Bush says Kerry would "cut and run" from Iraq

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-10-25 04:13pm

GREELEY, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) charged that Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) had "a strategy of pessimism and retreat" in Iraq (news - web sites) and was unfit to lead the war on terrorism.

"My opponent has the wrong strategy, for the wrong country, and the wrong time," the president said, accusing Kerry of wanting to return to fighting terrorists "with subpoenas and a few cruise missiles."

That was a reference to former US President Bill Clinton (news - web sites), who launched cruise missile strikes in 1998 at camps in Afghanistan (news - web sites) in a failed effort to kill Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), and was campaigning for Kerry in Pennsylvania on Monday.

In this battleground state, eight days before the November 2 election, Bush unleashed a retooled stump speech rich in attacks on Kerry as part of a frenzied last-minute effort to break open their deadlocked race.

"The choice is not only between two candidates, it is between two directions in the conduct of the war on terror," the president told supporters who booed each mention of the senator from Massachusetts.

"Will America return to the defensive, reactive mindset that sought to manage the dangers to our country? Or will we fight a real war with the goal of victory?" he said.

Kerry "calls America's missions in Iraq a mistake, a diversion, a colossal error. Then he says he's the right man to win the war," said Bush. "You cannot win a war you do not believe in fighting."

"On Iraq my opponent has a strategy of pessimism and retreat," the president said. "He has sent the signal that America's overriding goal in Iraq would be to leave, even if the job is not done."

"That sends the wrong message to Iraqis who need to know that America will not cut and run. That sends the wrong message to the troops of our coalition who need to know that we will honor their sacrifice by completing the mission," he added.

Bush took pains to try to counter one of Kerry's central charges: That US forces overrelied on Afghan militia members in the late 2001 siege of the Tora Bora cave complex and in doing so let Osama bin Laden slip away.

He called Kerry's statement that bin Laden was in the mountain refuge a "wild claim" and that depending on Afghan fighters was wrong was "an unjustified and harsh criticism" of US military planners.

Bush also made his first public remarks about the execution-style killing of almost 50 new Iraqi soldiers, saying: "The desperate executions of unarmed Iraqi security forces show the evil nature of the terrorists we fight."

"It proves these terrorists are enemies of the Iraqi people and the American people and everyone who loves freedom," the president said.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-10-25 04:15pm

Cutting and running as opposed to what -- sitting it out in the shit-hole that your idiocy and incompetence created while more people die?

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2004-10-25 04:17pm

"My opponent has the wrong strategy, for the wrong country, and the wrong time," the president said

"Which would be deviating little from the current state of affairs," he concluded.

[/Channeling John Stewart]

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-10-25 05:09pm

GREELEY, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) charged that Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) had "a strategy of pessimism and retreat" in Iraq (news - web sites) and was unfit to lead the war on terrorism.

Still trying to equate Iraq to terrorism, eh? The people on those 9/11 planes weren't Iraqis, Mr. Bush. Just a reminder. And why is it wrong to be pessimistic? To put it bluntly, the pessimists have been correct throughout most of this Iraq debacle. Shouldn't we start listening to them if they keep doing this odd "predicting things correctly" trick, Mr. Bush? I know you're not accustomed to following accurate predictions or good advice, but maybe you should consider trying new things.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-10-25 05:42pm

I'm sure that, as a campaign slogan, "George W. Bush - Paving the Road to Victory with Happy Thoughts" sounds a lot better than "George W. Bush, Blowing Sunshine Up Your Ass."

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2004-10-25 06:38pm

How the hell is it Bush's job to tell us what he thinks John Kerry's policies are? Doesn't Kerry himself say that he isn't looking for a quick retreat? He's the only one I would trust to have an exclusive line of communications with his thoughts.

Come to think of it, does John Kerry even have a campaign? It looks like all his PR is being handled by the Bush campaign.

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2004-10-25 08:33pm

The feeling around here for the last few months has been that Kerry would cut and run, which would be, IMO a Very Bad Thing.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-10-25 08:43pm

Honestly, I don't know what to expect from Kerry on the Iraq. He's been so vague on the issue that I would be no more surprised if he cut and run than I would be if he decided to get medieval on Fallujah.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2004-10-25 09:26pm

Georgie the Wonder Chimp wrote:"On Iraq my opponent has a strategy of pessimism and retreat," the president said. "He has sent the signal that America's overriding goal in Iraq would be to leave, even if the job is not done."

