BUSH REJECTED PLANS TO GO AFTER ZARQAWI
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| Tue, 09-21-2004 - 10:38pm |
As NBC News reported, "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, the Pentagon drafted plans to attack a camp Zarqawi was at with cruise missiles and airstrikes. The plan was killed by the White House. Four months later, as Zarqawi planned to use ricin in terrorist attacks in Europe, the Pentagon drew up a second strike plan, yet "the White House again killed it." In January 2003, the Pentagon drew up still another attack plan, and for the third time, the White House killed it.
According to NBC, "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."
Zarqawi is thought to be at least indirectly responsible for hundreds of U.S. casualties. Just yesterday, Zarqawi's terrorist group beheaded an American civilian in Baghdad.
Sources:
1. "President's Remarks to the General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States," The White House, 9/14/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2254501&l=56809.
2. "Going after Iraq's most wanted man," The Christian Science Monitor, 9/21/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2254501&l=56810.
3. "Avoiding attacking suspected terrorist mastermind," NBC News, 3/02/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2254501&l=56811.
4. Ibid, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2254501&l=56811.
5. "Zarqawi Group Beheads U.S. Hostage Armstrong," Reuters, 9/20/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=2254501&l=56812.

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I'm really curious-are you incapable of reading, or just incapable of understanding?
From the Christian Science Monitor....
"While he was operating inside Iraq prior to the invasion, US officials say most of his activities were in the autonomous Kurdish region in the north, where he mingled with members of Ansar al-Islam, a radical Kurdish group who operated in an area beyond Baghdad's control and was largely scattered by US airpower at the start of the war."
The Kurdish regions of Iraq were de facto independent following the 1991 Gulf war under both the senior Bush and later Clinton, Iraqi troops were banned from the area and it was also a no-fly zone for Iraq. If there was a terrorist training camp in that area it could have been taken out any time by American (or British) air power. Unless of course it was needed as a handy justification for an invasion for Bush Leaguers incapale of either reading or understanding.
"LOL...I love it."
I do too. A camp in an area under control of the PKK and "protected" by American air power is justification for an invasion and war that's responsible for 1039 American deaths and thousands of Iraqi deaths. A camp that could have been taken out in an afternoon with a well planned bombing campaign.
Only in rightwing lala land......
dablacksox
Cynic: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.---Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary.
<<Just like the 9/11 terrorist had a training camp in US.>>
There was an Al Queda training camp in the US???
Renee ~~~
Renee ~~~
If you're only interested in playing a 'Gotcha' game with Bush, then of course, it doesn't matter what
Renee ~~~
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