Kucinich Denounces U.S. Tactics in Afghanistan

[Freddie Stubbs]

Democratic presidential candidate Dennis J. Kucinich said yesterday that U.S. military action against Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was not justified and has proved to be a "disaster" and a "nightmare."

Kucinich, a four-term House member from Cleveland and a former mayor of that city, made the assertion in an interview with editors and reporters of The Washington Post. But two hours later, he called a reporter to clarify his remarks.

He said that he had voted for the congressional resolution authorizing President Bush to take military action in response to the attacks. "On the philosophical question as to whether it was justified, the answer is yes," Kucinich said. "The record on that is clear. . . . I misspoke."

Kucinich said his disagreement with Bush was over "tactics" and he believes that Bush should have involved "the intelligence agencies of other countries" and the United Nations in the hunt for the terrorist suspects. Asked whether he still considered the outcome of U.S. military action in Afghanistan to be a disaster and a nightmare, he said: "I see the Taliban regaining strength and all these conflicts with warlords. The question is: What have we won? Where's the victory?"

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63537-2003Nov19.html

[redqueen]

1. We should ask RAWA's representatives

Remember? The women that were used like PR props to build support for that war?

Something tells me they'd agree with him.

[helleborient]

2. Thanks for the correction, Dennis,

I had my questions after reading the first part, but he does a good job of spelling out where the blame for problems lies - George W. Bush.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. Kerry and DK say it was a failure, Dean says it was a success. The others?

Dean, June 30, 2002

"I think he's done a good job on the war on terrorism."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A64313-2002Jun28

Kerry, June 23, 2002

MR. RUSSERT: Osama bin Laden: Do you believe the war in Afghanistan has been a military success?

SEN. KERRY: Only partly, Tim. I think that our troops did a superb job on the ground. I think those guys who went in in the dead of night, joined up with Hamid Karzai and with the warlords in the north, did a superb job of soldiering. They showed initiative, courage and they really helped to topple the Taliban and move the process forward. But the Taliban are not the target. They were a collateral target. The target is and always has been al-Qaeda.

And al-Qaeda, a thousand strong, was gathered in one single mountain area, Tora Bora, and we turned to Afghans, who a week earlier had been fighting for the other side, and said, "Hey, you guys go up there in the mountains and go after the world's number-one terrorist and criminal who just killed 3,000-plus Americans." I think that was an enormous mistake. I think the Tora Bora operation was a failed military operation, which resulted then in Anaconda, which also did not do the job. And the fact is that the prime target, al-Qaeda, has dispersed and in many ways is more dangerous than it was when it was in the mountains of Tora Bora.

MR. RUSSERT: A spokesman for al-Qaeda said today that 98 percent of the leadership is intact, escaped Tora Bora, that Osama bin Laden is alive and we will hear from him soon.

SEN. KERRY: Well, we're certainly going to hear from him in the sense that al-Qaeda has the ability to strike and we know that. Those warnings have been properly given to everybody. We have a tough job--Tim, what I think all of us need to focus on is the fact that the rhetoric of this war is overblown in some ways and not focused properly in others. This is not a war as we have known it. This is not a war in which there's a front line or the troops are going out every day on control. This is fundamentally an intelligence operation and the law enforcement operation and a diplomatic operation. On all three fronts, we have not been doing adequately in my judgment and the reorganization of homeland security leaves the CIA and the FBI, the law enforcement and intelligence component, outside.
http://tinyurl.com/vpiy

Dean, MTP July 21, 2002

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe the military operation in Afghanistan has been successful?

GOV. DEAN: Yes, I do, and I support the president in that military operation.

MR. RUSSERT: The battle of Tora Bora was successful?

GOV. DEAN: I've seen others criticize the president. I think it?s very easy to second-guess the commander-in-chief at a time of war. I don't choose to engage in doing that.
http://www.bankofknowledge.net/2004/archives/2002_07.html

[JohnKleeb]

4. Thats great and I am glad he didnt try to hide the fact that he said yes

[genius]

5. At least he's speaking out on the issue

I was unhappy with the vote but everyone else running agreed with going into Afghanistan. What concerns me is that it seems to take too long for prominent Democrats to wake up when Bush pulls a fast one. Dennis has been one of the more observant Democrats and I'm glad he's speaking out on the Afghanistan situation.