Palin Links Iraq to 9/11, A View Discarded by Bush

[kskiska]

Source: WP

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Sept. 11 -- Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

The idea that Iraq shared responsibility with al-Qaeda for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. On any other day, Palin's statement would almost certainly have drawn a sharp rebuke from Democrats, but both parties had declared a halt to partisan activities to mark Thursday's anniversary.

"America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001," she said at the deployment ceremony, which drew hundreds of military families who walked from their homes on the sprawling post to the airstrip where the service was held.

Palin's return to Alaska coincided with her first extensive interview since she became the Republican vice presidential nominee. In the interview, with ABC News correspondent Charlie Gibson, Palin struggled when asked to define the "Bush doctrine" on foreign policy, leading to repeated follow-up questions from Gibson about whether she believed in the right to "anticipatory self-defense" and crossing other nations' borders to take action against threats.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091103789.html?hpid=topnews

[ladym55]

1. Keeping up with news about foreign issues is hard work

I mean when you're busy getting a town $20+ million in debt, trying to get people fired who tick you off, get books banned, speak in tongues, support Alaska separatist groups, and fight against sex education in schools ... who has TIME to learn even the basics of foreign affairs. C'mon, it's not like a vice president has to KNOW anything or a president for that matter. Check out Chimpy!

[bigworld]

2. I don't think she's saying what the headline says she did

You could read that as defending innocent people against terrorists in general; I don't think she linked Iraq with 9/11 at all. There's a lot more to Palin which we can criticize than this.

[orleans]

6. you don't think she was connecting iraq with 9/11?

read it again:
"they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

what the fuck else could she be referring to regarding the the words "planned and carried out" and "deaths of thousands of americans"

she's an ignorant little neocon wannabe piece of shit. (of course that is just my partisan opinion)

[Honeycombe8]

7. You are wrong, Grasshopper. This is how it was done in the 1st place, remember?

The Bush admin. never actually SAID Iraq/Saddam was linked with 9/11. But they gave that impression by doing what Palin just did. It was so successful that 70% of our citizens, in a poll in 2002 or 2003, thought that Saddam was involved in 9/11.

They talk about Iraq, then they talk about terrorism, then they talk about Al Qaeda, all in the same speech, and mention terrorism a lot, then talk about Iraq some more. Anyone not intimately aware of what was going on (political junkies like us) would come away from the speech thinking that we were going after Saddam because he was involved with 9/11.

Her statement, to people who don't follow politics closely (like herself), would lead people to believe that we went to Iraq, and are still there, fighting the ones responsible for 9/11. THOSE Al Qaeda people are not in Iraq; they are presumably in the mountains in Afghanistan and possibly Pakistan. Places where we are not.

[DallasNE]

18. What, You Don't Remember

How many times Bush, Cheney, etc. claimed that Atta met in Prague with Saddam's intelligence team. That made the link direct. Just like the yellowcake from Niger and everything else, it turned out to be a lie.

[JimInNashville]

8. People need to realize...

This election will be lost in the next 8 weeks if Democrats mis-state and mistreat Palin, rather than returning to the issues that are the key to our survival.

For me, the number one issue is energy independence. Let's deflect this "cult of personality" (be it Palin, Obama, or War-hero McCain) and get back to ISSUES!

Calling Palin an idiot makes us look stupid. She's obviously brighter than 99% of the voting public, let alone the people ranting about her here. She's a governor.

Obama is not a skilled debator. He is thoughtful and intelligent, but struggles to frame his ideas as sound bites. If the debates are a tie, I'll be satisfied. Meanwhile, Palin is grabbing votes from several constituencies (if you trust the polls). If this election is not reframed in terms of ISSUES very soon, Democrats will be able to congratulate themselves on losing a third straight "unloseable" election.

Think about it.

[rgbecker]

11. If who you choose for your VP is not an issue, I don't know what is.

Palin says lets get energy independent and Drill, baby drill! Fuck the Polar Bears!

[Gwendolyn]

22. This isn't a question of Dems calling attention to her ignorance!

It's the MSM media FINALLY starting to call it out. And that's just fine!

[NM Independent]

23. I agree...

the Palin Distraction.


It's going to do us in if people don't knock it off.

[OwnedByFerrets]

10. You are wrong on this one.

[Lefty48197]

12. I don't see any other way to interpret those words

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, Sept. 11 -- Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

If the troops were actually going to defend us from the enemies who planned and carried out those attacks, then our troops would be going to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and maybe Saudi Arabia, but not Iraq.

[Virginian]

17. Who are the Innocent they are defending? n/t

[joeglow3]

27. Technically, I don't have a problem with what she said

on 2 (well, just one) counts:

1. She could say the people there rejoiced, but weren't involved in planning. Personally, I would call this one BS, but that is because I am a tax accountant and, in reading the Code, the difference between "and" and "or" are HUGE.

2. Many of the people who supported and were a part of the attack are NOW in Iraq. Thus, what she said is really true.

Now, that said, the awesome thing about this is they have 2 options:

1. If this gets hammered home, they ignore it. Clearly, this would hurt them and they would not do this.

2. IF they address it, point out that THEY are the reason those people are in Iraq.

Thus, while I think what she said is entirely true, it was a STUPID comment as we can take control of this no matter what the say and turn it against them.

