Bin Laden Aid Endorses Bush....

[Dreadsox]

[Q]Purported Al Qaeda Letter Calls Truce in Spain
Wed Mar 17, 4:56 PM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Opheera McDoom

CAIRO (Reuters) - A group claiming to have links with al Qaeda said on Wednesday it was calling a truce in its Spanish operations to see if the new Madrid government would withdraw its troops from Iraq (news - web sites), a pan-Arab newspaper said.


In a statement sent to the Arabic language daily al-Hayat, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombings that killed 201 people, also urged its European units to stop all operations.


"Because of this decision, the leadership has decided to stop all operations within the Spanish territories... until we know the intentions of the new government that has promised to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq," the statement said.


"And we repeat this to all the brigades present in European lands: Stop all operations."
[/Q]



[Q]An unrelated videotape of a man describing himself as al Qaeda's European military spokesman also claimed responsibility for the Madrid bombing, saying it was in retaliation for outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's domestically-unpopular support for the U.S.-led Iraq war. ...."The Spanish people... chose peace by choosing the party that was against the alliance with America," the statement said. [/Q]

[Q] WE WANT BUSH TO WIN


The statement said it supported President Bush (news - web sites) in his reelection campaign, and would prefer him to win in November rather than the Democratic candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), as it was not possible to find a leader "more foolish than you (Bush), who deals with matters by force rather than with wisdom."


In comments addressed to Bush, the group said:


"Kerry will kill our nation while it sleeps because he and the Democrats have the cunning to embellish blasphemy and present it to the Arab and Muslim nation as civilization."


"Because of this we desire you (Bush) to be elected."


The group said its cells were ready for another attack and time was running out for allies of the United States.


"Whose turn is it next? Will it be Japan or America, or Italy, Britain or Oslo or Australia?" the statement said, adding Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were also targets.


The group is named after Muhammed Atef, also known as Abu Hafs, a close bin Laden aide killed in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan (news - web sites). [/Q]

I am sure this pleases the White House!!!

[verte76]

This is strange. I'm sure President Bush is delighted with an endorsement from terrorists. Seriously, who are these idiots firing off in the name of various Islamic extremist organizations and people thinking that they can tell us what to do with *our* votes? It's scary.

[Inis]

This is really frightening. No matter whom Americans elect in November, it will never bring some sort of peace?

[melon]

Interesting...

The only reason why I can imagine that they want Bush rather than Kerry is the fact that Bush speaks their primitive language of brute violence for conflict resolution, and, frankly, for each country that the U.S. has attacked (Iraq and Afghanistan), they have, essentially, sent the nations into unstable governments that they can take advantage of.

Still, though, I'm not exactly sure what they mean.

Melon

[BVS]

I think they realize that if Bush continues to work the way he has they'll have a large recruiting class for the next 4 years.

[melon]

Indeed. Lots of guns, but, again, no exit strategy.

Melon

[STING2]

melon,

"The only reason why I can imagine that they want Bush rather than Kerry is the fact that Bush speaks their primitive language of brute violence for conflict resolution, and, frankly, for each country that the U.S. has attacked (Iraq and Afghanistan), they have, essentially, sent the nations into unstable governments that they can take advantage of."

Acting to finally verifiably disarm a dictator after 12 years of failed inspections and 17 UN resolutions unenforced is hardly the actions of someone who speaks the primitive language of brute violence for conflict resolution. If the Bush Administration responded in the way Al Quada does, no one would be alive in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Its beyond me how you could compare the two.

Do you really think Al Quada prefers the current situation in Afghanistan as a opposed to the one before 9/11 when they were running the place?

Do you really think Al Quada enjoys the steps that Iraq takes everyday towards a democracy that will be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

Iraq and Afghanistan are not current examples of Al Quada victories unlike the Spanish election which is an Al Quada victory.

[STING2]

BonoVoxSupastar,

"I think they realize that if Bush continues to work the way he has they'll have a large recruiting class for the next 4 years."

Sure, Al Quada was smaller and weaker just prior to 9/11, right?

melon,

"Lots of guns, but, again, no exit strategy."

