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Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Alleged "Fiction" On Rumsfeld

(Guest Post by Big Tent Democrat)

Taking IOKIYAR (It's OK If You Are a Republican) to new heights, while simultaneously engaged in a full bore defense of ABC's "dramatized" smear of the Clinton Administration the extreme Republican web site Red State also has time to attack Dana Priest's bombshell article that features the fact that George Bush Let bin Laden Go:

Intelligence officials think that bin Laden is hiding in the northern reaches of the autonomous tribal region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. This calculation is based largely on a lack of activity elsewhere and on other intelligence, including a videotape, obtained exclusively by the CIA and not previously reported, that shows bin Laden walking on a trail toward Pakistan at the end of the battle of Tora Bora in December 2001, when U.S. forces came close but failed to capture him.

. . . Bin Laden Still Alive . . .

That was December 2001. Only two months later, Bush decided to pull out most of the special operations troops and their CIA counterparts in the paramilitary division that were leading the hunt for bin Laden in Afghanistan to prepare for war in Iraq, said Flynt L. Leverett, then an expert on the Middle East at the National Security Council.

"I was appalled when I learned about it," said Leverett, who has become an outspoken critic of the administration's counterterrorism policy. "I don't know of anyone who thought it was a good idea. It's very likely that bin Laden would be dead or in American custody if we hadn't done that."

This is a real story, impeccably sourced. What do the Red State Republicans say?

Again, no matter. If it didn't actually take place, it might as well have. Mr. Rumsfeld's imperial arrogance and incompetence are now Known Facts.

And ABC's Known Facts? Red State cheerleads the lies. What a group of unscrupulous hypocrites. In other words, Republicans.

But what does Red State really worry about? They are not concerned that BushCo letting bin Laden go. They are concerned about this:

I learned a great deal in this article that I expect also will be helpful to those trying to protect Usama from capture. Ms. Priest and Ms. Tyson provide information on intelligence and military asset movements, and let al Qaeda know what has been most effective in eluding US intelligence. But the most eyebrow-raising breach of security comes in their revelation that US operatives are embedded with the Pakistani forces active in the border region where consensus tells us Usama is hiding.

Eluding? BushCo ain't looking. Did you miss that part of the article Red State? What incredible chutzpah and hypocrisy. If anyone thinks Republicans actually care about capturing bin Laden and stopping Al Qaida, think again.

< Harris Investigation Continues | Powerline Attempting Another GOP "Dramatization?" >
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    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#1)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 11:38:26 AM EST
    Tell me. Do you really think that capturing OBL will end al-Qaida?

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#8)
    by Andreas on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 12:48:36 PM EST
    @JimakaPPJ: No, because the US "Government" is supporting it.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#2)
    by cpinva on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 02:22:07 PM EST
    hmmmmm, probably not completely. that said, it will put a might huge dent in their operational capabilities. why? simply put, mr. bin laden is the financial & tactical heart and soul of al quaida. take away his money and presence, and the organization becomes a bit hollow. bin laden pretty much is al quaida. so far as i can tell, it doesn't have a sufficiently embedded organizational structure to be terribly effective without mr. bin laden at the helm. so, no, al quaida won't immediately collapse, should bin laden be captured or killed, but without his money and charisma, it will become but a shell of itself. just another petty terrorist group, easy pickings. i can live with that.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#3)
    by Scrutinizer on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 02:22:07 PM EST
    PPJ--- Gee, some of us have the old-fashioned idea that, you know, maybe Bin Laden should be brought to justice for the 9/11 attacks. I realize that smart realpolitik cookies like you think that it's okay that one of the major perps of 9/11 walks away without having to answering for ~3000 deaths, (collateral damage, right), but some of us still hold to the rather quaint notion that maybe he owes us a debt. I suppose that from your point of view, though, asking OBL to answer for the death of thousands of innocent civilians might be a little inconvenient. Just look at all those bodies littering streets in Iraq. Wonder who needs to answer for that?

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#4)
    by marty on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 02:22:07 PM EST
    "Tell me. Do you really think that capturing OBL will end al-Qaida?" Ahh, PPJ- always ready with the Bush-excusing POV. To answer your question, no. But if the obscenity of Bush's letting OBL get away while pounding his chest for years as a "terror-fighter", you are hopeless. But then, we already knew that.

    Jim: I don't know. Do you think it would have stopped 9/11? Have you written ABC about that?

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#6)
    by jarober on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 02:22:07 PM EST
    Did killing Yamamoto in 1943 end WWII? Gee, no. While I'd like to see bin Laden dead, I have no illusions as to his overall relevance. Meanwhile, what RedState is worried about is yet another leak of intelligence by reporters. I rather expect that the WaPo would have leaked the fact that we broke Purple back during WWII. And the Enigma. Based on our "right to know". And damn the consequences.

    Do really think catching a murderer will stop murders? Nay, just let'em run free. Dufuss. .

    Tell me. Do you think occupying Iraq will end terrorism?

