Al-Qaida in Iraq tape

[Thierry Martin]

CAIRO, Egypt A new audio tape from al-Qaida in Iraq claims the group has mobilized 12-thousand fighters in the wartorn country.

Al-Qaida in Iraq's leader, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (AH'-boo HAM'-zah ahl muh-HAJ'-ur), says those fighters have "vowed to die for God's sake."

He also describes President Bush as "the most stupid president" in U-S history and says his group is winning faster than expected in Iraq.


http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=5661537&nav=2KPp

[Pierre]

Thierry... I suspect the "boys at Al-Qaida" think that every President the United States has ever elected was stupid, it's now just a matter of levels of stupidity...
a) stupider
b) stupidest
c) super stupid
d) stupidity
e) stupiddy
f) you get the point...

just curious as to who they might think was the least stupid... which would then make that President a " stupid genius "...

Seriously... don't you think quoting a group of " misguided " religious zealots, hell bent on killing as many "unbelievers" via suicide bombings, to reitierate the belief of many " left wing " extremists that the President's IQ level is sub par, is counter productive to the well being of the Soldiers who are currently facing off with the " genuises @ Al-Qaida...
Or could it be, that, John Kerry was right...

Not seeking to offend anyone, but... I suspect Al-Qaida, will not lay down it's arms, simply because we now have a democratic-controlled house and senate...

[Thierry Martin]

Not seeking to offend anyone, but... I suspect Al-Qaida, will not lay down it's arms, simply because we now have a democratic-controlled house and senate...

I doubt the president will lay down his arms, simply because we now have a democratic-controlled house and senate...

[aiki14]

Not seeking to offend anyone, but... I suspect Al-Qaida, will not lay down it's arms, simply because we now have a democratic-controlled house and senate...

Indeed brah, the spirit of Aloha is nowhere to be found in these guys. Glad to see you around bruddah.

[Thierry Martin]

I personally think the biggest problem with Bush isn't his intelligence - before being elected 6 years ago he talked about surrounding himself with experts to help him in the areas he wasn't strong in, such as foreign affairs. It is his naive belief that you can march around the world forcing people to change their cultures and religions and governments. Do you think the violence in Ireland would have ended sooner if the US had invaded Ireland, bombed the hell out of it, killed 600,000 people, and overthrown its leaders? What exactly is the hope in Iraq? Once threatened with death by gunfire, these people will all get along and start loving the US?

That's not even a good analogy because Iraq was not out of control when the US invaded. They are hanging Sadam because of some nastiness he did 15 years ago, involving the killing of 150 suspected assasins or sympathizers in a village after some kids on motorcycles tried to kill him. If you think that is horrible, how can anyone think it's OK to go in and have "collateral damage" of 600,000 civilians because the US has the self-proclaimed right to wage "pre-emptive" war?

Over a million of Iraq's finest citizens have already fled the country, can the US really afford to babysit the angry poor that couldn't afford to leave for the next hundred years?

[Pierre]

Hey Thierry... howzit going... good I hope... just so you know, I highly respect your opinion and most often, agree with your thoughts......

With regards to the Iraq war... Ideally in the perfect world... we would all be sitting down at the local Starbucks, sipping a " piping hot, venti, caramel macchiato w/ whipped cream @ .75 a cup, carrying on a pleasant multi-cultural/ racial and ethnically diverse conversation/ dialog/ discussion regarding the "unpleasantries" of Mr. Hussein and company, while at the same time, sending E messages, via Black Berry's and Razer's, to our local Congressman, who is simultaneously sending our comments to Mr. Bush and his advisers who are eagerly listening and " dialoging" instantenously with both Congressional party leaders and all interested parties via Cyber space...upon each idea that is presented in this Global/One World conversation simultaneously, Cyber votingmachines are tallying the various ideas set forth at which point, the ideas with a 60% popular " approval " rating ( so as not to induce competitive urges and especially not to produce self-esteem issues ) are immediately implemented...however should any objections be raised ( again... instantaneously ) by African Americans/ Hispanic Americans/ South American Americans/ Eskimo Americans/ American Indian Americans/ Italian Americans/ Hairy Italian American Collegiate Congressional Page's Americans/ Canadian Americans/ American Canadian Americans/ Pakistani's named Baboo, Americans/ Hawaiians freezing they're butts off in North Carolina Americans/ etc...if just one group objects..............the entire process must be repeated at which point Starbucks with a smile will offer another venti caramel macchiato ( free of charge ) with your choice of a scone or banana muffin, served on recycled and now obsolete ballot cards, which, in the vision of a Green Planet, doubles as napkins and finally recycled ( by you ) as toilet paper... all in the effort to promote the vision of World peace and harmony...

Well... you guessed it... we don't live in that world... never have and probably never will... I think, Thierry, both you and I can agree, the World has always been at war, I can't think of anytime in history, when mankind lived in peace, ever... I respect, honor and admire anyone's efforts in promoting a perfect world, but I suspect, Mankind, is not designed to be perfect and in the effort and desire of diversity and multi-cultural relationships
an imperfect Mankind should be ok too...

