluded that main threat of terror attacks that could be >> carried out in the United States emanated from the tribal areas of >> Pakistan. >> >> She argued that it was Mr. bin Laden, as well as the White House, who >> regarded "Iraq as the central front in the war on terror." >> >> Richard A. Boucher, the assistant secretary of state, acknowledged that Al >> Qaeda had prospered during the cease-fire between the tribal leaders and >> General Musharraf last September, a period in which "they were able to >> operate, meet, plan, recruit, and obtain financing in more comfort in the >> tribal areas than previously." >> >> But Mr. Boucher also described General Musharraf as America's best bet, >> and several administration officials on Tuesday cited his recent >> aggressive actions against Islamic militants at a mosque in Islamabad. >> >> The growing Qaeda threat in Pakistan has prompted repeated trips to >> Islamabad by senior administration officials to lean on officials there >> and calls by lawmakers to make American aid to Pakistan contingent on a >> sustained counterterrorism effort by General Musharraf's government. >> >> Some members of Congress argue that concern for the stability of General >> Musharraf's government had for too long dominated the White House strategy >> for dealing with Pakistan, thwarting American counterterrorism efforts. >> >> "We have to change policy," said Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, a >> Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee who has long >> advocated a more aggressive American intelligence campaign in Pakistan. >> >> In an interview on Tuesday, the New York Police commissioner, Raymond W. >> Kelly, called the report a "realistic and sobering assessment," but said >> it had not caused officials in New York to take any specific steps to >> tighten security in the city. >> >> "There is no surprise here for us," he said. "Would we rather it be >> another way? Yes. But this is the world, as it is, and this is what we are >> guarding against." >> >> -- There are only two kinds of Republicans: Millionaires and fools. Quote
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