Al-Qaida wants Obama??
That’s what Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard says:
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch Bush ally who has sent troops to Iraq and faces his own re-election bid later this year, said Obama’s proposals would spell disaster for the Middle East.
“I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, [...]
That’s what Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard says:
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch Bush ally who has sent troops to Iraq and faces his own re-election bid later this year, said Obama’s proposals would spell disaster for the Middle East.
“I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory,” Howard said on Nine Network television.
“If I were running al-Qaida in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats.”
Two things need to happen:
1) Obama himself (not a campaign spokesperson or other proxy) needs to get in front of a microphone and demand an immediate and unequivocal apology from Howard.
2) On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should introduce a non-binding resolution condemning the Prime Minister. The resolution needs to be worded such that it receives absolute and bi-partisan support. A sitting U.S. Senator has just been called out as a terrorist enabler by the leader of another country. I don’t want a press release from the DNC. I want recognition from a branch of the U.S. government that John Howard’s remarks regarding a democratically elected representative to the U.S. Senate are completely inappropriate.
The inflammatory accusations of John Howard can not be allowed to stand unchallenged. It would also be nice if a few conservative commentators got behind a movement to condemn the remarks. Like that’ll ever happen…
Update: When Captain Ed reaches the same conclusion - Howard was way out of line - you can be assured that there’s at least some degree of agreement on both sides of the blogosphere. More at The Moderate Voice.
I’ll second that motion.
Well, it’s either that, or declare war on Australia.
the thugs will never support that because this is one of their favorite tactics. hell, howard got it from them. if they actually would catch osama, they’d have to stop saying this stupid shit, so there’s yet another reason to keep him out there as public enemy #1.
“I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq…”
It isn’t already?
Toronto is having Australia week Feb 15-18.
Speaking as an Australian let me tell you that John Howard does NOT have the level of support that both he and people overseas believe, he has remained in power because the opposition has not for many years found a leader worth voting for .. until now. Mr Howard, prior to every election uses the threat of terrorism to scare people into voting for him and not changing the status quo. We have an election coming up this year and he is behind in the polls. He is losing his totalitarian hold on power and he is blundering. Please do not hold all Australians responsible for the rubbish that he is now spewing as he runs scared. He had no right to comment on domestic policys within America and was an obvious attempt to tell his ‘mate’ Mr Bush that he still on his side. Politicians … pretty obvious lot aren’t they.
It is shameful and un-statesmanlike for a leader to so blatantly take sides in another country’s election. Bush did it for Howard in 2004 and now Howard is pathetically trying to return the favour.
Bill, Australia
As an Australian I would just like to assure you that the decent people of Australia do not endorse those idiotic comments made by that insuferable man.
Just info on a general background one is experienced in xenophobic racist national-liberal Australia - “the best ally of America”:
“Can America survive?”
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5488
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said:
“this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday.” - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev
The war is lost because the Iraqi people are fighting amongst themselves? Please don’t believe this crap…think for yourself. Imagine for a moment watching the Super Bowl game with your family and friends. It’s half time and your team is up 21 to 3 but they’ve lost a couple key players due to injuries and have already been penalized much more than normal. Would you look at your friends and say: “I don’t think we can win this one?”
The next weekend you’re watching a Heavyweight boxing match. Your guy has knocked down his opponent three times already and won every round but has yet to deliver the knock out punch. The bell rings and the last round begins and your guy comes out strong although he has a terrible black eye. Do you look at your buddies and say: “He’s losing this fight?”
Of course you would not, so why then are we hearing so much about losing the war in Iraq? We have been penalized, we have lost some players and we have a nasty black eye…but we have already won this war. We have done everything we promised we would, we have removed Saddam Hussein from power, destroyed his evil Baath regime, and installed a Democracy in Iraq with three free and successful elections under their belt.
Yes the Shi’a and Sunnis are involved in a Civil War, with the removal of Saddam’s brutal police force and military this was bound to happen. Saddam was a Sunni, as was everyone in the ruling party. With his iron fist the Sunnis ruled for decades in Iraq and any attempt the Shi’a made was brutality quashed. What we’re seeing on the News today is nothing new; they’ve been fighting since the death of Mohammad, almost 1,400 years ago when Islam split into the two factions. They will most likely be fighting for a long time to come…but what does that have to do with OUR war?
Here’s what I think happened. After the 2004 reelection of President Bush, a bunch of Democratic elite politicians and strategists began scheming. They decided that in order to regain the House and Senate in 06 and the Whitehouse in 08 they must do something about the quest for blood after 9/11 sentiment. In order to do that, they needed to turn the national pride over the war effort into disgust and malice towards our leaders. With that, they came up with the idea of us losing the war. They want us to lose this war because it’s the only way they could reclaim power.
Now don’t get me wrong, this is not a political paper, I’m not saying the Republicans are better than the Democrats because I’m sure the GOP would have done the same thing if a Dem would have been in power at the time of 9/11. I’m simply appalled at this Democratic strategy and even more so how the majority of the American public has fallen for it.
Everyone tells me, “I support the troops but I just don’t think we can win this war.” When I hear that it makes me sick. Then I ask: “Will you please tell me why you feel we’re losing the war?” It’s usually something like: “Well…Americans are dying over there.” Agreed, but in the big picture very few and in a war…people do die. Another popular response is: “We’ve created a Civil War amongst the Iraqis.” Well first of all, we haven’t created anything but an opportunity for it to flare up again. This Civil War is as old as Islam itself. Secondly…what does that have to do with us losing this war?
Many people are demanding a pull out; if you’re one of them, please consider something. What are the insurgents going to think of that? What about Iran and Syria and other Islamic crazy assholes over there? They know all they have to do is hang on, set a few bombs, and America will eventually go away. Yes, I agree we are done with this war because, as I said before, we’ve done everything we said we would. I do believe we need a major downsizing of troops in the area, but we must maintain a strong presence in the Middle East for years to come to insure our safety and security here at home.
If we do lose this war and in the bigger perspective, the showdown with Iran…it won’t be due to the Shi’a and Sunni Civil War, the lack of troops or the incompetence of the Bush Administration. It will be entirely the fault of Partisan Politics, the Media and the general public who have become like sheep. Wake up America…I’m not asking you to take my opinion on the subject or to change yours…I’m only asking that you think for yourselves and not let creeps like Harry Reid or the Media put words in your mouth or thoughts in your head.
When I heard Harry Reid spew that crap I wondered what former Presidents would have done if something like that would have been said during times of war. What if the Democratic Senate Majority Leader would have said this of Harry Truman during the Korean war? Ole Harry would have had him shot and the public wouldn’t have objected.
This is nothing but partisan politics and the only ones who suffer are the troops.
Sergeant S.W. Foster
US Army Reserves
Iraq War Veteran
http://www.FastCashOnline.com
http://www.DesertVets.org