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Crocker: Al Qaeda on Afghanistan-Pakistan border bigger threat than in Iraq.»

During this afternoon’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) forced Ambassador Ryan Crocker to acknowledge that al Qaeda in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region poses a larger threat than al Qaeda in Iraq:

SEN. BIDEN: Mr. Ambassador, is Al Qaeda a greater threat to US interests in Iraq, or in the Afghan-Pakistan border region? … Which would you pick, Mr. Ambassador?

AMB. CROCKER: I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.

Watch it:

The Wonk Room, Democracy Arsenal, and Spencer Ackerman have more.




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47 Responses to “Crocker: Al Qaeda on Afghanistan-Pakistan border bigger threat than in Iraq.”

  1. Menehune Says:

    I’m guessing Ryan Crocker is looking to be “relieved” of his post. I can’t imagine he’s looking forward to getting back on that plane and heading back to Iraq.


  2. specialist f Says:

    Next question: “So why are we still in Iraq again?”


  3. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    SEN. BIDEN: Mr. Ambassador, is Al Qaeda a greater threat to US interests in Iraq, or in the Afghan-Pakistan border region? … Which would you pick, Mr. Ambassador?

    AMB. CROCKER: I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.

    SEN McCAIN: Okay, then let’s bomb THEM!


  4. MCMetal Says:

    SEN. BIDEN: Mr. Ambassador, is Al Qaeda a greater threat to US interests in Iraq, or in the Afghan-Pakistan border region? … Which would you pick, Mr. Ambassador?

    AMB. CROCKER: I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.

    Which explains perfectly why we’re still in Iraq and pissing away lives and taxpayer $’s …………


  5. Fred Says:

    These guys must drink a lot to be able to live with what they have done.


  6. cooljames Says:

    The TP post and the quoted testimony are non-sequitur. The ambassador actually skirts the question AND reinforces the ‘we are winning in Iraq’ propaganda in his answer, saying, paraphrased, “Since we beat them up so bad in Iraq, I’d focus on Afghanistan/Pakistan in this hypothetical”. That said, this isn’t really a news item beyond noting the cheerleading.


  7. raynman Says:

    AMB. CROCKER: However, the President couldn’t really spell Pakistan-Afghanistan so instead we invaded Iraq, to ensure that the President would get most of the letters right


  8. robertoroberto Says:

    next question : How many Iraqis have died during this occupation? Follow up : f the financial aspect, was it worth the price in human life?


  9. Fred Says:

    cooljames

    He said:

    I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.

    when asked:

    is Al Qaeda a greater threat to US interests in Iraq, or in the Afghan-Pakistan border region?

    We have 160,000 troops and heavy equipment and a 12Billion dollar a month bill to cover costs going on in Iraq because we are fighting them there so we don’t have to fight them here…….

    at the same time, all agree we are losing in Afganistan at present…


  10. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    SEN McCAIN (continued): Well, we gotta bomb somebody!!!


  11. Dr. Hussein Matt Says:

    It appears everything is peachy in Iraq. Fine….let’s bring our troops home.


  12. pete Says:

    Did McCain decide to show up? The last I saw he wasn’t even at the hearing.


  13. RUCerious Says:

    OMG! Quick! Attack Iran!

    Or Oregon.


  14. johnross85 Says:

    If they bomb the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where do they bury the survivors?


  15. pete Says:

    pete Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

    Did McCain decide to show up? The last I saw he wasn’t even at the hearing.

    Ah, I guess he’s there. Still doesn’t know the difference between Shia and Sunni. What a tool.


  16. TheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong Says:

    Did McCain decide to show up? The last I saw he wasn’t even at the hearing.

    Oh yeah, he’s there. Drool-cup in hand, propped up in the corner, muttering incoherent ramblings about the Shi’a in al qeada or some nonsense, kinda like the crazy old fool that reminds me of my Grand dad before we had to put ‘im in a home.


  17. freeman Says:

    well now that mc cain’s where abouts are known , WHERE”S OSAMA BEEN LATELY ?


  18. RUCerious Says:

    johnross85 Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
    If they bomb the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where do they bury the survivors?

    In Iranistan, naturally!


  19. gummitch Says:

    RUCerious Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    OMG! Quick! Attack Iran!

    Or Oregon.

    Hey! Watch it!


  20. freeman Says:

    Ambassador thats a CROCK o ……


  21. gummitch Says:

    RUCerious Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:33 pm

    johnross85 Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
    If they bomb the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where do they bury the survivors?

    In Iranistan, naturally!

    Uh oh. Someone blew the riddle.


  22. Wayne Says:

    Crocker: Al Qaeda on Afghanistan-Pakistan border bigger threat than in Iraq.

    Kudos to Sen. Biden for asking the right questions.
    Boo for not nailing him to the wall.

    Someone should have also pointed out that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq, but was still at the Pakistan/Afhanistan border when we invaded Iraq for WMDs that freeking didn’t exist.

    When the hell are we going to have some of our representatives actually stand up for the Constitution and Truth.

    When is it time to say enough is enough? When war crimes have been committed? When every citizen’s 4th amendment rights have been violated?
    Wake up, its already happened?

    When are we going to have our representatives hold themselves to the oath of office they swore?
    When is enough Enough, already.


  23. freeman Says:

    matbe the dead should be buried in the fantasy land that Bush and evil dick inhabit ?


  24. RUCerious Says:

    Now, gummitch, I know you don’t bury survivors, except in the TV ratings for reality shows!


  25. gummitch Says:

    RUCerious Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:42 pm

    Now, gummitch, I know you don’t bury survivors, except in the TV ratings for reality shows!

    Yeah, well, maybe. But you’re planning on bombing Oregon!


  26. leftcoast Says:

    Wayne Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

    When the hell are we going to have some of our representatives actually stand up for the Constitution and Truth.

    When did we let our reps get away with their compromise of oath?

    It happened when Americans became complacent sheep. More aptly capable of telling you who stars on what television show than naming their rep. Nothing will change in congress until Americans become engaged.


  27. gummitch Says:

    Whoosh. TrollBeGone.


  28. freeman Says:

    The biggest question of the day is ….will anyone be made to answer for the crime of invading a country who had nothing whatsoever to do with 911 and whose dictator along with many others was supported and helped by the U.S. and whose invasion was planned and executed by people who wrote pre 911 of their intention to invade the Mid East inorder to control China and the developing world !


  29. freeman Says:

    Sure bomb eastern oregon but give bend to california first ! The irony is that the US government has sort of all ready done that by releasing radioactive materials by plane along the eastern slope of the cascades inorder to test the effects of radiation on the American population .
    No kidding ! Gotta love that freedom of information act !


  30. Buckie Boy Says:

    You know, it just seems that none of them have a clue about anything. It is just a clusterfck, with neocan’ts grabbing as much money as they can while the getting is good.


  31. freeman Says:

    #26 lefty
    no no it all happened when the Kennedy’s and MLK were assassinated . Anyone have a lite ? It’s getting awfully dark out there.


  32. tombaker Says:

    it was the only threat in the region, prior to numbnut’s doomed invasion.


  33. Freedom Rebel Says:

    Well I give Crocker this, he told the truth. Not good for job security or the administration.


  34. leftcoast Says:

    It’s always a kick to listen to Biden. He is so much more well prepared than most in the Senate, including the candidates. Would have been a great president.


  35. pete Says:

    Speaking of trolls. (pah!) It’s not Hitler’s birthday and I think spring breaks are over. Do you think the piss-soaked one got suspended for challenging the authoritah of the Headmaster?

    I really, really, hope TP starts banning IP addresses and reports some of the terroristic threats made here today.


  36. freeman Says:

    pete Says
    ….. some of the terroristic threats made here today.
    ???????


  37. Doc Rock Says:

    The heretic Crocker will have move quickly out of government!


  38. pete Says:

    # freeman Says:
    April 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

    pete Says
    ….. some of the terroristic threats made here today.
    ???????

    I haven’t been hanging around during the days lately, so I may have missed some, but, there were numerous, specific, threats made against liberals, U.S. soldiers and too many others to reenumerate. Perhaps I’ve just been spared the actual threats to, “fill their guts with led (sic)”?


  39. BrianFL Says:

    Our Iraq policy is ridiculous. If we are paying off all the sides, what incentive do they have to form a real compromise government? Do they really want those checks to stop coming in? If the al Maliki’s government is being protected by US troops, what incentive do they have to compromise with Sunni factions? What incentive does the Iraqi government have to fight Shiite militias if violence from those militias will mean more US money coming in and more US troops to guard them?

    They are now running a large surplus in their budget because they have US taxpayers to cover their defense budget. So they have a surplus while our government runs a huge deficit, yet WE are the ones paying off militias/extremists?

    I’ve heard some say, “We’ve made our bed in Iraq, now we have to lie in it,” but I feel like we’ve become Mommy and Daddy to the Iraqi government. They don’t have to make their bed since Mommy and Daddy will just come in and make it for them every time. On top of that, Mommy and Daddy even raise their allowance the messier the bed gets.


  40. labdad95 Says:

    I can’t listen to Crocker speak. Every other word is “Uh.”


  41. Chocolate Jesus Says:

    >“So why are we still in Iraq again?”

    didnt rummy tell you? there are no good targets in afghanistan…


  42. Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:

    Last count our government said there “may be” 1,000 AQ (really insurgents calling themselves AQ) in Iraq. And yet Betrayus and other Republican stooges are trying to convince us that they are the biggest and baddest threat in Iraq. So, why can’t the US with 160,000 soldiers somehow take care of 1,000 AQ in Iraq. That’s a question someone should ask Betrays.


  43. Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:

    RUCerious Says:
    OMG! Quick! Attack Iran!
    Or Oregon.

    Now, wait a minute. I take exception to that. I say if we can’t attack Iran we attack Texas.


  44. flavorino Says:

    “I would therefore pick Al Qaeda in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.”

    So…were spending 12 BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH in Iraq to accomplish what?
    Fulfilling Bin-Laden’s plan to destroy the U.S. economy?
    Mission accomplished?

    I saw a commodity report at work today.
    Some Chinese suppliers are now reluctant to accept US dollars.
    they want to be paid in Euros.
    The real s*** has yet to hit the fan.
    Heckuva job, Bushie!


  45. TXProgressive Says:

    Hmm…I heard Obama make the same comment the other day - I believe he made the statement while on the Harball College tour. He stated that we really should be focusing on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. Couple that with the comments he was ridiculed over regarding air strikes in Pakistan - which he also called correctly…I’d say that the young inexperienced candidate has already shown more recognition to the actual problems - he certainly sees a reality than the bush admin is blind to. It’s also a recognition that McSame and The Clintons have failed to achieve. Nice job rookie. Go Obama.


  46. DallasNE Says:

    So why aren’t our greatest efforts focused on where the greatest threat exists? More than 5 years ago we had bin Laden trapped at Tora Bora but rather than securing that area and capturing bin Laden we diverted our energies into a build-up for an invasion of Iraq that Congress hadn’t even debated, let alone authorized. The Bush administration has made mistake after mistake after mistake and have learned absolutely nothing. Why they have not been fired (impeached) is beyond belief.


  47. Max-1 Says:

    .

    Is this where the NeoCon Fascist cheer squad yell:

    Stay the Course!”

    .


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