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Wednesday, February 12, 2003
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William Saletan notes another problem with Colin Powell's interpretation of the alleged Osama tape: it essentially contradicts what Powell has been saying for more than a year. Namely, that Osama has anything to do with Iraq; 16 months ago, Powell dismissed any suggestion that bin Laden was sincerely concerned about Iraq at all. Today, in the midst of "a very different U.S. agenda," as Saletan puts it, Powell suggests that perhaps Osama and Iraq are arm-in-arm after all.
Moreover, from today's Village Voice:
September 4, 2002: CBS releases a transcript of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s notes from September 11, 2001. Among other revelations:
2:40 p.m.: "Best info fast. Judge whether good enough [to] hit S.H. [Saddam Hussein] at the same time. Not only UBL [Usama bin Laden, as he was then sometimes called].
. . . Go massive. Sweep it all up. Things related and not."
- Consider Arms
3:43:41 PM 
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Here's one for you: That weird tape, purportedly a recording of Osama bin Laden urging that Muslims support Iraq, was apparently transcribed for Colin Powell BEFORE Al Jazeera even had it. Anyone care to explain?
Also interesting: Most of the news sites carrying transcriptions of the portion of the tape that denounced Saddam Hussein have now removed those portions. What Really Happened even has a screen capture! Scroll down to see.
- Consider Arms
11:56:27 AM
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The Madness of a Rogue State
For all you Vatican-haters out there, check out the above link for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' statement on war with Iraq. As you'll see, the USCCB gives a fairly precise set of reasons why we shouldn't launch an insane war against the Hussein regime.
The bishops write that "the use of military force in Iraq could bring incalculable costs for a civilian population that has suffered so much from war, repression, and a debilitating embargo. In assessing whether 'collateral damage' is proportionate, the lives of Iraqi men, women and children should be valued as we value the lives of our family and citizens of our own country."
This kind of religious reasoning should put paid once and for all to the notion that George W. Bush is somehow a Christian. The statement of the bishops (which echoes what the Pope has said) has a lot more in common with the teachings of Christ than Bush's announcement two days ago that the U.S. cannot be held responsible for any civilian casualties resulting from the "shock and awe" terror bombing of Iraq.
Why haven't supposed Catholics like Andrew Sullivan, Michael Novak, William Bennett, Michael Kelly, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Dinesh D'Souza, William F. Buckley Jr., and Deal Hudson responded to the bishops' statement? Golly, could it be that those folks aren't as Catholic as they'd like you to believe?
- Consider Arms
10:11:18 AM
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On the local news last night, they pointed out that after the last bin Laden tapes were released, in October and December, that night club on Bali was bombed and that Israeli hotel in Kenya was attacked. It was funny that they were trying to show some kind of link between the tapes and the attacks. Like there were Al Qaeda cells in Kenya wondering, "Man, what should we do to that Jewish hotel? Should we spend money there? Should we paint it? Should we spread unsubstantiated rumors on the Internet that Tom Cruise was spotted there with new gal pal Penelope Cruz? I wish there were some guidance here! This war is so hard!"
And then, after the tape gets released, they all slap their foreheads and say, "Oh! That's what we were doing wrong! We're supposed to ATTACK the Zionist enemy wherever he rears his oily head, not take him to Friday's for mile-high meatloaf! Thank Allah that tape came out!"
- Consider Arms
9:46:22 AM
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Spastic Colin!
Once again, I am speechless: "Secretary of State Colin Powell said the comments…bolstered U.S. allegations that Iraq is harboring al-Qaida operatives."
The U.S. is claiming that the bin Laden tape aired on Al-Jazeera yesterday is proof that Al Qaeda (I’ll spell it my own way, thank you) is allied with Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Never mind the fact that bin Laden calls Saddam an "infidel." Bin Laden also encourages increased suicide bombings targeted at Israelis and Americans (does the Administration consider this statement proof that attacking Iraq will help fight the risk of terrorism?).
This is just more up-is-down, no-evidence-is-evidence logic from the White House. The tape clearly speaks to the exact opposite of what Powell is trying to say here, and I guess only time will tell whether anyone buys it or not.
- Marcus-Marcus
9:18:49 AM
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© Copyright 2003 Marc Hatfield.
Last update: 02/28/2003; 9:38:51 AM.
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