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#11)
    by Darryl Pearce on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 02:38:21 PM EST
    Well..., gee..., if that adolescent boasting by the cheerleading president wasn't caught on tape, maybe I wouldn't hold it over his head so much. ...but he did, so I will: "Bin Laden's still alive and walking the earth." Still... did killing Uday and Qusay make the Iraqi occupation any easier? Did capturing Saddam Hussein make the Iraqi occupation any easier? --oh, wait, they didn't have anything to do with the "September the 11th" attacks. Nevertheless, the questions stand. And the answers are self-evident.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#9)
    by profmarcus on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 03:11:17 PM EST
    no, i doubt seriously that capturing obl will end al qaeda, but, painting him as global public enemy #1 and then not even making half-assed efforts to capture him is so bizarre as to be surreal... what completely eludes me is how the bushco house of cards manages to still stand instead of being blown away by gusts of derisive laughter... at this point, if a world leader (u.s. variety) took the podium and started speaking truth and common sense, i would probably pass out from sheer emotional shock...

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#12)
    by cpinva on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 03:17:11 PM EST
    Meanwhile, what RedState is worried about is yet another leak of intelligence by reporters.
    JR, if you want to be taken the least bit seriously, get serious. what redstate is really worried about is that the country has finally awakened from it's 9/11 induced catatonia, and realized what a bunch of dufes this whole administration is, and who the hell elected these bozos? as if anything the WP, or any other "news" organization, says isn't already known by the parties in question. it is too damn funny. of course, we have the WP & NYT's to thank for the currentl clowns being in office to begin with, so maybe they should be arrested and tried for treason. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#13)
    by Johnny on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 03:17:11 PM EST
    Wow Jim, that's extreme apologist, even for you.

    Its a war on terrorism but we don't want to go after terrorists?

    Did killing Yamamoto in 1943 end WWII? No but it had such a damaging effect on morale that the jaoanese kept the fact hidden for a month. Imagine the impact on Al Qaeda's morale if OBL were caught instead of teh president saying "I'm just not that concerned about him."

    "Tell me. Do you really think that capturing OBL will end al-Qaida?" The GOP did....or retroactively did right up until Bush took office. Just watch the piece of crap propaganda tonight. Most important thing in the world is getting OBL except when there are no elections.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#17)
    by Sailor on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 07:12:04 PM EST
    Tell me. Do you really think that capturing OBL will end al-Qaida?
    Anyone else remember 'wanted dead or alive?' Anyone else remember the man responsible for 9/11? ppj and bush give a pass to the man responsible for killing thousands of Americans and who's plotting to kill more. Clinton caught the folks responsible for the first WTC bombings, caught McVeigh and stopped the millenium plot ... while getting bjs and being impeached for it. Maybe bush just needs a bj for motivation.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#18)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 08:20:59 PM EST
    Scrutinizer - Please be so kind as to answer the question and not put words in my mouth. BTW - You write:
    Just look at all those bodies littering streets in Iraq. Wonder who needs to answer for that?
    Ever think that those who made the war a political issue, thus prolonging it because the terrorists think they can get a politicak victory a la Vitenam...might bear just a bit of the blame? sailor - Please be so kind as to answer the question and not put words in my mouth. Randy Paul - Ah, you approach the truth. It would a huge blow, but it wouldn't stop al-Qaida. agave - Your simplicity is exceeded only by your simplicity. j swift - And your point is?? Anon - Do we? Clinton wouldn't pull the trigger how many times?? Johnny - Huh? You okay? professor - How do you know what is going on? You don't. So quit acting as if you do. We all know better. And you write:
    i would probably pass out from sheer emotional shock...
    Down south we call that "having the vapors." Big Tent - I don't know. In my view OBL was and is important. But I don't disrespect my enemy. They are dedicated and smart. Have I written ABC? No, but if I were to it would be to congratulate them on having the balls to resist Clinton and Friends and not bow down to overt censorship by the Power Structure. Looks like truth to power to me. ;-) (Couldn't resist.) Daryl - Well,if that flics your bic, have at it. cpinva - I see that you are now channeling Red State. Oh well, VA is only a few miles up the road from Raleigh. et al - I tell you again that I'm no lover of "docudramas" because it is too easy to lie...See F9ll and the Gitmo movie.... But if we ever get to the point that an out of office President and his FOB's can censor a major news source..well.. We'll be in really, really big time trouble. And Ollie, (snort) That's the truth.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#19)
    by Sailor on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 08:48:12 PM EST
    ppj, talk to the hand.

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#20)
    by Che's Lounge on Sun Sep 10, 2006 at 09:28:20 PM EST
    Tell me. Do you really think that capturing OBL will end al-Qaida? No. But that's a no brainer bait question and is not really the issue here. Maybe a more germaine and compassionate question would be, do we care about justice for all of the victims and their families? Or is the leader of the group that killed them irrelevant? It is an insult to our military and our law enforcement community that Bin Laden has been allowed to remanin free for this many years after that heinous crime. I know in my heart that if they were allowed free reign (no, not to torture, just to GO) they would have caught or killed OBL by now. OT (because it has nothing to do with OBL)I heard an old saying today that I will rephrase a bit for our current situation: The military won Iraq. And the politicians lost it.

    Sorry to bust your bubble, PPJ, but this political oppointees' action might've been less than useful as well: Link

    Re: Irony in Our Time: Republicans Decry WaPo's Al (none / 0) (#21)
    by Johnny on Mon Sep 11, 2006 at 12:11:43 AM EST
    Johnny - Huh? You okay?
    I'm fine, thanks for asking. Jim, do you really think that notcapturing Osama won't hurt the so-called "war on terror" (c)? Is it a good idea to let this man skate? I mean, by emphasizing that nobody cares anymore, we send a troubling message to the turrusts...