"That sends the wrong message to Iraqis who need to know that America will not cut and run. That sends the wrong message to the troops of our coalition who need to know that we will honor their sacrifice by completing the mission," he added.

Translation from the Bush-speak: "Our blood will paint the way to the Future."

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-10-25 09:27pm

Joe wrote:Honestly, I don't know what to expect from Kerry on the Iraq. He's been so vague on the issue that I would be no more surprised if he cut and run than I would be if he decided to get medieval on Fallujah.

He'll probably go with the opinion polls. That's just my personal gut feeling on the matter. Not that this is an entirely horrific thing, when compared to a guy whose stubbornness comes from the fact that he seriously believes he's on a Mission from God.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-10-25 09:31pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Joe wrote:Honestly, I don't know what to expect from Kerry on the Iraq. He's been so vague on the issue that I would be no more surprised if he cut and run than I would be if he decided to get medieval on Fallujah.
He'll probably go with the opinion polls. That's just my personal gut feeling on the matter. Not that this is an entirely horrific thing, when compared to a guy whose stubbornness comes from the fact that he seriously believes he's on a Mission from God.

No, but frankly abandoning Iraq, and possibly Afghanistan if it gets bad, is never going to be a good thing. We'll never hear the end of the bitching from the Euro-whiners and our credibility in the Middle East will be shot. And not to mention we'll only be encouraging the terrorists big time.

While it's hard to imagine Iraq being improved easily, running will be a far worse thing.

KrauserKrauser · Post by **KrauserKrauser** » 2004-10-25 09:50pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Joe wrote:Honestly, I don't know what to expect from Kerry on the Iraq. He's been so vague on the issue that I would be no more surprised if he cut and run than I would be if he decided to get medieval on Fallujah.
He'll probably go with the opinion polls. That's just my personal gut feeling on the matter. Not that this is an entirely horrific thing, when compared to a guy whose stubbornness comes from the fact that he seriously believes he's on a Mission from God.

Hey, if it worked for the Blues Brothers...

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-10-25 09:53pm

Seriously though, there has got to be some sort of defined limit on how many resources we're willing to spend on that fucking sand pit. Because I honestly think that, no matter what we do, it'll descend into an Islamic theocracy shortly after we leave. The best we can do is leave on a high note.

Post by **Edi** » 2004-10-26 05:36am

Stormbringer wrote:No, but frankly abandoning Iraq, and possibly Afghanistan if it gets bad, is never going to be a good thing. We'll never hear the end of the bitching from the Euro-whiners and our credibility in the Middle East will be shot. And not to mention we'll only be encouraging the terrorists big time.

While it's hard to imagine Iraq being improved easily, running will be a far worse thing.

Here's a viewpoint from one of your so-called "Eurowhiners", namely myself. Your government had almost unanimous support for going into Afghanistan, and you had and still have international troops there. For fuck's sake, there are Finnish soldiers there. The only complaint I have seen about Afghanistan really is that the US took most of the resources committed there (which in its sum total was only a fraction of what Bush promised the Afghanis in the first place) and put them on the war in Iraq, which was very much opposed by Europe. If you leave Iraq, yes, you'll catch heat for it, but frankly the US is in the shit whatever it does regarding that. That's what comes from the kind of pigheaded, shortsighted assholery the Bush admninistration pulled in the drive-up to the conflict, and it's your mess to deal with as best you can.

If you quit Afghanistan and leave it wide open for a Taliban resurgence, then you're going to face real anger from everyone, and not only will you have no credibility in the Middle East, you will have no credibility whatsoever in the West either. You'll be a fucking laughingstock. Everyone went there, because the Taliban supported and gave sanctuary to the people responsible for 9/11 and soldiers from allied countries and non-allied ones as well are risking injury and death there to help the US out, and if you throw that away, you'll reap the consequences.

Edi

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Bush says Kerry would "cut and run" from Iraq

Bush says Kerry would "cut and run" from Iraq

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