Qaeda's Zawahri says Iraq bill shows U.S. defeat

[dex]

To me this is an pretty amazing story. A conspiracy theory freak might think that Zawahri is taking his directions from the White House. He is saying everything the White House was saying and the timing is perfect.

Interesting no matter what your position is.


Qaeda's Zawahri says Iraq bill shows U.S. defeat
Sat May 5, 2007 8:28PM EDT

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said a U.S. congressional bill calling for a troop withdrawal from Iraq was proof of Washington's defeat, according to a Web video posted on Saturday.

"This bill reflects American failure and frustration," Zawahri said. "But this bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in an historic trap."

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the video, which comes four days after U.S. President George W. Bush vetoed a $124 billion congressional war-spending measure that would have required a troop pullout from Iraq to begin by October 1.

"We ask Allah that they only get out after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, so that we give the blood spillers in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson to motivate them to review their entire doctrinal and moral system," Zawahri added on the video, posted on Web sites used by Islamists.

Zawahri denied that al Qaeda and other Sunni Muslim insurgents were stirring up sectarian strife in Iraq, blaming instead the Shi'ite-led Baghdad government.

"The ones who have stirred up strife in Iraq are those who today are begging the Americans not to leave," said the white-turbaned Zawahri, sitting next to bookshelves and an assault rifle.

Zawahri's last public comments were on March 11, when he lashed out at the leadership of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas over its Saudi-brokered deal with the U.S.-backed Palestinian faction Fatah.

U.S. opposition to the Iraq war is strong among Democrats who believe their victory in November's congressional elections gave them a mandate to demand a change in Bush's Iraq policy.

Democratic leaders are in closed-door negotiations with White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and other senior aides to the Republican president to see if they can reach agreement on a second bill.

 

[dumpster56]

I am amazed at it.

Something is starting to smell real bad.

First why is this SOB still roaming the planet free?

Why is Bush so engaged in Iraq?

The guys who did 9/11 are free and planning more bad stuff.

Something is very wrong here.

Our democrats have no answers and the repubs are darn morons.

We really are doomed.

 

[dumpster56]

To me this is an pretty amazing story. A conspiracy theory freak might think that Zawahri is taking his directions from the White House. He is saying everything the White House was saying and the timing is perfect.

Interesting no matter what your position is.


Qaeda's Zawahri says Iraq bill shows U.S. defeat
Sat May 5, 2007 8:28PM EDT

DUBAI (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri said a U.S. congressional bill calling for a troop withdrawal from Iraq was proof of Washington's defeat, according to a Web video posted on Saturday.

"This bill reflects American failure and frustration," Zawahri said. "But this bill will deprive us of the opportunity to destroy the American forces which we have caught in an historic trap."

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the video, which comes four days after U.S. President George W. Bush vetoed a $124 billion congressional war-spending measure that would have required a troop pullout from Iraq to begin by October 1.

"We ask Allah that they only get out after losing 200,000 to 300,000 killed, so that we give the blood spillers in Washington and Europe an unforgettable lesson to motivate them to review their entire doctrinal and moral system," Zawahri added on the video, posted on Web sites used by Islamists.

Zawahri denied that al Qaeda and other Sunni Muslim insurgents were stirring up sectarian strife in Iraq, blaming instead the Shi'ite-led Baghdad government.

"The ones who have stirred up strife in Iraq are those who today are begging the Americans not to leave," said the white-turbaned Zawahri, sitting next to bookshelves and an assault rifle.

Zawahri's last public comments were on March 11, when he lashed out at the leadership of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas over its Saudi-brokered deal with the U.S.-backed Palestinian faction Fatah.

U.S. opposition to the Iraq war is strong among Democrats who believe their victory in November's congressional elections gave them a mandate to demand a change in Bush's Iraq policy.

Democratic leaders are in closed-door negotiations with White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and other senior aides to the Republican president to see if they can reach agreement on a second bill.

Lets ask Bush why alzwahiri is still free and alive?? Lets ask hannity and limbaugh and everylast republican conservative who still agrees with Bush WHY

 

[bssc]

Just like Washington, Jefferson, Paine and Franklin needed Lord North to pass the intolerable acts, Zawahri needs Bush. Notice how he has framed the Iraq Conflict so that he cannot lose. If the Americans leave, they have run away, if they stay, al-Qaeda will kill 200,000 to 300,000 of them. Either way God on his side and he can't lose.

Of course, Saddam used to keep the radicals down for the US, especially the Shiites but he seems to no longer be on the job.

