BUSH: "If somebody from al Qaeda is calling you, we'd like to know why"

[kpete]

"This NSA program is an important program protecting Americans," Bush said after visiting wounded troops at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. "We're at war."

Bush said the program limited to "a few numbers" called by known al Qaeda members outside the United States.

"If somebody from al Qaeda is calling you, we'd like to know why," Bush said.

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record) of New York, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said he would ask committee Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), a Pennsylvania Republican, to seek testimony from Comey, Ashcroft, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

"Today's revelations really heighten concerns about this. When (James) Comey, who was one of the premier terrorism prosecutors in this country, said that he thought this program violated the law ... it calls into question to way the president and the vice president went about changing it," Schumer said on "Fox News Sunday."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060101/pl_nm/security_eavesdropping_dc

[rman]

1. In other words: "we're listening in on everyone, just in case

anyone gets a call from al Qaeda."

Same as "we detect" - meaning "we monitor everything all the time, so that we can detect it when something's up".

[kahleefornia]

2. OK, then is there a "no call list"

for terrorists? cause I'd like to sign up. Darn teleterrorists always call right during dinner. FOr the last time, I don't want to re-finance my mortgage OR stage a suicide bombing.

[ThoughtCriminal]

3. They want to be my long-distance phone service?

Or clean my carpets maybe.

[eleny]

4. So, if the NSA conducted tens of thousands of spy actions...

Does this mean that Al Qaeda has been making tens of thousands of contacts to the US? Oh, puh-leeze! This bullshit is piling higher and higher.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

12. No.... but perhaps they should call every number in the U.S. so that

we will become less interesting to the NSA. I mean "if they're all doing it" I'm just sayin'.

[eleny]

27. The Al Qaeda Boileroom Project

[wildwww2]

5. Al Qaeda was created by our CIA. Training Bin Laden and his 9-11 buddies

to kill the Russians in Afghanistan. Our CIA should be able to rein in what they created. That is if they were not as corrupt as the Bu$h administration itself. Which I believe they are. Anyone with even a tiny bit of brain power knows that Bu$h and his administration are the most dangerous group of terrorists on the planet.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[The2ndWheel]

6. "If somebody from al Qaeda is calling you, we'd like to know why,"

"because they're our friends, and we knew them BEFORE they were cool."

[MichiganVote]

7. Hey asshole, if somebody from al Qaeda is calling my house

I'll ask them myself, I'll report it to the police and I'll take whatever steps are needed for my security. What a jerk off rationalization. Of all the stupid things to say.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Al Qaeda has a bunch of telemarketers on staff, dontchaknow?

What if this happened to you?

(Phone rings)

You: Hello?

Voice: Is this Mr. Schmudlapp?

You: Speaking. Who's calling, please?

Voice: Mr. Schmudlapp, my name is Abdul, and I'm calling from Al-Qaeda. We have a wonderful offer for you. Would you be interested in our monthly magazine, Jihad Today? For a short time only, a year's subscription will cost you only $15. And with that, you'll also get an autographed photo of Osama bin Laden, suitable for framing...

You: Sorry, not interested. I get National Geographic.

Voice: Just for you, Mr. Schmudlapp, we'll also send you an attractive Jihad Today coffee mug if you subscribe now...

You: No, thanks. Bye.

(click)

And forever after, the NSA will tap your phone.

[Turbineguy]

21. Hey!

I got a call just like that! Only they did not say they were from Al Qaeda. They must have been lying.

:yoiks:

[oblivious]

31. They didn't make you an offer to join the Jihad in Iraq?

[no_hypocrisy]

9. If you're listening to my phone conversations for any reason w/o a warrant

then I'D like to know why.

You're fired.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. What an IDIOT!

:banghead:

[Chiyo-chichi]

11. We'd like to know why you can't get a WARRANT

to listen to calls from al Qaeda members.
THAT must be a tough ticket, eh George?

[Jade Fox]

13. Whoa, didn't Bush just shoot himself in the foot .....

with that remark?

Virtually all Americans know that Al Quaeda is not gonna be calling them, so this sounds like the ridiculous assertion it is. Plus, it sounds like Bush is waging war against the people of the United States of America now.

By the way, we are not AT WAR. We invaded a sovereign nation, and are now trying to maintain order there. That does not constitute being 'at war'.

[NanceGreggs]

16. Remember when he said, "You're either WITH US ...

... or AGAINST US."

He wasn't talking to the rest of the world -- he was talking to the citizenry at large.

And by the way, Idiot Bush, I'm AGAINST you. So now you don't have to bother 'monitoring' my phone calls to get that information.

[WinkyDink]

24. EXACTLY! We are NOT AT WAR!

That's like saying, Germany was "at war with" Poland (not to be forgotten!) after its invasion of same!
No, both they and we are INFRICKINVADERS!!!!!

[Cleita]

14. Fer shure, Osama and I call each other regularly every week,

just to check up on how we each are doing. We also, exchange greeting cards when the occasion calls for it.

