September 23, 2004
Iraqi interim prime minister Ayad Allawi spoke to a joint meeting of Congress:
Offering a simple, “Thank you America,” Iraqi interim prime minister Ayad Allawi declared Thursday that his country is moving successfully past the war that ousted Saddam Hussein and vowed that elections will take place next year as scheduled.
“Elections will occur in Iraq on time in January because Iraqis want elections on time,” Allawi told a joint meeting of Congress, an appearance that President Bush’s advisers hoped would ease American voters’ doubts about the troubled campaign in Iraq.
Despite struggles and setbacks, “the values of liberty and democracy” are taking hold in his country, Allawi proudly exclaimed. “We could hold elections tomorrow” in 15 of 18 provinces, he said, even though terror operatives hope to disrupt them.
“The insurgency in Iraq is destructive but small, and it has not and will never resonate with the Iraqi people,” Allawi said.
As I’ve noted before, if there’s no civil war in Iraq, it’s game over, America wins.
Mainstream media has expressed many fears of a civil war in Iraq. But anybody reading the Iraqi bloggers would know that the vast majority of the Iraqi people are thrilled with freedom. How could they not be, given the torture they were accustomed to for decades? Here’s just one example, from Iraq at a Glance:
Yesterday I was in AlHurriya Olympic Swimming Pool together with my friends, while we were there, the Iraqi soccer team alternates entered the place with the goalkeepers coach Ahmed Jasim..
I met one of the players, Akram Sabeeh, the goalkeeper and talked for few minutes, then I asked some questions and told him that Id publish his words on the internet and hes agreed, so I gladly began my questions:
A: What do you feel when you play now? I think theres a difference than those days during the ex-regime?
Akram: look, I was seriously afraid when I was playing, they were really horrible days under Uday, I was afraid to do anything that might be misunderstood and the result would be the jail.
Now, I feel free when I play soccer, I feel that Im playing to improve myself and never afraid of anyone.
A: So you feel that you are free now?
Akram: of course free.
A: Have you ever been jailed?
Akram: Yes, for 10 days.
A: what for?
Akram: Because I shouted at the referee!
A: Isnt it a humiliating act to be jailed for this reason?
Akram: Yes, but Uday was enjoying doing so, I might be lucky to be jailed only, other players were being beaten severely, tortured and many other brutal acts, youve heard about that?
A:Yes..lets forget what was Uday doing… what about the economical status?
Akram: my salary was 20$ and now it is 200$.
A: wonderful..multiplied by 10..
Akram: Yes, I can think in my future now!
Of course the Iraqi people love freedom and democracy.
Letterman’s Top 10 List from last night:
10. Stick to stories everyone can agree on, like cookies are delicious.
9. Move nightly “happy hour” to after the broadcast.
8. Stop hiring guys with crazy names like “Morley.”
7. Can’t figure out if a news story is true? Let Judge Joe Brown decide.
6. Every time Mike Wallace tells a lie he gets a life-threatening electrical shock.
5. Newsroom patrolled by some kind of lovable but strict “truth monkey.”
4. If it turns out the story is wrong, give away 276 brand new cars.
3. After delivering a report, correspondent must add, “or maybe not—who knows?”
2. Newscast consists of Dan Rather sitting down to watch Tom Brokaw.
1. Oh, I dunno, stop making up crap?
September 22, 2004
The following quotes are circulating on the Internet. They’re all from prominent Democrats, and are vouched for as accurate by the Truth or Fiction web site.
- “One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.” – President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
- “If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.” – President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
- Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.” – Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
- “He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten time since 1983.” – Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18,1998
- ”[WE] urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.” – Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), John Kerry (D – MA), and others Oct. 9,1998
- “Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.” – Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Dec. 16, 1998
- “Hussein has … chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.” >- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
- “There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.” – Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL,) and others, December 5, 2001
- “We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.” – Sen. Carl Levin (D- MI), Sept. 19, 2002
- “We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.” – Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
- “Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.” – Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
- “We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.” – Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Sept. 27, 2002
- “The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons…” – Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), Oct. 3, 2002
- “I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force—if necessary—to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.” – Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA), Oct. 9,2002
- “There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.”- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D- WV), Oct 10, 2002
- “He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do” – Rep. Henry Waxman (D- CA), Oct. 10, 2002
- “In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.” – Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Oct 10, 2002
- “We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction.” – Sen. Bob Graham (D- FL), Dec. 8, 2002
- Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation … And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction … So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real” – Sen. John F. Kerry (D- MA) Jan. 23. 2003