 

[Joss]

Shouting "Naa, naa, naa" at your enemy when he is faltering is not considered wise on any battlefield. 

Seems more to me like he's cheer leading to his local cadre and international support agencies in an effort to show he's still relevent.  With more stories coming out of Iraq that he and his crowd are being hunted by ALL the locals, this begins to have a more understandable context. 

 

[samclem]

Lets ask Bush why alzwahiri is still free and alive?? Lets ask hannity and limbaugh and everylast republican conservative who still agrees with Bush WHY

Why don't you get a pitchfork or something and go to Waziristan (or wherever you happen to know that he is) and do something about it?

You keep going back to this same refrain. I guess you want the US to invade Pakistan, or pressure Mushareff until his government falls. Then we'll have a nuclear-armed Islamic theocratic state. That will make things much better. That's the situation--shaking your fist at it will not change things.

The press release by Zawahiri is humorous in a way. It reminded me of this (now also ironic) piece from the Onion in Dec 2001. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27999

 

[brewer12345]

You keep going back to this same refrain. I guess you want the US to invade Pakistan, or pressure Mushareff until his government falls. Then we'll have a nuclear-armed Islamic theocratic state. That will make things much better.

Well, it worked so well in Iran, N. Korea and Iraq. Why not try that winning strategy elsewhere?

:

 

[dumpster56]

Why don't you get a pitchfork or something and go to Waziristan (or wherever you happen to know that he is) and do something about it?

You keep going back to this same refrain. I guess you want the US to invade Pakistan, or pressure Mushareff until his government falls. Then we'll have a nuclear-armed Islamic theocratic state. That will make things much better. That's the situation--shaking your fist at it will not change things.

The press release by Zawahiri is humerous in a way. It reminded me of this (now also ironic) piece from the Onion in Dec 2001. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27999

Sam

Look President Bush stood in NYC after 9/11 and said he wanted Bin Laden dead or Alive. Sorry what are we doing still in Iraq? Oh yes halliburton and company. Oil and needing a military police station in that part of the world. Sorry but my Indian friends do not think highly of Mushariff. Pakistan is already a nuke armed Islamist state.

All the more reason to have bin Laden and alzwahiri out of the picture.

 

[samclem]

Sorry but my Indian friends do not think highly of Mushariff. Pakistan is already a nuke armed Islamist state.

All the more reason to have bin Laden and alzwahiri out of the picture.

I'm not surprised that your Indian friends don't think much of Musharef. India and Pakistan have been in a state of war or near war since Pakistan was founded. You won't find many Indians with a warm spot in their heart for a Pakistani general. He's a strongman, he's used "extraconstitutional means" to stay in power. On the other hand, he's done quite a few things to help apprehend some Al Qaeda key figures (remember that almost ALL the key folks we've apprehended have been in Pakistan--thanks in part to Mushareff). He's a moderate (as things go in that part of the world), allows a fairly large degree of free speech/dissent, and best of all, he's rational.

The Islamic radicals are not in charge in Pakistan--yet. When Mushareff is out of the picture, there's a good chance the guys with the answers and mindset straight out of the 16th century will be in control of the nukes. Ask your Indian friends if they'll be more comfortable when a Pakisatni mullah with a head full of stuff he learned in the Madrassa and an apocalyptic mindset has his craggy finger on the button.

Life is not as simple as we might like. Bin Laden and his top cronies aren't dead yet, but they certainly don't have freedom of action. Iraq is not going their way. They've got influence in only a few spots in Afghanistan, not run of the place as they had in 2001.

Would you carpet bomb a city, killing hundreds of thousands of people in order to kill Bn Laden? Giving the Pakistani religious radicals the keys to the nuclear arsenal would be far worse. So, we need to curb any enthusiasm for emotonally satisfying but ultimately counterproductive actions and instead patiently tackle this problem one step at a time.

 

[dumpster56]

Would you carpet bomb a city, killing hundreds of thousands of people in order to kill Bn Laden? Giving the Pakistani religious radicals the keys to the nuclear arsenal would be far worse. So, we need to curb any enthusiasm for emotonally satisfying but ultimately counterproductive actions and instead patiently tackle this problem one step at a time.


Did we not do that in WWII?

Did we not destroy the countries that declared war against us??

Iraq?? What in the world are we doing there?? We let the army go home!

Look if you go to war you do it as a last resort and yes DESTROY the enemy.

We have not done that at all. The leadership of the animals who caused 9/11 are still alive and free.