One Day After Bush Says We’re ‘Winning’ In Afghanistan, State Dept. Says al Qaeda Is ‘Stronger’
One Day After Bush Says We’re ‘Winning’ In Afghanistan, State Dept. Says al Qaeda Is ‘Stronger’
This week, President Hamid Karzai was the subject of an attempted assassination plot, allegedly launched by the Taliban, which narrowly escaped. In a Rose Garden press conference yesterday, ABC’s Martha Raddatz asked Bush to comment on the status of Afghanistan in light of the assassination plot:
RADDATZ: Are we winning in Afghanistan?
BUSH: I think we’re making progress in Afghanistan […]
Q: But do you think we’re winning? Do you think we’re winning?
BUSH: I do, I think we’re making good progress. I do, yes.
Watch it:
In contrast, today, the State Department released its annual Country Reports on Terrorism. The opening lines of the report are a stark departure from Bush’s blind optimism:
Al-Qa’ida (AQ) and associated networks remained the greatest terrorist threat to the United States and its partners in 2007. It has reconstituted some of its pre-9/11 operational capabilities through the exploitation of Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), replacement of captured or killed operational lieutenants, and the restoration of some central control by its top leadership, in particular Ayman al-Zawahiri.
In Afghanistan and surrounding areas, State Department notes, al Qaeda now has “greater mobility” in the region:
Despite the efforts of both Afghan and Pakistani security forces, instability, coupled with the Islamabad brokered cease-fire agreement in effect for the first half of 2007 along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, appeared to have provided AQ leadership greater mobility and ability to conduct training and operational planning, particularly that targeting Western Europe and the United States. … AQ leaders continued to plot attacks and to cultivate stronger operational connections that radiated outward from Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
The report also notes that terrorist attacks in Afghanistan increased 16 percent last year, which was the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since 2001. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, who commands U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said last week, “This year won’t be different.”
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30 Responses to “One Day After Bush Says We’re ‘Winning’ In Afghanistan, State Dept. Says al Qaeda Is ‘Stronger’”
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Tofind out what is really happening in Afghanistan you have to read forien press.
Our news is censored, fact.
http://thinkprogress.org/ 2006/ 09/ 25/ newsweeks-latest-cover-by-geographical-region/
April 30th, 2008 at 8:03 pmThe Bush administration has our forces spread so thin that they can not possibly take care of Afghanistan properly. Now with Bush planning on an airstrike of Iran that region has even less hope of any kind of stability. He now has Afghanistan’s bloodiest year since 2001 to add to list of complete failures.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:04 pmforeign,even
April 30th, 2008 at 8:05 pmand people still think this is some kind of incompetence on Bu$h’s part.
When will we realize that everything is going according to their plan?
War is Peace.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:06 pmIf the definition of winning is AQ getting stronger, then Bush is right - easy.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:08 pmBUSH: I do, I think we’re making good progress*. I do, yes.
- * - Progress, as in we’ll see progress in expanding KBR’s role, our troop commitment will progressively grow, Afghanistan’s opium production is progressing toward record numbers…so yeah, we definitely see progress.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:10 pmRight about now, Pres Bush is wishing he had a magic wand so he could make AlQaeda go ‘poof!’.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:14 pmOne Day After Bush Says We’re ‘Winning’ In Afghanistan, State Dept. Says al Qaeda Is ‘Stronger’
Does that mean we’re winning a stronger al Qaeda ?
April 30th, 2008 at 8:19 pmWe are not winning because we have yet to lift a finger against those truly responsible for the rise of Al Qaeda and the attacks on 9/11 - little Georgie’s bestest oil buddies in the Middle East.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:22 pmYet once again, Bush proves he has no idea & is completely divorced from reality. Hence, he has no credibility. But we knew that.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:23 pmContinued– could there ever be a more inneffectual, incompetent, and dishonest president? Answer is easy - no. Positively the worst. Ever. The worst. No other president has ever destroyed the U.S. image in the world more than this incompetent. He couldn’t even be successful at Harvard or in the reserves. Even the Repubs should have been able to see what a stupid loser this man is– oh, wait!!- that’s why Bush got in!! - so Cheney could run the country– God knows (and God does know) that Bush can’t hack it, so Cheney, Rove, etc. really were “the President”. What a bunch of liars, incompetents, manipulators, and frauds. The real losers?? - the U.S. public, and the U.S. reputation. Thanks, Bush, Cheney, etc. for destroying our reputation across the world. Idiots.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:34 pmJust more proof that Bush is an idiot.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:37 pmAsk a stupid question (what does “winning” mean in this context?) and get a stupid answer.
Keeping asking the question and keep getting the answer.
Stupid press and stupid president going through the motions again and again.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:40 pmAP April 29, 2008:
April 30th, 2008 at 8:56 pmPresident Bush was the intended target of a serious question about policy this afternoon in the White House rose garden.
The President narrowly escaped the question by asking about the reporter’s family and then quickly changing the topic.
A White House spokesperson later said the President was fine and resting at an undisclosed location after the near miss.
It’s the bad progress that’s wearin’ us down. There can be no winning or losing as there are no clear objectives.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:02 pm“One Day After Bush Says We’re ‘Winning’ In Afghanistan, State Dept. Says al Qaeda Is ‘Stronger’”
And we should thank the Harry Potter-in-chief’s magic wand speech from yesterday. Bush waved his magic wand and Al-Queda multiplied overnight.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:16 pmWow! One of those is a lie! (actually probably both). Can we press charges now?
April 30th, 2008 at 9:24 pmI don’t know why we are fighting in Afghanistan. The Russians tried to do something but had their asses handed to them. We didn’t listen. When we went into S. Viet Nam, the French warned us not to do it after they got their asses kicked at Dien Bien Phu. We didn’t listen. Bush the elder warned Chimpy not to go into Baghdad because we would own it. We didn’t listen. Osama warned us about intruding into Arab countries. We didn’t listen.
When will we listen?
April 30th, 2008 at 10:45 pmOSAMA BIN LADEN
Heard of him? Bring him to justice, my ass?
Bush, you are nothing but a war criminal and LIAR.
Worst.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:51 pmPresident.
Ever.
Osama Bin Laden told us to get our bases out of Saudi Arabia and we didn’t listen. Therefore he planned 911. But he also said he wanted to ruin our economy. It worked. He also wanted to take away our freedoms and instill constant fear. He did that also. How does everyone like our economy? Our national debt? The govt. listening and watching everything? Osama is much more powerful than the Chimp and Cheney could ever be.
April 30th, 2008 at 11:03 pmHe said we are “making good progress on the economy”, too. He always says it.
April 30th, 2008 at 11:17 pmI knew that! I’m used to know that everything that comes out of that filthy WAR CRIMINAL’s mouth, Bush, the opposite is true!
May 1st, 2008 at 1:36 amPar for the course, the opposite is true compared to what chimp is saying. The economy is strong -fact, the economy is in recession, Invading Iraq was a great idea, -fact It’s an unmitigated disaster with no end in sight, Progress in Afghanistan, -fact AQ and Taliban stronger than ever. Simply another day in Bushland Uber Alles.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:08 amRemind me again why we are in Afghanistan. Way back, it was to get ol’ Osama, but we seem to have given that one up. Are we staying there to stand amidst yet another civil war?
May 1st, 2008 at 7:15 amMoreover, what was he thinking wearing that tie
May 1st, 2008 at 8:32 amOK, now we know the pattern. On EVEN days, we catapult the propaganda that Al Qaeda is stronger and we must be afraid, very afraid. On ODD days, we claim we’re winning to prop up whatever pathetic support we still have remaining for our “war on terror”.
This pattern will repeat indefinitely until the American people refuse to be fooled anymore and demand that we focus on getting Osama bin Laden and quit pouring our resources into battles having nothing to do with 9/11.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:51 amThe only things the boy-king lacks are a tunic with bells on it, a pointed hat and slippers.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:59 amHe is no longer the emperor with no clothes — he is the court jester!
MOONBAT Says:
Osama Bin Laden told us to get our bases out of Saudi Arabia and we didn’t listen. Therefore he planned 911. But he also said he wanted to ruin our economy. It worked. He also wanted to take away our freedoms and instill constant fear. He did that also. How does everyone like our economy? Our national debt? The govt. listening and watching everything? Osama is much more powerful than the Chimp and Cheney could ever be.
I had to repost Moonbat’s comment because it is soo PROFOUND!! I don’t think Bin Laden could’ve done a better job of destroying this country than the current Administration.
Based on all Bin Laden wanted to do, I guess he can say “Mission Accomplished!!”.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:57 amBad link.
May 1st, 2008 at 5:16 pm“Martha, the public needs to know that I’m on top of everything.”
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:22 am