[SpiralHawk]

30. Memo to MissLeader & media: The facts are plain. Iraq had no 9/11 involvement.

The facts are plain. Iraq had no 9/11 involvement. No republicon has ever come forward with a shred of evidence about that.

Where's your fact-based evidence for this 'clam', Governor Palin?

[SOS]

31. Read the full Palin quote

“You’ll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans,” she told the soldiers.
“America can never go back to that false sense of security that came before September 11, 2001.”

She directly and falsely linked Iraq to 9/11.

White House press briefing, August 2006:

QUESTION: What did Iraq have to do with that?
BUSH: What did Iraq have to do with what?
QUESTION: The attacks upon the World Trade Center.
BUSH: Nothing

[LynnTheDem]

3. Sarah Paliban and Cheney the Dick; two stupid ignorant peas in a pod.

Or just two liars.

Or both.

[jobycom]

4. "False sense of security?" The only people with a false sense of security

on 9-10-01 were the dumbass Republicans who impeached Clinton, criticized his obsession with trying to kill Bin Laden, then turned their backs as the terrorists snuck in and attacked us. Anyone paying attention to Clinton, Gore, or the rest of the Democrats were terrified that that day would come eventually.

Hell, Gore introduced legislation after his Gore Commission Report that would have prevented 9-11, and the fucking Republicans killed the bill in committee, saying the $10 million or so to increase airport security was unnecessary and too expensive. What about now, Republicans? You still think that $10 million was a bad deal? Typical Repubs--do nothing to prevent a tragedy, then spend too much closing the barn doors after the cows have escaped and the barn has burned to the ground.

Vile, filthy creatures. There's nothing Palin could have said to get my blood boiling more. Her goddamn party let 9-11 happen, then tried to blame someone else so you can murder a million innocent people who had nothing to do with it.

I can't wait to vote against them.

[grytpype]

5. She's dumber and crazier than Bush. God help us if Obama loses.

[OwnedByFerrets]

9. Im going to be as nice as I can under the circumstances....

god damned motherfucking stupid piece of human flesh, not worth feeding to the fucking wolves she hates so damn much

[Lefty48197]

13. See... ...don't ya feel better now

Don't ya feel better now that you were able to get that off of your chest without being mean?

[bjnumb9]

14. I've got to agree with the minority, I don't see her statement

as tying Iraq to 9/11. The "enemies" she mentions seems to be a general term for the terrorist forces that are now in Iraq, and aren't even necessarily Iraqi. If I'm not mistaken, the majority of the terrorists killing our troops over there are indeed NOT from Iraq, but from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, etc. etc.

She is most definitely a neocon who scares the shit out of me on almost every issue you could think of. I just don't see this as being such a big deal, in relation to all of the other BS she's spouted. The community organizer stuff pissed me off quite a bit more. The lying about the "thanks, but no thanks" on the bridge fiasco pisses me off more. This latest thing may be manipulating your average mouth breathing dumbass citizen, but hell, is that something new for Palin/McCain/Republicans?

[Thorandmjolnir]

29. Would you mind defining terrorist?

Is it any one who fights against the American occupation?

Anyone not associated with the Iraqi government?

Could it not be argued that the people killing our troops are not terrorist but part of the resistance movement, freedom fighters, patriots etc?

[Politicalboi]

15. You know

Ragheads. Seen one seen them all. They all hate our freedoms. Why should Americans dirty their minds about the people we kill in our name for something they didn't do. :sarcasm:
But what's more important is who won on American Idol?

[Not Sure]

16. What a fucking moron.

This shit was funny. Now it's just depressing. Not so much that she could be president, but depressing that there are still people who completely lock down their brains from receiving any information at all. What a dunce.

[aquart]

19. It's not a "view." It's a LIE.

[humbled_opinion]

20. Obama Campaign....

Needs to make a commercial out of this footage... .Sarah Palin is Bush...

[humbled_opinion]

21. Obama Campaign....

Needs to make a commercial out of this footage... .Sarah Palin is Bush...

[struggle4progress]

24. For voters who haven't been paying attention, a candidate who hasn't been paying attention either

[kayell]

25. This happens to people who get all their world views from FOX and their church

nm

[goodhue]

26. geez

[Javaman]

28. She's a fucking moron.

here we have on display a member of the 25% crew. those who still vote for moron* but yet don't know why they do.

They just parrot the supposed talking points rather then actually read the talking points.

She is the classic poster child for the rightwing, know nothing, fingers in the ears yelling la la la, stupid ass fundie.

if this colossally stupid human gets into office, all bets are off. I honestly see armed revolt in our future.

[fascisthunter]

33. and SO Isn't Her Pathetic Base... all dumb ass brainwashed dweebs

[Javaman]

35. I assume you meant "is" and not "isn't". nt

[fascisthunter]

36. of course, of course...

[Vinca]

32. But according to them she's a real wizard on foreign policy. nt

[kayell]

34. We saw really evidence of that in her interview with Gibson when she

threatened war on Russia after declaring that 2 unstable nations would be good entrants to Nato.