Now... anybody out there shorting anything on Monday?

[englishman26]

I personally think the biggest problem with Bush isn't his intelligence - before being elected 6 years ago he talked about surrounding himself with experts to help him in the areas he wasn't strong in, such as foreign affairs. It is his naive belief that you can march around the world forcing people to change their cultures and religions and governments. Do you think the violence in Ireland would have ended sooner if the US had invaded Ireland, bombed the hell out of it, killed 600,000 people, and overthrown its leaders? What exactly is the hope in Iraq? Once threatened with death by gunfire, these people will all get along and start loving the US?

That's not even a good analogy because Iraq was not out of control when the US invaded. They are hanging Sadam because of some nastiness he did 15 years ago, involving the killing of 150 suspected assasins or sympathizers in a village after some kids on motorcycles tried to kill him. If you think that is horrible, how can anyone think it's OK to go in and have "collateral damage" of 600,000 civilians because the US has the self-proclaimed right to wage "pre-emptive" war?

Over a million of Iraq's finest citizens have already fled the country, can the US really afford to babysit the angry poor that couldn't afford to leave for the next hundred years?


Wow Thierry - this exactly what I feel.

I think you (or they) should add that the "if we don't beat them there they'll follow us home" is possibly one of the stupidest things said by a president.

America has created 100,000 terrorists for every "insurgent" that they have killed. Before they were minority extemists. This war and the thousands of dead civilians have put them in the majority. We will now spend the next 100 years fending them off! Congratulations President Bush. History will show that although, as you always argued (like a 3 yr old child) that "they started it", you then proved them right, and created a movement that will wage war on us for the rest of our lives. Thanks.

[Thierry Martin]

Hey Pierre, glad to see you back here.

I was old enough during the Vietnam War to realize there was something pretty awful going on, and I just can't believe that America is making the same mistake again, to protect itself against some kind of imaginary threat.

The US has 10,000 nuclear warheads, and the ability to detenate them anywhere on the planet. The idea that Iraq posed a threat of some kind is ridiculous. I was just venting my frustrations - there are so many more useful places for American soldiers, like Darfur perhaps? No oil there, but lots of suffering. A lot more suffering than 150 villagers 15 years ago in Iraq.

I'm not anti-US - just horrified at the direction America has been on for the past few years. It looks like the voters are starting to come to their senses, I just hope the changes taking place actually have some sort of effect on the White House, because they don't seem to be accountable to anyone.

[englishman26]

Well... you guessed it... we don't live in that world...

True - but there's a list of people of people who managed to actually make it worse - and Bush is pretty near the top!

[englishman26]

All humor about "probing bush" aside, I hope this actually happens and actually has some results. eg. some people go to jail and Bush gets impeached over this Iraq mess:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15657198/

[TonyM]

All humor about "probing bush" aside, I hope this actually happens and actually has some results. eg. some people go to jail and Bush gets impeached over this Iraq mess:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15657198/

That's really expecting too much, be happy if our policymakers can implement a plan to deal with Iraq that doesn't put us in a worse position than we already are.

Thierry did bring up some good points, the U.S. does not look at the world through the eyes of other countries. The U.S. tries to force democracy onto everyone and every country because the U.S. says that is the way it should be. Just imagine if Iran was the world's superpower and was forcing it's beliefs on the rest of the world, how would we view that? Yes, 'common sense' tells us everyone would like to be 'free', but keep in mind that African-Americans haven't always been free in our country and the Indians had their freedom and land stolen, imagine a superpower invading us and forcing us to free the slaves and give the land back to the Indians. It is very easy to sit in judgement of the rest of the world as an american and equally easy for the rest of the world to despise us.

[Thierry Martin]

What also amazes me is that America, with a long, long history of racial intolerance, is the last nation on earth qualified to run around forcing others to behave. It took America about 200 years of democracy to let women and blacks have the right to vote. Why is "democracy" so important. Does anyone believe you can get voted into power in America without millions of dollars? This is not a good model to force on others.

And what if this "democracy" in Iraq leads to - shock of shocks - an anti-US government. The vast majority if Iraquis already believe the US shouldn't be there in the first place. Why does anyone think that a democratic Iraq is better than a dictatorship for America?

I totally support any efforts the US wants to use to stop another 911, as long as it doesn't destroy the freedoms America enjoys. For one thing, before 911, there wasn't any system to keep the cockpits on airliners secure. Putting in blast-proof doors made sense. Bombing Iraq did not make sense. The money spent in the first MONTH of the Iraq war would have been enough to secure all the harbors in the US, and screen against deadly cargo. Allowing people to run across the US-Mexico border is far more dangerous than some kookie dicatator's imaginary plans to attack the US. And invading Korea or Iran would have even made more sense, if you really must invade somewhere. It just doesn't add up, unless there was another agenda.