:sarcasm:

[Bluebear]

15. We'd like to know why you can't go through lawful channels, Mr. Bush.

[shance]

17. "Al Quaeda" appears to be the White House's scapegoat for everything.

Kind of like Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Forgotten.

[acmavm]

18. The he better be tapping the phones of a few of the old timer thugs

he's got running around in the government (and their buddies) because they have ties with Al Quaeda from back in the day.

[momster]

19. al Qaeda Calling

Wasn't that a song by the Clash?

[cliss]

20. This is great. Now, I want Bush

to summon a press conference where they can ask him all kinds of questions about this illegal wiretapping.

"what did you do, again?"
"how many people did you spy on?
"why wasn't a warrant good enough?"
"what exactly was the danger here?"
"were any of them Democrats?"
"were any of them war protesters?"
"were any of them named Cindy Sheehan?"

Let him talk. The more he does, the more we find out. And the more mistakes the Fool will make.

Keep talking, George.

[robbedvoter]

22. "I'll be the judge on who gets calls from Osama" - is what he means

You think he taped his daddy when this took place?


> http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,5-2001365686,00.html
>
> TUESDAY OCTOBER 23 2001
> Bin Laden family to end ties to Carlyle
> FROM CHRIS AYRES IN NEW YORK
> THE family of Osama bin Laden is close to ending its relationship
> with the Carlyle Group, the US investment group backed by George
> Bush Snr, the former President, and John Major, the former Prime
> Minister.
>
> It is understood that Carlyle Group and the Saudi Binladin Group,
> the Middle Eastern conglomerate owned by the family of bin Laden,
> have decided to part company by “mutual consent”.

[Rex]

23. I'd like to know why the Bin Ladens were flown out of the US

by friends of Boosh & Cheney right after 911.

[robbedvoter]

25. Or why they refused offers to arrest him?

New offer on Bin Laden
http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,575593,00.html
Minister makes secret trip to offer trial in third country
Rory McCarthy in Islamabad
Wednesday October 17, 2001
The Guardian
A senior Taliban minister has offered a last-minute deal to hand over Osama bin Laden during a secret visit to Islamabad, senior sources in Pakistan told the Guardian last night.
For the first time, the Taliban offered to hand over Bin Laden for trial in a country other than the US without asking to see evidence first in return for a halt to the bombing, a source close to Pakistan's military leadership said.

[hyphenate]

26. What really scares the hell out of me

is that this regime, rather than allow themselves to be impeached for treason on the strength of these wiretaps, will instead change the law to allow them to do it without any kind of punishment, and a good 50% of the country will think that's just fucking okay, too!

[TahitiNut]

28. My answer: "Tough shit! It's none of your damned business!"

Since when is a conversation between an American and anyone automatically government business? I'll have conversations with whomever I fucking want and it's none of the fucking government's fucking business!!

Go to hell, Junior ... shove your "interests" up your ass!

While we're at it, asshole, how about the conversations Dickless Cheney had with corporate energy industry hotshots?? You can goddamneed well release the minutes of those fucking meetings before you have the authority to violate my rights!! (What a fuckhead twit!!)

[fasttense]

29. Hey, brush mover, here's a hint

If somebody from al Qaeda is calling me, it is none of your damn business. Unless you get a judge to approve spying on me, you will just have do without that bit of intrusion on a US citizen. It didn't seem to help that you knew the Bin Laden's were going to attack the World Trade Center. You let it happen anyway. So why is it no judge will give you warrants, even after the fact?

[donheld]

30. Damn I sat by the phone all Saturday night waiting for the phone to ring.

Not even Al-Qaeda called. Now I'm REALLY depressed :eyes: Nobody loves me every body hates me, guess I'll go eat worms. Big ones, little ones, itsy bitsy bitty ones, ones that wiggle and squirm. First I'll bite the heads off then I'll suck the guts out and throw the skins away. :puke:

[TankLV]

37. Nope - nobody loves you OR hates you.

Nobody even THINKS of you!

You didn't even get the calls we all are from Al Keda (isn't he a pitcher or catcher on some baseball team?).

My condolences.

[Garbo 2004]

32. But Moonie Insight mag reported its sources told them AQ uses couriers

since they know telecommunications are unsafe and may be monitored. So the NSA surveillance has been a bust for those purposes.

Hell, Bush has closer ties to the Bin Ladens and Saudis than the average citizen. Much more likely he gets calls from an AQ supporter than your local Quaker peace activist who's likely on the FBI's list of potential "terraists."

More lies from the Bush junta.

[Hubert Flottz]

33. ("Oil barons court Taliban in Texas",)

Better tap your and Kenny Boy's phones in that case Mr. pResidunce!