This is no time to be cutting and running as the current Spanish government would like to do. Flowers and peace signs won't bring Al Quada to its knees either.

The fact is, the Bush administration has captured and killed more terrorist than any other administration in history. More has been accomplished by the Bush administration in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf Security situation, than any other President in history.

[melon]

Originally posted by STING2
Do you really think Al Quada prefers the current situation in Afghanistan as a opposed to the one before 9/11 when they were running the place?

Perhaps not, but I also don't think they ever really intended to stay there. A stop-gap before worldwide revolution, which, frankly, they are now enjoying.

Do you really think Al Quada enjoys the steps that Iraq takes everyday towards a democracy that will be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

Most definitely. Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda were not friends by any stretch of the imagination. Hussein and his secular dictator contemporaries (Assad in Syria, Qadhafi in Libya, and, once upon a time, Nasser in Egypt) are hated by Islamic fundamentalists. The U.S. did their dirty work for them, and, considering the stubbornness of the Shi'ites, Iraq will probably form another Iran, in terms of being a theocracy that exploits democracy.

As with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, we'd rather deal with cooperative autocrats than unpredictable democrats. After all, Musharraf is far more reliable of an ally, and, once upon a time, Hussein and the U.S. were the best of friends, and Rumsfeld and him have an early 1980s photo-op I'm sure he'd love to forget.

This has absolutely nothing to do with democracy.

Iraq and Afghanistan are not current examples of Al Quada victories unlike the Spanish election which is an Al Quada victory.

Conservatives were always such sore losers, and such masters of rhetoric. I love how the GOP now implies that, if the USA votes out Bush, it will be a similar victory for Al-Qaeda. Nevermind, of course, that 90% of Spain was opposed to getting involved in Iraq. I'm sure that had nothing to do with it, right? Yes, it was ALL Al-Qaeda's fault...

Melon

[melon]

Originally posted by STING2
The fact is, the Bush administration has captured and killed more terrorist than any other administration in history. More has been accomplished by the Bush administration in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf Security situation, than any other President in history.

I'm sure he has killed more terrorists in history. Time will tell, though, as to whether he has also spawned more terrorists in history.

Melon

[STING2]

melon,

"Perhaps not, but I also don't think they ever really intended to stay there. A stop-gap before worldwide revolution, which, frankly, they are now enjoying."

Really? How many governments does Al Quada control today, with the exception of the newly elected scared into submission Spanish government? Where is Mr. Bin Ladin and his #2 buddy?

Rumor has it that #2 is wounded and surrounded in Pakistan while #1 has dropped back into that "stop-gap" Afghanistan. What an incredible revolution this is where the leader of it spends his time hiding in holes in one of the most remote places on the planet.

"Most definitely. Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda were not friends by any stretch of the imagination. Hussein and his secular dictator contemporaries (Assad in Syria, Qadhafi in Libya, and, once upon a time, Nasser in Egypt) are hated by Islamic fundamentalists."

How many attacks did Al Quada launch against the regime of Saddam Hussien? Can you even name one?

"The U.S. did their dirty work for them, and, considering the stubbornness of the Shi'ites, Iraq will probably form another Iran, in terms of being a theocracy that exploits democracy."

The Shia of Iraq are not the Shia of Iran. There is not a long history of secterian violence between Iraq's ethnic groups like what has happened in the former Yugoslavia. On many issues, I'd actually say that most Iraqi Shia's have more in common with Sunni's and Kurds in Iraq than Shia's in Iran. Iraqi Shia's and Sunni's fought side by side against Iranian Shia during the 8 year Iran/Iraq war.

There is a stronger securlar base in Iraq than in any of the other Arab countries. Even looking at Iran, that society continues to move away from the 1979 revolution.

"As with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, we'd rather deal with cooperative autocrats than unpredictable democrats. After all, Musharraf is far more reliable than Aznar ever was."

If that were the case, the USA would have left Iraq 10 months ago and watched from the sidelines to wait for a couple of powerful actors to appear and then support the one they liked best.

"Conservatives were always such sore losers, and such masters of rhetoric. I love how the GOP now implies that, if the USA votes out Bush, it will be a similar victory for Al-Qaeda. Nevermind, of course, that 90% of Spain was opposed to getting involved in Iraq. I'm sure that had nothing to do with it, right? Yes, it was ALL Al-Qaeda's fault..."

FACT: The Aznar and the PP 3 days before the election had consistently led in the polls and would have won the election.

FACT: Enough Spanish voters changed their minds and voted for the opposition because they percieved the attack was from Al Quada because of the current governments involvement in Iraq.

Why do you think Al Quada bombed Madrid 3 days before national elections?

It certainly is not all Al Quada' fault, but also a large segment of Spanish society that believes appeasement of terrorist and abandonment of Iraq are good policies.

As far as the US election goes, we know which candidate has spent more on Defense and has been more consistent supporting policies that will defeat terrorist and rogue states that threaten international security.

[STING2]

"I'm sure he has killed more terrorists in history. Time will tell, though, as to whether he has also spawned more terrorists in history."

I'm still waiting for the entire middle east to fall into the hands of Muslim fundamentalist as DEMOCRATS said it would in 1990/1991 and again in 2003 when the USA used military force against Saddam.

[anitram]

Originally posted by STING2
It certainly is not all Al Quada' fault, but also a large segment of Spanish society that believes appeasement of terrorist and abandonment of Iraq are good policies.

Yeah, the people of Spain better be careful and get back in line with what the US wants of them.

Or they're gonna be liberated one of these days too.

[BVS]

Originally posted by STING2

Sure, Al Quada was smaller and weaker just prior to 9/11, right?

Did I say anything about before 9/11?

I'll say it once again when you fight fire with fire a larger fire grows. A "war on terrorism" is such a farse. You can't wage war on a factor of extremist who live all over the world. You fight wars with countries, terrorist don't run countries. You have to fight terrorist with intelligence and wit, Bush has neither. With camp x-ray, ignoring Africa, etc. he's now set up a whole new breeding ground for terrorists. It's like fighting fireants you can kill one mound with force but others will relocate and find others and start a new mound. If you are going to fight fireants you have to treat the whole yard you have to treat prior to more breakouts. You have to make it so that the ants have no desire to come into your yard. He's not doing that, he's finding more and more ways of developing a hatred for Americans.

[TylerDurden]

Core AQ's physical, literal power may be smaller than ever at the moment. But AQ as an idea or movement is larger and more powerful now than ever. I don't know how long it's going to take the Bush government and it's 'allies' to realise that AQ's (and their allies) physical strength, the ability to blow stuff up, is not as important as, in a sense, their spiritual strength. Why do so many people support them? How have they become so powerful that they can have this effect on the world, when without being disrespectful, the chances of you getting killed by terrorism are less likely than you getting struck by lightening twice?

It's not 'bleeding heart lefty' crap to suggest that what is way more important is getting rid of their support and taking away their ability to 'sell' their cause, way more important then chasing them around the globe trying to score political points by catching or killing a few individuals, who can be replaced by any one of millions of other individuals. AQ is the sharp, scary, extreme, pure evil point on the tip of a large movement, or at least a strong emotion. Until those wanting 'no more terrorism' realise that, there's only going to be more, and these people are only going to get stronger.

[Dreadsox]

The war on terror should be fought on two fronts..... physically it is possible, and I disagree with BoboVox on this point. There also needs to be a fight on the economic front helping other nations and continents like those in Africa.

Peace

[BVS]

Originally posted by Dreadsox
The war on terror should be fought on two fronts..... physically it is possible, and I disagree with BoboVox on this point. There also needs to be a fight on the economic front helping other nations and continents like those in Africa.

Peace

BoboVox? For some reason I now sound like a hobbit or something.

[Dreadsox]

What a cool honnit Bame

[iacrobat]

Originally posted by anitram


Yeah, the people of Spain better be careful and get back in line with what the US wants of them.

Or they're gonna be liberated one of these days too.

[meegannie]

BoboVox