Unocal executives fête Taliban ministers at their homes in Texas.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=006576086753008&rtmo=lzoPFokt&atmo=rrrrrrrq&pg=/et/97/12/14/wtal14.html)


"The Islamic warriors appear to have been persuaded to close the deal, not through delicate negotiation but by old-fashioned Texan hospitality. Last week Unocal, the Houston-based company bidding to build the 876-mile pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, invited the Taliban to visit them in Texas...The Taliban ministers and their advisers stayed in a five-star hotel and were chauffeured in a company minibus...The men, who are accustomed to life without heating, electricity or running water, were amazed by the luxurious homes of Texan oil barons. Invited to dinner at the palatial home of Martin Miller, a vice-president of Unocal, they marvelled at his swimming pool, views of the golf course and six bathrooms. After a meal of specially prepared halal meat, rice and Coca-Cola, the hardline fundamentalists - who have banned women from working and girls from going to school - asked Mr Miller about his Christmas tree."


Family Affair: the Bushes and the Bin Ladens

snip

Bush II

Despite Sheehan's thorough condemnation, the Bush administration began to negotiate with the Taliban in February, 2001, according to Jean Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasque, authors of Bin Laden: La Vérité Interdite. Handling public relations for the Taliban in this phase was Laila Helms, niece of former CIA Director Richard Helms. The Taliban reportedly offered to extradite bin Laden in exchange for diplomatic recognition. In May Secretary of State Colin Powell announced that the U.S. would provide $43 million in drought relief aid Brisard and Dasque point to the preponderance of energy industry officials in the Bush administration and an "oil above all" philosophy in explaining why a U.S. government would resume negotiations with a regime such as that characterized in Michael Sheehan's testimony. They regard with special suspicion the continued refusal of Vice President Cheney to release information about the deliberations of the Energy Policy Task Force. At a minimum, the Bush administration apparently was seduced by the same arguments that influenced U.S. behavior in the Unocal pipeline episode: oil development in the region required a stable government in Afghanistan. Initially, the Taliban appeared to offer that possibility.

Several meetings with the Taliban took place under the auspices of the United Nations, the book asserts. Facilitated by Fransesc Vendrell, personal representative of UN Secretary General Kofi-Annan, the meetings were attended by representatives of the six countries bordering Afghanistan, plus Russian and the US. The assemblage was sometimes referred to as the group of 6+2. Taliban representatives reportedly sat in on some of the group's meetings. Former Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs, Naif Naik confirmed to French television that during a July 6+2 meeting in Berlin, the formation of a "government of national unity" in Afghanistan was discussed. "If the Taliban had accepted this coalition, they would have immediately received international economic aid. And the pipelines from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan would have come," he said.

According to Naik, Tom Simons, the US representative at these meetings, openly threatened the Taliban and Pakistan, saying "…either the Taliban behave as they ought to, or Pakistan convinces them to do so, or we will use another option". Naik claimed Simons used the words 'a military operation'.

The last meeting between the Taliban and the U.S. government took place in August. Christina Rocca, director of the State Departments's bureau of Asian affairs who had reportedly worked on Central Asian matters for the CIA between 1982 and 1997, met with the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan in Islamabad. * Lots More Here...

http://www.thedubyareport.com/bushbin.html#taliban

[Garbo 2004]

34. Americablog counters Bush's BS:

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/01/bush-now-says-that-known-al-qaeda.html

Bush now says that known Al Qaeda members and Al Qaeda affiliates are working in the US, and he hasn't arrested them
by John in DC - 1/01/2006 07:11:00 PM


Well, isn't this growing curiouser and curiouser. Now Bush is saying that some of the calls he's illegally tapping are being made FROM the US and that the people making them are Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda affiliates.
Bush stressed that the surveillance involved telephone calls from "a few numbers" outside the United States by people associated with al-Qaida, the terrorist organization that plotted the Sept. 11 attacks. The White House later clarified Bush's remarks, saying he meant to say calls going to and originating from the U.S. were being monitored.

"It seems logical to me that if we know there's a phone number associated with al-Qaida or an al-Qaida affiliate and they're making phone calls, it makes sense to find out why," he said.

The rest, including link to article with Bush administration's clarification of Bush's previous statement to include calls originating from the US, at link above.

[chicagiana]

35. So what you're saying is ...

So what GW Bush is saying is that they can register a calling card in some terrorists name (most likely one of those fake terrorists they make up out of thin air), make a crank call to my house and then start taping all my phone conversations without a warrant.

Oh yeah, I thought another loophole in addition to satellite via long distance and cell phone calls which go into outer space and thus could be considered "international" by someone wishing to twist a law. If you have a cordless phone, those signals go into space as well. But how does one know if you're talking on a particular phone. You don't. Therefore any phone call made by a person's land line who OWNS a cordless phone could be considered an international call. Hence those calls could fall under the terms offered by GW Bush for who is being spied upon. We've already well established that GW Bush classifies anyone who doesn't agree with him as terrorist enablers, ergo terrorists. So Bush is allowed to spy on anyone he wants by his own language.

[u4ic]

36. I wonder if they'll be tapping the phone sex lines

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...sama

[undeterred]

38. Now I'm going to be looking for "Al Quaeda" on my Caller ID

:shrug: